Effects of Fixed and Removable Space Maintainers on Dental Plaque and DMFT/dft Values / Efecto de los mantenedores de espacio fijos y removibles en la placa dental y en los valores de los índices DMFT/dft

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Space maintainers are important for the health and placement of children's primary and permanent teeth. However, plaque and caries levels can be negatively affected when a dental appliance is in the mouth. This study aims to evaluate the oral health of pediatric patients that have space maintainers applied as a result of early tooth loss. Methods: This study included 100 systemically healthy patients between the ages of 4-15 years that were treated with space maintainers due to early loss of teeth. Decayed, missing, filled tooth index values and dental plaque status of the participants were recorded. Controls were performed in the 6th and 12th month. The index results were compared and evaluated statistically using ANOVA and paired-t-tests. Results: A total of 116 space maintainers, including 36 band and loops, 16 lingual arches, 21 palatal arches, 43 removable appliances, were evaluated in the study. Statistically significant differences were found between the pre-treatment and post-treatment index values (p<0.001). In the group of band and loops and removable space maintainers; the increases in DMFT/dft values of 6th month and 12th month according to initial DMFT/dft values were statistically significant (p<0.05). For plaque index, the increase in 12th month of all types of appliances were found statistically significant (p<0.001). The greatest increase in plaque index level was seen in the teeth of patients that had been treated with a lingual arch. Conclusions: Incompatible space maintainers can lead to caries, increased plaque accumulation, demineralized areas, and periodontal problems. The accumulation of plaque and difficulty of cleaning the teeth, especially in the fixed space maintainers, negatively affects the health of teeth. For this reason, good oral hygiene should be provided to patients and controls should be regularly performed.

RESUMEN: Los mantenedores de espacio son importantes para la salud y la colocación de la dentición primaria y permanente de los niños. Sin embargo, los niveles de placa y caries pueden verse afectados negativamente cuando se coloca un aparato dental en la boca. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la salud bucal de pacientes pediátricos a los que se les aplicó mantenedores de espacio como resultado de la pérdida temprana de los dientes. Métodos: Este estudio incluyó a 100 pacientes sistémicamente sanos entre las edades de 4 a 15 años que fueron tratados con mantenedores de espacio debido a la pérdida temprana de dientes. Se anotaron los valores del índice de dientes cariados, faltantes y el estado de la placa dental. Los controles se realizaron en el 6° y 12° mes. Los resultados del índice se compararon y evaluaron estadísticamente mediante ANOVA y pruebas t pareadas. Resultados: Un total de 116 mantenedores de espacio, incluyendo 36 bandas y bucles, 16 arcos linguales, 21 arcos palatinos, 43 dispositivos removibles, fueron evaluados en el estudio. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los valores de los índices en el pretratamiento y postratamiento (p<0.001). En el grupo de bandas, bucles y mantenedores de espacio removibles los aumentos en los valores de DMFT/ dft en el sexto mes y el 12º mes fueron estadísticamente significativos (p<0.05). Para el índice de placa, el aumento en el 12º mes de todos los tipos de aparatos se encontró estadísticamente significativo (p<0,001). El mayor aumento en el nivel del índice de placa se observó en los pacientes que habían sido tratados con un arco lingual. Conclusiones: los mantenedores de espacio pueden provocar caries, aumento de la acumulación de placa, áreas desmineralizadas y problemas periodontales. La acumulación de placa y la dificultad de limpiar los dientes, especialmente en los mantenedores de espacio fijos, afecta negativamente la salud dental. Por esta razón, se debe proporcionar una buena higiene bucal a los pacientes y se deben realizar controles regularmente.

Effects of different pulp-capping materials on cell death signaling pathways of lipoteichoic acid-stimulated human dental pulp stem cells.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the response of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) cultured with and without lipoteichoic acid (LTA) to different pulp-capping materials. METHODS: The cells were cultured and seeded in 6-well plates and exposed to 1% LTA solution. Dycal, ProRoot MTA and Biodentine materials were applied on cells and all groups were evaluated by cell proliferation, viability, cell cycle and cell death signaling pathways for 24 and 72 h. RESULTS: LTA + Dycal treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of DPSCs and increased the apoptosis rate of cells more than the other groups at 72 h. Compared to other groups, LTA + Dycal treatment significantly increased the levels of Caspase-3 and AKT and decreased the levels of p-AKT. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study revealed that all tested materials caused apoptosis in DPSCs via an extrinsic apoptotic pathway. The DPSCs showed an early apoptosis response to the Dycal and a late apoptosis response to the ProRoot MTA and Biodentine treatments. LTA led autophagy and inhibited the proliferation of DPSCs. ProRoot MTA and Biodentin eliminated the LTA's bioactivity with higher efficiency than Dycal.

Evaluation of Final-Year Turkish Dental Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Perceived Competency towards Preventive Dentistry.

BACKGROUND: Dental education plays an important role in providing students with the opportunity to develop their evidence-based knowledge and clinical skills regarding patient-specific preventive care and caries management strategies. The aims of this study were to examine the knowledge, attitude, and self-perceived competency towards preventive dentistry among final-year dental students and to investigate their preventive practice for high-caries-risk children. Methods. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 126 dental students using a questionnaire. The IBM SPSS Statistics version 21 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 126 students completed the questionnaire, and 63% of the respondents were female. Significant gender differences were found in the total Professional Preventive Knowledge Scale (PPKS) (p=0.016) and its subscales of the noncariogenic nutrition (p=0.015), dental hygiene/clinical examination (p < 0.001), caries-preventive practice (p=0.02), and the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) (p=0.028). Significant differences were observed in the total PPKS (p=0.003) and its subscales of the noncariogenic nutrition (p=0.043) and caries risk management (p=0.006) in terms of self-perceived need to receive education and training. Caries-preventive practice was correlated with the self-perceived competency (r = 0.279; p=0.002), the attitudes (r = 0.394; p < 0.001), the total PPKS (r = 0.457; p < 0.001) and its all subscales of dental hygiene and clinical examination (r = 0.425; p < 0.001), noncariogenic nutrition (r = 0.410; p < 0.001), and caries risk management (r = 0.184; p=0.039). The self-perceived competency was positively correlated with the total PPKS (r = 0.192; p=0.031) and its subscale of noncariogenic nutrition (r = 0.259; p=0.003). Greater self-perceived competence, more positive attitudes, and good knowledge regarding preventive dentistry were found to be important predictors of the caries-preventive practice of dental students, explaining 31% of the variance (adjusted R 2 = 0.312, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: 40% of dental students reported educational and training needs regarding the diagnosis, caries-preventive agents, and risk-based treatment plan. These results should be taken into account by the stakeholders in developing the national core curriculum for undergraduate Turkish dental education.

Evaluation of Crossbites in Relation with Dental Arch Widths, Occlusion Type, Nutritive and Non-nutritive Sucking Habits and Respiratory Factors in the Early Mixed Dentition.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the connection between dental arch widths, malocclusion type, nutritive sucking habits and non-nutritive sucking habits, and respiratory factors with the presence of crossbites (CB) in the early mixed dentition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 72 children with and without CB. A questionnaire was applied to parents/carers to obtain information about nutritive and non-nutritive sucking habits. The posterior and anterior crossbites were diagnosed in a centric relationship. Dental arch widths were measured directly from the models by two calibrated examiners. The data were analysed statistically using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: The incidence of Class III malocclusion and the presence of ear, nose and throat problems in the study group were significantly higher than in the control subjects (p = 0.01, p = 0.047). The mean breastfeeding duration for children in the CB group was found significantly shorter than in the control subjects (p = 0.043). The number of children with mouth breathing in sleep was significantly higher in the CB group than the control subjects (p = 0.046). The children with CB demonstrated a statistically significant increase in mandibular intercanine width (ICW) than the control group (p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that an insufficient duration of breastfeeding, mouth breathing, ear-nose-throat problems and Class III malocclusion were associated with the presence of CB in the early mixed dentition.

Evaluation of maxillary sinus expansion in children due to maxillary first molar extraction.

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at understanding the effects of maxillary first molar extraction on the expansion of maxillary sinus in children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 119 patients (aged 11-17 years) who had only one extracted maxillary first molar were included in the study. The superoinferior differences of the sinus floor position were measured in both dentate and edentulous sites on panoramic radiographs. The expansion of the maxillary sinus after maxillary first molar extraction was investigated in relation to fixed anatomic structures. The interorbital line (IL) and two zygomatic process lines (IZ) were used as a reference. The vertical distances between the IL and the inferior border of the maxillary sinus (IS) in edentulous (ISX) and in dentate sites (IST) were measured. The data was analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The amount of maxillary sinus expansion in ISX was statistically significant in comparison to IST (p<0.001). The most prominent sinus expansions were found in subjects with extractions over six months prior to analysis (p<0.001). A negative correlation was detected between the amount of maxillary sinus expansion and IST (r = -0.438, p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the amount of maxillary sinus expansion and IZT (r = 23.8, p<0.009). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the extraction of one maxillary first molar resulted in a negligible amount of sinus expansion in children. The results could be attributed to there being only one tooth extraction and a transferring of functional forces to the area of the neighboring teeth.

Compomers Reinforced with Bioactive Glass and Hydroxyapatite Particles.

PURPOSE: To understand the effect of the addition of hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive glass (BAG) to compomer restorative materials on the remineralisation capacity of the material. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% w/w HA and BAG particles were added mechanically to the compomers. To examine the resistance to demineralisation, Class V cavities were prepared in extracted teeth and restored with experimental filling materials. Demineralised lesions were created in 72 enamel samples. Vickers microhardness measurements of samples were performed at three different areas including the margin of the restoration, the varnish-protected enamel and the exposed enamel areas. Measurements performed on protected enamel were used as reference enamel values for each group. SEM was used to evaluate the surface texture of the specimens. The statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's HDS and paired-samples t-tests. RESULTS: BAG and HA groups revealed higher microhardness values at the exposed enamel and exposed marginal enamel than did the control group (p = 0.001). 3% and 4% HA and BAG groups produced higher microhardness values than did 1% modified groups on exposed enamel (p = 0.001). 4% HA group revealed the highest microhardness values on marginal exposed enamel (p = 0.001). 2%, 3%, 4% and HA, as well as 3% and 4% BAG groups showed higher microhardness values than did the control group on marginal exposed enamel at 20 µm depth (p = 0.001). SEM images revealed that HA and BAG particles were not distributed homogeneously and the particles seemed to be grouped in the matrix. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, the addition of the BAG and HA into compomers improved the demineralisation resistance properties of enamel, depending on the amount of additive.

Relationship between mandibular incisor irregularity and type of occlusion in ankyloglossia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between the lingual frenulum length with mandibular incisor irregularity and type of occlusion in children with ankyloglossia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty children aged between 7 and 12 years with ankyloglossia enrolled in the study. The patients were classified according to Kotlow's classification. Mandibular incisor crowding was measured and the molar relationship was determined. The data were analysed statistically using Fisher's exact test, X2 and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients, 45 (56.3%) had mild, 23 (28.8%) had moderate and 12 (15%) had severe ankyloglossia. Fifty-nine (73.8%) of the patients had mild irregularity, 18 (22.5%) had moderate and 3 (3.8%) had severe irregularity. In 56 (70%) of the patients, Class I occlusion was observed, 17 (21.3%) had Class II and 7 (8.8%) had Class III occlusion. No significant differences were found between types of ankyloglossia with mandibular incisor irregularity and occlusion types. A significant positive correlation was determined between the length of the lingual frenulum length and mandibular incisor irregularity. There were significant positive correlations between the lingual frenulum length, incisor irregularity and age. CONCLUSION: Mild and moderate types of ankyloglossia are unrelated to mandibular incisor crowding and occlusion type.

Knowledge of sports participants about dental emergency procedures and the use of mouthguards.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of sports participants regarding emergency management of dental trauma and the awareness about mouthguards. METHODS: A specific questionnaire regarding knowledge, experiences and behaviours after dental trauma and the use of mouthguard was distributed to 359 sports participants up to 18 years of age. The sports involved were basketball, swimming, volleyball, soccer, tennis, badminton, handball, athleticism, golf, gymnastics, water polo and karate. The questions were focused on personal experience, awareness of first aid and dental emergency procedures and knowledge about mouthguards. RESULTS: The results showed that 10.9% had experienced a kind of dental trauma, and 12.5% would look for a dentist for treatment in emergency. 34.5% would re-implant the avulsed tooth, 33.4% would maintain the avulsed tooth in handkerchief and 25.3% would maintain it in saline solution. 41.1% were aware of the possibility of oral injuries during sports practice, and 55.4% knew about mouthguards, but only 11.2% of the participants reported to use them. There was a statistically significant difference between the experienced participants (>5 years) and less-experienced group (<5 years) in knowledge about dental emergency procedures and mouthguards. Reasons given for not wearing mouthguards include 'lack of aesthetic' was significantly high in experienced participants. The less-experienced participants significantly stated that they had never heard about mouthguards before. CONCLUSION: Our results showed a lack of knowledge of sports participants about management and prevention of traumatic dental injuries. Educational programs should be organized to give information about emergency treatment and promote the use of mouthguards to sport participants.

Predominant causes and types of orofacial injury in children seen in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the type and cause of traumatic orofacial injuries in children up to 18 years of age. METHODS: This retrospective study involved data collected from 12055 patients that came to Istanbul University, Medical Faculty, Department of Emergency in 2011. The patients' data were evaluated with regard to age, gender, etiologic factor of the trauma, type and localization of the injury, and time interval between injury and treatment. RESULTS: A total of 1296 children in 12055 patients with orofacial trauma were evaluated. Trauma incidence was higher in boys (65%). The major etiologic factor of injury was falls (56%) and primary localization was in the frontal region (41%). The most frequent types of injury were laceration (30.1%) and hematoma (18.6%). 4% of the injuries were found in the orodental region including lips, teeth, tongue and oral mucosa of the mouth. 38% of the patients came to the emergency department within 30-60 minutes after the injury and 68% were sent home with symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSION: Considering the high percentage of orofacial traumas, effective education is necessary regarding the appropriate diagnostic approach, emergency management and prevention of traumatic dental injuries.