Visit to the Dentist for Oral Health Prevention at "Age One": A proposed policy report from the Indian perspective.

Early childhood caries is a major public health issue in India. The primary reason for poor oral health in children is a lack of awareness about the role of primary teeth and the importance of an early dental visit for infants and toddlers. The primary objectives of an early dental visit are to analyze the child's risk level, provide guidance to parents regarding proper oral hygiene measures, review dietary and eating habits, provide information regarding the infectivity of dental caries, review the risks of traumatic injuries and discuss factors which affect the development of occlusion. Through this paper, we are proposing an "Age One" policy that recognizes dentists, physicians, allied health professionals, community health-care workers, and nongovernmental organizations to work toward a child's overall health as partners to achieve this goal. The expectation is that this policy will provide guidance to childcare centers, pediatric dentists, other health-care professionals, and legislators regarding oral health activities and the promotion of oral health in infants. The purpose of the policy is to lay the foundation for a lifetime of preventive education and dental care, to help ensure optimal oral health beginning in childhood and continuing through the life course.

Perception of Indian Dental Surgeons regarding Molar Incisor Hypomineralization.

AIM: To determine the perception of Indian dental professionals about prevalence, severity, and etiological factors of molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online survey was mailed to dental professionals encompassing various questions regarding etiology, diagnosis, prevalence, and management of MIH. RESULTS: More than 90% of the respondents encounter teeth with hypomineralization in their practice, with less than half of them encountering such teeth on a monthly basis. Among these more than one-third find it difficult to manage one or the other aspect of MIH. The etiology was found to be varying as per the respondents. CONCLUSION: Molar incisor hypomineralization is a common condition encountered by dental professionals with no apparent consensus regarding the anticipated prevalence, severity, and etiology of this condition. Knowledge of clinicians' level of perception could be an incentive for pediatric dentists to become more acquainted with MIH by conducting research into its different aspects.How to cite this article: Upadhyay S, Kumar G, Dhillon JK, Gill NC. Perception of Indian Dental Surgeons regarding Molar Incisor Hypomineralization. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(2):116-121.

Knowledge of emergency management of avulsed teeth among general dentists in Kathmandu.

BACKGROUND: An avulsed permanent tooth is one of the most emergency situations in dentistry. Dentists handling the situation should have adequate knowledge in this field. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge of emergency management of avulsed teeth among general dentists in Kathmandu. METHODS: A questionnaire containing 10 close ended questions about emergency management of avulsed teeth was distributed among 102 general dental practitioners working in different private dental hospitals and clinics of Kathmandu. The dental hospital and clinics were randomly selected. This cross sectional study was conducted between January 2012 to February 2012. RESULTS: Among the studied group, almost all of the participants, 98(96.1%) said that an avulsed permanent tooth cannot be replanted in all cases. Majority of them, 63 (61.8%) said that the critical time for the replantation is within 20 minutes. General dentists of Kathmandu did not have adequate knowledge about emergency management of avulsed teeth. CONCLUSION: An education program should be conducted to increase the knowledge of general dentists in the management of traumatic injuries to teeth.