Search

Newly graduated pediatric dentists have unprecedented levels of debt. High levels of student debt may be perceived as an obstacle to pursue an academic career. However, opportunities exist through faculty compensation models and loan repayment programs that make an academic career financially viable. The purpose of this paper is to outline the benefits of a career in academic dentistry and provide examples of young pediatric dentistry faculty members who have been able to manage student debt while pursuing meaningful and rewarding careers.

The purpose of this study was to measure the fracture resistance of primary mandibular first molar zirconia crowns from three different manufacturers-EZ Pedo (EZP), NuSmile (NSZ), and Kinder Krowns (KK)-and compare it with the thickness of the zirconia crowns and the measured fracture resistance of preveneered stainless steel crowns (SSCs).The thickness of 20 zirconia crowns from three manufacturers were measured. The mean force required to fracture the crowns was determined. Preveneered NuSmile (NSW) SSCs were tested as a control.EZP crowns were significantly thicker in three of the six measured locations. The force required to fracture the EZP crown was significantly higher than that required for NSZ and KK. There was a positive correlation between fracture resistance and crown thickness in the mesial, distal, mesioocclusal, and distoocclusal dimensions. None of the zirconia crowns proved to be as resistant to fracture as the preveneered SSCs.Statistically significant differences were found among the forces required to fracture zirconia crowns by three different manufacturers. The increase in force correlated with crown thickness. The forces required to fracture the preveneered stainless steel crowns were greater than the forces required to fracture all manufacturers' zirconia crowns.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized as a chronic hemolytic anemia with vaso-occlusive crises that result in multisystem organ damage. Bone marrow is one of the more common sites of these crises, presumably due to marrow hypercellularity that impairs blood flow- leading to regional hypoxia and subsequent infarction. Infarcts of facial bones are considered an uncommon complication of SCD. When infarcts occur in facial bones, the mandible and orbital bones are the most commonly affected. Overall, the clinical presentation of facial bone infarctions may mimic an infectious process, such as cellulitis, an abscess, or, more commonly, osteomyelitis. The purpose of this paper was to present the case of a patient with a confluence of symptoms in the face as a result of her sickle cell disease.

A Workshop of attendees was convened following the completion of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) symposium, "Beyond the Guidelines: Factors Affecting Behavior Guidance." The title of Workshop A was Guidelines/Revisions and charges were to review whether the current AAPD Behavior Management Guidelines were adequate to guide delivery of dental care for children with specific attention to their effectiveness and safety, the protection of the pediatric patient and dentist, and the newly revised Protective Stabilization guideline, considering the presentations during the symposium. Major themes emerged as areas for consideration in future revisions of the guidelines: 1) toxic stress and the culture of poverty; 2) behavior risk assessment; 3) contemporary knowledge of pain theory; 4) deferred treatment; 5) parental presence in the operatory and 6) current use of protective stabilization. These issues were examined in the context of the current economic, social, and political environment. A summary of the topics and discussions that took place regarding the adequacy of the guidelines is presented.

The purpose of this study was to document current practices among pediatric and general dentists who are members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) regarding the use of local anesthesia (LA) on children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia (GA).A survey was administered via e-mail to AAPD members to document the use of LA during dental rehabilitations under GA and the rationales for its use.A total of 952 of 5,599 members responded to this survey; 79 percent of respondents use LA at least part of the time during dental rehabilitations under GA. "Improved patient recovery" was the most commonly cited rationale for administering LA. Extraction of permanent and primary teeth were the two most common procedures cited for the use of LA, respectively.There is no consensus among the respondents on the use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia, but the majority responded that it does play a role in their perioperative patient management.

The purpose of this study was to measure the incidence of pain and analgesic use following restorative and surgical procedures and preventive fissure sealants in children and adolescents.One hundred and thirty 2- to 18-year-olds were selected from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry pediatric dental clinic and appointed for restorative and surgical procedures and preventive fissure sealants. Each child's discomfort was evaluated immediately after the procedure using a Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. Parents were contacted by phone within 48 hours following the procedure for a verbal survey to assess discomfort and analgesic use.Thirty-three percent of the children reported discomfort, and 31% were given over-the-counter analgesics by their parents. Compared to all other subjects, patients who had received a primary stainless steel crown were significantly more likely to report discomfort (P.001). The extraction of primary teeth did not result in a significant increase in reported pain.Postoperative discomfort is significantly associated with stainless steel crown treatment of primary teeth.