dental caries paeds Flashcards
What are some basic facts?
10th most prevalent disease- untreated caries
1/3 5 year olds have/had caries
1/2 8 year olds have/had caries
What are implications of caries?
Pain
Infection
General health
Psychosocial
What is pain?
An unpleasant sensory and emotional response to actual/potential tissue damage
How can people describe pain?
Adults- McGill pain scale
Kids- “weird”, “hurts”, “lots of bees stinging”, “uncomfortable”, “sore”, “hitting”, “dizzy”
When is pain more likely in caries?
At young age
2+ surfaces
In lower molars
How might kids describe pain?
Crying
Stopping from playing
Missing school
Related to eating/sleeping/school
Annoyed, sad, grumpy and worse than most people
What are signs of caries in v young children?
Pain on tooth brushing
During eating
Not crying at night
What infection could be present?
CHRONIC
Buccal sinus
Hypoplasia of permanent successor (Turners tooth)
ACUTE
Facial swelling
Pyrexia
Hospitalisation?
What are some associated factors with caries in kids?
Poor diet
Lower weight than peers
Mean height between 10th-25th percentile
Higher no of x=lower Haemoglobin, 80% iron deficiency
What are psychosocial measures?
Oral symptoms
Functional limitations
Social well being
Emotional well being
What did the 2014 children’s dental health survey (about caries) say?
Pain most common impact
22% 12 year olds and 19% 15 years have difficulty eating
12 year olds have lower self confidence
How does caries impact smiling?
34% sad about teeth
35% 12 year old and 28% 15 year olds embarrassed to smile/laugh
31% ashamed to smile
Kids w decay show less teeth when smiling
Parents and kids were less positive
What are implications of the tx?
Not little adults
Short attention span
Fear of unknown
What do we know about child dental anxiety?
1/5 of kids have it
More female
IMPACTS
Child- OH status, QofL, waiting lists, travel
Dentist- occupational stress, time consuming
Service- financial, more missed/cancelled appts, more specialist referrals
BETTER COMMUNICATION NEEDED
How can you manage a child w dental anxiety?
Tell them what’s going to happen in the visit
Explain in an age appropriate and non patronising manner
They are intolerant to changes once a plan has been agreed
Self help CBT resources
1. Challenge unhelpful thoughts (normalise anxiety, provide info)
2. Enhance control (Message to the dentist, Stop signal contract)
3. Reflect and plan reward