Implication of Dental Disease Flashcards
What is the level of caries experience in the UK?
1/3 children aged 5 years have experience
50% of 8 year olds
General implications of caries?
P PIG Psychosocial Pain Infection General health
What is pain?
Unpleasant sensory and emotional response to actual or potential tissue damage
Is subjective
When is the McGill pain questionnaire useful?
In adults - children don’t use these words/ know them
How may children describe pain?
Stabbing, burning, dull, pressing, weird
Pulp test: uncomfortable, sore, hitting, dizzy
What is the prevalence of pain?
Approx 50% children with caries
More likely if: young, 2+ surface, disease in lower molars
Signs children are in pain?
Crying, not playing, changes eating/ sleeping, grumpy
Pain on toothbrushing or eating
Give examples of acute and chronic infection?
Chronic: buccal sinus, hypoplasisa permanent successor (turners tooth)
Acute: facial swelling, pyrexia
What effects can dental disease have on general health?
- Weight - may be lower in weight
- Height - mean height between 10th-25th percentiles in group w/ caries (should be 50th-75th)
- Iron deficiency - children require XLA had lower haemoglobin
What is the psychosocial impacts?
Oral health related quality of life measures
Reduced self-confidence - embarrassed to smile/ laugh
Measure: oral symptoms, functional limitations, social and emotional well-being
How many children suffer from anxiety and what are the impacts?
1/5th (increased in females)
Impact
- OH status, OH related QoL
- Dental professional: occupational stress, time-consuming
- Dental services: financial impact, referrals, cancelled appt
How can communication reduce dental anxiety?
Evidence communication reduces dental anxiety
Tell what will happen at vist
Age-appropriate, non-patronising manner
What do children think barriers in communication?
Less information provided
Problems understanding language
Lack opportunities to participate
What are the different types of anaesthesia available?
- Conscious sedation
- General anaesthesia
- Local anaesthesia
Why may conscious sedation be used?
Anxious children who require pharmacological behavioural management
Nitrous oxide/ oxygen
Why are general anaesthesia used and the implication?
Dental caries most common reason for hospital admission
Minor risk: nausea, vomit, headache
Major risk: mortality
Benefit: one vist w/ multiple procedures
less pain –> improve oral health QoL
How to minimise impact of dental caries?
Prevention
Community oral health promotion
Reduce dental anxiety
How can community oral health promotion help?
Targeted community based e.g F varnish programmes/ toothbrushing
Supervised toothbrushing nurseries/ school
Healthy food/drink
F- of public water
How can self-help CBT resources help?
Evidence based - child-centred approach
- Resource for children w/ extra for parents and dental professionals
- Help challenge unhelpful thoughts - normalise anxiety
- Enhance control - message dentist/ stop signals
- Reflect and plan rewards
