The effect of raisin-containing cereals on the pH of dental plaque in young children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of raisins and raisin-containing cereals on plaque acidogenicity in young children. METHODS: Twenty 7- to 11-year-olds participated in this randomized controlled study. The test food groups were raisins, bran flakes, commercial raisin bran cereal (cRB) and experimental raisin bran cereal (eRB). Ten percent sucrose and sorbitol were used as positive and negative controls. The in vivo plaque pH was measured with a touch microelectrode (Beetrode) prior to (baseline) and 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes after consuming a test food or rinsing with a control solution. RESULTS: All test foods reduced plaque pH over the 30-minute period, with the largest reduction noted between 10 to 15 minutes. Consumption of cRB produced the largest pH drop compared to the other food groups at 10 minutes (P < .001). Addition of raisins to bran flakes (eRB) promoted a less pronounced pH drop beyond 10 minutes when compared to bran flakes alone (P < .001). Consumption of raisins or eRB did not reduce plaque pH below 6 over the 30-minute testing period. CONCLUSION: The ranking in order of study test foods in promoting plaque acidogenicity is: (1) commercial raisin bran cereal; (2) bran flakes; (3) raisins; and (4) experimental raisin bran cereal.

Pediatric Dentists' Silver Diamine Fluoride Education, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Professional Behavior: A National Survey.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an inexpensive treatment for arresting cavitated carious lesions in a minimally invasive way. The aims of this study were to assess U.S. pediatric dentists' SDF educational experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and professional behavior and to explore the relationships among these constructs. For the cross-sectional survey, recruitment emails were sent to all 6,230 members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Responses were received from 582 members (response rate 9.34%). In the results, only 3% of the respondents reported having been well/very well educated about SDF in classroom settings in dental school and only 9.6% during their residency. Positive SDF professional development was reported frequently (education through publications 53%, online resources 41%, continuing education courses 38%). The majority knew much/very much about what SDF is used for in dentistry (77%), about treating caries in pediatric patients (80%), and which problems SDF use can have (62%). Their SDF attitudes were positive: SDF use was considered a good treatment alternative for restorations in children with behavioral problems (85%) and for patients who were medically fragile (85%) or had severe dental anxiety (81%). Among the respondents, 31% used SDF often/very often to arrest carious lesions in primary teeth, and 87% expected increased future SDF use. The more SDF professional education the respondents had, the more self-reported knowledge they had (r=0.52; p<0.001), the more positive their SDF-related attitudes (r=0.25; p<0.001), and the more likely they were to use SDF (r=0.37; p<0.001). These results suggest that expanded education about the proper use, benefits, and limitations of SDF is needed and is likely to increase pediatric dentists' SDF utilization.

Timing of Case-Based Discussions and Educational Outcomes for Dental Students.

The aim of this study was to determine if the timing of a case-based discussion affected dental students' assessment scores. The study specifically investigated whether the timing of a 60-minute case-based discussion before or after a 90-minute lecture affected students' performance on a quiz on topics in pediatric dentistry. In addition, students' preferences for the timing of the case discussion and confidence in the material with different timings were assessed in a survey. In a crossover design, all 52 second-year students in fall 2016 at one U.S. dental school participated in a case-based discussion either before or after lectures on stainless steel crowns and pulp therapy, compared to a control unit on space maintenance with no case-based discussion. The students took quizzes and responded to questionnaires a week after the lectures. A total of 45 (87%) of the 52 students consented to have their scores used. The results showed that the students performed better on the quiz when participating in a case-based discussion after the lecture compared to the discussion before the lecture (after mean=6.1±0.8 vs. before mean=5.5±1.3). The students' control quiz mean following a lecture with no associated case discussion was 6.3±0.8. Students also expressed more confidence when the case was held after the lecture (12.7 vs. 11.6, p=0.02) and preferred the case after (p=0.01). This study found that higher quiz and confidence scores resulted when a case discussion was held after (vs. before) a lecture. When dental educators consider adding a case discussion to a lecture format as a method of increasing students' active learning, these results suggest that having the case discussion after the lecture may be more effective for learners new to the material.