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Aim of the study This paper aims to identify the characteristics of mouth breathing as an oral vicious habit frequently encountered in paediatric dentistry clinical practice, evaluating the possible outcomes in regards to somatic and stomatognatic development, as well as interceptive treatment modalities. Materials and method A number of clinical case studies and review articles were evaluated, after searching databases for available papers using key words like “oral vicious habits”, “mouth breathing”, “interceptive treatment”, “children and adolescents”. Results Oral vicious habits are one of the most frequent disturbances seen by the paediatric dentist in the dental office, which often impair the child’s quality of life. Vicious habits include thumb sucking, prolonged use of a pacifier, lip biting and sucking, onycophagia (fingernail biting), bruxism, oral self-harm, mouth breathing and tongue interposition. These habits have a great impact on occlusion and muscle development, causing repetitive and complex muscular contractions, with effects varying from individual to individual depending on the frequency, period and intensity of the habit. Conclusions Mouth breathing is an oral vicious habit which can induce numerous negative effects on the development of the stomatognatic system, therefore the identification, interception and early intervention on oral breathing should be a desiderate of every paediatric dentist’s office.

Aim of the study Disability does not annul the right of an individual to receive qualitative health care, which includes oral and dental care; instead, it should actually increase the attentiveness of caregivers and medical providers regarding oral hygiene and treatment measures, considering the high risks of this category of population. Especially in the case of children and adolescents, population with a high prevalence of different types of disabilities, oral and dental care is often disregarded. This study aims to review current information in literature referring to disabled children and adolescents and the management of oral and dental care in the context of their quality of life. Material and methods A literature review was performed, after evaluating recent articles and studies, using the search terms: children, adolescents, disability, dental care. Results Inclusion of disabled individuals and their integration in society is more and more present, leading to concern regarding healthcare needs in general, and oral and dental care needs in particular. Since children and adolescents with disabilities present a greater risk for dental caries and periodontal pathology, efforts are made to prevent and properly manage these conditions. Conclusions Special needs dentistry benefits from the incredible evolution of social perception on disability, as well as technological and medical development available. Nevertheless, in our country, oral healthcare and dental prevention programs aimed at children and adolescents with disability are scarce, underlying an urgent need to develop and implement national strategies and plans to fulfil the worldwide current objective of a caries-free population.

Aim of the study The purpose of this paper is to review existent literature regarding taurodontism and to highlight the clinical challenges of this pathology in paediatric dentistry. Material and methods Literature was searched for clinical studies and descriptive papers with titles containing the words “taurodontism”, “enlarged pulp chamber”, “bull teeth” “Hertwig epithelial rooth sheath”. Results Taurodontism is a dental developmental disturbanc in which the body is enlarged at the expense of the roots. An enlarged pulp chamber, apical displacement of the pulpal floor and lack of constriction at the cement-enamel junction are the characteristic features. It appears most frequently as an isolated anomaly, but its association with several syndromes and abnormalities has also been reported. Endodontic treatment of taurodontic teeth is stated to be complicated and difficult due to the complexity of the tooth morphology. Conclusions Taurodontic teeth bring a series of challenges to the dental practitioner, from a morphological standpoint, endodontic treatment, periodontal and surgical implications. Literature is scarce regarding protocols for managing teeth with taurodontism, therefore it is in the hand of the clinician to review the best treatment options for those teeth, considering that they are aware of the specific characteristics of the pathology.

Oral health professionals and caregivers alike agree that children with disabilities, whether acquired or developmental, have the right to receive proper rehabilitation, in order to obtain their maximal functioning potential and lead a normal life. Aim of the study This paper aims to review the main challenges faced by paediatric dentists in the management of children with various intellectual disabilities, and formulate a set of recommendations and guidelines designed to enhance disabled patients’ trust in dental therapists, while enabling the latter to successfully carry out specific oral health procedures on this group of vulnerable individuals. Material and methods A review of available literature was performed, searching MedLine and PubMed databases for terms like: children, intellectual disability, prevention, dental treatment. Results Difficulties that arise in the context of dental management of a disability may be overpassed with a few techniques and methods available for the general dentist and the paediatric dentist alike. Conclusions Educating the paediatric dentist regarding the most common oral manifestations of intellectual disabilities is important, and guidelines are necessary in order to properly manage the dental treatment of this population group.