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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., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry.)

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., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry.)

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., Competing Interests: None

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 × 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., Competing Interests: None

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the mean oxygen saturation values (SpO 2 ) 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 Ovid SP , from January 1990 to January 2022. Studies reported the sample size and the mean SpO 2 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 SpO 2 values. The I 2 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 SpO 2 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.

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., Competing Interests: None

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., Competing Interests: None

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., Competing Interests: None

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., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

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."

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.

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., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

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.

Background: According to Jean Piaget, children between 4 and 7 years of age are under the intuitive sub-stage of preoperational stage. Children possess specific characteristics based on their age. These characteristic cognitive principles have not been assessed in a dental setting. Research on the cognitive development of the child and its application to dental health care can enable pediatric dentists to better understand, approach and deliver improved quality of care to children., Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of Piaget's cognitive principles among preoperational children., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 children, aged 4-7 years. Various characteristics, specific for this age group, such as egocentrism, concept of cardinal numbers based on centration, lack of conservation, and reversibility were assessed, using three tangible experiments and two interview questions. A comparison of the prevalence of each character was carried out among the children based on their age., Results: The prevalence of egocentrism based on the three mountain experiment was 65% and the personal interview showed a prevalence of 58%. Centration was appreciated in 83% of the study sample. The beaker experiment and the interview question revealed a lack of conservation in 89% and 59% of the children, respectively. There was a gradual and uniform reduction in the prevalence of the characters with an increase in age., Conclusion: All the three features assessed were observed in most of the children between 4 and 7 years of age as described by Piaget and most of his principles still appear valid today.

Osteosarcoma (OS) of the jaws is a relatively rare malignant bone tumor. Like, its counterpart in the long bones, OS affecting the head and neck region shows distinct yet diverse clinical, histologic and prognostic characteristics. Here, we report a rare case of OS of fibroblastic variant in a 10-year-old girl, who came with a bony swelling in the left mandibular posterior region, with a radiographic presentation of sunburst appearance, the histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. The patient underwent partial mandibulectomy under general anesthesia followed by prosthodontic rehabilitation and is currently undergoing regular follow-up examination.

The successful practice of dentistry involves a good combination of technical skills and soft skills. Soft skills or communication skills are not taught extensively in dental schools and it can be challenging to learn and at times in treating dental patients. Guiding the child's behavior in the dental operatory is one of the preliminary steps to be taken by the pediatric dentist and one who can successfully modify the behavior can definitely pave the way for a life time comprehensive oral care. This article is an attempt to revisit a simple behavior guidance technique, reframing and explain the possible psychological perspectives behind it for better use in the clinical practice.

Delayed eruption of maxillary permanent central incisors in a child poses a distressing esthetic quandary to parents, by virtue of its location in the dental architecture. Well-aligned anterior teeth add confidence to smile and have enhanced self-esteem, which is critical even in early life. Impaction of the maxillary central incisors compared to third molars or the canines is less reported; bilateral supplemental maxillary central incisors related to impacted permanent maxillary central incisors are rare and one of the supplemental central incisors showing unusual talon is still infrequent. A case of impacted maxillary permanent central incisors related to supplemental maxillary central incisors, with one of them showing an unusual talon cusp, is presented.