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Abstract: A 2-year-old child came to the clinic with incomplete middle incisors, and after understanding that the child had no previous toothache symptoms and no history of chronic diseases, the preliminary diagnosis was caries. We explained the necessity of caries treatment to the parents of the child, and successfully made them put down their worries about the treatment and finally agreed to cooperate with the treatment. After the composite resin restoration, the child’s teeth were restored to be complete and clean on the day of treatment, and the appearance of teeth was restored to normal.
Basic information】Male, 2 years old
Disease Type】Caries
Hospital】The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University
Consultation time】March 2021
Treatment plan】Tooth restoration (composite resin filling cavity repair)
Treatment Period】Outpatient treatment, regular review
Treatment effect】Caries completed treatment, tooth appearance back to normal
I. Initial consultation
A 2-year-old child came to the clinic with his parents. After communicating with the parents, we learned that the child was in good health and had no history of chronic diseases or major diseases, and had not heard of any toothache symptoms before, but the parents unintentionally found that the child’s incisors were incomplete and chipped, so he came to our clinic.
The initial oral examination of the child revealed discoloration and loss of the hard tissues of the incisors, and a probe was used to detect decay in the cavity. The parents were informed that the child’s teeth were intact when they first erupted and that the child was not used to brushing his teeth. The above examination results and past medical history were combined, and the child was diagnosed as having dental caries, and the parents were told that the child’s teeth should be treated promptly, otherwise the symptoms would worsen. The parents agreed to the treatment.
Treatment process
Since the child is young and the color of the filling material used is different from the tooth, we decided to apply composite resin restoration for the child to achieve the effect of beauty and stability. After communicating with the parents, the parents were willing to accept the treatment but were concerned that the child would not be able to cooperate with the treatment because he was too young. As a doctor, I understood the parents’ concern and explained to them that I would calm the child during the treatment and complete the operation as soon as possible without causing any damage to the child, and that many younger children had already recovered their dental health under my treatment. The parents were relieved of their worries and agreed to try the treatment.
Then, I gave the child a small toy to play with, eliminated his nervousness, and started the treatment after gently calming him. After removing the decayed tissue with a dental drill, no pulp was found, so the cavity was filled with composite resin, and the tooth shape was then trimmed according to the original tooth shape of the child, and the child was given a mouth rinse afterwards, and the treatment was successfully completed.
III. Treatment effect
Since the child was unfamiliar with the treatment environment, he was a bit resistant at first, but fortunately, after reassurance, the child’s emotions eventually stabilized and we successfully completed the treatment. After the treatment was completed, the child’s teeth were back to white and intact, and both appearance and diet were not affected, and he was able to eat normally on the same day. Parents were instructed to pay attention to prevent the child from chewing hard objects with his teeth. The parents were advised to follow up every six months to observe the condition of the filling material and to check if there was any recurrence of tooth decay. After six months, the parents said that they had helped the child brush his teeth every day and the filling material had not fallen off, which made me very happy.
IV. Notes
I am glad that after the standard treatment, the child’s teeth have been restored aesthetically and the treatment result is good. The child also needs to pay attention to the following points in daily life.
1. Since parents do not have the habit of brushing their children’s teeth, they think they are too young to brush their teeth, and this concept needs to be changed. The child is too young to be conscientious about dental care. He should brush his teeth with fluoride toothpaste for 3-5 minutes every day, and the parents need to assist him because he is too young to operate. Only by doing a good job of oral cleaning can we better help the child to prevent dental caries.
2.Parents can check the condition of the teeth when they help the children brush their teeth, if they find that the teeth are chipped, darkened or yellowed, or the filling material is lost, they should consult the doctor in time.
3, for the daily diet of the child, parents should pay attention to the supplemental food do not add sugar, usually try not to give the child processed snacks, as age gradually, can be appropriate to increase the high fiber, chewable food, such as celery, beef, etc.
V. Personal insight
The parents of the child in this case can understand and trust our doctor, which is the prerequisite to get good treatment effect.
Dental caries is a common disease in both children and adults, and it can be diagnosed through face-to-face examination, and if necessary, dental X-ray can be taken to assist the diagnosis. Many people have misconceptions about children’s caries, thinking that they do not need treatment or they are too young to do treatment, but in fact, for experienced pediatric dentists, there is no age limit for caries treatment, and caries should be treated in time after it is found to avoid pulpitis, periapical inflammation and other problems.