COVID-19 paediatric caries management: the newcastle ‘Hall’ approach

As we traverse the early stages of our Transition to Recovery, we are still attempting to limit the amount of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) undertaken, and thereby reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.¹ In paediatric dental terms, this limits the conventional methods of caries management in deciduous molars to the Hall Technique.²

For those not familiar with the Hall Technique, a preformed metal crown (PMC) is typically ‘seated over a tooth with no caries removal or tooth preparation of any kind, and local anaesthesia is not required.’² This may or may not require the use of interim elastomeric orthodontic separators (EOSs) to create space around the tooth, which remain in situ for three-to-five days, to open tight interproximal contacts.^1,3

Conventional methods of caries management in primary molars have ranged from preventive measures alone to PMC placement and, ultimately, complete caries removal by mechanical means.⁴ The FiCTION trial was a unique and important study which highlighted no evidence of a difference in clinical effectiveness between the above-mentioned methods of caries management.⁴ Ergo, non-AGP approaches in the current climate are an effective, robust and well-established method of managing caries in the paediatric populace.⁵