Evaluation of the efficacy of plaque reduction and gingival health among 6-12 years old school children before and after a short term daily intake of probiotic lozenge - A comparative study.

Context: Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which when delivered in adequate amounts provides health benefit in the host. Dietary supplements like lozenge seem to be the easy and acceptable vehicle for ingestion of probiotics in young children. Aim: To assess the efficacy of probiotics in plaque reduction and gingival health among 6-12 years school children before and after short term daily intake of Probiotic lozenge. Settings and Design: This Comparative study was conducted among 60 children in the age group 6-12 years. Thirty children in experimental group; who were given lozenge containing probiotic bacteria twice daily, one in the morning and another in the evening after brushing for one month. The placebo lozenge group also followed the same protocol. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 21. Results: The Probiotic lozenge group was found to have statistically significant reduction in plaque scores when compared to that of the placebo group with P < 0.001 and there was also a significant improvement in gingival health. Conclusion: An effective reduction in plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation was found with the use of probiotic lozenges and hence proved the therapeutic value of the same.

Congenital Epulis of the Newborn: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Congenital epulis is a rare benign lesion of new-born and occurs mostly as a single tumor. A new-born infant with congenital epulis is a striking sight for both parents and health care professionals involved in neonatal care. The tumor has a female predilection with the female to male ratio being 10:1. These tumors in the infant's mouth are remarkably large, occupying much of the oral cavity and posing a risk of airway obstruction and it can interfere with the feeding. Although the clinical presentation of the congenital tumor is rather distressing, owing to its size and aggressive appearance, it is very much necessary that the attending pediatricians, pediatric surgeon be cognizant of the nature of this rare yet benign congenital tumor. The purpose of this article is to present a case report documenting the clinical presentation and management of Congenital Epulis on the anterior maxillary alveolus in a three-day old female patient. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Babu E, Kamalasanan G, Prathima GS, et al. Congenital Epulis of the Newborn A Case Report and Literature Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(6):833-837.

Awareness, attitude, and practice of pediatricians regarding early childhood caries and infant oral healthcare of children in Puducherry- A cross-sectional survey.

CONTEXT: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most virulent form of caries, which requires early intervention. Pediatricians are health professionals who first examine the child, and must be able to educate parents about basic preventive dental care, early diagnosis of pathological changes in the oral cavity and appropriate referrals for the children. AIMS: To assess the awareness, attitude, and practice among pediatricians regarding ECC and Infant Oral Healthcare (IOHC) in Puducherry. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Setting: Study was conducted among pediatricians of Puducherry. Design: Observational Cross-sectional study. METHODS AND MATERIAL: After obtaining consent from Pediatricians, a prevalidated questionnaire was distributed and collected from them regarding their awareness, attitude, and practices toward ECC and IOHC. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Percentage. RESULTS: Out of 85% Pediatricians who responded, 57% of them were aware of initial white spot lesions, and 39% of them were aware of maternally-derived Streptococcus mutans disease. 100% of them were willing to avail information, training on IOHC. CONCLUSIONS: It is clear from the study that Pediatricians in Puducherry had limited awareness regarding the prevention of oral diseases. It is essential to provide sufficient knowledge to them by incorporating a module on ECC and infant oral health care in their curriculum.

Functional Band and Loop Space Maintainers in Children.

Premature loss of teeth in children leads to space loss and affects arch integrity. The band and loop space maintainer is used in majority of patients requiring single tooth space maintenance in both primary and mixed dentitions. It preserves the proximal dimensions, but it is nonfunctional. This paper describes a method to modify the conventional band and loop space maintainer into a functional one and reports its clinical application and follow-up in five children.

Evaluation of Streptococcus mutans serotypes e, f, and k in saliva samples of 6-12-year-old school children before and after a short-term daily intake of the probiotic lozenge.

AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the variations in the levels of Streptococcus mutans in saliva before and after short-term daily intake of the probiotic lozenge. To estimate the prevalence of S. mutans serotypes e, f, and k and its variations in salivary levels before and after short-term daily intake of the probiotic lozenge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted among 60 children of 6-12 years old, who were given lozenge twice daily containing probiotic bacteria twice daily, one in the morning and another in the evening after brushing for 1 month. The placebo lozenge group also followed the same protocol. A pre- and post-quantitative analysis of S. mutans and serotypes e, f, and k level were done in the saliva of both experiment and control groups. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data thus collected were statistically evaluated using repeated measures of ANOVA, followed by post hoc test and independent t-test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: When compared with baseline, a significant reduction of S. mutans was seen after 1 month intervention and 6 months follow-up. The prevalence of serotype e was found to be 5% and serotype k was found to be 12%, whereas none of the samples carried serotype f. Future long-term research with a larger sample size is required to determine the prevalence of S. mutans serotype and longer evaluation period is required to assess the preventive role against caries development.

Microdentistry with Lasers.

Treating infants and young children is a rewarding experience, especially when we guide parents and children down the path of prevention and interception of oral disease. The pediatric dentist has to be updated about the new technologies to treating patients along with basic principles. This article gives a brief discussion on the types, applications, advantages, and limitations of the use of lasers in pediatric dentistry.