DENTAL MANAGEMENT OF THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION

Major depression is a psychiatric disorder in which mood, thought cont ent, and behavioral patterns are impaired, often for an extended perio d of time. This condition appears to have an increasing prevalence amo ng young children and adolescents. It may be associated with a disinte rest in performing appropriate preventive oral hygiene techniques, a c ariogenic diet, rampant dental decay, and advanced periodontal disease . Appropriate dental management necessitates a vigorous preventive den tal education program and special precautions when administering local anestheties and prescribing sedative and analgesic medications.