Outcomes associated with restored and unrestored deciduous molar teeth.
BACKGROUND
Most dental treatment for children in the United Kingdom (UK) is provided by general dental practitioners (GDPs) working in the National Health Service (NHS). A working party of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, in a special publication from the Dental Practice Board, has suggested that failure to provide restorative care for the deciduous dentition is unacceptable, yet GDPs are filling fewer teeth in young children. The study aimed to evaluate the health outcomes obtained from restoring carious deciduous molar teeth.


METHODS
The dental records of 677 children cared for by 50 GDPs in the north west of England were analysed.


RESULTS
The results showed that 18.8% of deciduous molars with unrestored caries and 17.0% with a history of restorative care went on to be extracted because of pain or sepsis.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the risk of carious deciduous molars being extracted is similar whether these teeth receive restorative care or not.
Milsom
Keith M
KM
Department of Research & Development, Chester and Halton Community NHS Trust, Moston Lodge, Countess of Chester Health Park, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1UL. Community.Dental@cahc-tr.nwest.nhs.uk
Tickle
Martin
M
King
David
D
Kearney-Mitchell
Paula
P
Blinkhorn
Anthony S
AS
D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008963:Molar; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014080:Tooth Exfoliation; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom