Role of Immunological Markers in Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Early Childhood Caries and Adult Caries: A Systematic Review

IntroductIonDental caries is a prevalent long-lasting condition that impacts people worldwide, causing harm to their oral health and overall well-being. 1 The erosion of tooth enamel and the development of cavities are key indicators of dental caries, which can manifest as adult caries (AC) in adults and early childhood caries (ECC) in young children. 2 According to Colak et al., 3 multiple etiologies and risk factors have an impact on both stages, with ECC largely affecting the primary dentition and AC primarily targeting permanent teeth.Some of the associated risk factors that lead to early adult caries (EAC) include sociodemographic, dietary (breastfeeding/bottle feeding), oral hygiene factors, and factors related to oral bacterial flora, etc. 1 Thus, it is imperative to determine the pathophysiology of dental caries and develop preventive measures that require knowledge and understanding of the role of immune status facilitating the initiation and progression of caries.According to Babu et al.,4 immune responses are important in controlling hostmicrobial interactions in the oral cavity, which affects the beginning and development of caries. 4Salivary components, cytokines, and immune cells influence caries susceptibility by supporting local defense