Introduction to paeds

Question 1

Paediatric dentistry is concerned with the age of children up until the age of…

Answer 1

16

Question 2

What is a child?

Answer 2

an individual who is in the process of developing language, intellect, motor skills and personality

Question 3

What are Piagets four stages of intellectual/perceptual development?

Answer 3

• Sensorimotor
• Pre-operational
• Concrete operational
• Formal operational

Question 4

The sensorimotor period of a child is between _____ and _____.

Answer 4

birth and 2 years old

Question 5

What does the sensorimotor stage of development involve?

Answer 5

• start to understand information from senses
• learn to use muscles and limbs
• knowledge about objects and the way they can be manipulated
• babies are unable to comprehend the needs of others

Question 6

What is the age range for the pre-operational period?

Answer 6

2-7 years

Question 7

What are the features of the pre-operational period?

Answer 7

• reasoning is tied to their perception
• they believe what they see and hear

Piagets experiment:
2 glasses of water; one short and wide, the other tall and slim; filled in same amout of water; children believed there to be more water in the tall and slim glass

Question 8

What is the age range for the concrete operational period?

Answer 8

7-11 years

Question 9

What is the main feature of the concrete operational period?

Answer 9

ability to question and employ basic logic

Question 10

What is the age range for the formal operational period?

Answer 10

11-15 years

Question 11

The formal operational period is reached by all individuals. True or false

Answer 11

false

Question 12

What is the main feature of the formal operational period?

Answer 12

able to think abstractly, needed in subjects like algebra and geometry

Question 13

When do children begin to develop perception?

Answer 13

by the age of 7

Question 14

How many words would the average 5 year old know?

Answer 14

2000 + words

Question 15

It is important to pitch the language at the right level in paediatric dentistry. Give some tips on how to do this

Answer 15

• do not use language that is too complex
• do not talk down to children

Question 16

There is a rapid decline of seperation anxiety in children at age _____.

Answer 16

5

Question 17

What is 1 degree socialisation?

Answer 17

Also known as primary socialisation

this is when cultural information has been transmitted in the home in early life

Question 18

What is 2 degree socialisation ?

Answer 18

this is imformation learned from school

Question 19

What are the implications of the parent child relationshiop on dentistry?

Answer 19

• parental perceptions are passed onto the child
• attitude towards dental health
• dietary habits
• overprotective parents
• parental anxiety passed to the child

Question 20

How can you assess a child and parents attitude to dental care?

Answer 20

• past dental history
• previous extractions
• previous GA
• acceptance of OHI
• attendance for treatment
• compliance with oral hygiene regime

Question 21

Keeping parents in the surgery for the childs appointment has shown increased cooperation in ______ but no effect in _______.

Answer 21

increased cooperation in pre-schoolers

No effect in school agers

Question 22

You should never deny the parent access to the child. True or false

Answer 22

true

Question 23

Give some reasons for parental presence in the paediatric appointment

Answer 23

• parents can provide support, positive reinforcement
• promotes dentists sympathetic communication
• parents understand the childs needs

Question 24

Give some reasons against parental presence in the paediatric appointment

Answer 24

• repeating orders
• intercepting orders
• no voice control- difficult for dentist to use stricter tones?
• childs attention divided
• dentists attention divided

Question 25

What are the common problems facing the dental team when it comes to paediatric appointments?

Answer 25

• invasion of personal space
• variable attention spans
• lack of feeling in control
• fear of choking/nausea
• time constraints
• conflict between child and parent
• parental anxiety/transference to child

Question 26

According to Wanless and Holloway, 1994, what is the appropriate structure of the dental visit?

Answer 26

• greeting
• preliminary chat- non dental, assess dental anxiety
• preliminary examination- what you intend to do in the visit, opportunity to ask questions
• dental procedures
• dismissal

Question 27

What are the aims when providing dental care for children?

Answer 27

• keep primary and permanent dentition free from disease
• reduce risk of child experiencing pain or sepsis or acquiring treatment induced dental anxiety if dental caries occurs
• for child to grow up feeling positive about their oral health and with the skills and motivation to maintain it

Question 28

In order to achieve the aims of providing paediatric care, what are the priorities of the dental team?

Answer 28

• encourage parent/carer to take responsibility for their childs oral health and implement preventive advice at home
• encourage parent/carer to bring child for their appointments
• involve both child and parent/carer in decisions relating to their oral car
• apply preventive measures to the highest standard possibel
• relieve pain and infection if present
• **focus on prevention of caries in permanent dentition before the management of caries in primary dentition
• manage caries in primary dentition using an appropriate technique tjhat maximised the chance of the tooth exfoliating without causing pain/sepsis
• ensure valid consent
• if caries in permanent dentition occurs, diagnose early and manage appropriately
• identify as early as possible those children where there is doubt or evidence about parent/carers ability to comply with preventive advice. In these cases, contact and work collaboratively with other agencies especially childs named health visitor, school nurse or GMp