Dental caries in the child and adolescence (2)
Yuan Zhou
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China School of Stomatology, SCU
3.1 Caries management strategies
⑴ Introduction
Review for the last class and introduce the contents today.
⑵ Caries management strategies
Reference material:
Many practical measures for the control of dental caries are applicable to private practice. Most practitioners have tried control measures with various degrees of success. One cannot emphasize too strongly, however, that no single measure for the control of dental caries will be entirely satisfactory. All possible preventive measures and approaches must be considered in the hope of successfully controlling and preventing the caries process. None of these preventive approaches can have any hope for success without the regular and full cooperation and commitment from the caregiver and patient, with home-care vigilance.
Pediatric dentists who see patients on a referral basis may hear a parent remark, “My child has so many cavities that my dentist doesn’t know where to start.” Although it is true that the problem may at first seem overwhelming, a systematic, understanding approach often results in a gratifying response. Following a discussion of the oral problems with the parents, an outline of procedures for the control of active or rampant caries in the cooperative and communicative patient is explained. With this approach and with patient cooperation, the problem can usually be explained and brought under control. The successful management of active dental caries, however, depends on the parents’ or patient’s interest in maintaining the patient’s teeth and their cooperation in a customized and specific caries control program.
