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To investigate in otherwise healthy children the association between the caries index, the stimulated salivary flow rate (SFR), and the spectral Doppler findings of the changes in blood perfusion in the salivary glands during the secretion of saliva.The study group consisted of 38 children with a mean age of 9.47 ± 1.89 years. The caries index was calculated by determining the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth. Groups A, B, and C represented subjects with low, moderate, and normal SFRs, respectively, calculated by obtaining chewing-stimulated whole saliva. All subjects were examined by color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) before and during secretory stimulation with lemon, by which maximum systolic velocity (MSV), pulsatility index (PI), resistive index (RI), and flow volume (FV) were calculated at the external carotid and facial arteries.The differences for spectral indices obtained before and after stimulation were significantly different among Groups A, B, and C at the external carotid artery (P = 0.006 for delta MSV, P = 0.014 for delta PI, P0.001 for delta RI, and P = 0.022 for delta FV) and at the facial artery (P = 0.001 for delta MSV, P = 0.004 for delta PI, P0.001 for delta RI, and P0.001 for delta FV). In addition, significant correlations were calculated between the SFR and the aforementioned delta values.CDUS enabled the evaluation of changes in blood perfusion in the salivary glands during salivary stimulation and may be a promising tool for the assessment of caries risk in children.

The design of the bristles of a toothbrush can affect the overall efficacy of toothbrushing.To evaluate and compare a number of selected features associated with the bristle (length, number and end-rounding quality) of manual child and adult toothbrushes.The bristle lengths of 11 child and 29 adult toothbrushes were measured on digital micrographs using open source image analysis software. Bristles of tufts from five regions were counted and classified as acceptable or non-acceptable on stereomicroscopic images according to the end-rounding morphology. The data was evaluated statistically.The number of bristles were similar in child and adult toothbrushes (P0.05). Despite significant differences in bristle end-rounding in some regions (P0.05), the overall quality of bristles were similar in child and adult toothbrushes (P0.05).The variations observed in the number, length and end-rounding quality of the bristles indicate inherent shortcomings of a majority of the tested toothbrushes in plaque removal efficacy, along with the potential for irritation on the gums.

There is limited evidence about the effects of systemic zinc supplementation on oral health in healthy children. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of oral zinc supplementation on oral health in low socioeconomic level primary school children. In this double-blind randomized study, 68 children were randomly separated into two groups (study and placebo) to receive 15 mg/day elemental zinc or placebo syrup five days a week for 10 weeks. Oral examinations were performed before and after supplementation. After supplementation, the Gingival Index improved statistically in both groups (p0.05). However, the Plaque Index improved statistically only in the zinc group (p = 0.02). After supplementation, the Plaque Index scores increased in 13 cases and decreased in 15 in the placebo group (p = 0.70) and increased in only 6 cases and decreased in 18 in the study group (p = 0.02). Oral zinc supplementation may contribute to the prevention of dental caries in low socioeconomic level primary school healthy children.

This study evaluated the clinical performance of a polyacid-modified resin composite, Dyract AP (De Trey/Dentsply), under different conditioning methods in primary teeth. Eighty-one box-shaped cavity preparations (three restorations per patient) on the mesial or distal surfaces of primary first or second molars were prepared in 27 patients. The cavity preparations were either non pre-treated or pre-treated with 36% phosphoric acid or NRC (De Trey/Dentsply). The teeth were restored with PrimeBond NT (De Trey/Dentsply) and Dyract AP. The restorations were evaluated at baseline and 6, 12 and 18-month recalls according to the modified Ryge criteria by two calibrated operators. The data obtained from the clinical assessment of all restorations were subjected to statistical analysis by chi-square-tests at a 0.05 level of significance. The ratings of each criteria were compared among each evaluation period between treatment groups. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference among each evaluation period between groups in regard to color match, marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, secondary caries, surface texture, anatomic form and retention.