Rehabilitation of children with ectodermal dysplasia. Part 1: An international delphi study

Purpose: An international Delphi study was undertaken to determine by consensus an agreed approach to the management of children with dental manifestations of ectodermal dysplasia, including the use of dental implants. This was done using a questionnaire developed by an interdisciplinary team. Materials and Methods: The Delphi study questionnaire was built around 19 areas of clinical relevance and included 90 items. Topic areas included dental disability; initial diagnosis; global disability; oral health aspects of dental treatment (orthodontics, hypodontia, anodontia, implants); and case studies of selected treatment options. Eleven teams from six countries contributed to three iterations of the questionnaire. An algorithm was designed to standardize analysis of the questionnaire answers, all of which were blinded to ensure anonymity. The second and third rounds of the questionnaire excluded previously agreed-upon items but included the responses to the questions from the earlier rounds. The nonconsensus items inquired about the use of radiographs at initial diagnosis; sedation of an uncooperative child; use of a pretreatment questionnaire; the age range for specific treatments (eg, dentures, orthodontics, implants); specific uses of implants (eg, partial prostheses, overdentures, cantilevered prostheses); and case study 2. The residual nonconsensus questions were subsequently discussed at a 2-day meeting. Results: Among the 90 questions and partial questions, there was progressive consensus, with agreements in rounds 1, 2, and 3 of 61%, 21%, and 8%, respectively. At the conclusion of round 3, there was 90% agreement and it was considered that the nonconsensus items required in-depth face-to-face discussion at a consensus meeting, which is described in part 2 of the study. Conclusion: The Delphi study provided an opportunity to engage specialist teams in recognized centers to integrate their clinical knowledge and draw on published data to develop a consensus of evidencebased responses. © 2013 by Quintessence Publishing Co Inc

Rehabilitation of children with ectodermal dysplasia. Part 2: An international consensus meeting

A consensus meeting was arranged to provide an opportunity to discuss the residual nonconsensus questions following three rounds of a Delphi study. It was hoped that the nonagreements could be resolved to define a comprehensive protocol for the management of ectodermal dysplasia, particularly with respect to the use of dental implants in growing patients. An international panel of expert clinicians in pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, and orthodontics was invited to be part of the Delphi study to develop agreement on clinical questions through a consensus of ideas. Each expert had been invited to form a study group or team within his or her home institution. As required by the Delphi protocol, a 90-part questionnaire was considered by the collaborating teams and progressed through three iterations with increasing agreement. This process is discussed in part 1 of the study. The residual nonconsensus questions, which represented 10% of the questionnaire, required collaborative interaction for resolution. The consensus meeting was held in London, England, over a 2-day period with support from Nobel Biocare and the British Dental Association. © 2013 by Quintessence Publishing Co Inc