Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal access to clean water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which are crucial elements of health and well-being and fundamental for a life
in dignity. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable disease affecting health and quality of life of millions of young
children worldwide. This scoping review aims to explore the connection between ECC and access to clean water
and sanitation.
METHODS: This scoping review, registered on the Open Science Framework and following PRISMA-ScR guidelines,
conducted a thorough search in databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, SciELO) and websites
(via Google) in November 2023. The search, without date limitations, targeted studies in English and Spanish linking
ECC to SDG6. Exclusions were made for studies solely focusing on ECC without a direct connection to clean water
and sanitation. Descriptive statistics summarized the retrieved papers.
RESULTS: The initial search yielded 303 articles. After removing duplicates, 264 articles remained for title and abstract
screening after which 244 were excluded and one report was added through citation searching. The 21 remaining articles underwent full text review. There were no studies on a direct association between access to clean water
and sanitation and the prevalence of ECC. There were nine studies that showed indirect associations between ECC
and access to clean water and sanitation through the links of: water and sanitation access as a marker for poverty
(n=1), water consumption as a feeding practice (n=4), and the effectiveness of water fluoridation (n=4). These were
used to develop a conceptual model.
CONCLUSIONS: While it is conceivable that a direct link exists between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation,
the available body of research only offers evidence of indirect associations. The exploration of potential pathways con‑
necting water access to ECC warrants further investigation in future research.
