Child temperament and early childhood caries: is there a link?

A total 5072 studies resulted in the inclusion of 15 studies, encompassing data from 6,667 participants. Seven studies were of high quality and eight, moderate. Meta-analyses of seven studies revealed a significant association between certain temperament traits (e.g., higher levels of emotionality and lower levels of sociability) and ECC. In particular, difficult temperament was associated with ECC (OR 2.63 95%CI: 1.37-5.04) CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that child temperament is a significant factor in the risk of developing ECC. Specifically, children with higher emotionality and lower sociability are at greater risk. Interventions targeting child temperament through child behaviour and parental management strategies may be effective in reducing ECC.