Preferred treatment option of severely destroyed primary molars and hypomineralisation defects in children
The questionaire revealed the preferred treatment option of dentists in both countries.
Preffered treatment option changed when general anesthesia was introduced to the scenario.
There is published literature supporting the use of stainless steel crowns (SSC) for severely destroyed primary molars and hypomineralisation defects in children. However, until now, little is known about the dentists` preferences in this area. A newly published paper by NIOM and collaborators holds the answer.
In 2019, a large group of Finnish and Norwegian dentists received our questionnaire. They were presented with two clinical images. The first showed a primary molar with severe caries, and the second showed a first permanent molar with enamel hypomineralisation that was hypersensitive and caused discomfort to the patient.
The dentists were asked which treatment they would perform to restore the teeth. The dentists, who choose to treat with a restorative approach, were then asked which material they would prefer as a restoration.
Low frequency reported
The questionnaire revealed that most dentists in both countries chose to restore the primary molar with a resin-modified glass ionomer cement, followed by a traditional glass ionomer cement. For the restoration of the permanent molar with enamel hypomineralisation the preferred treatment was resin composite restoration. The participants reported low frequency of the use of SSC in regular clinical situations.
However, when the dentists were asked about preferred treatment when the same patient with a severely destroyed primary molar was referred to treatment under general anesthesia, the frequency of SSC use increased.
It is possible that in this case dentists chose the ‘optimal’ treatment instead of choosing the treatment according to a real-life situation. Therefore, it can be speculated that dentists appreciate SSCs as treatment options, but do not adopt them in practice.
Pictured: Caries active mouth of a 5-year old. Credit: Aida Mulic.
NIOM Newsletter March 2020