Paediatric Assessment
Good treatment management starts with accurate diagnosis. TMJ disorders are uncommon in children but shouldn’t be discounted, even though tonsillar, adenoidal, or congenital conditions are a more likely reason for airway obstruction.
Facial bone fractures are less common, partly due to bone flexibility. Those that occur are more often fractures of the jaw and treatment needs to take into account the rapidity of healing, along with developing tooth buds.
Finding oral cysts is almost part of childhood, yet they require close inspection. Certain eruptive, or gingival cysts may be accompanied by inflammatory cysts, which warrant specialist treatment.
Many more issues can arise as part of each child’s health needs, requiring dedicated treatment planning for the best outcome.
Treating With Care
A positive psychological response to treatment matters more for a child, part of returning them to a condition for safe discharge. How they feel about the care they receive may also influence treatment throughout life.
The greatest gift any of us can give a child is confidence, which includes their willigness to seek and trust medical support.
Quality of care should promote welfare, safety and understanding of medical benefits. This helps to prevent adverse feelings, or disruptive behaviour, which may simply be defensive behaviour from a perceived onslaught.
Preserving Communication
Included within good care are decisions on anaesthesia, which can impact long and short term thought. Pain free treatment is paramount but delivered through conscious sedation whenever possible, even where children are anxious.
Effective communication throughout treatment can allay a child’s anxiety, a better option than higher risk sedation techniques, or physical restraint.
There can be cases, perhaps in very young children, or extensive surgery, where deeper sedation is required. In the main, continuity of verbal contact and knowledge of what is taking place prove more positive.
In paediatric maxillofacial care, alongside a growing body, we are treating a growing mind. Succeeding in freeing both from trauma is the measure of our success.
