Prevalence of oral and maxillofacial lesions in children and adolescents at a regional Brazilian oral pathology service: a retrospective study and the relevant literature review.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the prevalence of maxillofacial lesions in children, i.e., 0-9 years, and adolescents, i.e., 10-19 years, in a Brazilian Oral Pathology Service and compared results with available literature. METHODS: Clinical and histopathological records from January 2007 to August 2020 were analysed and a literature review investigating maxillofacial lesions in paediatric populations was also performed. RESULTS: Overall, "reactive salivary gland lesions" and "reactive connective tissue lesions" were the most prevalent group of soft tissue lesions, affecting children and adolescents equally. From these, mucocele and pyogenic granuloma were the most prevalent histological diagnoses, respectively, regardless of age. These findings were consistent with the 32 studies included. Considering intraosseous lesions, "odontogenic cysts" and "periapical inflammatory lesions" were the most prevalent groups, with no relevant differences between age groups, except for the odontogenic keratocyst, which was more prevalent in adolescents. Moreover, several odontogenic tumours, such as ameloblastic fibroma and odontogenic myxoma, were significantly more prevalent in children. CONCLUSION: Most maxillofacial lesions presented a similar prevalence between children and adolescents. Reactive salivary gland lesions and reactive connective tissue lesions were the prevailing diagnostic categories, regardless of age. Some odontogenic tumours and the odontogenic keratocyst showed significantly different frequencies across these age groups.

In vitro study of enamel erosion caused by soft drinks and lemon juice in deciduous teeth analysed by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

The erosion caused in vitro by cola-type and guaraná-type beverages (the latter is a soft drink sold in Brazil), and a canned lemon juice on the enamel of human deciduous teeth was analyzed. Morphological analysis of affected enamel was done using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The harmful effect of all test products on deciduous enamel was clearly demonstrated. Stereomicroscopy showed loss of gloss and an alteration in normal color of enamel, with irregular loss of dental tissue in variable degrees. Such a loss became more serious as the time of incubation increased. Different degrees of solubilization of enamel prisms were demonstrated by SEM, affecting initially the sheaths and the heads of prisms and later their tails. Areas of erosion increased in proportion to the time of incubation. All the products showed a great erosive potential on human deciduous dental enamel.