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Examination
Extraoral examination
He is a fit and healthy-looking adolescent. No submental,
submandibular or other cervical lymph nodes are palpable
and the temporomandibular joints appear normal.
Intraoral examination
A high caries rate The lower right quadrant is shown in Figure 1.1. The oral
mucosa is healthy and the oral hygiene is reasonable. There
is gingivitis in areas but no calculus is visible and probing
depths are 3mm or less. The mandibular right first molar
is grossly carious and a sinus is discharging buccally. There
are no other restorations in any teeth. No teeth have been
extracted and the third molars are not visible. A small cavity
is present on the occlusal surface of the mandibular right
second molar.
What further examination would you carry out?
SUMMARY
Test of tooth vitality of the teeth in the region of the sinus.
A 17-year-old sixth-form college student presents at Even though the first molar is the most likely cause, the
your general dental surgery with several carious adjacent teeth should be tested because more than one
lesions, one of which is very large. How should you tooth might be nonvital. The results should be compared
stabilize his condition? with those of the teeth on the opposite side. Both hot/cold
methods and electric pulp testing could be used because
extensive reactionary dentine may moderate the response.
The first molar fails to respond to any test. All other teeth
appear vital.
Investigations
What radiographs would you take? Explain why each view
is required.
CASE
A h i g h c a r i e s r at e
Table 1.1 Sequence of treatment
Phase of treatment Items of treatment Reasons
Immediate phase Caries removal from the lower right first molar, access cavity Essential if the tooth is to be saved and to remove the source of the apical infection. There is also
preparation for endodontics, drainage, irrigation with sodium an urgent need to minimize further destruction of this tooth, which may soon be unrestorable.
hypochlorite and placement of a temporary restoration The temporary restoration is necessary to facilitate rubber dam isolation during future endodontic
treatment, and it will also stabilize the occlusion and stop mesial drift.
Stabilization of caries Removal of caries and placement of temporary restorations in all To prevent further tooth destruction and progression to carious exposure while other phases of
carious teeth in visits by quadrants/two quadrants treatment are being carried out.
Preventive treatment Dietary analysis, oral hygiene instruction, fluoride advice Should start immediately and extend throughout the treatment plan, to reduce the high caries
rate and ensure the long-term future of the dentition.
Permanent restoration Will depend on what is found while placing temporary restorations Permanent restorations may be left until last; stabilization takes priority.
How would you ensure removal of all carious tissue when a susceptible tooth surface. Denying the plaque flora its
restoring the vital molars? substrate sugar is the most effective measure to halt the
progression of existing lesions and prevent new ones forming.
Removal of all softened carious tissue at the amelodentinal
No preventive measure affecting the flora or tooth is as
junction is essential and only stained but hard dentine can be
effective. A further advantage of emphasis on diet is that it
left in place.
forces the patient to acknowledge that they must take
Removal of carious dentine over the pulp is treated responsibility for preventing their own disease.
differently. In a young patient with large pulp chambers there
is always a tendency for the operator to be conservative but How would you evaluate a patients diet?
this might be counterproductive if softened or infected Dietary analysis consists of two elements: enquiry into lifestyle
dentine were left below the restoration. Very soft or flaky and into the dietary components themselves. Information
dentine must always be removed. Slightly soft dentine can be about the diet itself is of little value unless it is taken in
left in situ provided a good well-sealed restoration is placed context with the patients lifestyle. Only dietary
over it. Deciding whether to leave the last layers of softened recommendations tailored to the patients lifestyle are likely
dentine can be difficult and the decision rests to a degree on to be adopted.
clinical experience. Pain associated with pulpitis indicates a
need to remove more dentine or, if severe, a need for elective The diet record should include all the foods and drinks
endodontics. Interpreting softened dentine in rapidly consumed, the amount (in readily estimated units) and the
advancing lesions is difficult. The deepest layers are soft time of eating or drinking.
through demineralization but are not necessarily infected and In this case it should be noted that the patient is a 17-year-
may sometimes be left over the pulp. Also, bacterial old student. Lifestyle often changes dramatically between the
penetration of the dentine is not reliably indicated by staining ages of 16 and 20. He may no longer be living at home and
in rapidly advancing lesions. Removal of the last layers of may be enjoying physical, financial and dietary independence
carious dentine may require some courage in deep lesions. from his parents. He may be poor and be eating a cheap
More detailed information on caries removal is included in carbohydrate-rich diet of snacks instead of regular meals.
problem 9, A large carious lesion. Long hours of studying may be accompanied by the frequent
consumption of sweetened drinks.
What is the most important preventive procedure for this
Analysis of the diet itself may be performed in a variety of
patient? Explain why.
ways. The patient can be asked to recall all foods consumed
Diet analysis. Caries requires dietary sugars, in particular over the previous 24 hours. This is not very effective, relying
sucrose, glucose and fructose, an acidogenic plaque flora and as it does on a good memory and honesty, and is unlikely to
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CASE 4
A h i g h c a r i e s r at e
give a representative account. Relying on memory for more be beneficial to use a weekly fluoride rinse as well. This could
than 24 hours is too inaccurate. be continued for as long as the diet is felt to be unsafe.
The most effective method is for the patient to keep a written Oral hygiene instruction is also important, but may be
record of their diet for 4 consecutive days, including 2 emphasized in a later phase of treatment. It will not stop
working and 2 leisure days. The need for the patient to caries progression, which is critical for this patient, and there
comply fully and assess their diet honestly must be stressed is only a mild gingivitis.
and, of course, the diet should not be changed because it is
being recorded. Ideally the analysis should be performed Assuming good compliance and motivation, how will you
before any dietary advice is given. Even the patient who does restore the teeth permanently?
not keep an honest account has been made more aware of
The mandibular right first molar requires orthograde
their diet. If they know what foods to omit from the sheet to
endodontic treatment and replacement of the temporary
make their dentist happy, at least the first step in an
restoration with a core. Retention for the core can be
educative process has been made.
provided by residual tooth tissue, provided carious
How will you analyse this patients 4-day diet sheet destruction is not gross. The restorative material may be
shown in Figure 1.4? What is the cause of his caries packed into the pulp chamber and the first 23mm of the
susceptibility? root canal. If insufficient natural crown remains, it may be
supplemented with a preformed post in the distal canals. The
Highlight sugar-rich foods and drinks as in Figure 1.4. distal canal is not ideal, being further from the most
Note whether they are confined to meal times or whether extensively destroyed area, but it is larger.
they are eaten frequently and spaced throughout the day
The other molar teeth will need to have their temporary
as snacks. The number of sugar attacks should be counted
restorations replaced by definitive restorations. Caries
and discussed with the patient. Also note the consistency of
involved only the occlusal surface but removal of these large
the food because dry and sticky foods take longer to be
lesions has probably left little more than an enamel shell.
cleared from the mouth. Sugared drinks taken immediately
Restoration of such teeth with amalgam would require
before bed are highly significant because salivary flow is
removal of all the unsupported, undermined enamel leaving
reduced during sleep and clearance time is greater. Identify
little more than a root stump and a few spurs of tooth tissue.
foods with a high hidden sugar content because patients
Restoration could be better achieved with a radiopaque glass
often do not realize that such foods are significant; examples
ionomer and composite hybrid restoration. The glass ionomer
are baked beans, breakfast cereals, tomato ketchup and plain
used to replace the missing dentine must be radiopaque so
biscuits.
that it is not confused with residual or secondary caries on
The diet sheet shows that the main problem for this radiographs. A composite linked to dentine with a bonding
patient is too many sugar-containing drinks, and frequent agent would be an alternative to the glass ionomer.
snacks of cake and biscuits. Most meals or snacks contain a
high sugar item and some more than one. The other typical Figure 1.5 shows the restored lower first molar 2 months
cause of a high caries rate in this age group is sweets, after endodontic treatment. What do you see and what
especially mints. long-term problem is evident?
What advice will you give the patient? There is good bone healing around the apices and in the
bifurcation. Complete healing would be expected after 6
The principles of a safer diet are shown in Table 1.3 (p. 6).
months to 1 year at which time the success of root treatment
Dietary advice is almost always provided using the health- can be judged.
belief model of health education. However, it is well-known
As noted in the initial radiographs, the lower right first molar
that education about the risks and consequences of lifestyle,
has lost its mesial contact, drifted and tilted. This makes it
habits and diet is often ineffective. It is important to judge
impossible to restore the normal contour of the mesial
the patients likely compliance and provide dietary advice
surface and contact point. The mesial surface is flat and there
that can be used to make small but significant changes
is no defined contact point. In the long term there is a risk of
rather than attempting to eradicate all sugar from the diet.
caries of the distal surface of the second premolar, and the
As the diet improves, the advice can be adapted and
caries is likely to affect a wider area of tooth and extend
extended.
further gingivally than caries below a normal contact. The
Advice must be acceptable, practical and affordable. In this area will also be difficult to clean and there is a risk of
case the patient has already suffered serious consequences localized periodontitis. Tilting of the occlusal surface may also
from his poor diet and this may help change behaviour. favour food packing into the contact unless the contour of
The patient must be made aware that damage to teeth the restoration includes an artificially enhanced marginal
continues for up to 1 hour after a sugar intake. The ridge.
explanation given to some patients may be no more than this This tooth may require a crown in the long term. Much of the
simple statement. Many other patients can comprehend the enamel is undermined and the tooth is weakened by
concept (if not the detail) of a Stephan curve without endodontic treatment. A crown would allow the contact to
difficulty. have a better contour but the problem is insoluble while the
The patient should be advised to use a fluoride-containing tooth remains in its present position. Orthodontic uprighting
toothpaste. During the period of dietary change it would also could be considered.
John Smith
4 day diet analysis sheet for.................................
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Time Item Time Item Time Item Time Item
turkey salad 1.00 pm 2 pieces cheese on 1 slice cake 1.00 pm fish pie
12.30 12.30
sandwich toast, garlic sausage tea with 2 sugars 1 glass cola drink
Mid-day meal 1 glass cola drink 1 slice cake
tea with 2 sugars 1 glass cola drink
4.00 pm fizzy drink 4.30 pm ham 3.00 pm sausages, beans, 2.00 pm tea with 2 sugars
chocolate bar 1 piece cake toast. 1 biscuit
Afternoon 1 slice cake tea with 2 sugars an orange 4.30 pm 1 piece cake
1 can cola drink tea with 2 sugars
5.00 pm 1 glass cola drink
6.00 pm bar of chocolate
salad, garlic burger and chips 8.00 pm spaghetti bolognaise 9.00 pm fish and chips, peas
Evening meal 6.00 pm sausage, ham, 7.30 pm 1 can of cola drink
A h i g h c a r i e s r at e
ice cream 1 cola drink
coleslaw
sausages tea with 2 sugars
9.30 pm
Evening 10.30 pm crisps
1 glass fizzy drink
5
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CASE
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Table 1.3Dietary advice
Aims Methods
Reduce the amount of sugar Check manufacturers labels and avoid foods with sugars such as sucrose, glucose and fructose listed early in the ingredients. Natural sugars (e.g. honey,
brown sugar) are as cariogenic as purified or added sugars. When sweet foods are required, choose those containing sweetening agents such as
saccharin, acesulfame-K and aspartame. Diet formulations contain less sugar than their standard counterparts. Reduce the sweetness of drinks and
foods. Become accustomed to a less sweet diet overall.
Restrict frequency of sugar intakes to meal Try to reduce snacking. When snacks are required select safe snacks such as cheese, crisps, fruit or sugar-free sweets, such as mints or chewing gum
times as far as possible (which not only has no sugar but also stimulates salivary flow and increases plaque pH). Use artificial sweeteners in drinks taken between meals.
Speed clearance of sugars from the mouth Never finish meals with a sugary food or drink. Follow sugary foods with a sugar-free drink, chewing gum or a protective food such as cheese.