Exposure to screen time and dental neglect.

AIM: Dental neglect is the failure of parents to meet a child's basic oral health needs and causes complications. Long screen time, and its health impact, is an important public health issue. This study is aimed at determining whether there is a relationship between screen time of children and parents and dental neglect. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen patients were included in this cross-sectional observational study. A questionnaire including questions exploring demographic data, children's life-styles and, screen time of both parents and children. A dental neglect scale was administered to the parents. The children's intraoral examinations were evaluated using the decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft) and pulp, ulcers, fistula, abscess (pufa) indices. RESULTS: Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that dental neglect was statistically significantly associated with brushing teeth unsupervised and infrequently, frequent snacking, rarely doing exercise, screen exposure at an early age and presence of dental plaque (P < 0.05). Long screen time was statistically significantly associated with high dmft scores, reflecting poor oral health. It was found that children who did not attend daycare, had statistically significantly longer exposure to screens, compared to those who attended daycare. CONCLUSIONS: Early exposure to screens and long-term screen use are associated with adverse outcomes pertaining to children's oral health.

Evaluation of the effect of pediatric drugs and an oral rinse on primary teeth discoloration.

BACKGROUND: Changes in the color of the teeth are a common dental finding associated with clinical and esthetic problems. Especially, the discoloration of primary teeth can cause parental concern and have a negative effect on social interactions between preschool children. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of pediatric drugs and an oral rinse on the discoloration of primary teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Similar to medication intake recommendations, 7 primary teeth in each group were immersed for 1 min in one of 11 different solutions at 8-hour intervals for 1 week. The color values were obtained using a spectrophotometer (VITA EasyShade®) at baseline and after 1 week. The color change (ΔE*) values were calculated according to the CIELab system. The statistical analysis was conducted using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc tests at a p-value <0.05. RESULTS: When comparing values L*, a* and b* at baseline and day 7, a statistically significant difference was found in the a* value for the teeth immersed in pseudoephedrine (p = 0.012). There were also statistically significant differences with regard to color change at day 7 (ΔE*7) between the pseudoephedrine and chlorhexidine as well as pseudoephedrine and control groups (p = 0.034 and p = 0.030, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ΔE*7 value for pseudoephedrine was 3.7 after 1 week, indicating that it may have the potential to cause significant tooth discoloration when used for a long period. Clinicians and children's families should be aware of the fact that some pediatric drugs can cause tooth discoloration.

Dental age estimation with two different methods in paediatric patients with hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: This case-control study aimed to evaluate dental age estimation in children with hypothyroidism using two different methods in order to contribute to the literature about the most accurate method. DESIGN: In the study, panoramic radiographs of 80 patients with hypothyroidism aged 5-13 years and 80 randomly selected age and sex-matched healthy patients were examined retrospectively. The Cameriere's and the Nolla's methods were used for the dental age estimation. Dental ages and their differences with chronological ages were compared according to group and sex. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in estimated dental age was found between the hypothyroidism and control groups using both methods (p > 0.05). Among all the males and females included in this study, the dental ages of the females calculated by Nolla's method were significantly lower than those of the males according to the chronological ages (p < 0.05). For females, in both the hypothyroidism (p < 0.001) and control (p = 0.001) groups, the dental age estimated by Cameriere's method was significantly closer to the chronological age compared to Nolla's method, although there was no statistically significant difference for males. CONCLUSION: Although the dental age of children with hypothyroidism showed similar results to that of healthy children, it is concluded that Cameriere's method led to more accurate results than Nolla's method in females for both healthy patients and patients with hypothyroidism.

Is zirconium or stainless steel the most suitable crown material for less dentin stress in endodontically treated teeth?

BACKGROUND: Stainless steel crowns (SSCs), which have been used frequently in the treatment of first permanent molars in children until now, has become less applicable due to its poor aesthetic appearance. Zirconia crowns (ZCs) have become more popular due to their aesthetic advantage. However, stress transmission of ZCs to dental tissues under occlusal forces in endodontically treated teeth has not been described. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the stress distribution of different crown materials (ZCS, SSCs) and adhesive materials on dentin in endodontically treated permanent teeth and to specify the crown-adhesive model with lower stress. METHODS: Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to apply a force of 300 N from the inner part of the buccal tubercles (vertical loading) and a lingo-buccal at an angle of 30 degrees (oblique loading) of the first permanent molars (FPM) with different crown (ZCS, SSCs) and adhesive (Glass ionomer cement, Resin modified glass ionomer cement, Resin cement) materials in twelve separate models. The von Mises values obtained from the models were compared and the optimal stress values were determined by FEA. RESULTS: The lowest stress values of dentin were found in zirconia crown model with glass ionomer cement (GIC) adhesive under vertical loading (26,793 Mpa). In the zircon crown and GIC adhesive model, less von Mises stress occurred on the dentin under all conditions. CONCLUSIONS: ZCs and GIC adhesive may be recommended for teeth with a high probability of dentin fracture.

Traumatic Dental Injuries Occurred in Primary Teeth and their Sequel Effects on the Developmental Permanent Successors: A Controlled Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the types of traumatic dental injuries of the primary teeth (TDI-p) and the long-term sequelae on permanent dentition (LSP) comparing with a control group (CG). In addition, a questionnaire that measures parents' knowledge and awareness was used. Material and Methods: The trauma group (TG) consisted of permanent teeth following TDI-p exposed teeth, while the CG consisted of permanent teeth following unexposed teeth with TDI-p of the same patients. In total, 141 teeth were evaluated in 27 patients. Data concerning such as teeth, when TDI-p occurred, types of treatments and types of LSP were collected. Chi-square test was used for intergroup comparison for gender, type of trauma, LSP, age of trauma and parameters in the parental information questionnaire. Significance level was p<0.05. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the analysis between TG and CG (p<0.001). The prevalence of LSP due to TDI-p was 29.6% and the prevalence of sequelae in CG was 7.4%. The most common LSP was enamel hypoplasia (14.8%). Parents were aware of the importance of TDI-p, and they had insufficient knowledge about its management. Conclusion: TDI-p can be considered a high-risk factor in the development of LSP. Also, the lack of knowledge in parents should be supported by software-based application systems to be developed.

Effect of the usage of Er,Cr:YSGG laser with and without different remineralization agents on the enamel erosion of primary teeth.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different remineralization agents associated with erbium, chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) (0.5 W power, 20 Hz frequency, 60% water, 40% air, 25 mJ pulse energy, 8.84 J/cm2 fluence, 60 µs pulse duration, 600 µm tip diameter, and an approximate 1-1.5 mm distance to the target) laser irradiation on erosion induced by the consumption of carbonated drinks in human primary enamel. There were 8 groups and 10 primary teeth in each g0roup. The distribution was as follows: group 1, casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate with fluoride (CPP-ACPF); group 2, Er,Cr:YSGG laser+CPP-ACPF; group 3, fluor varnish; group 4, Er,Cr:YSGG Laser+fluoride varnish; group 5, ROCS® medical mineral gel; group 6, Er,Cr:YSGG laser + ROCS® medical mineral gel; group 7, Er,Cr:YSGG laser; and group 8, artificial saliva. The samples in the groups were submerged in artificial saliva and acid twice a day for 6 s at 6-h intervals and were then exposed to an erosion cycle 15 times. In the groups in which the Er,Cr:YSGG laser was applied in combination with the remineralization agents, the laser application was made first, and then the remineralization agents were applied for 4 min in each group. The Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and the Bonferroni correction were used in statistical analyses, and the significance level was taken as p < 0.05. According to the results, all agents had a statistically significant difference (groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6: p = 0.005, p < 0.017; groups 5 and 7: p = 0.007, p < 0.017) between BL-RM periods. However, all agents had a statistically significant remineralization effect on primary teeth enamel (groups 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7: p = 0.005, p < 0.017; group 4: p = 0.011, p < 0.017) except that group 5 (p = 0.074, p < 0.017) between DM-RM periods. The coadministration of an agent with the laser did not make any difference at a statistical level (p = 0.804, p > 0.05). The results were supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. As a result of this study, CPP-ACPF had a notable impact in terms of the remineralization effect on eroded enamel, and the Er,Cr:YSGG laser alone may be an alternative method, which may be related to the modified hydroxyapatite structure, 38.5% H0.56Ca4.56O13P3Y0.44, that was determined in XRD analysis.

In vitro evaluation of the effects of frequently prescribed pediatric drugs on the microhardness of permanent tooth enamel.

BACKGROUND: Dental erosion is considered one of the oral cavity diseases. Frequent intake of liquid oral medications can be an effective factor in tooth erosion. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of frequently prescribed pediatric drugs on the permanent dental enamel microhardness over a period of 14 days in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, 11 pediatric drugs with different active ingredients were used; the control group consisted of teeth immersed in distilled water. The immersion cycles were applied 3 times a day for 1 min. The measurements of the samples prepared were taken at 0 (baseline), 7 and 14 days after the immersion cycles using a Vickers hardness testing machine. The pH, titratable acidity (TA) and buffering capacity of the syrups were assessed. RESULTS: The measurements of the tooth samples that were immersed in drug solutions except Deltacortril® showed that there was a significant difference between days 0, 7 and 14. The microhardness values for the tooth samples that were immersed in the Deltacortril drug solution decreased, but no significant difference was found. There were no statistically significant differences between the day 0, 7 and 14 measurements in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly used and prescribed pediatric drugs pose a risk for tooth erosion. Pediatricians should be aware of the effects of prescription drugs on erosion, and stress the need for compliancy with oral hygiene procedures.

Effects of medical and mental status on treatment modalities in patients treated under general anaesthesia at the KTU Faculty of Dentistry in Trabzon, Turkey: A comparative retrospective study.

This study evaluated the differences in dental conditions and treatment modalities between disabled and non-cooperative healthy children under general anaesthesia. The data were collected from paediatric patients between 3 and 15 years of age who received dental treatment under general anaesthesia. Patients with at least one mental/physical disturbance (group 1) and other healthy non-cooperative patients (group 2) were compared with regard to gender, age, weight, and treatment time-type. The statistical analyses were performed using Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. No significant differences were observed between the groups with regard to gender, weight and treatment-time (p>0.05). The numbers of treated teeth (p<0.01) and extractions (p<0.001) were higher in group 1 than in group 2, whereas the frequency of advanced restorative procedures for group 1 was lower than that for group 2, including preventive-resin-restoration (p<0.001), glass-ionomer-cement (p<0.05), root-canal (p<0.001) and stainless-steel-crowns (p<0.001). This study supports the hypothesis that the general condition of the patients may alter the type of treatment provided and confirms the necessity of performing preventive procedures.

Effects of Different Pediatric Drugs on the Color Stability of Various Restorative Materials Applicable in Pediatric Dentistry.

Background. The chronic recommendation of pediatric drugs could exhibit erosive and cariogenic problems. Objective. To evaluate the effects of different pediatric drugs on the color stability of various restorative materials. Methods. Five specimens (1 mm × 3 mm) were prepared and immersed in ten different pediatric drugs and agitated every 8 hours daily for 2 min up to 1 week. Between immersion periods, the samples were stored in artificial saliva. After 1-week period, ΔE⁎ values were calculated. Two-way ANOVA and Fisher's LSD test were used for statistical analysis at a level of p < 0.05. Results. ΔE⁎ values were only significantly influenced by restorative material factor (p < 0.001) and varied in the range of 2.08 and 6.55 units for all drugs/restorative materials. The highest ΔE⁎ was found in Ferrosanol B-composite (6.55 ± 1.38) and the lowest one was found in Dolven-glass ionomer (2.08 ± 0.40) pairwise. The most prominent ΔE⁎ value elevations were obtained in composite material compared to the compomer and/or glass ionomers in Macrol, Ferrosanol B, and Ventolin (p < 0.001; for all) and also for other drugs (p < 0.05). Dolven exhibited significantly higher values compared to Augmentin (p = 0.021), Macrol (p = 0.018), and Ventolin (p = 0.013) in compomer group. Conclusion. The clinically perceptible color changes for tested composite/pediatric drug pairwise can be more problematic than compomer and glass ionomers in pediatric dentistry.