Open AccessProsthetic Rehabilitation of a Patient with Severe Early Childhood Caries: A Case Report
Author(s) -
Vanessa Simas Braga,
Paulo Floriani Kramer,
Carla Jotz Ceccato,
Simone Helena Ferreira
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of clinical and diagnostic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2249-782X
pISSN - 0973-709X
DOI - 10.7860/jcdr/2020/45091.14118
Subject(s) - early childhood caries , medicine , rehabilitation , dentures , tooth loss , etiology , oral hygiene , early childhood , dentistry , physical therapy , psychology , oral health , psychiatry , developmental psychology
Early Childhood Caries (ECC) continues to be one of the most common chronic diseases in children throughout the world, exerting a negative impact on quality of life. This condition can cause pain, infection, and tooth loss as well as problems with speaking, chewing, and nutrition. The aetiology of ECC is complex and involves socioeconomic, biological, and behavioural factors. Rehabilitation in very young patients is challenging due to difficulties inherent to the age of the child, which limits cooperation, the extent of tooth decay, and the motivation of family members, especially in patients with the early loss of primary teeth. Therefore, paediatric dentists need to plan and implement individualised approaches on a case-by-case basis. This paper reports a case of a three-year-old boy diagnosed with ECC involving extensive carious lesions, root remnants, and multiple abscesses. The treatment plan involved prosthetic rehabilitation with complete dentures. Regular check ups were important to the functional adaptations and proper hygiene counselling. The child adapted extremely well to the dentures. Improvements in appearance, speech, and chewing function enhanced the child’s self-confidence and assisted in establishing proper dietary patterns.