Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease
in several Asian countries, particularly as a result of
growing sugar consumption and inadequate exposure
to fluoride.1 A high percentage of untreated dental
caries in children, known as Early Childhood Caries
(ECC), makes it a global ‘pandemic’ disease.2 In
2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted
that the number of Teeth Decayed, Missing due to
caries (extracted), and Filled, in terms of the DMFT
index for 12- year- old children was 1.61 in 188
countries. This score includes 60 to 90 percent of
school children around the globe.3