Part 2 book “Paediatric dentistry” has contents: Operative treatment of dental caries in the young permanent dentition, advanced restorative dentistry, periodontal diseases in children, periodontal diseases in children, anomalies of tooth formation and eruption, oral medicine and oral surgery in children, and other contents. | 10 Operative treatment of dental caries in the young permanent dentition . Smallridge and S. Albadri Introduction Caries is a chronic disease. If it starts to affect the permanent teeth the child patient is drawn into a cycle requiring ongoing care for the rest of his/her life. Therefore when treating the young permanent dentition we have to adopt an approach that considers and addresses the whole disease process and not just treat the outcome of the disease. Caries is still a considerable problem in children and adolescents. The 2013 Child Dental Health Survey for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland found that, on average, nearly half (46%) of 15-year-olds and a third (34%) of 12-year-olds had obvious decay experience. Although the proportion of children with untreated dentinal caries has improved from 2003, it remained high at 21% and 19% for 15-year-olds and 12-year-olds, respectively. These children are at high risk of pain and discomfort relating to their teeth. The 2013 survey also looked at the impact on daily life. On average, a fifth of 12- and 15-year-old children reported experiencing difficulty eating, and about half reported that their life had been affected by problems with their teeth or mouth within the previous 3 months (Steele et al. 2015). Caries prevalence declined in the later decades of the twentieth century. As it dropped, a concentration of the disease occurred, with a small percentage of the population experiencing most of the disease. Caries prevalence is greatest in the occlusal surfaces of the first permanent molars and buccal grooves of the lower first molars, and the prevalence in these sites has dropped by the smallest proportion. The least susceptible sites are the approximal surfaces of the incisors, so caries seen in these permanent teeth indicates more extensive disease (Sheiham and Sabbah 2010). The first permanent teeth erupt in the mouth at approximately 6 years of age, but may appear as early as 4 years of age. .
