Patients with severe ECC require extensive dental treatment. Cooperative four-year-olds with this kind of decay may be able to have the work done in the dental chair under the care of a dentist skilled in behavior management and treatment of ECC.
Younger and less cooperative children will most likely have to be treated in the operating room under general anesthesia.
Appearance & Symptoms
- Multiple dark cavities appear in anterior and posterior teeth.
- Abscesses and fistulae may be present.
- Patient may experience pain, but young children may not be able to verbalize it.
Treatment & Referral
- Urgent dental referral for comprehensive treatment including extractions and/or silver crowns.
- Dietary and oral hygiene counseling.
- Use of fluoride to prevent development of new lesions.