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Background: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that manifests itself in primary and permanent dentitions. Pit and fissure sealants have become the most effective noninvasive treatment for addressing teeth with deep pits and fissures in children. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of the child when administering the pit and fissure sealant using the rubber dam and MiniDam. Methodology: Fifty‑two children in the age range of 9–12 years were randomly allocated into two groups: Group I, rubber dam and Group II, MiniDam. The children were randomly assigned into two groups with 26 members in Group 1 (rubber dam isolation) and 26 members in Group 2 (MiniDam isolation). Children’s anxiety was assessed using the modified Venham scale and heart rate. The children’s pain intensity was assessed using Memojis Pain Scale. The data collected were tabulated and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The level of significance was established at 0.05. Results: Intergroup comparison of heart rates showed a statistically significant difference for both the groups at various intervals (P value 0.05), that is, before placing the dam, with the dam, and during treatment. Pain and anxiety scores showed a statistically significant difference in both the groups before and after the procedure (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of MiniDam can offer a better option for the pit/fissure sealant procedure due to its unique qualities, including simplicity of placement, improved behavior management, and less chair time in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the awareness of schoolteachers from Andhra Pradesh towards child abuse and neglect (CAN) through pre- and post-educational intervention (audiovisual aid) questionnaires. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 schoolteachers using a 12-item questionnaire that was created using the standard focus group discussion method. Baseline awareness of CAN was assessed using the questionnaire. Subsequently, all the schoolteachers were educated regarding the various types of CAN and the process of reporting CAN using an audiovisual aid. The same questionnaire was re-administered to all the teachers immediately after the intervention and after three months. The data were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test to compare the frequency and distribution of responses among the study participants at various intervals. Results: A statistically significant difference (p value < 0.05) was observed in the awareness of the schoolteachers regarding CAN compared to the baseline and immediately after the intervention. However, there was no statistically significant difference (p value > 0.05) between immediately after the intervention and three months. Conclusion: There is a need to have awareness among schoolteachers concerning CAN. However, after education through audiovisual aids, teachers' awareness of CAN has been improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Endodontic therapy aims to disinfect the entire root canal system. Extracts from the kernel of Mangifera indica has the potential to be a novel root canal irrigant that has yet to be studied. Hence, the present study evaluated the antimicrobial, and smear layer removal efficacy of the M. indica kernel extract as a root canal irrigant in primary molars. Materials and Methods. Methanolic extract of M. indica was prepared using the standard method. The antimicrobial efficacy of M. indica kernel extract was determined by agar diffusion method with 3% sodium hypochlorite and distilled water as controls, and the smear layer removal efficacy was assessed under the SEM after processing the root samples with different concentrations of M. indica kernel extract with 17% EDTA and distilled water as positive and negative controls, respectively. Results. A statistically significant antimicrobial efficacy was observed with the largest mean zone of inhibition recorded with 50 μl of M. indica kernel extract at 24 hr of incubation period, when compared to sodium hypochlorite as a root canal irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis using agar diffusion method at MIC value of 0.625 mg/ml. The smear layer removal efficacy of the M. indica kernel extract was not satisfactory, when compared with EDTA as a root canal irrigant in primary molars and observed under SEM. In contrast, a complete smear layer removal was observed with 17% EDTA solution. Conclusion. M. indica kernel extract has an enhanced antimicrobial efficacy but poor smear layer removal efficacy when used as a root canal irrigant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The success of root canal procedures depends on cleaning and shaping of canals. There are several instrumentation techniques available for root canal preparation. Recently, exclusive rotary file systems called Kedo-SG Blue and Prime-Pedo have been introduced for root canal preparation in primary teeth. The inherent flexibility of these files allows them to preserve the anatomy of curved canals in primary molars. Aim: To compare the instrumentation time, obturation time, and quality of obturation using two paediatric rotary file systems, Kedo-SG BlueTM and Prime-PedoTM, in mandibular primary molars. Materials and Methods: A randomised clinical trial was conducted in the outpatient Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Narayana Dental College and Hospital, Nellore Andhra Pradesh, India, from February 1, 2019 to January 20, 2020. Fifty primary molars with necrotic pulp were included and randomly divided into two groups, with 25 teeth in each group. Group 1 and Group 2 were instrumented with Kedo-SG BlueTM and Prime-PedoTM, respectively. The time taken for instrumentation and obturation was noted in minutes, and the quality of root canal filling was recorded as optimal, underfilled, or overfilled. The data were statistically analysed using an independent Student's t-test for time measurements and a Chi-square test for the quality of obturation. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in instrumentation time and obturation time between the two groups (p-value=0.009; 0.011). The Kedo-SG BlueTM rotary system showed a better quality of obturation compared to the Prime-PedoTM rotary system, although the difference was not statistically significant (p-value=0.22). Conclusion: The Kedo-SG BlueTM rotary system demonstrated shorter instrumentation and obturation times, as well as a higher number of optimally filled canals compared to the Prime-PedoTM rotary system. Therefore, the Kedo-SG BlueTM rotary system exhibited better clinical performance in primary molars than the Prime-PedoTM rotary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood caries is a major public health issue in India. The primary reason for poor oral health in children is a lack of awareness about the role of primary teeth and the importance of an early dental visit for infants and toddlers. The primary objectives of an early dental visit are to analyze the child's risk level, provide guidance to parents regarding proper oral hygiene measures, review dietary and eating habits, provide information regarding the infectivity of dental caries, review the risks of traumatic injuries and discuss factors which affect the development of occlusion. Through this paper, we are proposing an "Age One" policy that recognizes dentists, physicians, allied health professionals, community health-care workers, and nongovernmental organizations to work toward a child's overall health as partners to achieve this goal. The expectation is that this policy will provide guidance to childcare centers, pediatric dentists, other health-care professionals, and legislators regarding oral health activities and the promotion of oral health in infants. The purpose of the policy is to lay the foundation for a lifetime of preventive education and dental care, to help ensure optimal oral health beginning in childhood and continuing through the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Over the years, there has been an increase in the practice of self-medication (SM) with over-the-counter drugs for dental conditions. Regarding paediatric patients, it is important for parents to have proper knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding SM for their children. Aim: To assess the parental KAP towards SM for various oral health-related problems of children below 15 years of age. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at schools in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India, between March 2021 and January 2022. A total of 323 parents of children aged up to 15 years were included in the study. Data were collected from parents through a prevalidated questionnaire to record their demographic details and KAP of SM. Fisher's exact test was used to compare KAP of SM with the age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status (SES) of parents. Results: The most common medicine and reason for which SM was practiced were pain relievers (85%) and expensive dental treatment (39.8%), respectively. The pharmacist was the most common source of information for SM (46.9%) and drug dosage (46%). There was a significant association (p=<0.001) between children age groups and the presentation form of medicine. Additionally, statistically significant differences were found when comparing parents' educational level and SES with dosage difference (p=0.01, p=<0.001), route of administration of medicine (p=0.04, p=<0.002), preference for expensive medicine (p=<0.001, p=<0.001), and reasons for not visiting the dentist (p=<0.01, p=<0.001), respectively. Furthermore, when SES was compared with course completion, a statistically significant difference was found (p=<0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge regarding SM practice was lower in the low educational and low SES groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dental pain exerts a considerable impact on the psychosocial well‐being of children; reliable management of pain depends on the ability to assess pain intensity. Aim: To validate and compare a new memojis pain assessment scale with the Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS‐R) and Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) in assessing dental pain experienced by children. Design: Two hundred and fifty healthy children aged 5–9 years without any past dental experience and requiring local anaesthesia (LA) administration were recruited. Three different scales [FPS‐R, WBFPS and Memojis Pain Scale (MPS)] were applied to assess the children's pain during LA administration. The preferences of each child based on the ease of understanding the faces were recorded. Results: Pearson correlation test was performed to determine the correlation between MPS with WBFPS and MPS with FPS‐R. A strong correlation was seen when comparing MPS with WBFPS (r =.966; p <.001) and MPS with FPS‐R (r =.969; p <.001), and 81.6% of the children preferred MPS. Conclusion: The Memojis Pain Scale was an effective pain assessment tool. It can be employed as an alternative scale for pain assessment in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of licorice lollipops in reducing dental caries in children.Materials and Methods: A literature search was confined to the English language using MeSH terms congruent with PICO format in 'PubMed', 'Cochrane Library' and 'Ovid', covering the period from April 1967 to December 2017. Searches in Google Scholar, grey literature and hand search of cross-references were performed to find additional data. Suitable studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality analysis and risk of bias of the selected studies were performed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for risk of bias.Results: Overall 519 articles were retrieved, 516 (electronic databases) and 3 (Google scholar). 516 publications were excluded due to non-availability of abstracts, or because they were unrelated studies, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews as well as letters to editors. Only three studies were included for final analysis. Quality analysis of these three studies showed that only one was of high quality, whereas the other two were rated as low.Conclusion: Licorice lollipops showed a promising effect in reducing caries by decreasing Streptococcus mutans counts in the saliva. Further research using randomised controlled clinical trial (RCT) designs with large sample size are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the newer innovation and recent technological advances in modern dentistry, fear and anxiety constitute an important theme in dentistry. They are a usual reaction to stressful conditions that help children while staying alert in situations of an impending threat. Aim: To evaluate the effect of deep breathing exercise in reducing dental anxiety, behaviour and pain using smartwatch during maxillary buccal infiltration in children aged 7-11 years. Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional and single-blinded randomised clinical trial conducted in the Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, NDCH, Nellore, Andhra pradesh, India, from November 2019 to October 2020. A total of 70 children of age between 7-11 years. They were randomly allocated into two groups, 35 in each. Children in group I were trained for deep breathing exercise using smartwatch and group II (control group) was traditional tell show do technique. The reaction of children during maxillary buccal infiltration anaesthesia was recorded in terms of behaviour (Frankl's behaviour rating scale), anxiety {Facial Image Scale (FIS) and pulse rate}, and pain perception (Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale and face, leg, activity, cry and consolability scale). Data was tabulated using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Kruskal-Wallis for data distribution. Independent Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test (Quantitative variables) and Chisquare test or Mann-Whitney test (Qualitative variables) were used to test statistical significance using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Results: The mean age of children in smartwatch group was 8.9±1.4 years and in control group was 8.9±1.6 years with no statistical significant difference. Statistically significant decrease in pulse rate was observed in smartwatch group (p=0.003), subjective anxiety and pain was lowered in intervention group. Objective pain was decreased significantly in smartwatch group (p=0.007). Conclusion: Children performing deep breathing exercise using smartwatch had efficiency to reduce dental anxiety and pain perceived during maxillary buccal infiltration anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Genetic polymorphisms of genes regulating amelogenesis can alter susceptibility to Early Childhood Caries (ECC). This systematic review aims to analyze associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms of enamel formation genes and ECC. Methods: Search was conducted across PUBMED, CINAHL, LILACS, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Web of Science, Genome-Wide Association Studies databases from January 2003 to September 2022. This was supplemented by hand search. Totally 7124 articles were identified and 21 articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria proceeded to data extraction. Quality assessment was done using the Q-Genie tool. Results: Quantitative synthesis revealed that homozygous genotype AA of rs12640848 was significantly higher in children with ECC with an odds ratio of 2.36. Gene-based analysis revealed significant association between six variants of AMBN, four variants of KLK4, two variants of MMP20, and a single variant of each of MMP9 and MMP13 genes and ECC. The Bonferroni corrected-log10 P value of amelogenesis gene Cluster was 2.25 (0.05/88 = 5.6 x 10-4). Search Tool for Retrieval of Interacting Genes and Proteins plot constructed to comprehend the protein-protein interaction revealed the presence of four functional clusters. Gene function prediction using Multiple Association Network Integration Algorithm revealed that physical interaction between these genes was 69.3%. Conclusion: Polymorphisms of genes regulating amelogenesis can influence the susceptibility to ECC. AA genotype of rs12640848 may increase the susceptibility to ECC. Gene-based analysis revealed a significant association between multiple polymorphisms of genes regulating amelogenesis and ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective communication with children can improve their understanding and aid in complying with oral hygiene instructions. Aim: The aim is to compare the retentiveness of oral hygiene instructions in children educated using three communication techniques. Methodology: One hundred and twenty children in the age range of 12-13 years were included in the study. Baseline awareness of oral hygiene maintenance was assessed using a questionnaire. Twenty children were randomly assigned to each group: Tell-Tell-Tell, Ask-Tell-Ask, Teach-back, and information provided. Knowledge was reassessed after a week; data were tabulated and assessed statistically. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline data among the groups (P > 0.05). Regardless of the group, there was an improvement in knowledge regarding the frequency and timing of brushing as well as the cause of dental caries after the intervention. However, children in Ask-Tell-Ask and Teach back showed significant improvement over Tell-Tell-Tell (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: Communication strategies, such as Ask-Tell-Ask and Teach back, which have a strategy to involve children, have been shown to be superior over Tell-Tell-Tell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Tooth injuries lead to functional, aesthetic, and psychological disorders, accompanied by the great concern of the child, the parents, and the dentist. Aim. (a) To assess the prevalence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) and its relationship to risk variables among 8–15-year-old school children in Mahbubnagar, India. (b) To collect baseline data as there are limited reports of TDI studies in South India to date. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 6643 children from 78 schools in Mahbubnagar using a multilevel random sampling method. The permanent incisors were examined according to the WHO classification using a standard oral mirror and probe. Individuals with clinical evidence of trauma were asked about the details of the injury event using a structured questionnaire. The chi-square test analyzed the distribution of all measurements in this study with a statistical significance of 0.05. Results. Among the 6643 children from the 78 schools surveyed, 9.3% experienced TDI. TDI occurred in 68% of boys, which was about twice as high in girls at 32%. The most commonly affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors. A higher number of children with an incisal overjet more significant than 3 mm had TDI than the children less than 3 mm, although this difference was not statistically significant. The lip closure incompetence was more common in children with TDI. The most frequent causes of TDI were falls, and the site of occurrence was school. Type I fractures were the most prevalent and most went untreated. Conclusion. The high level of dental trauma and the low percentage of children with trauma seeking treatment emphasize the need for greater awareness among the Mahbubnagar children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the mean oxygen saturation values (SpO2) in primary teeth using pulse oximetry. Materials and Methods: This comprehensive literature search on pulse oximeter used for primary teeth in determining pulp vitality using MeSH terms in four electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and OvidSP, from January 1990 to January 2022. Studies reported the sample size and the mean SpO2 values (with standard deviations) for each tooth group were included. The quality assessment of all the included studies was done using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analysis included studies reporting means and standard deviations of SpO2 values. The I2 statistics were used to determine the degree of heterogeneity among the studies. Results: A total of 90 studies were identified, of which five met the eligibility criteria that were qualified for the systematic review, and among them, three were included in the meta-analysis. All five included studies were of low quality due to the high risk of bias related to the patient selection, index test, and uncertainties about outcome valuation. In the meta-analysis, the mean fixed-effect measure of oxygen saturation in the pulp of primary teeth was 88.45% (confidence interval: 83.97%–92.93%). Conclusion: Though most of the available studies were of poor quality, the SpO2 in the healthy pulp can be established (minimum saturation, 83.48%) in primary teeth. Reference values established might help clinicians to assess changes in pulp status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The infection potential of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is remarkable due to its airborne transmission through droplets and aerosols. Paediatric dental needs were severely compromised during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Aim: To assess parents' attitudes and concerns towards approaching paediatric dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry at Narayana Dental College and Hospital, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India, from August 2021 to October 2021. The study included 200 parents to assess the attitudes and concerns towards approaching Paediatric dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic. A structured questionnaire was used through Google forms to collect from parents, information regarding precautions, mode of transmission of the virus and type of treatment option. The Chi-square test and Fischer-exact test were used to compare the parameters such as education and occupation with parents' attitude and knowledge. Results: Out of the 200 parents, 37 were males and 163 were females with mean age of the parents was 34.8 years. Out of total 200, 153 (76.5%) of the parents were worried to visit a Paediatric dentist. Only 56 (28%) of the children suffered from toothache during the pandemic. About 28 (14%) of parents believed that the virus is transmitted through the air and 70% of the parents preferred teledentistry. A 152 (76%) of them were willing to pay extra costs and 123 (61.5%) of respondents expected to treat the emergency condition alone. A statistically significant difference was not observed between different occupation in the answers given about transmission paths of a virus (p-value=0.39), extra payment (p-value=0.77), and preference of approach (p-value=0.223). Conclusion: Majority parents were worried to visit a Paediatric dentist and preferred teledentistry. They were ready to pay extra costs for the sanitisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a public health challenge globally, more so in developing countries. The association between sleep-time feeding practices and ECC remains obscure. The study evaluated this association using Feeding At Sleep Time (FeAST) scale. A case-control study was planned among 627 toddlers, were cases included children with ECC while controls were children without ECC. Three patterns of feeding associated with sleep were recorded: beginning of sleep, during the course of sleep, and early morning hours sleep. Dental caries was scored using International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). The study participants included 302 (48%) cases and 325 (52%) controls. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for breastfeeding at the beginning of sleep, during the course of sleep, and early morning hours sleep were 6.7, 6.5, and 3.7, respectively (p = 0.001), on comparing cases versus controls. Similarly, AORs for bottle-feeding at the beginning of sleep, course of sleep, and early morning hours sleep were 5.1, 8.3, and 3.7, respectively (p = 0.001). Addition of sweeteners yielded an AOR = 2.84, while the intake of solids during sleep yielded an AOR of 6.02(p = 0.001). Other feeding modes like sippers, tumblers, etc., had a statistically significant association (p = 0.001). Sleep-time feeding practices increase the risk for ECC in 12- to 36-month-old children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of gingival recession (GR) and associated etiological factors among school children.Methodology: The study sample consisted of 2095 children from the Nellore region divided into three groups of age ranges from primary dentition (<7 years), mixed dentition (7-12 years), and permanent dentition (>12 years) respectively, attending the department of pediatric and preventive dentistry and the school dental health programs organized by the department. The clinical examination involved measuring GR using William's periodontal probe and evaluating associated etiological factors. Data were statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test.Results: The GR among the study population was 7.9% (n = 165). Among them, males were 46% and females were 54% (P > 0.05). The GR was more in children in the 7-12 years age group (75%), followed by <7 years (21%) and >12 years (4%) age groups. The associated factors include malocclusion (69%), deleterious habits (5%), and anomalies (26%). Anomalies showed an association with GR (P < 0.05) compared to malocclusion and deleteriousness habits (P > 0.05).Conclusion: The prevalence of GR is 7.9%, and GR is more prevalent in males and the 7-12 years age group. GR is associated with transient malocclusion, deleterious habits, and anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the risk factors related to permanent maxillary incisors and soft tissue injuries along with providing information about the age distribution of trauma, overjet, lip competence and physical activity.Methods and Materials: The sample consisted of 2100 school children aged 8-14 years from 15 schools in the Nellore district. The sample was selected adopting a stratified random sampling method and screened applying WHO criteria for the oral examination. The screening was done in classrooms to obtain demographic data, including name, age, gender and children's experience to the maxillary incisor and soft tissue injuries. The injuries were categorized according to Andreasen classification. Overjet and lip competences were recorded, and physical activity was assessed using a questionnaire (PAQ-C).Results: Of the 2100 children, 228 (10.8%) had suffered traumatic injuries. Boys were 1.6 fold more prone to trauma than girls. Enamel fractures were a common type of trauma, and the commonly involved were maxillary central incisors. The relative risk for trauma is 1.215 times higher in increased overjet when compared to normal overjet. Incompetent lips showed 1.189 times greater risk of trauma. The high physical activity showed 1.692 times higher risk for trauma when compared to low physical activity.Conclusion: The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries among 8-14 year children was 10.8%. Boys were more commonly injured than girls. Increased overjet incompetent lips and high physical activities are risk factors for trauma. Enamel fracture was the most common type, and maxillary central incisors were the most common teeth having traumatic injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Midline diastema in children is a prevalent developmental entity, and this pathological condition may remain in many children due to various factors. Nonetheless, the evidence on etiological factors of the midline diastema in children is minimal. Purpose: To evaluate the etiological factors of midline diastema causes in children below 12 years of age from the published data. Methods: A literature search was confined to the English language using MeSH terms conferring to PICO format in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Ovidsp covering the period from January 1960 to December 2019. Search in Google Scholar, grey literature, and hand search on references were performed to find additional data. Suitable studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality analysis of the chosen studies conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies. Results: Only eight studies were available for final analysis among those four studies from India, two studies from Korea, one study from Brazil, and another study from Canada. The most common etiology for midline diastema was supernumerary teeth followed by morphology labial frenum and nasal airflow condensation. The quality analysis of these studies based on NOS showed one study with unsatisfactory, four studies with satisfactory, and three with good quality. Conclusion: Morphology of frenum, pre-maxillary supernumerary teeth, and nasal airflow condensation seem to be the most common causes of midline diastema in children below 12 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pit and Fissure Sealants (PFS) are chemicallyactive liquid materials that are introduced into the occlusal surface of caries-susceptible teeth. These form a micro mechanically bonded, protective layer preventing access to caries-producing bacteria, from rest of the oral environment. Aim: To evaluate the retention of PFS placed on young permanent teeth using two isolation methods. Materials and Methods: This clinical study was carried out in the Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, at Narayana Dental College and Hospital, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India. One hundred Permanent First Molars (PFM) from 25 healthy, cooperative children in the age group of 6-9 years were assigned by block randomisation into two groups (isolation type); each group containing the upper and lower PFMs of the right and left side receiving two different treatment modalities (split-mouth design). In Group I (n=50 teeth), the teeth received sealant with rubber dam isolation, and in Group II (n=50 teeth), with cotton roll isolation. The sealant was applied to all the PFMs as indicated. All the teeth were evaluated using Simonsen's criteria at regular intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS statistical package (version 17) and statistical significance was set at 0.05. The difference in the retention of PFS with the two isolation methods was analysed using the Chi-square test. Results: After 12 months, the marginal integrity rate for sealants placed with a rubber dam and cotton roll isolation were 75% and 64%, respectively. The results were better in Group I than in Group II, although there were no statistically significant differences with respect to marginal integrity, discolouration, and anatomical failure. Conclusion: Retention of PFS in young permanent teeth was better with rubber dam than cotton rolls for isolation, though the results were not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dental treatment for children requires the use of behaviour guidance techniques (BGTs), which are used in the dental office to make children cope with dental treatment.Aim: Evaluate how children and parents felt towards BGTs used in a dental office, by attitude meter and to correlate them.Materials and Method: Children (200) from 7-17 years and their parents were selected randomly to participate in the study. Each child and parent was asked to watch four video scenes of live BGTs, which include Tell Show Do (TSD), Modeling, Reward system, and Hand holding. A questionnaire collected demographic data, and their expressive attitudes were assessed using Line of favour (LOF) scale and Kruskal-Wallis Test.Results: Most preferred BGTs for Group I was modeling, Group II Reward, Group III Tell Show Do, and Group IV was Modeling, with a mean score of 5.95, 6.04, 5.57, and 5.78, respectively. Gender wise preferences, 32% of boys and 34% of girls preferred modeling in Group I, whereas, in Group II, 20% of boys and 21% of girls preferred reward, respectively. Chi-square test revealed that there is no significant difference between the groups and gender for the preference of BGTs in Group I (P=0.893) and Group II (P=0.592). There was no significant correlation between preferences of children and their parents.Conclusion: Modeling was the most preferred BGT for primary school children and parents of High school children. A reward was the most preferred BGT for high school children. TSD was the most preferred BGT for parents of primary school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dental treatment for children requires the use of behaviour guidance techniques (BGTs), which are used in the dental office to make children cope with dental treatment. Aim: Evaluate how children and parents felt towards BGTs used in a dental office, by attitude meter and to correlate them. Materials and Method: Children (200) from 7–17 years and their parents were selected randomly to participate in the study. Each child and parent was asked to watch four video scenes of live BGTs, which include Tell Show Do (TSD), Modeling, Reward system, and Hand holding. A questionnaire collected demographic data, and their expressive attitudes were assessed using Line of favour (LOF) scale and Kruskal‑Wallis Test. Results: Most preferred BGTs for Group I was modeling, Group II Reward, Group III Tell Show Do, and Group IV was Modeling, with a mean score of 5.95, 6.04, 5.57, and 5.78, respectively. Gender wise preferences, 32% of boys and 34% of girls preferred modeling in Group I, whereas, in Group II, 20% of boys and 21% of girls preferred reward, respectively. Chi-square test revealed that there is no significant difference between the groups and gender for the preference of BGTs in Group I (P=0.893) and Group II (P=0.592). There was no significant correlation between preferences of children and their parents. Conclusion: Modeling was the most preferred BGT for primary school children and parents of High school children. A reward was the most preferred BGT for high school children. TSD was the most preferred BGT for parents of primary school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To measure the intelligence quotient (IQ) and documentation of dermatoglyphic patterns of normal and children with intellectually disability aged between the 5-11 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted in two schools and the Red Cross Society. A total of 100 children aged between 5-11 years equally owed into two groups based on IQ using adaptive covariate randomization. Ravens Progressive Color Matrices were used to measure IQ of the children, whereas IQ of intellectually disabled (ID) children was measured by the Seguin board; both the scales are nonverbal intelligence scales, respectively. Bilateral palmar and fingerprints were obtained on the bond paper by the ink method using the rolling technique. Prints thus purchased were analyzed for the dermatoglyphic variables using a magnification lens and are read based on Cummins and Midlo classification The children were also classified according to the socioeconomic status of their parents and whether any correlation exists between IQ and socioeconomic status exists was assessed. The analysis performed by using the crosstabs and Chi-square tests for fingertip patterns and creases. For ATD angle, (a, t, d Triradii Angle) t-test for the equality of means performed. For statistical significance, two-tailed probability values of <0.05 considered as significant. RESULTS: Among the children with below-average IQ and also the ID children difference in dermatoglyphic patterns exists in between digits I, II, IV, and V of the right hand and digits I, II, III, and V of the left side. CONCLUSION: Dermatoglyphics can consider as a preliminary noninvasive approach for the determination of IQ. Furthermore, it plays an imperative role, especially in distinguishing genetic intellectual disabilities. There was no association between socioeconomic status and IQ of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dental erosion manifests with various forms in children. Several risk factors including brushing technique, use of specific dietary constituents contribute to its causation. High socioeconomic status may increase the risk of dental erosion owing to high incidence of risk factors. Objective: To find out the prevalence of dental erosion among school children and describe the etiological factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among school children aged 6 to 10yrs in SPSR Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. The sample was selected from a government and a private school to ensure representation and enable comparison. After obtaining informed consent, a questionnaire was distributed to parents/care givers and clinical examination of the children was conducted. All primary and permanent teeth were evaluated for Dental erosion using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE). Results: A total of 500 children were included in the sample. The overall prevalence (95% CI) was 1.2% (0.6% - 2.6%). There was no difference in the prevalence between government and private schools. The most common risk factor observed among the cases of dental erosion was the abrasiveness of toothpaste and brushing technique, followed by the consumption of acidic and carbonated drinks. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental erosion among the government and private schools in Nellore is found to be relatively low. It is essential to educate the community on the choice of toothpaste, brushing techniques, ill effects of frequent acidic drinks and carbonated drinks to combat dental erosion in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the psychological perspective of malocclusion in children. It highlights the concerns and emotions that parents experience when their child has a malocclusion, including worries about appearance, acceptance, and cost. The role of parents and motivation, especially from mothers, is important for children undergoing treatment. The article also emphasizes the importance of understanding the wishes, demands, and psychology of patients and their parents in order to deliver quality oral health care. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Feeding practices adopted by parents play a critical role in the development of children's taste preferences, eating habits, nutrition and eventual weight status. Many scales have been developed to assess feeding practices among children of various age groups. This paper aimed to construct and validate a robust scale for the comprehensive assessment of sleep‐time feeding practices for children aged 0‐3 years and to establish the risk of developing Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Methods: There were multiple phases to the development of the scale: (a) formation of a conceptual framework, (b) systematic development of an item pool, (c) refinement of the item pool by focus group discussion, cognitive interviewing and pretesting, (d) validity testing and (e) reliability testing. The conceptual framework was built based on four broad constructs: breastfeeding, bottle‐feeding, other feeding modes and 'tooth and diet' constructs. Reviews of existing scales in related areas were instrumental in scale development and helped to generate an initial pool of 45 items, which was finally refined to 28 items. Results: Cognitive interviews by the 'think‐aloud protocol' helped to reduce ambiguity and maximize clarity of the questions. Pretesting the scale aided increased comprehension and specificity. Face and content validity were corroborated by 'subject matter experts' who endorsed the suitability and appropriateness of items. Reliability was assessed by test‐retest, and a near‐perfect agreement was obtained in 96% of the items. Conclusions: This is the first validated scale currently available for recording sleep‐time feeding practices of children less than three years of age. This 28‐item scale can be applied as a potential clinical scale to record sleep‐time feeding history and the risk of developing ECC as well as a research scale to investigate the association of sleep‐time feeding practices with ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of pit and fissure sealants (PFS) placed on young permanent teeth with or without the application of the bonding agent.Methods: A.total of 100 permanent first molars from 25 children between 6-9 years of age were included and randomly allocated into 2 groups. In group A, the teeth received sealant with the bonding agent, and in group B, without a bonding agent. All the sealed teeth were evaluated for retention of the sealant at regular intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months. The difference in the retention rate with and without bonding was analyzed using Chi-square test.Results: After 12 months, the clinically acceptable retention rates for PFS placed with and without bonding agent were 80% and 72%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in relation to marginal integrity, marginal discoloration, and anatomic form among the PFS placed with and without bonding agent (Ps > 0.05).Conclusions: Sealant application with bonding agent showed an increased retention rate than without the use of a bonding agent. However, an additional step of bonding may be excluded in children, as it did not show any statistically significant difference in clinical retention rate compared to PFS application without bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the influence of parent-provided distraction (PPD) and interactive distraction (ID) with a handheld video game (HVG) on the child's responses to local anesthesia (LA) administration during dental treatment.Methods: Children attending the department of pediatric dentistry were randomly selected and distributed to the two groups (PPD and an ID with HVG). Parents in the operatory and the principles of tell-show-do remained common in both the groups. Behavioral, physiological, and self-report measures of pain were estimated using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale, pulse rate, as well as Iowa pain thermometer-revised (IPT-R) scale and compared for both groups correspondingly. The SPSS (standard statistical package) version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA) was used for statistical analysis at the significance of P < 0.05.Results: A total of 30 children (15 in each group) aged 7-11 years participated in the study. There were no significant differences observed among boys and girls (P > 0.05). The independent t-test for the pulse rate showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Paired t-test for pulse rate in the PPD group showed a significant difference compared to ID with the HVG group (P < 0.05). The scores for FLACC and ID with HVG, showed a statistically significant decrease in scores recorded for ID with HVG, whereas the scores recorded for FLACC did not show any statistically significant difference.Conclusion: Based on the study results, PPD would be the least distressful option, compared to the ID with HVG in children while administering LA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the effect of educational (sign language and video modeling) and therapeutic intervention (liquorice) on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment (CHI).Methods: Ninety-three CHI, in the age range of 5-15 years, were recruited in to the study. Children were assigned to two educational intervention groups: sign language and video modeling. Each group was again randomly divided into two: with one subgroup receiving therapeutic intervention using liquorice as a mouth wash and the other group receiving no intervention. For all children, baseline oral hygiene, gingival, and plaque index scores were recorded and oral prophylaxis was performed. Based on the subgroup to which the child was assigned, oral hygiene instructions were given on a weekly basis, whereas therapeutic intervention was performed twice daily for 28 days. Reassessment was done after the completion of interventions and after 3 months, followed by statistical analysis.Results: There was a significant mean reduction in oral hygiene, gingival, and plaque scores in all the children. The educational intervention could not influence the scores recorded, but the therapeutic intervention with liquorice led to a reduction in all the oral health parameters during the follow-up periods.Conclusion: Therapeutic intervention using liquorice as mouth wash along with educational intervention can be suggested in CHI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the radiographic efficacy of the quality of obturation and to assess the number of voids and the obturation time in primary teeth using Pastinject™, disposable needle, and capillary tips.Materials and Methods: A total of 34 teeth with 103 canals were randomly divided into three groups using chit method, based on used application: Group 1: Pastinject™ (Micro-Mega, Besancon, France); Group 2: Disposable needle (23G short needle BD Discardit™, Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd.), and Group 3: Capillary tips (Meta Biomed© Co. Ltd., China). All the groups were named based on obturation systems used. To compare the quality of obturation, the Chi-square test was used; to assess the number of voids, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test was used; and to evaluate the obturation time, post hoc Scheffe one-way ANOVA test was used. All P values having <0.05 were considered as statistical significant (P < 0.05). Kappa statistics were performed to check interexaminer reliability. Descriptive statistics were used for evaluation using SPSS (version. 21).Results: Capillary tips resulted in better optimal filled canals and less obturation time, compared to disposable needle and Pastinject (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference evident among three groups in relation to voids (P = 0.111).Conclusion: Capillary tip technique proved to be the most effective, yielding a higher number of optimally filled canals and minimal voids, combined with easier placement of the material into the canals when compared to Pastinject and disposable needle obturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperdontia/additional teeth are the commonly used synonyms for supernumerary tooth/teeth (ST). They occur due to the disturbances during the initiation stage of tooth development. They can be noticed in any region of oral cavity and may be single, double, or multiple; unilateral or bilateral; erupted or unerupted. This report presents a case of impacted single ST in the maxillary premolar region in a 14-year-old boy. Usually, ST are extracted, but there are some conditions where ST could be used beneficially. The present case is an example where ST played a beneficial role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) created a significant impact on the oral healthcare profession, and dentists are reported to have a higher risk of transmission. Aerosols and droplets are considered as primary reasons for the transmission of this infectious disease. Quality dental treatment may not be possible without the interference of aerosols in daily dental practice. However, dental societies and healthcare communities around the globe developed various protocols and algorithms with standard infection control protocols. Nevertheless, many unanswerable questions strike in dentist minds to start the dental practice during or post COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, this review focuses on the common issues that raises in daily clinical practice and possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferric sulfate (FS) has been commonly used as a local hemostatic agent for more than three decades in dentistry. Even though the hemostatic mechanism of FS is questioned, it seems that agglutination of blood proteins occurs due to the reaction of blood with ferric and sulfate ions in acidic pH. FS has gained widespread importance as a pulpotomy medicament in contemporary dentistry; nevertheless, it has several applications in different fields of dentistry which was paid little attention. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to review the various applications of FS in dentistry, along with restorative dentistry and endodontics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pain in the dental operatory can have a profound effect on the behavior of children. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the pain perception while administering local infiltration, in children undergoing dental extractions, using a new auto-controlled injection system. Materials and Methods: Children in the age range of 6-10 years with teeth indicated for extraction were recruited and allocated to either Group I, computer-controlled injection system (auto system with special cartridge and compatible disposable 30-gauge, 10 mm needles), or Group II, traditional system (30-gauge, 10 mm needle and disposable traditional syringe). Local infiltration was administered and extraction performed after 3 min. The time of administration (TOA) of infiltrate was noted whereas anxiety and pain in both groups were assessed using the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Faces Scale simplified (MCDAS(f)), pulse rate, Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R), and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Scale. Results: The TOA was high in computer group, compared to the traditional system (P < 0.001***); however, anxiety and pain were significantly less in computer group as reported in MCDAS(f), pulse rate, FPS-R, and FLACC (P < 0.001***). Conclusions: Computer system created a positive and comfortable experience for the child, as well as the practitioner. The possibility of using buccal infiltration instead of inferior alveolar nerve block in children below 10 years was also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avulsion or exarticulation is one of the most severe injuries of the tooth, frequently encountered in young children and the maxillary anterior teeth. Immediate transplantation of the avulsed tooth is the suggested treatment that results in a favorable prognosis, although this may not be possible every time. Here, we present a case report of an 8-year-old girl who sustained an avulsion injury of the maxillary left central incisor with 4 1/2 days extraoral time. Treatment guidelines for avulsed immature permanent teeth with prolonged extraoral dry time were followed. Portland cement was used for obturation of the root canal. The clinical and radiographic findings after 18 months revealed minimal inflammatory root resorption and ankylosis of the replanted tooth, whereas clinically, the tooth was asymptomatic and maintained the aesthetics of the child, suggesting the importance of replantation, although there was prolonged extraoral dry time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective: An idiopathic qualitative defect of enamel, affecting one or more of the permanent molars with/without permanent incisors is known as Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH). Similar defect on primary second molars is termed as deciduous molar hypomineralization (DMH). Case report and Conclusion: The prevalence rate of MIH and DMH worldwide is between 2.4%-40.2% and 4.9%-9.0% respectively. Clinically, these defects appear as white, yellow or brown spots and surface is smooth with normal thickness of the enamel. Lack of quality in the enamel causes porosity that fractures easily under mastication, exposing the dentin and further allows progression of caries. Hence, this condition should be diagnosed as early as possible for providing a preventive management against caries and avoid post eruptive breakdown. In addition, intervention with full coverage restoration is needful in the management of the affected teeth. Preformed metal crowns (PMCs) are recommended as the best full coverage restoration for managing primary molar teeth. The Hall Technique embraces changing concepts of managing, without local anesthesia, caries removal or tooth preparation. Management of teeth with DMH is challenging as it is quite difficult to achieve anesthesia and due to hypersensitivity, the co-operation of the child is questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the advent of modern injection techniques, palatal injection continues to be a painful experience for children. Aims: To compare the pain experienced during extraction of maxillary primary molars with conventional lignocaine anesthesia versus lignocaine and articaine buccal infiltration in children aged 6-14 years. Materials and Methods: A prospective randomized triple blinded study was conducted with ninety children (n = 90), randomly allocated to receive lignocaine conventional anesthesia (Group I [control group]), and buccal infiltration using articaine (Group II [articaine group]) or lignocaine (Group III [lignocaine group]). A composite score of self-report (faces pain scale-revised), behavioral measure (face legs activity cry consolability scale), and a physiological response (pulse rate) was measured following maxillary primary molar extraction. Statistical Analysis Used: To test the mean difference between two groups, Students' t-test was used and among the three groups, one-way ANOVA with post hoc test was used. Results: Articaine group had significantly lower pain scores for self-report (P < 000.1) and behavioral measures (P < 000.1) while there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between articaine and control groups during primary maxillary molar extraction. Conclusion: Maxillary primary molar extraction procedure can be successfully accomplished by bypassing the palatal injection. Articaine buccal infiltration can be considered as an alternative to conventional local anesthesia for the extraction of maxillary primary molars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dental anomalies in primary dentition of Indian population.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 4180 children in the age of 2-6 years. Anomalies were classified based on Kreiborg criteria. The term "double tooth" was used to avoid misinterpretation between gemination. and fusion. Patients having radiographs were also examined for associated dental anomalies in permanent dentition. The occurrence and gender prevalence were evaluated using descriptive statistics.Results: About 95. (2.27%) children exhibited at least one dental anomaly. Thirty.seven children showed 51 missing teeth. (0.88%), mostly in lower right incisors with a statistically significant difference between arches. (P = 0.0056) Nine children. (0.21%) had supernumerary teeth commonly in the right maxilla. Two cases of oligodontia. (0.04%) and talon cusps. (0.04%) and one case of triple tooth. (0.02%) were observed. Forty children. (0.95%) had 43 double teeth mostly in the right mandible with a statistically significant difference between the arches. (P = 0.0105). No significant difference was observed based on gender and arch, but they were statistically significant between the right and left sides. (P = 0.018). Among the children with radiographs available, 45% showed anomalies in the succedaneous dentition.Conclusions: The prevalence rates of children with double tooth, hypodontia, and hyperdontia in our study are 0.95%, 0.88%, and 0.21%, respectively. The overall prevalence rate of anomalies among boys was higher than girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful practice of pediatric dentistry depends on the establishment of a good relationship between the dentist and the child. Such a relationship is possible only through effective communication. Pediatric dentistry includes both an art and a science component. The focus has been mostly on the technical aspects of our science, and the soft skills we need to develop are often forgotten or neglected. This paper throws light on the communication skills we need to imbibe to be a successful pediatric dentist. A new terminology "Pediatric Dentistese" has been coined similar to motherese, parentese, or baby talk. Since baby talk cannot be applied to all age groups of children, pediatric dentistese has been defined as "the proactive development-based individualized communication between the pediatric dentist and the child which helps to build trust, allay fear, and treat the child effectively and efficiently." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study was conducted to uncover the diagnostic accuracy of digital versus conventional radiographic methods for the detection of proximal caries in primary teeth.Methods: Two researchers independently involved in the search process to explore Medical Subject Heading terms "dental digital radiography," "dental radiography," "bitewing," "dental caries," and "primary teeth" using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid SP, and SIGLE databases. Search was confined to the articles published in English language only, with time period limit January 1996 to April 2014 and a hand search was performed to retrieve additional citations. Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to eliminate undesired studies. Critical appraisal of the retrieved articles was done using the quality rating based on Bader and co-workers criteria.Results: A total of 129 articles were retrieved, among which 4 articles were included. All the four studies included were in vitro, of which two studies attained a high-quality score, whereas the other two attained average, and low scores based on Bader et al.'s criteria.Conclusions: A big lacuna exists in the literature, regarding the evaluation of radiographic systems in primary teeth, suggesting an immediate need for well conducted in vivo studies. The quality of available evidence can be regarded as fair but cannot be suggested to set a baseline, indicating a need to perform high-quality studies in a randomized sample to find out the accuracy of digital and conventional radiographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cementoblastoma is a benign lesion of the odontogenic ectomesenchymal origin. It rarely occurs in primary dentition. This report describes a case of a cementoblastoma relating to the right mandibular second primary molar in a 7-year-old girl. Her panoramic radiograph revealed a well-defined radiopaque lesion with a radiolucent border extending from the distal surface of the mandibular right first primary molar to the distal surface of mandibular second primary molar. The tumor was attached to the mesial root of primary second molar and was excised along with the teeth involved and sent for histopathological evaluation, which showed irregular trabeculae of mineralized tissue interspersed with fibrovascular connective tissue, trabeculae of mineralized tissue with prominent reversal lines, and peripheral rimming of the mineralized tissue with blast cells. On a six-month follow-up, there has been no recurrence of the lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulpectomy aims at retaining the tooth in the asymptomatic state until exfoliation. Root canal obturating materials should resorb in synchronization with the primary root and get eliminated rapidly upon accidental extrusion. This systematic review aims at appraising the clinical and radiographic outcomes of Endoflas as an obturating material for primary teeth. An extensive literature search on obturating materials used for primary teeth using MeSH terms in PubMed, Cochrane library, and Ovid® from September 2002 to March 2020. Studies evaluating the clinical and radiographic success of Endoflas as an obturating material in children were included. From 45 retrieved articles, eight qualified for the systematic review. Moderate quality of evidence was elicited in this review. There was a dramatic reduction of inter radicular radiolucency in Endoflas obturated teeth compared to other root canal filling materials. Even for resorption of the extruded material beyond the apex too, Endoflas has depicted a faster clearance rate. Hence,it was concluded that, Endoflas can be a potential root canal obturating material for treating the primary teeth, even with furcal radiolucency. We recommend randomized clinical trials satisfying all the norms of CONSORT guidelines to provide a high quality of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To suggest the best predictor/s for determining the mesio‑distal widths (MDWs) of canines (C) and premolars (Ps), and propose regression equation/s for hitherto unreported population. Methods: Impressions of maxillary and mandibular arches were made for 201 children (100 boys and 101 girls; age range: 11–15 years) who met the inclusion criteria and poured with dental stone. The maximum MDWs of all the permanent teeth were measured using digital vernier caliper. Thirty‑three possible combinations (patterns) of permanent maxillary and mandibular first molars, central and lateral incisors were framed and correlated with MDWs of C and Ps using Pearson correlation test. Results: There were significant correlations between the considered patterns and MDWs of C and Ps, with difference noted between girls (range of r: 0.34–0.66) and boys (range of r: 0.28–0.77). Simple linear and multiple regression equations for boys, girls, and combined sample were determined to predict MDW of C and Ps in both the arches. Conclusions: The accuracy of prediction improved considerably with the inclusion of as many teeth as possible in the regression equations. The newly proposed equations based on the erupted teeth may be considered clinically useful for space analysis in the considered population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the remineralizing potential of child formula dentifrices on primary teeth using an in vitro 7 days pH cycling model. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one primary teeth were placed in demineralizing solution for 96 h to produce artificial carious lesions; then cut longitudinally into 100-150 µm thick sections and randomly assigned to three groups. Sections in Group A were treated with dentifrice containing 458 ppm monofluorophosphate (MFP) and sections in Group B with 500 ppm sodium fluoride (NaF). Group C sections were treated with a nonfluoridated dentifrice. Results: Group A (458 ppm MFP) and Group B (500 ppm NaF) showed significant decrease in lesion depth, whereas Group C (non F) showed a significant increase in depth (P ≤ 0.05, paired t-test). Conclusion: Though dentifrices containing 458 ppm MFP and 500 ppm NaF demonstrated remineralization of carious lesions, it was not complete. Therefore, it is also important to emphasize on other preventive methods in the prevention and/or reversal of carious lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]