Is Minimum Intervention Dentistry an effective approach to manage dental caries in a child with dental anxiety?

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this case study was to investigate the efficacy of Minimum Intervention Dentistry (MID) to manage caries in a child with dental anxiety. Material and method: The research was conducted using PubMed and Google scholar databases. It focused on reviewing the relevant articles dated from 2004 to 2016. A nine year old girl was selected as a subject. She has a past history of dental anxiety. Her dental anxiety was assessed using the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS). It showed that the child may have dental anxiety associated with incompliance. In addition, a caries risk assessment was performed using CAMBRA. The result revealed that the patient has a high risk of caries. This was managed by implementing the MID approach which focused to provide a positive experience for this child. Results: The results indicated that the implementation of MID approach tried to build up a trustworthy and positive relationship between the clinician and child. It may have contributed to increase patient’s tolerance for accepting dental treatment. Overall, the MID approach tried to provide a positive dental experience to the child. Conclusion: It has been concluded that MID is an effective approach which may contribute to manage caries in a child with dental anxiety. This approach can play an important role to acclimatise the patient to dental environment. Overall, it may enhance oral health, general health and quality of life of patients.