RESUMO
Objectives: This study aimed to discuss the health status and treatment requirements of children visiting the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study included the records of patients attending the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, from November 29, 2021, to December 14, 2023. Results: The study reviewed 2417 patient records, excluding 312. The majority of patients were primary school children aged 6 - <12, primarily from Rif-Dimashq governorate. About 18 % displayed negative behavior during examinations, and 8 % had special health care needs. The most frequent type of disability was medical disabilities, followed by neurological disorders, with percentages of 40.2 % and 28.9 %, respectively. Dental caries were the primary reason for visits, with a mean of 3.94 ± 3.13. A negative association was found between the number of decayed teeth and the following: age classification, visit year, and Salviov-Tinawi scale. The percentage of males who came for cosmetic problems was higher than females at 57.2 % and 42.8 %, respectively. Conclusions: The Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, is a public dental clinic that is visited by patients from all governorates, providing free specialized treatments. Clinical relevance: Unmet dental needs are a significant issue for both healthy children and those with special health care needs. The Department of Pediatric Dentistry serves as a research and educational center, offering comprehensive dental treatments to children from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, understanding the dental needs of children is crucial for providing effective support.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The apex area in the primary teeth changes continuously due to the physiologic resorption, therefore; the apical foramen (AF) may not correspond to the anatomic apex (AA), which gives a big challenge to achieve successful endodontic treatment. The aim of this research was to study the difference distance (DD) between the position of the AA and AF, besides the difference acceptance (DA) in primary teeth, and the effect of the following variables: root canal curvature, resorption degree, and canal size on DD and DA separately. METHODS: In this research, 180 root canals from 60 primary teeth were studied. Two lengths of each canal were measured by a K-file from a certain point in the crown; the first length was until the AA and the second was until the AF. Then DD was obtained by calculating the difference between those two lengths. Statistical analysis tests were done. A p value of <.05 was considered significant at a 95% confidence level. RESULTS: The percentage of canals with 0 mm DD was 34.4%, while it was 1.1% with DD of 6 mm. The percentages of acceptable ( ≤ 2 mm) and unacceptable ( > 2 mm) difference were 84.4% and 15.6%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the DD value between the three groups of curvature degree and the three groups of canal size. There was a significant difference between the DA in the three groups of canal size. CONCLUSION: DD has a wide variation value in primary teeth regardless of the degree of root resorption, which has not affected this value or the accepted difference; however, DD and acceptable difference values are somehow affected by the degree of root curvature and canal size. We recommend adding acceptable difference as a criterion when considering pulpectomy treatment in primary teeth.