Dental emergencies presenting to this university-based clinic were predominantly related to caries and trauma. The service was more frequently utilized by children in the mixed dentition stage, children from lower socioeconomic groups and those living in the local area. The frequency of caries-related problems indicates the need for more community-based preventive strategies, including encouraging greater attendance for routine dental care and dental health education. Strategies for oral health promotion should also be developed to prevent dental trauma.

Background: This study was done to evaluate the prevalence and contributory factors of early childhood caries (ECC) and severe ECC (S-ECC) among preschool children of Kindergartens and Early Childhood Centres in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 342 preschool children aged 3 to 5 years. The school staff distributed a structured questionnaire to the children to be completed by the mother. Clinical examinations were conducted by calibrated examiners. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 in all analyses. Results: The prevalence of ECC and S-ECC was 50.3% and 52.3%, respectively. Dietary and oral hygiene factors particularly with bottle feeding and high plaque levels were major contributors to dental caries in this population. Conclusion: ECC and S-ECC are significant issues that occur in preschool children in Trinidad and Tobago. The development of ECC and S-ECC can be attributed to certain environmental factors like dietary habits and oral hygiene practices. Early dental assessment, broad-based oral health education programmes, increased parental/guardian engagement during oral hygiene practices and greater access to facilities for early childhood caries prevention and management can help alleviate the problems of ECC and S-ECC in this population.

A dental service aimed at early attention to anterior tooth trauma is needed. In addition, there is an ongoing need for improving the oral hygiene of these individuals to prevent the development of periodontal disease in later life.

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