med 18

 

5. Following the extraction, the socket should be curetted

to remove odontogenic tissue (see F).

6. Long-term care: Whether the patient receives conservative restorative treatment or extraction, the parents

should be encouraged to maintain regular dental

appointments with a pediatric dentist. This enables

monitoring of the extraction site and parental guidance

in oral hygiene practices for their infant.

E. Technique

Nonextraction Case

If the tooth is firm and appears of normal color and shape,

extraction is not indicated.

1. Should the mother complain of discomfort while

breast-feeding, the use of a breast pump and bottling of

milk should be encouraged.

2. If the patient presents with Riga-Fede disease, a pediatric dentist should be consulted. The sharp margins of

the tooth can be smoothed using photopolymerized

dental composite restorative resin. This results in spontaneous resolution of the tongue lesion (15).

3. Pain relief and faster healing may be accomplished by

carefully applying Kenalog in Orabase (16).

4. If it is decided to not extract the teeth, the parents must

receive guidance on infant oral health. The tooth/teeth

should be brushed with a soft bristled toothbrush and a

smear of fluoridated toothpaste in the morning and at

Fig. 55.1. Patient 1: Normal (edentulous) alveolar ridge in

neonate.

Fig. 55.2. Patient 2: Hebling classification #3 neonatal tooth;

not indicated for extraction.