The Prevalence of Developmental Enamel Defects in Israeli Children and Its Association with Perinatal Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and deciduous molar hypomineralization (DMH) affect the first permanent molars and second primary molars, respectively, causing a greater dental treatment burden and worse oral health quality of life among affected children. We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of MIH and DMH among 1209 children aged 3-13 years who attended a university dental clinic in Israel in 2019-2020. Clinical examinations were conducted to assess the presence of DMH and MIH. Potential etiological factors of MIH and DMH, including demographics, the mother's perinatal health, and the child's medical history during the first three years of life, were retrieved using a questionnaire. To examine the associations between the demographic and clinical variables and the prevalence of MIH and DMH, continuous variables were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni corrections. Categorical variables were analyzed by chi-squared test. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate which of the significant variables found in the univariate analysis could predict a diagnosis of both MIH and DMH. The prevalence of MIH and DMH was 10.3% and 6.0%, respectively. Age ≥ 5 years, taking medications during pregnancy and severe lesions were associated with a greater risk for a diagnosis of DMH + MIH. Multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for age showed that the severity of hypomineralization was positively and significantly associated with a diagnosis of MIH + DMH with an odds ratio of 4.18 (95% confidence interval 1.26-17.16), p = 0.03. MIH should be diagnosed and monitored in young children to prevent further deterioration. Moreover, a preventive and restorative program for MIH should be established.

Assessing Children's Dental Age with Panoramic Radiographs.

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to assess the dental age of the subjects and compare it to their chronological age; to assess the dominant tooth for evaluation of dental age; and to investigate possible individual differences between the left and right side of the dental arch. (2) Methods: This study involved evaluating panoramic radiographs of patients aged 7-13 years. A separate assessment was performed for each tooth according to the degree of germ development. Each subject's dental age was estimated. (3) Results: The study involved evaluating 349 panoramic radiographs. No difference was found between stages of tooth development on the right side and left side. Correlation between the stages of tooth development and the chronological age was found to be highest in the second permanent molar teeth. The age can be predicted with the estimated age of tooth #37 and the gender of the patient. (4) Conclusions: The chronological age of children aged 7-13 may be estimated based on a modified seven-stage London Atlas of tooth development, where the most accurate landmark(s) of use are second molars.

Microbiome Changes in Children Treated under General Anesthesia for Severe Early Childhood Caries: Pilot Study.

A full-mouth radical dental treatment under general anesthesia is a common approach for treating severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). However, previous study showed recurrence of the disease in 80% of cases within 12 months. The aim of the present study was to examine the changes in microbial composition of the dental biofilm of these children following treatment. Dental biofilm samples from five children (mean age 45.4 ± 10.1 months) were taken before and three months after treatment and analyzed for microbial composition using Next Generation Sequencing of the microbial DNA extracted from these samples. Although some reductions in the abundance of caries-pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Rothia dentocariosa and Scardovia wiggisiae) were seen in the post-treatment follow up samples, these reductions were for the most part not statistically significant, and these bacteria remained well above detection levels. Taken together, the results of the present pilot study suggest that the dental treatment alone is not enough to reduce the caries risk status of these children and that a more comprehensive approach should be considered.

Function of the Family Unit, Oral Hygiene Rules and Attitudes to Dental Health in Children During First-Wave 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether general and dental health and habits of families were affected by the first-wave lockdown due to COVID-19, and whether these habits were related to family functioning, resilience and stress. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using an online survey disseminated among families with kindergarten and primary school-aged children during the lockdown of March and April 2020. RESULTS: A total of 361 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents adapted well to the changes imposed by lockdown and reported that they and their children had low anxiety levels and high mental resilience. Family functioning and behavior were positively correlated with nutrition habits and hygiene. General hygiene was positively correlated with oral hygiene. Respondents who reported requiring dental care had difficulties gaining access to it. Most respondents perceived that it is important to improve patients' digital access to pediatricians and dentists during crises. CONCLUSION: The study showed that better family functioning was associated with better family hygiene and nutrition, parental resilience and lower mental stress among children.

Bilateral Symmetry of Number and Size of Dental Caries Lesions among Children.

AIM: To determine the bilateral occurrence of caries lesions in 5-12-year-old children, and to assess whether one bitewing photograph can predict caries size and occurrence in the homologous tooth on the other side of the mouth. STUDY DESIGN: The study was carried out on 222 medical files of children 5-12 years old who were first examined in the university dental clinic. The presence and size of the caries lesions in the first and second primary molars and first permanent molars were recorded. RESULTS: No correlation was found when comparing the caries lesion distribution of each tooth's proximal surface. Seventy-one of the X-rays demonstrated a single caries lesion in a first or second primary molar or in a first permanent molar on one side of the mouth, of which 21.3% demonstrated a single caries lesion in the collateral side, 43.6% demonstrated 2 or more lesions, and 35.21% did not have any caries lesion on the collateral side of the mouth. CONCLUSION: One bitewing cannot determine the presence and size of a caries lesion on the same site of the homologous tooth.

Cariogenic Potential of Infant Formulas-An In Vitro Study.

Objectives: To compare the in vitro cariogenic potential of two infant formulas (IF, for ages 6-12 months) processed with sterile distilled water with or without 1 ppm fluoride. Study design: Nine specimens in each water type were inoculated with Streptococcus mutans (SM) suspension. The specimens were then divided into one group of samples cultured immediately on Mitis salivarius (MS) agar plates (T0) and another group of specimens cultured on MS agar plates after incubation at 37°C for 4 hours in anaerobic conditions (T4). Six-fold dilutions of each sample were incubated for 48 hours, and colony-forming units (CFUs) of SM were numerated. The pH changes associated with bacterial fermentation of each of the suspensions were measured at T0 and at T4 following incubation. Results: The pH was lower at T4 than at T0 in both IF. The SM colonies increased significantly at T4 compared to T0 in both IF (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the CFUs of the mediums at T0 and T4 or relation between SM colonies of IF based on fluoridated and non-fluoridated distilled water. Conclusion: The cariogenic potential was not significantly different between two IF prepared with fluoridated or non-fluoridated distilled water.

Maternal Knowledge of Oral Health of Children Aged 1-4 Years.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of oral health (KOH) among mothers has an important influence on their children's oral habits and routines. Lack of maternal KOH had been related to the development of early childhood caries among preschool children. AIM: To assess KOH among mothers of 1-4 year-olds. STUDY DESIGN: Participating mothers completed a 3-part questionnaire on general demographic information, KOH of their children, and ranking of six food items according to their cariogenic potential. RESULTS: Most of the 285 participating mothers had an academic education. Only 47% of the mothers correctly answered seven questions on KOH. The dentist was the main source for KOH. Most of the mothers (94.39%) were aware of the need to brush their children's teeth twice daily. Most of them (72.29%) did not know the correct fluoride concentration in their child's toothpaste. They ranked salty snacks as the least cariogenic food item. Most of the mothers were not aware that snacks and sweetened drinks should be consumed during meals, and two-thirds reported tasting food from their child's spoon. CONCLUSION: Overall, mothers of toddlers lacked basic knowledge of oral health issues and practices to follow for the prevention of their children's caries.

Prevalence of dental trauma in individuals with special needs participating in local Special Olympics games.

OBJECTIVES: The Special Olympics Special Smiles (SOSS) Program provides oral health screening and data collection for athletes with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics events. AIM: This study evaluated the prevalence and severity of dental trauma among Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities who participated in the 2016 Israeli Special Olympics games. METHODS: A free voluntary dental examination was offered to all participating athletes. The examination was performed by volunteer dentists who completed a standard SOSS examination form, which included questions on oral health status and evidence of dental trauma in the anterior teeth. The dental traumas were categorized by a modified clinical version of the Ellis classification for dental traumas, and they were combined into three main categories according to their severity. Chi-square analysis was used to find differences between gender and age in regard to the prevalence of dental trauma. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 249 athletes with intellectual disabilities aged 10-65 years (mean 29.2 ± 11.24). The prevalence of dental trauma was 27.3%, of which 9.64% were categorized as mild and 17.67% as severe. Most of the traumas (94%) involved the maxillary incisors. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high prevalence of dental trauma in special needs athletes revealed by this study's findings supports the need for using preventive measures, such as mouth guards, during sport activities.

Parents' Attitude towards the Use of Fluorides and Fissure Sealants and its Effect on their Children's Oral Health.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the attitudes of Israeli parents towards caries preventive measures. STUDY DESIGN: participating parents completed a 21-item questionnaire on their demographics, dental history, attitudes and satisfaction from fluorides and fissure sealants. RESULTS: One hundred parents (average age 41.62±4.9 years, 85 females) participated. Most of the parents (88% of the mothers and 84% of the fathers) had an academic education. Most of the parents (54%) had a favorable attitude towards the use of fluoridated gels, while only 37% of them had a positive opinion regarding fluoridated water. The satisfaction levels were very high regarding fissure sealants, fluoridated mouth rinses and fluoridated gels (78.1%, 73.6% and 72.5% respectively). The satisfaction from fluoridated water was split almost equally (50.8% were 'pleased' and 49.2% 'not pleased'). The main source for parental oral health knowledge was the dentist (83%). Parents' attitude towards caries preventive measures was significantly correlated to their gender, dental experience, level of education and the number of children in the family. CONCLUSIONS: positive attitude towards caries preventive measures was found among parents with higher awareness for preventive oral health measures and among bigger families. Mothers were more positive about fissure sealants than fathers. Mothers with up to 12 years of education tended to have a positive opinion regarding water fluoridation.

Association between hepatitis C virus infection and oral lichen planus in Israeli patients.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus is a cell-mediated immune condition of unknown etiology. A possible association of OLP with hepatitis C virus infection has been documented in specific populations. However, no such possible association has been studied in Israel. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of HCV antibodies among patients with OLP in Israel. METHODS: The prevalence of HCV seropositivity was studied in OLP patients (n=62) and compared with that of a control group (n=65) and with the prevalence among healthy volunteer blood donors (n=225,452) as representatives of the general population. RESULTS: The prevalence of HCV, as detected by the presence of anti-HCV antibodies screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay, was 4.8%, 1.5% and 0.1%, respectively. HCV seropositivity in the OLP patients was significantly higher than in the healthy blood donors (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A possible association between OLP and HCV is suggested. Therefore, screening OLP patients for antibodies to HCV is recommended.