ABSTRACT
In spite of the decline in the prevalence of dental caries in children in the Western world, there is still a large population where caries is still rampant (Figure 4.1). It is therefore important for all dental practitioners to be familiar with the techniques for maintaining and restoring primary teeth. Preservation of primary teeth in the arch is important both for the management of the developing dentition and in nurturing a positive attitude in children towards dental health. Extraction of primary teeth just because they are ‘baby teeth’ or ‘first teeth’, without any thought to the long-term development of the dentition and the child, is not defensible. In addition to preserving the arch form, the use of pulp therapy to conserve carious primary teeth may:
Allow preservation of a pulpally involved primary molar when the permanent successor is missing
Prevent possible aberrant habits, such as tongue habits
Maintain masticatory function
Preserve aesthetics
Most importantly, by conserving the primary teeth, the dentist sends a message to both the parent and the child that teeth are important and should be retained. To extract teeth without making an effort to preserve them suggests that they are unimportant, with a possible bearing on the future dental attitudes of both parent and child.