Defining needs and Developing a Personal care plan

Question 1

What is the accepted sequence for planning and providing care?

Answer 1

• Managing pain if present
• Caries prevention
• Managing Carious lesions (and asymptomatic infection)

Question 2

What are the first stages of Personal care plan?

Answer 2

• Manage pain if present and try avoid dental extractions at child’s first visit if poss
• Discuss and explain caries prevention with child and parent/carer
• Discuss and explain management options for carious lesions with child and parent/carer, might differ if there are multiple rather than single carious lesion
• Plan to carry out any preventative interventions for permanent teeth before treatment of primary teeth

Question 3

What are middle stages of Personal care plan?

Answer 3

• Devise and agree initial care plan with child and parent including expected number, content and duration of appointment (be prepared to modify)
• Carefully explain child’s OH needs and any proposed treatment options and check child and parent/carer clearly understand the acre they are agreeing to
• Obtain valid consent for agreed care plan from child where possible and parent/carer
• Ensure complete and accurate records kept

Question 4

What to do when developing a care plan for unable to cooperate children (young age, learning disability or where behaviour management techniques unsuccessful) ?

Answer 4

• Consider referral to assess suitability for treatment under sedation or GA
• Consider dividing treatment into several stages, with month or two in between, if concern about compliance
• Collaboration with other professionals e.g. child’s health visitor, school nurse, Childsmile, to offer and provide additional support
• Accurate and complete records kept, including advice given, any referrals, rationale for treatment options