Retrospective analysis of ferric sulfate and sodium hypochlorite pulpotomy procedures in primary molars.

Background: Pulpotomy is a vital pulp treatment procedure frequently used in primary molars to preserve pulp vitality and function until tooth exfoliation. There is currently no pulp medicament with all the features of the ideal pulpotomy material. The present study compared the radiographic success of sodium hypochlorite with ferric sulfate (FS) when used for pulpotomy in primary molars. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the success rates of primary molars pulpotomized using sodium hypochlorite or FS according to radiographic findings. Healthy 4‒10-year-old children who had pulpotomy procedures on primary molars between 2018 and 2021 at the pediatric dental clinic and had a control radiograph at least 12 months later were enrolled in the study. The chi-squared test was used to determine the differences in success between these two materials. Results: A total of 142 teeth, including 85 (59.9%) first primary molars and 57 (40.1%) second primary molars, in 98 healthy children were evaluated. The mean follow-up period of the teeth included in the study was 585.1±249.4 days. Radiographic success rates for NaOCl and FS groups were 73.8% and 71.0%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Internal root resorption (IRR) was the most common cause of radiographic failure in both groups. Conclusion: Radiographic success rates of both materials were similar, and using these materials in primary molar pulpotomy procedures can be recommended in clinical practice.

The Turkish version of Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children: Translation, reliability, and validity.

BACKGROUND: Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES-QC) has been developed to assess the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) associated with caries. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the CARIES-QC in the Turkish-speaking population following its translation and adaptation into Turkish (CARIES-QC/T). DESIGN: Two hundred and fifty children between the ages of 5 and 16 years who have active dental caries were included in the study and answered the Turkish-translated and cross-culturally adapted final version of CARIES-QC/T. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were used to examine the reliability of the CARIES-QC/T. Factor structure of CARIES-QC/T was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and convergent validity was determined. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's ômega values were 0.907 and 0.908, respectively. For the CARIES-QC/T scale, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value was 0.933, and polychoric correlations ranged from 0.390 to 0.794. The convergent validity of the items revealed a statistically significant correlation with the global question (rs = 0.821, p < .001). The EFA results of CARIES-QC/T suggested a one-factor solution and explained 59.7% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The findings provided supporting evidence that the CARIES-QC/T could be used as a tool for measuring OHRQoL in healthy Turkish-speaking children aged 5-16 years with active caries.

Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Health Attitudes and Behavior of Dental Students in Antalya, Turkey.

Background Dental students are expected to play a critical role in the oral health education of society as future providers of dental care, and their attitudes on this subject have a possible impact on the awareness of patients regarding the importance of preventing oral diseases and improving oral health. This study aimed to evaluate the oral health attitudes and behavior of dental students. Methodology The Turkish version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire regarding oral health attitudes and behaviors with an additional nine questions was distributed among 250 native Turkish-speaking dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Antalya, Turkey. The validity of the nine questions added to the original questionnaire was evaluated by expert opinion and a pretest method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis, and the statistical significance level was set at p-values <0.05. Results The mean age of the 250 students in the study was 20.96 ± 1.66 years. In total, 157 (62.8%) students were preclinical (first, second, and third year) dentistry students, and 93 (37.2%) students were clinical (fourth and fifth year) dentistry students. The mean HU-DBI score of all students was 5.95 ± 1.65, and the mean HU-DBI score of clinical students (6.42 ± 1.65) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of preclinical students (5.67 ± 1.59). The mean HU-DBI score of male and female students was 5.63 ± 1.55 and 6.24 ± 1.69, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The study showed significant improvement in the behavior and attitude regarding the oral health of the clinical dental students compared with the preclinical dental students. Conclusions Among dental students, clinical students and female students had generally better attitudes and behaviors about oral health self-care compared to preclinical students and male students, respectively.

Effects of early unilateral mandibular first molar extraction on condylar and ramal asymmetry / Efectos de la extracción temprana del primer molar mandibular unilateral sobre la asimetría condilar y ramal

SUMMARY: Craniofacial symmetry is an important factor in creating a harmonious facial appearance. Genetic and external factors may cause the formation of mandibular asymmetry. The aim of this study was to evaluate vertical mandibular asymmetries in adolescents who had unilateral mandibular first permanent molar (FPM) teeth extracted at an early age. The study group consisted of 60 subjects (30 females, 30 males with a mean age of 16.18±1.04 years) who had their mandibular permanent first molar tooth extracted before the age of 12, and the control group consisted of 60 healthy subjects (30 females, 30 males with a mean age of 16.23±0.92 years). Condylar asymmetry index (CAI), ramal asymmetry index (RAI), and condylar-ramal asymmetry index (CRAI) were calculated using panoramic radiographs of the subjects. Independent samples t-test was used to evaluate the differences between groups. CAI, RAI, and CRAI values were similar between male and female subjects in both control and study groups, and no statistically significant difference was found (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the group who had their mandibular first permanent molar teeth extracted at an early age and the control group (p>0.05). CAI values were relatively higher in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the CAI, RAI, and CRAI values between the groups.

La simetría craneofacial es un factor importante para crear una apariencia facial armoniosa. Factores genéticos y externos pueden causar la formación de asimetría mandibular. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar las asimetrías mandibulares verticales en adolescentes a quienes se les extrajo el primer molar permanente (FPM) mandibular unilateral a una edad temprana. El grupo de estudio consistió en 60 sujetos (30 mujeres, 30 hombres con una edad media de 16,18±1,04 años) a quienes se les extrajo el primer molar mandibular permanente antes de los 12 años, y el grupo control consistió en 60 sujetos sanos (30 mujeres, 30 hombres con una edad media de 16,23±0,92 años). El índice de asimetría condilar (CAI), el índice de asimetría ramal (RAI) y el índice de asimetría condilar-ramal (CRAI) se calcularon utilizando radiografías panorámicas de los sujetos. Se utilizó la prueba t de muestras independientes para evaluar las diferencias entre los grupos. Los valores de CAI, RAI y CRAI fueron similares entre los hombres y las mujeres tanto en el grupo control como en el de estudio, y no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p>0.05). No se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el grupo al que se le extrajo el primer molar permanente mandibular a una edad temprana y el grupo control (p>0,05). Los valores de CAI fueron relativamente más altos en ambos grupos, pero no hubo diferencias significativas entre los valores de CAI, RAI y CRAI entre los grupos.

Accuracy of different dental age estimation methods for determining the legal majority of 18 years in the Turkish population.

OBJECTIVES: Radiographic evaluation of the third molar maturation is used to estimate dental age, especially in adolescence. This study aimed to assess the application of three age estimation methods (Cameriere's third molar maturity index (I3M), Demirjian's maturation stages, and The London Atlas) to determine whether an individual is 18 years or older (adult) or younger than 18 years (minor). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The dental age was estimated using the I3M, Demirjian's maturation stages, and The London Atlas methods on panoramic radiograms of a total of 500 Turkish individuals aged 14-22 years. A logistic model was derived with an individual's adult or minor status as the dependent variable, and each method and sex as predictive variables. The adult status was determined using dental age estimation methods and the performance of these methods in differentiating adults from minors was evaluated. The three methods were compared case-wise for their accuracy in predicting adult status. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that sex and each estimation method were statistically significant in discriminating adults and minors (p < 0.05). In the case-wise comparison for estimate adulthood, both Demirjian's stages and I3M methods tended to perform better than the London Atlas method, with this trend reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Cameriere's I3M and Demirjian's development stages are useful methods for adult age assessment in the tested population. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In forensic medicine and legal practices, Cameriere's I3M and Demirjian's maturation stage methods based on the development of the third molar teeth can be used to determine whether an individual is a minor or an adult.

Evaluation of Parents' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Pediatric Dental Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major public health crisis worldwide and it also has generated new challenges for dentistry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the parents of pediatric patients about dental treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic through a questionnaire. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions and demographic information about the knowledge and attitudes of parents regarding dental treatment during the COVID-19 outbreak was used for the study. The participants were parents of pediatric patients (aged 8-14 years) who visited for a routine orthodontic examination at the department of orthodontics. RESULTS: A total of 250 participants responded to the questionnaire. The findings indicate that more than 95% of parents had information about the transmission paths of the virus, took COVID-19 seriously, and told their children about this disease. 34% of the parents thought that dental clinics were more dangerous than other social areas, and 39.2% thought their children could be infected by medical instruments during dental treatment. A statistically significant difference was observed between educational levels in the answers given about the transmission paths of the virus, the danger of dental clinics in terms of the virus, the permitted dental treatment procedures, and the personal protective equipment of the dentist (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although most parents have information about COVID-19, there are differences in the knowledge and attitudes of parents during the pandemic period according to their educational level.

Effects of Er:YAG Laser Treatment on the Mineral Content and Morphology of Primary Tooth Enamel.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mineral content and morphology of primary tooth enamel prepared using an Er:YAG laser at different power settings. Materials and methods: The buccal surfaces of 45 noncarious primary molars were assessed in this study. The surfaces were cleaned and the teeth were randomly divided into nine groups (n = 5 each) to evaluate the effects of Er:YAG laser treatment at different energy levels: 200 mJ, 2 Hz; 200 mJ, 3 Hz; 200 mJ, 10 Hz; 250 mJ, 2 Hz; 250 mJ, 3 Hz; 250 mJ, 10 Hz; 300 mJ, 2 Hz; 300 mJ, 3 Hz; and 300 mJ, 10 Hz. The mean percentage weight (wt%) of calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), fluoride (F), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) in the primary tooth enamel was calculated for each group using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy before and after laser application. The enamel morphology was also evaluated using SEM. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's honest significant difference test. Results: The mean wt% of Ca, P, and F in the enamel exhibited a significant change after laser treatment (p < 0.05); the wt% of Mg, K, and Na remained unchanged (p > 0.05). There was no association between the power setting of the laser and changes in the wt% of minerals in the enamel (p > 0.05). SEM showed that enamel irradiated at different energy levels exhibited a characteristic lava flow appearance, and more surface irregularities were observed with the 250-mJ setting than with the 200-mJ setting. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the mineral content and morphology of the enamel of primary teeth are affected by Er:YAG laser irradiation.