ECC is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged up to 71 months.

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Multiple Choice

ECC is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged up to 71 months.

The main idea here is the age boundary used in the definition of early childhood caries. ECC is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged up to 71 months. That sets the upper limit at 71 months, which is five years and eleven months—just under six years. At 72 months and beyond, the definition window for ECC in this context ends because the dentition is transitioning toward mixed dentition and the criteria change. So, 71 months is the correct upper cutoff; 60 months is within the window but not the maximum, and 72 or 84 months exceed the defined limit.

The main idea here is the age boundary used in the definition of early childhood caries. ECC is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged up to 71 months. That sets the upper limit at 71 months, which is five years and eleven months—just under six years. At 72 months and beyond, the definition window for ECC in this context ends because the dentition is transitioning toward mixed dentition and the criteria change. So, 71 months is the correct upper cutoff; 60 months is within the window but not the maximum, and 72 or 84 months exceed the defined limit.

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