Britons question filling primary teeth

The U.K. National Health Service is questioning whether dentists should restore lesions in symptomless primary teeth, according to a report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Some retrospective studies, such as one in the British Dental Journal (February 23, 2002, Vol. 192:4, pp. 219-223), have suggested that symptomless primary teeth fare no better when treated than when untreated. Either way, most fall out before they cause pain.

So the health service plans a prospective trial of more than 1,000 children from around the British Isles to compare restorations, sealants and no treatment.

"This is a really big question to answer," said lead investigator Gail Topping, M.P.H., Ph.D., of the University of Dundee.

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