Melanie Joyce: i-Kids: Making your life easier in paediatric dentistry.

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Melanie Joyce DHDT

i-Kids: Making your life easier in paediatric dentistry.

Ivoclar Vivadent UK & Ireland are offering a NEW system of solutions for paediatric dentistry; named i-Kids. Practices can sign up and become i-Kids certified. These practices will be supported with educational resources and given access to a training programme for their dental care professionals in the practice, thus providing the best preventative interventions and advice to children and their families.

Find out more about becoming an i-Kids practice to show your patients and local community that you are committed to preventing dental disease in children!

Ivoclar Vivadent support practices committed to prevention Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable. While children’s oral health has improved over the past 20 years, almost a third (27.9%) of five year old’s still had tooth decay in 2012.

Tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged five to nine years old in 2012-13.

Dental treatment under general anaesthesia, presents a small but real risk of life-threatening complications for children.

With a government drive to improve the oral health of the population and in particular that of children, practices can utilise the skillset of their team to help educate their patients and children in their local communities (fig. 1, DOH, 2014).

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Fig. 1

Number of children admitted to hospital for extraction of decayed teeth in 2012-13, by region, including the percentage of 0-19 year old children this represents

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Fig 2

The products that are listed to be used within the i-Kids scheme

Prevention Although caries rates in children have declined over the past few decades, there are still inequalities in dental health in children in the UK. Dental disease can be prevented which is why the key preventative messages are given for effective plaque removal, diet advice, fluoride advice and regular visits to the dentist.

Additionally, the department of health recommend applying fluoride varnish to all children from age 3, two times per year and all high risk children and babies under 3, two or more times per year.

With an ever increasing scope of practice, fluoride varnish application is a skill dental nurses can gain with suitable training, resulting in regular fluoride varnish applications being more efficient for a practice.

The department of health recommend applying fluoride varnish to all children from age 3, two or more times per year and all high risk children and infants under 3 Fluor Protector S has an instant fluoridation effect, can be used on children under 3 and is colophony free so can be used on patients with asthma The i-Kids scheme is designed to help practices treat and educate paediatric patients and their local community

Treatment In spite of the preventative and minimally invasive measures available, many children still require operative treatment. Ivoclar Vivadent offer an i-Kids product range (fig. 2) which is a system of paediatric dental solutions that help the dental team to create a positive environment for children in the dental practice.

The i-Kids system contains products that facilitate treatment, making it efficient, safe, simple and effective. Prevention and treatment for children has never been easier. The range includes a combination of preventative and restorative solutions, all of which are outlined further (fig. 3):

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Preventative Products

Restorative Products

OptraGate®

OptraGate®

Fluor Protector S

Adhese® Universal

Helioseal® F

Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill Tetric EvoFlow® Bulk Fill

Fig. 3

A clear alignment between the Preventative & Restorative products discussed within the i-Kids range

The paediatric product range

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Fluor Protector S: This fluoride varnish has an instant fluoridation effect, can be used on children under 3 and is colophony free so can subsequently be used on patients with asthma. It is a clear, smooth varnish with low viscosity which means that it can be applied to the pits and fissures of a tooth with ease (fig.4). This varnish only requires 1 hour with no eating and drinking, making it suitable for use on all children.

Fig 4 A comparison between a high viscosity traditional Fluoride varnish and the low viscosity Fluor Protector S

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OptraGate®: This product makes treating children simple and fast, by allowing the clinician to work quickly with a clear field of vision whilst protecting soft tissue. These come in three sizes for the comfort of the patient. The new pink and blue colours make treatment more fun for children.

Fig 5

Etch, rinse, apply Helioseal F®, cure, check occlusion, finish, apply fluoride varnish

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Helioseal® F: The fissure sealant has long term clinical studies with excellent retention. The email preparatory etchent that can be purchased for use with Helioseal® F has excellent flowable properties which ensure optimum etching prior to sealant placement (fig.5). The procedure for using Helioseal® F is efficient and with minimal discomfort to the patient. This product contains fluoride which can help remineralise the tooth.

Adhese® Universal:

Fig 6 Total Etch Technique with Adhese® Universal, agitate, dry & cure before using your composite material

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This universal bond can be used with or without phosphoric acid etch (fig.6). This is a tool that can be used to speed up restorative treatment in children, removing the etch and wash step. Using the Adhese® Universal instead, can save time and discomfort for the patient.

Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill: This product can be placed easily and quickly in 4mm bulk increments with no capping layer necessary, making treating children simple and fast. The filler composition of Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill includes a special, additional composite filler which relieves shrinkage strain.

Due to its lower elastic modulus, this filler is flexible like a microscopic spring and thus reduces shrinkage stress (fig.

7).

The result is optimum marginal integrity. The shrinkage forces are comparable to those occurring in proven 2-mm composites, as are the volumetric shrinkage values. Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill is available in either a packable composite or flowable composite.

Fig 7 Shrinkage stress reliever Elastic modulus 10 GPa & Glass filler Elastic modulus 71 GPa

“Treating children can be a fun experience for the patient and an easier one for the clinician”

Join our i-Kids scheme

Why join i-Kids?

Ivoclar Vivadent UK & Ireland are offering practices support in the form of the i-Kids scheme to those that are committed to delivering preventative messages and care to their child patients and their parents.

If you are a practice that is committed to promoting a preventative message to children and their parents and treating children in an efficient, effective and fun way, becoming an i-Kids practice would be ideal for you!

The scheme is designed to help practices treat and educate paediatric patients and their local community in a fun and educational way whilst utilising the skills of the dental team.

As an i-Kids practice, your team will be supported with the education needed in order to provide efficient preventative treatment for the children at your practice.

When you join the scheme you receive (fig. 8): •

An i-Kids practice certificate and logo which you can use to display your i-Kids status.

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A selection of useful printed literature and resources, held on a USB to help you deliver preventative messages to children and parents who are patients and can be used within your practice and on your website, etc.

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Access to the Ivoclar Vivadent i-Kids online training academy where you will find a modular course that will allow one dental nurse from your team to apply fluoride varnish.

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Your practice will be registered as an i-Kids practice on the dedicated website for patients, professionals and the public. www.ikidsmile.co.uk

As an i-Kids practice you will receive certification and a logo to show your i-Kids status as well as an i-Kids resources pack which contains pink and blue i-Kids certificates, stickers, smile diaries inc. tooth brushing charts, diet tracking sheets and parent leaflets.

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Fig 8

Examples of the resources a certified i-Kids practice will receive from Ivoclar Vivadent

Child friendly resources will help make dentistry more fun and appealing for children and the educational leaflet provided is a great tool for educating parents on their child’s oral health, along with our dedicated website for patients & parents.

NHS practices may find this scheme particularly useful as the products aid effective and efficient use of time and there is a focus is on prevention, which is something fundamental to the potential amended contract.

Additionally, i-Kids certification allows potential clients to identify that a practice is committed to providing the best care for their children. Gaining status as an i-Kids practice enables practices to take part in nationwide community initiatives using the i-Kids branding and products.

Melanie Joyce is Dental Therapist working one day a week in private practice and is the Professional Services Clinical Specialist at Ivoclar Vivadent.

Melanie has over 11 years’ experience in total as a DCP. She has treated patients in busy NHS & Private dental practices, teaching hospital and community settings working with experienced Clinicians.

In addition to her primary dental qualifications she also holds qualifications in management and teaching and is currently studying towards an MSc in Advanced Professional Dental Practice at the University of Kent where her specialism is Fluoride Varnish. Over her career so far Melanie has been active in the dental industry, doing volunteer work teaching DCP’s, writing numerous educational and clinical articles for journals as well as being on the council for the BADN and the BADT. Melanie Joyce, Alexandra Road Dental Practice, 14 Alexandra Road, Leeds, LS18 4HD E-mail: melanie.joyce@ivoclarvivadent.com