Anticaries Efficacy of Liquorice Lollipop: An ex vivo Study.

AIMS: To investigate the anti-bacterial efficacy of liquorice lollipop and also to investigate the remineralizing potential of the extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An interventional study was carried out on 20 volunteers aged between 18 and 21 years. Antibacterial efficacy was investigated by evaluating the bacterial counts of salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli before and after the consumption of liquorice lollipops for 10 days while the remineralization potential was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the enamel block embedded on a Hawley's appliance worn by volunteers for 14 days after consumption of the liquorice lollipop. RESULTS: A reduction in the bacterial counts of S. mutans which was statistically significant was observed. However, Lactobacillus growth was not observed before or after use of liquorice lollipop. No structural or morphological changes were observed on the enamel surface through SEM imaging. CONCLUSION: Thus, liquorice lollipop was effective in reducing S. mutans but did not show to possess a remineralizing potential. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The unique approach of a lollipop delivery system to reduce S. mutans count in children is also observed to be palatable for children. This raises hopes of a simple and effective way to deliver a targeted intervention to young children who are at risk for dental caries.

Problematic eating and its association with early childhood caries among 46-71-month-old children using Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ): a cross sectional study.

CONTEXT: Problematic eating behavior in children presents a wide spectrum from anorexia, selective eating, and fussy eating to neophobia. Pouching of food and slow eating represents eating behavioral problems that may be relevant to pediatric dentist as far as early childhood caries (ECC) is concerned. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of problematic eating and its association with ECC among 46-71-month-old children in Bengaluru city, India. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 250 children aged 46-71 months old in various schools of Bengaluru city. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All the selected children were clinically examined for dental caries using decayed, missing, filled surfaces index. Children's eating behavior was assessed using Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) which was filled by the parents. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Both descriptive statistics as well as Chi-square test was used with SPSS 16.00. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 34%. It was observed that 81.6% of the children did not have a tendency to keep food in their mouth all the time and ECC was found to be significantly less. Furthermore, approximately 90% of the children did not have a tendency to eat too much and in those, 68% of them were caries free which was statistically significant. Prevalence of ECC was highest (52.6%) in children who ate more when they had nothing else to do. CONCLUSION: Problematic eating behavior is prevalent in the preschooler group and needs to be considered by the pediatric dentist.

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency: a case report and review.

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) is a rare inherited primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by the presence of a defect of phagocytic function resulting from a lack of leukocyte cell surface expression of ß2 integrin molecules (CD11 and CD18) that are essential for leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and chemotaxis. A small number of patients with LAD-1 have a milder defect, with residual expression of CD18. These patients tend to survive beyond infancy; they manifest progressive severe periodontitis, leading to partial or total premature loss of the primary and permanent dentitions. Close cooperation with pediatricians and immunologists is often the key to successful management of pediatric patients with LAD. The purpose of this report was to present the case of a 5-year-old boy with moderate leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1 and severe periodontitis, cellulitis and illustrate the need for periodic oral checkups to avoid the progression of oral diseases and prevent premature tooth loss.