[Oradlist] Functional crossbite treatment in preschool patients

[Garnet Packota]

This comment is related to the recent discussion on Oradlist 
regarding taking pantomographs on preschool age children.  I had an 
interesting inquiry from a local general practitioner.  He wanted to 
know my feelings on taking radiographs (pantomographs and lateral 
cephalograms) on patients aged 3 to 4 years to monitor functional 
appliance treatment to treat posterior crossbites.  I told him I was 
not comfortable with the idea.  I am certainly not knowledgeable 
about orthodontics or functional treatment, but I am skeptical about 
the need to treat such crossbites at such a young age, and even if 
one did treat them, the need to monitor treatment using radiographs. 
These concerns are in addition to those of radiation dose to a young 
individual, and the difficulty in obtaining acceptable quality images 
in patients of this young age.

I post these comments to see what similar experiences any of you have 
had.  Basically, I plan to refuse to accept these referrals unless 
the practitioner can provide me with some clear evidence-based 
justification for requiring radiographic examination.
-- 
Dr. Garnet V. Packota
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist
College of Dentistry
University of Saskatchewan

Mailing address:		Dental Clinic
			University of Saskatchewan
			105 Wiggins Road
			Saskatoon SK
			S7N 5E4  CANADA
Telephone:		(306)-966-5068 or 5073
Fax:			(306)-966-1795
e-mail:			packota at sask.usask.ca
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