Caries Experience in Preschoolers in Three Ecuadorian Communities.

Dental caries in the preschool population presents a significant challenge in the field of global public health, including Ecuador. Early detection of this disease is crucial for developing effective strategies for prevention and promotion of oral health, which can have a substantial impact on the quality of life of preschool-aged children. This study evaluated 600 children aged 3 to 5 years attending preschool education centers using the ICDAS II diagnostic criteria. The Student's t-test was used to analyze differences between the means of two independent groups. Additionally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess differences between the means of three or more groups. The prevalence of caries was 87%, with a dft index of 3.85 in the three provinces studied. A high treatment need was observed in 84.17% of the population. No significant differences in the DFT index were found based on gender, although both groups exhibited elevated values. No significant differences were observed in relation to province and environment. The second molar was the most affected tooth, with a caries prevalence of 58.8%. Despite the lack of significant differences among the evaluated variables, a high prevalence and experience of dental caries were found in the studied population.

Distribution of Dental Fluorosis in the Southern Zone of Ecuador: An Epidemiological Study.

In recent decades, the increase in fluoride exposure has raised the numbers of dental fluorosis in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities In Ecuador, but the last national epidemiological study on DF was conducted more than a decade ago. The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the prevalence, distribution and severity of dental fluorosis (DF) using the Dean index in 1606 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years from urban and rural environments in provinces that make up the Southern Region of Ecuador. Participants met the inclusion criteria which were age, locality, informed consent document and no legal impediment. The results are presented using percentage frequency measures and chi-square associations. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 50.1% in the areas of Azuay, Cañar and Morona Santiago, with no significant differences (x2 = 5.83, p = 0.054). The types of DF found most frequently were very mild and mild in all provinces; a moderate degree was more prevalent in Cañar (17%). There was no significant association (p > 0.05) between sex and the presence of dental fluorosis and, with respect to severity, the most frequent degree was moderate at the age of 12 years. The prevalence of dental fluorosis in the area evaluated is high, especially in the light and very light degrees, with a tendency toward moderate levels. It is necessary to carry out studies on the factors that are predisposing to the development of this pathology in the population studied. This research is an update regarding this pathology in Ecuador, so it is concluded that it is necessary to continue developing studies based on the findings obtained, thus contributing to the public health of the country.

Intervención temprana de dientes supernumerarios en dentición primaria: Reporte y seguimiento de caso clínico / Intervenção precoce de dentes supranumerários na dentição decídua: relato e acompanhamento de um caso clínico / Early intervention of supernumerary teeth in primary dentition: Report and follow-up of clinical case

El mesiodens es un diente supernumerario que se encuentra en la zona de los incisivos centrales superiores, cuyo diagnóstico temprano es fundamental ya que permite la extracción oportuna del mismo previniendo posibles alteraciones a futuro como son: el desarrollo de quistes, malposición de los dientes adyacentes, retraso de erupción, diastema interincisal, reabsorción apical de dientes vecinos. Reporte de caso: Paciente masculino, de 6 años con 11 meses de edad, que presentó mesiodens doble, cuyo hallazgo fue radiológico, mediante una panorámica, requisito de la odontóloga para control odontológico general, en el cual se pudo observar la presencia de dos dientes supernumerarios, los cuales estaban provocando la rotación de los incisivos permanentes superiores. El tratamiento se basó en la extracción quirúrgica temprana de los dientes supernumerarios, para determinar el abordaje fue necesario la realización de un estudio tomográfico, una vez determinada el proceso de extracción, y posteriormente la recuperación del paciente, y seguimiento radiográfico y clínico, se logró la erupción adecuada de los incisivos centrales superiores permanentes, hasta la actualidad se realizan controles periódicos y la colocación de placas de expansión superior e inferior. Conclusión: En este caso el tratamiento es la extracción temprana, y debido al diagnóstico oportuno y las condiciones óptimas del paciente como son: la reabsorción radicular fisiológica de los dientes primarios, la ubicación de los dientes supernumerarios, así como el estadio de Nolla de los incisivos centrales superiores, permite que el tratamiento elegido sea el óptimo y con las condiciones menos traumáticas posibles.

O mesiodens é um dente supranumerário encontrado na região dos incisivos centrais superiores, cuja detecção pode ser acidental. O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental, pois permite a extração oportuna do dente supranumerário, prevenindo possíveis alterações futuras como: desenvolvimento de cistos, má localização dos dentes adjacentes, atraso na erupção, diastema interincisal, reabsorção apical dos dentes vizinhos. Relato de caso: O caso apresentado é de um paciente pediátrico do sexo masculino, 6 anos e 11 meses, que apresentava duplo mesiodens, cujo achado foi radiológico, através de visão panorâmica, uma solicitação do cirurgião-dentista para controle odontológico geral, no qual pôde observar a presença de dois dentes supranumerários, que causavam a rotação dos incisivos permanentes superiores. O tratamento baseou-se na extração cirúrgica precoce dos dentes supranumerários, para determinar a abordagem foi necessário realizar um estudo tomográfico, uma vez determinado o processo de extração, e posteriormente a recuperação do paciente, e acompanhamento radiográfico e clínico , conseguiu-se uma erupção adequada dos incisivos centrais superiores permanentes, até o momento são realizadas verificações periódicas e colocação de placas de expansão superiores e inferiores. Conclusão: Neste caso, o tratamento é a extração precoce e devido ao diagnóstico oportuno e condições ideais do paciente, como: reabsorção radicular fisiológica dos dentes decíduos, localização dos dentes supranumerários, bem como o estágio Nolla dos dentes. incisivos centrais superiores, permite que o tratamento escolhido seja ótimo e com as condições menos traumáticas possíveis

Mesiodens is a supernumerary tooth found in the area of the upper central incisors, the detection of which may be accidental. Early diagnosis is essential since it allows timely extraction of the supernumerary tooth, preventing possible future alterations such as: the development of cysts, poor location of adjacent teeth, delayed eruption, interincisal diastema, apical resorption of neighboring teeth. Case report: The case presented is of a male pediatric patient, 6 years and 11 months old, who presented double mesiodens, whose finding was radiological, through a panoramic view, a requirement of the dentist for general dental control, in which could observe the presence of two supernumerary teeth, which were causing the rotation of the upper permanent incisors. The treatment was based on the early surgical extraction of the supernumerary teeth, to determine the approach it was necessary to carry out a tomographic study, once the extraction process was determined, and later the recovery of the patient, and radiographic and clinical follow-up, it was achieved. proper eruption of the permanent upper central incisors, to date periodic checks and placement of upper and lower expansion plates are performed. Conclusion: In this case, the treatment is early extraction, and due to timely diagnosis and optimal patient conditions such as: physiological root resorption of deciduous teeth, location of supernumerary teeth, as well as the Nolla stage of the teeth. upper central incisors, allows the chosen treatment to be optimal and with the least traumatic conditions possible

Ambulatory Sedation for Dental Procedures-Case of Cuenca, Ecuador.

In recent years, the dental treatment of children under sedation and/or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis has been developed as a behavioral management model in pediatric dentistry. The objective of this study was to establish the percentage of pediatric patients who required deep sedation on an outpatient basis in dental offices in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. An observational study was conducted with a sample of 450 records of school- and preschool-age patients, where the variables were type and time of treatment, age, and sex. Statistical data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS V.27 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). The highest percentage of children who received sedation were of preschool age. In general, there were three types of procedures per session, the most frequent being restorations (67%), followed by pulp treatment (49.8%) and, less frequently, minor surgery. The need for sedation for dental procedures is high in preschool patients, and ambulatory sedation has contributed to meeting this need. However, a regulation for its use is required at a national level.

Caries Experience and Treatment Needs in Urban and Rural Environments in School-Age Children from Three Provinces of Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In Ecuador, national epidemiological surveys have not been updated; however, some regional studies in the northern areas of the country still report a high prevalence of dental caries. The aim of this study was to determine the experience, severity, and need for treatment of dental caries in school children aged 6 to 12 years in urban and rural settings in three provinces of southern Ecuador. This cross-sectional, relational study examined 1938 schoolchildren in the provinces of Azuay, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. The survey instruments were based mainly on the WHO manual Methods of Oral Health Surveys (dmft) for primary and permanent dentition (DMFT), as well as the prevalence, severity, and Significant Caries Index (SCI). The parametric Student's t-test was used to compare two groups, and the Spearman's Rho and Tau-c Kendall correlation coefficients were used to associate the categorical variables. Results: The prevalence of caries in the primary dentition was 78% and 89.2% in the permanent dentition. The dmft (M = 4.12, SD = 2.86) and DMFT (M = 3.62: SD = 3.07) placed the general group in a moderate caries index. The need for treatment was 90.68% in the primary dentition, while it was 87.99% in the permanent dentition. Caries severity in both dentitions was high (M = 7.74; SD = 3.42). Conclusions. Alarming indicators of caries experience and the need for treatment were observed in the population studied.

Operatoria dental y endodoncia 5: protección de la interfase resina-dentina mediante inhibidores de las enzimas colagenolíticas / Operative dentistry and endodontics 5: protection of the resin-dentin interface by colagenolytic enzyme inhibitors

La adhesión entre las resinas hidrófilas y la dentina se encuentra sometida a una degradación permanente cuya intensidad aumenta en función del tiempo transcurrido. Esto es producto de la actividad de las metaloproteinasas, de las catepsinas y otras enzimas colagenolíticas, responsables de la destrucción paulatina de las fibras colágenas de la capa híbrida. La mayoría de las estrategias para inhibir estas enzimas han sido ensayos de laboratorio, mientras que las investigaciones clínicas son escasas. En este trabajo se analiza la literatura relacionada con las estrategias sugeridas para prevenir la degradación del colágeno de la capa híbrida en la interfaz resina-dentina (AU)

The bonds between hidrophylic resins and dentin are subjected to a time-dependent collagenolytic degradation. Endogenous enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases, catepsins and other enzymes are responsible for the hybrid layer destruction. The majority of strategies developed to inhibit these enzymes are laboratory evaluations while clinical studies are scarce. This review examines the literature related to the strategies suggested to prevent collagen degradation of the hybrid layer in resin-dentin interfaces (AU)