How it Happened...
The Early Childhood Caries (ECC) has been termed a silent epidemic. It is major global oral health problem affecting infants and preschool children worldwide. Global efforts are required to tackle this growing health challenge and to become more organized and prominent.
The International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) with close to eighty national pediatric dentistry societies and representing worldwide more than twenty thousand dentists is the ideal setting to achieve this type of global cooperation.
Step 1
Establish a common language to allow clinicians and scientists dealing with ECC to properly communicate
Step 2
Meet at the IAPD Global Summit in Bangkok, Thailand
Step 3
Reach a consensus on an internationally accepted definition for ECC
Step 4
Propose and publish recommendations as to how to promote childhood caries prevention worldwide
The Expert Panel
The Global Summit brought together experts and world leaders involved in the area of ECC. An international group of eleven authorities from across the globe convened under the auspices of the IAPD prepared an expert report. The report was presented to over four hundred delegates from over fifty countries.
A consensus was reached and summarized in an official declaration entitled: Early Childhood Caries: IAPD Bangkok Declaration.
The declaration facilitates the exchange of information and expertise across national borders and concurrently link policy makers, academics, and activists.
In addition to the declaration, an open access supporting scientific manuscript is available.