Ethics & Law · patient case question
What is the most appropriate next step?
Patient case: Case: a child with almost no teeth
Scenario: A father brings his son to the office, concerned that the boy has hardly any teeth. On examination the child has periorbital wrinkling, sparse fine hair and dry skin, and gives a history of heat intolerance.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Refer to a paediatric specialist for multidisciplinary management
- A. The existing teeth, however malformed, are valuable prosthetic abutments and should be retained and restored, not removed.
- B. Waiting until growth is complete abandons the child through the years when function and appearance matter most. Prostheses are simply relined and remade as growth proceeds.
- C. The condition has substantial dental implications, and hypohidrosis also means real risk of hyperthermia — the operatory should be kept cool.
- D. Correct. These children need coordinated care — paediatrics, genetics, prosthodontics and paediatric dentistry — beginning early. Overdentures or complete dentures are commonly provided from the preschool years for function, speech and self-image.
Note: Implants are generally deferred until skeletal maturity, though the anterior mandible is sometimes an accepted exception in severe cases.