{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T03:40:50Z","timestamp":1774928450605,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,31]],"date-time":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761868800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a major global public health concern disproportionately affecting young children, particularly in low-resource settings. Although several clinical and community-based interventions have been implemented, the contribution of policy measures in addressing ECC remains insufficiently explored at the global level.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review aimed to identify, describe, and map policy approaches adopted across countries for the prevention and management of ECC.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The review followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2014 and 2024. Eligible studies focusing on ECC-related policies were included and analyzed thematically.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 28 articles met the inclusion criteria. The identified policy approaches were categorized into three major domains: preventive, regulatory, and integrative strategies. These policies were implemented across high-, middle-, and low-income countries, with the majority originating from high-income settings. Implementation channels included schools, health systems, and mass media campaigns. Major gaps identified were limited policy initiatives in low-income countries, weak integration with primary healthcare, and inadequate monitoring and evaluation frameworks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>While progress has been made in ECC policy development globally, significant disparities persist in implementation and impact. The findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive, equity-oriented, and system-integrated policy interventions to effectively prevent and control ECC worldwide.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Systematic Review Registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The review protocol is registered at the Open Science Framework database under the Registration\n                      <jats:ext-link>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17605\/OSFIO\/2VMEK<\/jats:ext-link>\n                      .\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2025.1664019","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,31]],"date-time":"2025-10-31T06:25:41Z","timestamp":1761891941000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Global policy approaches to combat early childhood caries: a 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