However, the use of SDF remains controversial and more good quality research is needed to be conclusive on its effectiveness, its need and its adverse effects on early caries and childrens health especially for those in developed countries. This is particularly important in light of the FDA warnings about using general anesthetics and sedation in young children. The American Dental Association recognizes SDF as an effective approach to conservatively manage dental decay.Depending on the level of cavitation of the teeth, different types of restorations may be employed. Stainless steel (preformed) crowns are pre-fabricated crown forms which can be adapted to individual primary molars and cemented in place to provide a definitive restoration or can be fitted using the Hall Technique. They have been indicated for the restoration of primary and permanent teeth with caries where a normal filling may not last. Another approach of treating dental caries in young children is Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART). The ART is a procedure based on removing carious tooth tissues using hand instruments alone and restoring the cavity with an adhesive restorative material. This is useful to prevent trauma and requires less chair time for the young patients. This is used in cases where the teeth are being maintained in the mouth to maintain space for the future teeth to come through. Low quality evidence indicates that ART may have a higher risk of filling failure when compared to usual care.
Despite the potential for filling failure, ART is still recommended for children when access to electricity, drills, dentists, or other dental resources are limited. References
16.Maternal Perception about Early Childhood Caries in Nigeria in Kalipeni, E.; Iwelunmor, J.; Grigsby-Toussaint, D.; and Moise, I. K. (eds.) (In Press, June 2018). Public Health, Disease and Development in Africa. London: Routledge Publishers. External links
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Dental Association ADA page on early childhood tooth decay
Columbia Center Comparison of Dental Surgery versus Caries Suppression with other treatments
Childrens Dental Health Project