Controversies in Paediatric Dentistry? From Fluorides to Frenotomies
Some of the biggest debates in paediatric dentistry arise not because the evidence is absent, but because it is incomplete, conflicting, or interpreted differently. This presentation will look at tongue and lip ties, GAs in children and fluoride.
Description
Some of the biggest debates in paediatric dentistry arise not because the evidence is absent, but because it is incomplete, conflicting, or interpreted differently. This presentation critically examines contemporary controversies facing clinicians, highlighting where the evidence is strong, where uncertainty remains, and how to communicate these issues confidently with patients and families.
- Fluoride under pressure – examining the current evidence, what effect does fluoride have on IQ? Do we still need water fluoridation? How effective is topical fluoride? Where does SDF fit in?
- Tongue and lip ties – with the increasing rates of diagnosis and treatment, what is the current evidence-based indications for surgical intervention?
- General anaesthesia in paediatric dentistry – separating evidence from perception, including neurodevelopmental concerns, the impact of treatment delays, and contemporary recommendations for clinical decision-making.
3 course meal
Presenters
Dr Jilen Patel is a specialist paediatric dentist, senior lecturer at UWA, consultant at PCH and principal at Castlegate Family Dental Care. For over a decade, Jilen has been involved with providing volunteer dental services to remote Aboriginal communities and has recently adapted this model to communities in the Pilbara and Central Great Southern regions. Jilen's research interests include dental public health and cariology and he is the past president of West Australian branch of the International Association for Dental Research.
He has received awards including the Royal Australasian College Emerging Lecturer Award, the ADA/Pierre Fauchard Academy's Young Lecturer Award, the ADA Outstanding Young Dentist Award and in 2019 the Western Australian Young Achiever of the Year award.