Childhood caries risk assessment Flashcards
What six components contribute to measuring caries risk in children?
- Medical history
- Dietary habits
- Clinical evidence
- Plaque control
- Use of fluoride
- Social history
The National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England Oral Health Survey of 5 year old children in 2012 showed a reduction in WHAT compared to 2008?
Reduction in: overall tooth decay in 5 year olds; proportion of children with untreated decay; proportion of children with sepsis in their mouths.
What factors as part of a medical history are important for caries risk?
- medically compromised
- physical disability
- xerostomia
- long-term cariogenic medicine
What factors make up dietary habits?
- frequency of sugar intake
- frequency of between-meal snacking
What factors make up clinical evidence?
- new carious lesions
- premature extractions
- anterior caries/restorations
- multiple restorations
- no fissure sealants
- fixed orthodontic appliance
What factors make up plaque control?
- infrequent/inefficient cleaning
- poor manual control
- parental guidance
What factors make up use of fluoride?
- drinking water not fluoridated
- no/low fluoride toothpaste
- no fluoride supplements
What factors make up social history?
- social deprivation
- high caries in siblings/parents
- low knowledge of dental disease
- irregular attendance
- readily available snacks
- low dental aspirations
What are 6 preventive strategies against childhood caries?
- diet (avoiding high frequency consumption of sugary foods; encourage infants to drink from a cup by 1yr)
- fluoride
- fissure sealants
- oral hygiene instruction
- prevention of maternal/sibling transmission of S. mutans (minimising saliva-sharing activities)
- CPP-ACP
What is CPP-ACP?
Casein phosphopeptide - amorphous calcium phosphate AKA Recaldent. It is a milk-derived product that remineralises teeth and prevent dental caries by stabilising calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions.
What is the definition of early childhood caries?
The disease of early childhood caries is the presence of 1 or more decayed, missing or filled tooth surface in any primary tooth in a child 71 months (less than 6 years) of age or younger.
What is a common pattern of ECC?
Bottle feeding: the teeth decay in the order they erupt while sparing the lower anterior teeth. Bottle often used as a pacifier to sleep containing fermentable carbohydrates. May also occur with prolonged breast feeding.
What are the generic causes of ECC?
They are often related to frequent consumption of drinks containing sugars in a bottle. Long periods of exposure to cariogenic substrate combine with low salivary flow at night and a parental history of active untreated caries usually lead to ECC. ECC is multifactorial in aetiology.
What are the characteristics of ECC?
- Rampant caries affecting the maxillary anteriors teeth
- Lesions appear later of posterior teeth
- Canines are usually less affected because of later eruption
What are the consequences of ECC?
- higher risk of new carious lesions
- increase risk of treatment costs and time
- risk for delayed physical growth and development
- loss of school days and increased days with restricted activity
- diminished oral health-related quality of life
- hospitalisations and emergency room visits
