Journey of a 2.8 years old's full mouth rehabilitation at Vanilla Smiles.
A simple “lift the lip” screening can help you identify early signs of tooth decay and prevent your child from severe dental health issues and pain. Early childhood tooth decay is a severe and rapidly progressing form of tooth decay that affects infants and young children. It is also a predictor of dental decay in permanent teeth. But the good news is, it is preventable. Early detection of decay is the most crucial factor in its prevention. ‘Lifting the lift’ regularly and visiting a pediatric dentist during the onset of any abnormality saves a lot of hassle and pain for your kid.
A simple “lift the lip” screening can help you identify early signs of tooth decay and prevent your child from severe dental health issues and pain.
Neglecting or missing these early abnormalities can lead to a more severe condition and may involve invasive dental procedures for the treatment. It brings a lot of pain to your child and heavy on your pocket too.
At Vanilla Smiles, whenever we encounter these cases, we feel a moral obligation of sharing it with our audiences and ask a question, “Why can’t we lift the lip at the right time?” In the following video, you can see a child facing the consequences of not lifting the Lip at the right time.
You can feel the pain and trouble the child is going through. Every child is different, and every child’s psychological make is different. As parents, your dental attitude and positive outlook can definitely help modulate the behavior of the child. Hence, at Vanilla Smiles first visit is about introducing the child to the dental environment. Establish baselines for treatment under laughing gas and to give instant relief if need be.
We did the oral prophylaxis (cleaning) and applied a preventive layer of fluoride to curb and further disease progression. Oral prophy disrupts the cavity-causing biofilm (a colony of bacteria residing on the child’s tooth surface). First visit procedures have to be short, sweet, and simple (3S principle) to the child and made him comfortable till the next visit. We planned the treatment during the next visit.
During the first visit, the child responded well under laughing gas. Baselines were established at 40%. So, we did in the second visit. Anaesthesia was painless and uneventful; however, the child’s attention span did not allow us to take the treatment appointment to completion. Other options in the sedation continuum were discussed, and oral sedation was approved for the coming visit.
We planned the treatment under oral sedation coupled with laughing gas.
Oral sedation coupled with laughing gas helped the child cope-up with the treatment. We carried out many procedures like filling, drilling, supporting (post and core), and capping (stainless steel and white zirconia crown) during this visit. But, it’s not the completion as multiple teeth were involved, which called for a few more visits and treatments.
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Front teeth were the focus of treatment in this visit. Pulpectomy (pediatric root canal treatment) was done, followed by filling and capping (crown) in the next visit.
The entire mouth-rehabilitation took five sittings, and a great level of effort from parents finally showed signs of abatement. The parent’s apprehension was also attended to. Parents are proactive now. The follow-up schedule is as per CAMBRA protocols.
The pain and suffering of this child could be easily avoided if this approach (Lift the Lip) was used for prevention. But you can save your child from all of this suffering by
- “Lift the Lip” regularly,
- Watch for any abnormality.
- Connect with us at the right time.
- Enable Dental Vaccination for your child.
Treatment Highlights
Some of the snapshots from the case
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is “Lift the Lip” screening?
“Lift the Lip” is a quick check parents can do at home by lifting their child’s upper lip to look for early signs of tooth decay such as white spots, discoloration, or cavities.
2. Why is early detection of tooth decay important in young children?
Early detection prevents severe decay, reduces the need for invasive procedures, and saves your child from pain, discomfort, and costly treatments later.
3. What happens if early dental abnormalities are ignored?
Ignoring early decay leads to advanced cavities, infections, pain, and the need for procedures like pulpectomy (pediatric root canal), crowns, or multiple sittings.
4. Why was the 2.8-year-old child unable to complete treatment in one visit?
Young children have limited attention spans and may feel overwhelmed. Short, simple visits help build trust and allow treatment planning that matches the child’s comfort level.
5. How did laughing gas help during the child’s treatment?
Laughing gas helped the child relax during initial visits, allowing the dentist to establish baseline comfort levels and perform cleaning and fluoride application smoothly.
6. Why was oral sedation required for the later visits?
Oral sedation was needed because the child’s attention span and anxiety levels did not allow longer or more complex procedures under laughing gas alone.
7. What dental treatments were performed during the rehabilitation?
Treatments included cleaning, fluoride application, fillings, drilling, post and core support, pulpectomy (pediatric root canal), and stainless steel or zirconia crowns.
8. How many sittings were needed for complete mouth rehabilitation?
The child required five sittings to complete all treatments safely and comfortably without causing trauma or fear.
9. Can full mouth rehabilitation in children be avoided?
Yes, in most cases it can be avoided with early dental visits, “Lift the Lip” screening, preventive care, fluoride varnish, sealants, and timely intervention.
10. What should parents do to prevent such severe dental issues in young children?
Parents should lift the lip regularly, watch for early signs, visit a pediatric dentist at the first sign of abnormalities, and follow preventive care guidelines like dental vaccination protocols.
For more information kindly visit our website: https://www.vanillasmiles.dental/
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