Knowledge and attitude on infant oral health among graduating medical students in kulasekaram.

AIM: This study was intended to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes regarding infant's oral health care among graduating medical students from Kulasekaram, Tamil Nadu. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey research design was employed in this study. Self-administered questionnaire of the validated "Graduating medical students' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Infant's oral health care" were utilized to ascertain the baseline levels of knowledge and attitudes of graduating medical students' in Kulasekaram hospital. In this regard, a preliminary study with a convenience sample of 100 medical students was conducted so as to assess the knowledge of infant oral health care among graduating medical students in Kulasekaram. This study, while limited in sample size, benefits the general practitioners as target readers to assess the abnormalities in children at early stages of life. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed that the mean percentage score overall was 65.7%. Only 3.2% of participants obtained a passing score of 80% or greater. Widespread knowledge deficits and poor attitudes among graduating medical students were noted in this study, particularly in the domain of pharmacological management of pain. Positive correlations were observed between the respondents' score and level of education. Further analysis revealed respondents had an inaccurate self-evaluation of their pain management knowledge. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that there is dearth of knowledge and attitudes of graduating medical students' regarding infant oral health care. Educational and quality improvement initiatives in oral health care of infants could enhance medical student's knowledge baseline in the area of oral health care and possibly improve practices.

Detection of Adherence of Enterococcus faecalis in Infected Dentin of Extracted Human Teeth Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope: An In vitro Study.

AIM: The aim of this study is to detect in vitro adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to the infected dentinal tubules of human extracted teeth using confocal laser scanning microscope. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Roots from human premolar teeth (n = 40) were infected with E. faecalis strain the American Type Culture Collection 29212 in brain heart infusion for 21 days. After the experimental period, specimens were divided into two groups, Group A (n = 20), Group B (n = 20), and Group A specimens were stained with fluorescein diacetate dye for the detection of viability and adherence Group B were stained with acridine orange dye for detection of metabolic activity and adherence. Samples were washed, thoroughly sectioned and examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Computer-assisted determinants of fluorescence, bacterial viability, metabolic activity, and adherence were compared statistically. RESULTS: E. faecalis was able to invade the dentinal tubules to a depth of 1-400 µm and adhere to 1-200 µm depth. Adherence (90%) was significantly higher in 1-100 µm using fluorescein diacetate and acridine orange dye. CONCLUSION: Adherence of E. faecalis as evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscope was highest at the depth of 1-100 µm which may have an impact on the shaping and cleaning procedures on the root canal.

Ameloblastic Fibroodontoma: Uncommon Case Presentation in a 6-Year-Old Child with Review of the Literature.

Ameloblastic fibroodontoma is a benign mixed odontogenic neoplasm considered in patients with asymptomatic swelling and unerupted teeth that exhibit histologic features between ameloblastic fibroma and complex odontoma. Radiographically, this lesion appears as radiolucency admixed with focal radio opaque masses of irregular shapes and sizes. This lesion is confirmed by the presence of proliferating odontogenic epithelium, ectomesenchyme, and dental hard tissue formation on pathological analysis supplementing clinical and radiographic findings. As this tumour is less commonly seen in routine clinical practice, ameloblastic fibroodontoma with detailed orofacial features and periodic approach to its diagnosis is discussed. This paper reports a case of ameloblastic fibroodontoma of the mandible in a 6-year-old male patient with an uncommon case presentation and review of the literature.

Effect of anti-asthmatic drugs on dental health: A comparative study.

AIMS: Bronchial asthma constitutes important problem worldwide. This chronic lung disease has detrimental effect in the oral cavity like reduction of salivary secretion, change in salivary composition and pH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted to compare the prevalence of dental caries in asthmatic children and healthy children, and also to evaluate the correlation between the Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus and dental caries in both the groups. RESULTS: In this study, the mean decayed, missing, filled teeth score of children in the study group was (4.53 ± 3.38) higher than the control group (1.51 ± 1.58) (P < 0.01). The S. mutans count of the study group was (59574.47 ± 28510.67) higher than the control group (19777.78 ± 17899.83) P < 0.01. The Lactobacillus count in study group was (43553.19 ± 58776.96) higher than the control group (8843.84 ± 7982.72) P < 0.01. Subjects using inhaled corticosteroids were more prone to develop dental caries than the control group with odds ratio = 6.26 and 95% confidence interval. CONCLUSIONS: The dental caries prevalence increases with the usage of ß2 agonist and corticosteroid inhalers for the treatment of asthma. Thus in asthmatic children, increase in caries prevalence might be due to the drug treatment and not due to the disease by itself. It can be concluded that asthmatic children have a higher prevalence of dental caries than healthy children. Hence, special oral health care is needed for asthmatic children.

Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia - Mystery of pathogenesis revisited.

Oral ulcers are a common symptom in clinical practice. Among various causative factors, different types of ulcers in oral cavity exist. Among this, traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia (TUGSE) appears to be quite neglected by the clinicians due to the limited knowledge and awareness. On reviewing with a detailed approach to titles and abstracts of articles eliminating duplicates, 40 relevant articles were considered. Randomized studies, review articles, case reports and abstracts were included while conference papers and posters were excluded. Of importance, TUGSE cases been reported only to a minimal extent in the literature. Lack of its awareness tends to lead clinicians to a misconception of cancer. Thus, this particular lesion needs to be differentiated from other malignant lesions to provide a proper mode of treatment. The present article reviews various aspects of the TUGSE with emphasis on the clinical manifestation, pathogenesis, histological, and immunohistochemical study. This study provides the clinician contemporaries, a humble expansion to their knowledge of the disease, based on the searched literature, enabling a more comprehensive management of this rare occurrence.

Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia: Relevance in Oral Pathology.

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH), a neglected entity by oral pathologist possesses utmost importance in the field of research. Of all the investigative challenges, PEH, a reactive epithelial proliferation is seen secondary to lesions with infectious, inflammatory, reactive, and degenerative origin. Small sized samples, incomplete excision, improper orientation, and dense inflammatory changes render diagnostic confront to the oral pathologist in exclusion of frankly invasive malignant lesions like squamous cell carcinoma from lesions exhibiting PEH. The diagnosis can occasionally be difficult as they mimic other lesions also, on clinic-pathological assessment. Thus, this article gives an insight regarding the various concepts of etiopathogenesis, histopathology, differential diagnosis, and malignant potential of PEH. A combined effort of a clinician and pathologist benefits every patient to rule out malignancy and render appropriate treatment as the only local conservative approach is essential to remove PEH associated lesions.

Management of a nonvital young permanent tooth by pulp revascularization.

This report presents the case of a 10-year-old patient with a nonvital young permanent tooth which was managed by pulp revascularization. Following disinfection of the canal by irrigation with NaOCl and use of a triantibiotic paste, a scaffold was created by inducing the formation of a blood clot within the canal. At the subsequent follow-up visits, the patient was asymptomatic, with normal response to percussion, normal periodontal probing depths, and no abnormal mobility. The radiographs showed evidence of continued apical root development with increase in root length, signs of apical closure and increase in thickness of dentinal walls. Thus, this case adds to the growing evidence supporting the revascularization approach as an option for management of nonvital young permanent teeth. How to cite this article: Chandran V, Chacko V, Sivadas G. Management of a Nonvital Young Permanent Tooth by Pulp Revascularization. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2014;7(3):213-216.