Aesthetic perception of dental fluorosis--opinions of dentists and non-specialists.

UNLABELLED: Aesthetic perception of the changes in teeth appearance is one of the factors that makes a person undertake a dental treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to survey dentists' and non-specialists' aesthetic perception of dental fluorosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recruited 120 young people (age range 18-22 years with little knowledge of dental fluorosis and 120 randomly selected dentists. Evaluation of the abnormalities in the teeth aesthetic appearance was conducted using cards specially designed for the purpose. RESULTS: The results suggest that changes in dental fluorosis, even in the mildest forms, are perceived as deviations in the aesthetic appearance of teeth. Non-specialists are more tolerant towards the changes characteristic of mild dental fluorosis compared with their reaction to other conditions that result in deviations in the type of dentition as a whole. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to more precisely determine the role of aesthetic perception in determining the indications for the complex treatment of dental fluorosis.

Oral Hygiene Status and Gingivitis in Overweight and Obese Children.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity poses a significant health risk to our society with prevalence that has dramatically increased in children. Obesity and periodontal diseases share many common risk factors. AIM: To study the oral hygiene status and prevalence of gingivitis in children with increased body mass index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in Plovdiv, October-December 2017 and January-March 2018 among 1826 school children aged 6-11. The oral hygiene status was determined using Silness-Loe plaque index and Green-Vermillion calculus index assessed on vestibular surfaces of first maxillary permanent molars and one maxillary and one mandibular central permanent incisor, and lingual surfaces of mandibular first permanent molars. The condition of the gingiva was determined as presence or absence of gingivitis. RESULTS: The study included 1826 children (953 boys and 921 girls). With regard to BMI, the distribution should be 5% underweight, 66.5% normal weight, 17.7% overweight, and 10.8% obese, as in the text below. There was no significant correlation between age and BMI. No significant correlation was found between BMI and gingivitis (. CONCLUSION: Increased BMI is not an independent predictor of gingivitis. Poor oral hygiene is strongly associated only with gender.

Application of sealants in dental practice in Bulgaria.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate application of sealants in an epidemiologic cross-sectional study, and to conduct a survey of the opinions of dentists on the application of sealants in their practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The epidemiologic study included 960 children aged 7 to 14, selected at random from schools in Plovdiv and 630 dentists from Plovdiv and other regions in Bulgaria. Data were analysed using alternative and nonparametric analysis (chi square test); the level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The epidemiologic survey suggest that the use of sealants to prevent occlusal caries in childhood is not a usual practice, but rather an exception. Bulgarian dentists are familiar with the indications and means of applying prophylactic protection of teeth in childhood. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the epidemiologic study and the survey indicate clearly that additional motivation is needed to boost the use of this type of prophylaxis to prevent occlusal caries in childhood.

Dynamics of occlusal caries in permanent molars and premolars in children aged 7 to 14 years.

AIM: The present cross-sectional epidemiologic study was to determine the dynamics of occlusal caries in permanent molars and premolars depending on the occlusal morphology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 960 children aged 7 to 14 years recruited randomly from schools in Plovdiv selected at random. The data were registered in a statistical form. Occlusal caries was diagnosed using Espelid's diagnostic scale, and the occlusal morphology was studied using Hirano's classification. Alternative analysis was used in the statistical analysis of the results at a level of significance P < 0.05. Excel 2003 was used for graphic presentation of results. RESULTS: The study show an age dependent increase of the carious occlusal surfaces and decrease of the deep fissure surfaces while the occlusal surfaces with shallow fissures of the first and second permanent molars remain unchanged. Caries develops mainly on occlusal surfaces with deep fissures. The decrease of the deep fissures occurs probably at the expense of the increase of the occlusal surfaces with shallow fissures of the first and second premolars. We also found that first and second premolars tend to be slightly affected by occlusal caries between 9 and 14 years of age. The results of the study suggest that occlusal morphology must be taken into consideration in developing a strategy for prevention of occlusal caries in childhood.

Molar incisor hypomineralisation in 7-to-14-year old children in Plovdiv, Bulgaria--an epidemiologic study.

INTRODUCTION: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a developmental disturbance of enamel affecting the first permanent molars and permanent incisors. The epidemiological evidence on MIH prevalence shows it to be in the range of 3.6 to 25%. The prevalence of MIH has not been documented in Bulgaria which warranted the conduction of the present study. AIM: To find the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralisation in Bulgarian children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included randomly selected 2960 children aged 7 to 14 years from Plovdiv and born between 1992 and 1999. The children were allocated to age groups which were matched in number--each of them included 370 children and consisted of approximately equal number of girls and boys. The defect was assessed by visual and tactile inspection using directed light without the enamel surface being preliminary dried. The prevalence of MIH was determined totally and for each age group; also we determined the degree of damage by type of teeth, and the average number of affected teeth of one person with MIH. The results were analysed using alternative analysis at a level of significance P < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean prevalence of MIH of the studied populations was 3.58%. The prevalence of MIH for the different age groups was within the range of 2.43-7.84%. The highest prevalence was found for the children born in 1999 (7.84%). It was significantly higher in comparing all age groups (P < 0.05) with the exception of those born in 1992 (P > 0.05). The mean number of affected teeth per person with MIH was 3.99 of which 2.08 were first permanent molars, 1.86--incisors and 0.5--canines. The incisors and the first permanent molars were approximately equally affected (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that molar incisor hypomineralization can be found in Bulgarian children too. The prevalence of MIH and the mean number of affected teeth of one individual are lower than the data reported in similar studies in other countries.

Prevalence of dental fluorosis among 4- to 14-year-old children from the town of Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria).

INTRODUCTION: There has been no study on the prevalence of dental fluorosis in Bulgaria of today where people have free access to some fluoride-containing products. AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis among children 4 to 14 years old from the town of Dimitrovgrad, where due to unsatisfactory qualities of tap water people consume bottled water including such with fluoride levels higher than 1.5 mg/l. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 1504 randomly selected children. We analysed subjects with dental fluorosis according to Dean's modified criteria. The following severity levels were defined: 0 - normal; 0.5 - suspicious; 1 - very mild; 2 - mild; 3 - moderate; 4 - severe. Data were analyzed separately for the different types of dentitions. RESULTS: Results showed that 54.52% of all children included in the study had dental fluorosis in different degrees. Primary teeth were affected by dental fluorosis less frequently than permanent teeth (P < 0.001). In mixed dentition cases 41.41% of the children had fluorosis of permanent teeth only, 1.64% had dental fluorosis of primary teeth only and 12.50% had both their primary and permanent teeth affected. The proportion of individuals with the lowest degree of severity - 0.5, was the greatest both for the primary and permanent teeth. Comparison with the proportions of children with more severe degrees of fluorosis revealed significant differences (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed excessive fluoride intake during tooth development and suggested a need for further research of risk factors.