Why care for the deciduous dentition?

Abstract

It is still common for the authors to encounter parents and professional colleagues who regard deciduous teeth as dispensable. This short chapter sets out to refute this remarkable attitude on biological grounds. In sociological terms we have not been able to identify another organ, system or tissue which some parents regard as so unimportant to their child’s welfare that when diseased they are content to consent to a professional surgically removing that part from the child. Yet this is precisely what happens to many children who undergo general anaesthesia (which still carries a small risk of brain damage or death) for the removal of decayed deciduous teeth. For the child, the result of this unpleasant procedure is loss of chewing ability and disfigurement. It must be a reflection of society’s attitude to children that deciduous teeth are regarded by many, including some health professionals, as dispensable. Unfortunately we may never know what the children themselves think about it.