General medicine and surgery for dental practitioners Part 10: The paediatric patient

Key Points Disease can affect dental development in children. Congenital conditions can interfere with provision of dental treatment. Underlying disease and its treatment can affect the timing of dental treatment in children. Diseases of childhood influence the choice of anaesthesia. Close co-operation with paediatricians is important in managing children with serious conditions. Liaison is needed not neglect. Key Points General medicine and surgery for dental practitioners: Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Gastrointestinal system Neurological disorders Liver disease The endocrine system Renal disorders Musculoskeletal system Haematology and patients with bleeding problems The paediatric patient Medical problems in children can cause unique difficulties for the safe provision of dental treatment. 1 Such problems can affect the type and timing of dental treatment as well as methods of control of pain and anxiety. In this paper, conditions which influence the choice of anaesthesia as well as those which affect dental development are discussed.