title: Dental management of children with special healthcare needs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental caries is a common condition amongst young children that negatively impacts on their quality of life, It is an added burden on children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) who have an increased risk of developing caries due to the high sugar contents in their medications, regular consumption of cariogenic foods and a poor salivary flow.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to analyse the management of dental caries in CSHCN at a tertiary public hospital in South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted of the dental and medical records of 374 medically compromised children presenting with dental caries. Dental treatment and anaesthetic techniques used were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that the majority of CSHCN presenting with caries were managed by extractions (96.5%) under either local anaesthesia (73.3%) or general anaesthesia (26.7%). There was a lack of restorative care provided to these compromised children,
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment by extractions may relieve discomfort and pain; however, early loss of teeth leads to functional, psychological, aesthetic and orthodontic problems, which can result in a further decline in the quality of life of these already compromised patients, Restorative treatment and prevention strategies are critical in managing caries in CSHCN in order to improve their quality of life,
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peerbhay
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Titinchi
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000150:complications; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data