Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic disorder that affects carbohydrate metabolism. Most dental practices have a number of diabetic patients in the population they serve. Once DM is established in a child, it necessitates maintaining normal blood glucose levels to prevent complications associated with the condition. This paper emphasizes procurement of all necessary medical information before the dental treatment of the child. The paper also discusses necessary precautions that are taken during the dental appointment of an insulin-dependent diabetic child. The possible complications (including hypoglycemic episode in the dental clinic) during dental treatment and their management is also discussed. Most diabetic patients, if cared for appropriately, can be successfully managed as outpatients in the dental clinics.
Key words: Diabetic children, dental management, precautions, complications, peri-operative care.
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