Review on Restoring Primary Carious Teeth

Question 1

Define ECC

Answer 1

-presence of one or more cavitated or non-cavitated carious lesions before a child’s sixth birthday

Question 2

Define severe ECC

Answer 2

-smooth surface caries in children less than 3 years old

Question 3

What are the consequences of ECC summarised

Answer 3

• pain
• sepsis
• space loss
• disruption of QoL
• Disruption of growth and developmentt (failure to thrive) and effects of tx of ECC
• Disruption of intellectual development
• Hospitalisation and emergency visits
• Treatment time and financial costs
• Greater risk of new carious lesions in both primary and permanent dentitions

Question 4

What are the benefits of treating ECC

Answer 4

• Carious teeth restored to function
• Pain and discomfort is resolved or prevented
• Risk of sepsis reduced
• Space loss lessened or avoided
• Child’s oral health-related QoL improves
• Beneficial effects on child’s growth and development
• Child’s educational experience may be enhanced

Question 5

How many children express pain

Answer 5

• Unable to eat
• Unable to sleep
• Stop playing
• Unable to attend school

Question 6

Risks of dental sepsis

Answer 6

• Sepsis can lead to cellulitis which can lead to Ludwig’s Angina
• Medical emergency

Question 7

Problems of space loss

Answer 7

• Deviation of mid-line
• Crowding
• Dental impaction
• Ectopic eruption
• Cross bite formation

Question 8

Primary teeth to try and keep hold of as long as possible

Answer 8

• Early loss of primary molar may result in adjacent molar migrating medially, with the canine drifting distally
• Reduction in arch length is more severe in the maxillae
• Eruption of permanent maxillary canines can be impaired following premature loss of Ds

Question 9

Evidence for space maintainers and downsides

Answer 9

• Limited evdence
• May help prevent change in arch length following early loss of primary teeth
• Plaque retentive, impinge upon soft tissue, interfere with eruption of adjacent teeth, fracture, become dislodges or be lost

Question 10

Failure to thrive definition

Answer 10

-Weight or height below the 3rd percentile for age, failure to maintain a previously established growth pattern and/or growth failure unknown origin

Question 11

link between caries and weight of child

Answer 11

-studies show that young children with rampant or nursing caries were found to be significantly lighter and shorter than controls without caries

Question 12

link between intellectual development and caries

Answer 12

-more likely to report poor school performance

Question 13

hospitalisation and caries link

Answer 13

-dental caries was the etiological factor prompting 73% of visits in children’s hospital for emergencies

Question 14

biggest predictor of future caries?

Answer 14

past dental caries experience in children

Question 15

how is anxiety linked to caries

Answer 15

-more likely to be dentally anxious if more carious lesions

Question 16

what is direct conditioning

Answer 16

• Process whereby the experience of traumatic events or treatments is associated with development of fear- child learns to associate pain and stress with the dental setting
• if the child has positive dental experiences, he/she will learn to have a positive dental attitude towards dental treatment

Question 17

what is latent inhibition

Answer 17

• process by which is positive dental experiences are followed by a traumatic event
• prior learning inhibits child’s development of dental fear