Prof MS Muthu

Prof MS Muthu is an exclusive pediatric dental practitioner in Chennai with a keen interest in special needs dentistry. He is also Professor of Pedodontics at Meenakshi Ammal Dental College Chennai

First of all we must try under local anesthesia or physical restraints; this is greatly influenced by the quantum of care required. For a single extraction or a restoration we can always do it under local anesthesia, but if it is a question of full mouth rehabilitation then may probably have to post the patient under general anesthesia. As a pediatric dentist working with special needs children for the past 12 years I can say with confidence that I have only used it only when it has become necessary. An attempt was always made on the dental chair, even if the patient was three years or two and a half years old we always tried first on the dental chair. You never know which patient will co-operate; there have been instances when children have cooperated irrespective of their age or underlying condition. I believe that as a pediatric dentist you can assess what the child’s behaviour is going to be like and then it is our duty to inform the parent that if we continue with attempts under Local Anesthesia then the quality of work will suffer.