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BACKGROUND Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common hereditary autoinflammatory disease. We aimed to investigate the oral health status and oral hygiene habits in children with FMF. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 199 children with FMF, aged between 3-18 years, were included. Demographic findings and oral hygiene habits of children were questioned by face-to-face interview. Oral health status of patients was evaluated using decay-missing-filled index [DMFT (decay-missing-filled teeth), DMFS (decay-missing-filled teeth) for permanent; dmft, dmfs for primary teeth], the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-II) index, PUFA / pufa index [the presence of severely decayed teeth with visible pulpal involvement (P/p), ulceration caused by dislocated tooth fragments (U/u), fistula (F/f) and abscess (A/a)], gingival (GI) and plaque index (PI). In addition to these, occlusion, oral soft and hard tissues were examined. RESULTS One-hundred-nine (54.8%) of children had at least one decayed permanent tooth and 81.2% of children had at least one decayed primary tooth. The mean DMFT was 1.91±2.45, DMFS was 3.1±4.49, dmft was 3.95±3.54, dmfs was 8.62±8.88, PI was 1.17±0.44, GI was 0.85±0.39. Aphthous mouth ulcer occurred in 19 (9.5%) patients. Recurrent aphthous mouth ulcers were more frequent among patients with one exon-ten and one exon-two mutations than patients with one exon-10 mutation, two exon-ten mutations, or two exon-2 mutations (61.1% vs. 47.9%, 26.1%, 20%, respectively p < 0.001). Tooth decay was more frequent among patients who had attacks in the last six months than those who did not have any attacks during the last six months (97.4% vs. 87.7%, p=0.017). CONCLUSION Dental caries and periodontal disease, which are public health problems, were seen at a high percentage of children with FMF in our study.

Background. The design of the bristles of a toothbrush can affect the overall efficacy of toothbrushing. Aim. 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. Design. 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. Results. The number of bristles were similar in child and adult toothbrushes (P > 0.05). Despite significant differences in bristle end-rounding in some regions (P 0.05). Conclusions. 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.

Root fracture injuries affect 0.5%-7% of permanent teeth. Although cervical root fractures are less frequent in children, their serious consequences and poor prognosis may lead to tooth loss. In this case presentation, we discuss a treatment approach chosen to preserve alveolar bone growth following a cervical root fracture in an 8-Year-old boy.