The retention of pulpally involved deciduous tooth in a healthy state until the time of normal exfoliation remains to be one of the challenges for Pedodontists. A scientific noise has been generated about several materials some of which have been popular pulpotomy medicaments. Concerns have been raised about the toxicity and potential carcinogenicity of these materials, and alternatives have been proposed to maintain the partial pulp vitality, however to date no material has been accepted as an ideal pulpotomy agent. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a biocompatible material which provides a biological seal. MTA has been proposed as a potential medicament for various pulpal procedures like pulp capping with reversible pulpitis, apexification, repair of root perforations, etc. Hence the present study was done to evaluate the efficacy of MTA as a pulpotomy medicament. A clinical and radiographic evaluation was done on children where MTA was used as pulpotomy medicament in primary molars for a period of 6 months and it was found to be a successful material.

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Considering the high prevalence of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) and their complications as well as the role played by periodontal disease in their incidence and the lack of any report of periodontal therapy on these problems in Iran, the goal of the present research was to determine the effects of periodontal treatment on PLBW incidence among women with moderate or advanced periodontitis who were referred to Javaheri hospital (2004-2005). This clinical trial research was conducted on 30 pregnant women age ranging from 18-35 years old, with moderate or advanced periodontitis. Fifteen subjects randomly underwent the first phase of periodontal treatment including scaling, root planning and the use of 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse for one week. None of these steps were taken for the controls. After necessary follow ups, the effect of periodontal treatment on birth term and birth weight were analyzed statistically. This research was conducted on 30 subjects, 15 controls and 15 cases in study group. In the control group, the observed rate of PLBW was 26.7% whereas among periodontally treated group, phase I, PLBW infant was not observed ( P <0.05). Infants birth weight were (3059.3-389.7) gms in study group and (3371-394.2) gms in the control group and respectively ( P <0.05). Periodontal therapy, phase I, results in a reduction in PLBW incidence rate. Therefore, the application of such a simple method among periodontally diseased pregnant women is recommended.

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The study was designed to determine dental age from orthopantomograph using Demirjian method and to investigate applicability of Demirjian method for estimation of chronological age in children of Belgaum. The sample for the study consisted of 197 subjects between 6-13 years of age. When Demirjian method was applied to Belgaum children, mean difference between true and assessed age for males showed overestimation of 0.14 years (51 days) and females showed overestimation of 0.04 years (15 days). Demirjian method showed high accuracy when applied to Belgaum children.

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Garlic ( Allium sativum ) extract has been known to have inhibitory activity on various pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi. The objective of present investigation was to study in vitro inhibitory activity of garlic extract on multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Streptococcus mutans isolated from human carious teeth. Filter sterilized aqueous extract of garlic was prepared and used in the present study. For isolation of S. mutans , extracted human carious teeth were cultured in Todd-Hewit broth and Mitis-Salivarius-Bacitracin agar. S. mutans was characterized by colony morphology, biochemical tests and other conventional bacteriological procedures. Disk sensitivity tests and broth dilution methods were used to determine antibiotic sensitivity profile and inhibitory activity of garlic extract on S. mutans isolated from carious teeth. Of 105 carious teeth tested, 92 (87.6%) isolates of S. mutans were recovered, among which 28 (30.4%) were MDR since they were resistant to four or more antibiotics. The highest rate of resistance was observed for tetracycline (30.4%) and least resistance (0%) to teichoplanin and vancomycin while 22.8% and 23.9% of the isolates were resistant to penicillin and amoxicillin, respectively. Chlorhexidine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for MDR and non-MDR S. mutans varied from 2 to 16 µg ml⁻¹ and from 0.25 to 1 µg ml⁻¹ , respectively ( P < 0.05). All isolates, MDR and non-MDR of S. mutans were sensitive to garlic extract with the MIC ranging from 4 to 32 mg ml⁻¹ . Considering in vitro data obtained in the present study, mouthwashes or toothpaste containing optimum concentration of garlic extract could be used for prevention of dental caries.

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The assessment of age is an important facet in providing information in demographic studies and is of clinical use to diagnose and plan the treatment. The objective of this study was to determine whether the standards of dental maturation given by Demirjian et al are applicable to Davangere children and to assess the relationship between the obtained dental age and skeletal age. The study group comprised of 151 healthy children of 6-15 years age. It was found that Davangere children were dentally more advanced. Demirjians method gave an over estimation of 1.20 +/- 1.02 years and 0.90 +/- 0.87 years in males and females respectively. The obtained dental age was found to be different from the skeletal age. It may be concluded that Demirjians method of dental maturation is not applicable to the children of Davangere.

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This study was conducted on 5554 children aged 5-13 years old with the objectives of recording the prevalence of oral habits among North Indian children according to sex. These children were selected from the schools of Delhi. The sample represented the entire school-going population of Delhi in the age group of 5-13 years. Statistical analysis was carried out using BMDP software and sex differences were calculated by using Fisher's exact test. The results showed that the prevalence of oral habits in Delhi school going children was 25.5%. Tongue thrust was the commonest habit (18.1%) followed by mouth breathing (6.6%). Thumb sucking was relatively less common habit and seen in only 0.7% of children. There were no significant differences between boys and girls for the prevalence of oral habits. However, for the specific habit types there was a sex difference. Thumb sucking was more common in girls (1.0%) when compared with boys (0.4%) and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). There was a reverse trend for the mouth breathing, which was more common (P < 0.001) in boys (7.8%) than girls (5.3%). There were no differences for tongue thrust habit between boys (17.5%) and girls (18.6%).

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Multiple supernumerary teeth without any associated systemic conditions or syndromes are not common. We document a case of non-syndrome multiple supplemental supernumerary teeth in mandibular premolar region of an adolescent male patient, an incidental findings during routine radiographic examination. Periodic examination is recommended to monitor the clinical behavior.

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To compare the accuracy of root canal lengths in primary teeth determined by tactile sense, electronic apex locator, conventional radiography, and digital radiography in primary teeth. The study sample consisted of twenty 20 extracted, single-rooted primary teeth. A comparison was made between the working length measurements obtained by tactile sensation, electronic apex locator, conventional film, and digital radiography, using stereomicroscopic measurements to obtain real canal length. The mean readings obtained were 15.91 ± 2.06 by tactile measurement, 15.94 94 ± 1.42 by apex locator, 16.06 ± 1.73 by conventional radiography, and 15.91 ± 1.60 by digital radiography. No statistically significant differences were seen between the techniques.

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Congenital granular cell lesion (CGCL) or "congenital epulis" is a rare lesion of newborn also known as Neuman's Tumor, which is benign in nature, mostly occurs as a single tumour but rarely as multiple. The histogenesis and natural clinical history of the lesion remains obscure. Even with the advent of modem histopathological techniques, it has not been possible to depict specific cellular features unique to this lesion. This lesion arises from mucosa of gingiva either from maxillary or mandibular alveolar ridge. The appearance of the lesion is most common in maxillary alveolar ridge than mandibular with predominance in females than in the males. The present report describes a case of congenital granular cell lesion (CGCL) in the incisor region of mandibular alveolar ridge. This lesion was causing feeding problem and was excised under local anaesthesia.

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The term Riga-Fede disease has been used historically to describe traumatic ulceration that occurs on the ventral surface of tongue in neonates and infants. It is most often associated with natal and neonatal teeth in newborns. A case of Riga-Fede disease is presented.

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Mandibular distraction osteogenesis has become a popular surgical modality due to its many advantages over conventional orthognathic surgical procedures. However, in spite of the technique having been used for over 15 years, no concrete long term results are available regarding the stability of results. We discuss the various studies which have reported either in favour or against the stablility of results after distraction. We report a series of 6 cases (3 unilateral and 3 bilateral distraction) where distraction was carried out before puberty and followed them up to seven years after removal of distractors. This case series shows that results achieved by distraction osteogenesis are unstable or best unpredictable with respect to producing a permanent size increase in the mandible. The role of the distraction osteogenesis in overcoming the pterygomassetric sling is questionable. We suggest a multicenter study with adequate patient numbers treated with a similar protocol and documented after growth cessation to have meaningful conclusions on the debate of distraction osteogenesis versus orthognathic surgery.

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The association between plaque and caries in older children and adults has been poor, however, some studies show that there may be a relationship in younger children. The aim was to study the relationships between dental caries and dental plaque among 12-36-month-olds in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study among a stratified random sample of 504 children aged one to three years from 18 public health centres in Tehran. Mothers were interviewed about their child's date and order of birth, gender, primary caregiver, the mother's age and the educational level of both parents. Dental examination was carried out according to the WHO criteria. Early childhood caries (ECC) was defined as the presence of any dmf teeth. Dental plaque was visually inspected on the labial surfaces of upper central incisors. Data analysis included Chi-square test, t -test, anova and logistic regression modelling. The prevalence of ECC ranged from 3 to 33% depending on age group, with a mean dt of 1.1 for 26- to 36-month-olds. No gender-differences existed in ECC prevalence and mean dt. Dental plaque was visible on at least one index tooth for 65-75% of the children. Presence of ECC was related to the presence of dental plaque (OR=1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.3) when controlling for background factors by means of logistic regression. The high occurrence of visible plaque and rather high ECC prevalence call for improvement in oral health promotion programs of the children.

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Dental caries and periodontal disease, the most commonly seen disease show striking geographic variation, socio-economic patterns and severity of distribution all over the world. Hence, an attempt has been made to determine the relationship of oral health status with socio-economic status in Davangere town. A total of 2007 children of 13 to 14 years age belonging to both sexes were examined. Type III examination was carried out during the survey. DMFcaries Index and Oral Hygiene Index was used to assess caries experience and oral hygiene status. Prasad's classification was used to know the social classification of the children. It was concluded that dental caries experience and oral hygiene status of children are strongly correlated to socio-economic status.

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The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating and comparing the microleakage of glass ionomer, composite resin and compomers. Class V cavities were made in thirty intact caries free premolars and restored with restorative materials to be tested respectively. The teeth were thermocycled and subjected to silver nitrate dye penetration. They were subsequently sectioned buccolingually. Microleakage was evaluated under a stereomicroscope and data subjected to statistical analysis. The study concluded that microleakage was evident in all restorative materials, with glass ionomer showing maximum leakage followed by composite resin. Compomer demonstrated the best results with minimum leakage.

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The aims of the present study were to contrast the prevalence of dental caries in children with different genetic sensitivity levels to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and to determine the taste quality and taste intensity preferences of food products among the taster and nontaster groups. Overall caries experience (dmfs/DMFS) was significantly higher for nontasters than tasters. Caries experience on the available surfaces (dfs/DFS) was found to be significantly higher in nontasters than in medium tasters and in medium tasters than in supertasters (r=-0.41, P <0.001). Majority of the nontasters were sweet likers and preferred strong tasting food products, while majority of the supertasters were sweet dislikers and preferred weak tastes. There was a significant increase in the overall caries experience in the population, as the genetic ability to detect PROP taste decreased ( P <0.001). After all associated factors (age, gender, race, number of teeth and OHI-S) were controlled; multiple linear regression analyses revealed that taste was the only variable significantly related to overall caries experience.

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In humans, the development of the primary palate and the lip is completed by the 7th week of intra uterine life and that of secondary palate by 12th week. The dermal ridges develop in relation to the volar pads, which are formed by the 6th week of gestation and reach maximum size between 12th and 13th weeks. This means that the genetic message contained in the genome - normal or abnormal is deciphered during this period and is also reflected by dermatoglyphics. Hence this study was done in order to observe the differences in dermatoglyphic patterns between the children with oral clefts and normal children and to determine the usefulness of dermatoglyphics in studying the genetic etiology of oral clefts.Dermatoglyphic data from 50 oral cleft children and 50 normal children were collected using the ink method and comparison was done between them. In the present study, we found an increase in the ulnar loop patterns on the distal phalanges of the ten fingers, an increase in the atd angle and an increase in the fluctuating asymmetry of the atd angle in the oral cleft children which indicates the degree of developmental instability of the oral cleft individual.

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The prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs in the age group of 3-5 years was estimated among 1500 children of Hubli -Dharwad city. The attitude of mothers towards their children's oral health and its relation with caries prevalence was noted among 200 subjects. The prevalence of dental caries was 54.1%. The attitude of mothers towards children's oral health made a statistical difference in the mean dmft levels.

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The prevalence of asthma has been increasing since the 1980s. Asthma and tooth decay are the two major causes of school absenteeism. There are few studies present in the literature. The objectives of the present study were to know the severity of dental caries and periodontal problems in children before and after taking antiasthmatic medication. The present study was conducted on 105, six- to fourteen-year-old asthmatic children to determine the condition of their dental caries and their periodontal status before and after taking antiasthmatic medication, for a period of 1 year and these were matched with their controls. The results showed that salbutamol inhaler shows increased caries rate with high significance over other groups, which was followed by salbutamol tablets and beclamethasone inhaler respectively. It has been concluded that antiasthmatic medication has its effects on dental caries and periodontal disease and asthmatic patients are recommended to adopt more precautionary oral hygiene practices and keep their caries activity and periodontal health under constant check.

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The survey was performed using the cross-sectional method on 506 students selected using multi-stage random sampling. The fluorosis level according to Deans classification and DMFT with its standard method were surveyed. The water fluoride level was estimated in 6 town sources twice, using Alizarin chemical method. The fluorosis and DMFT prevalence in the samples was determined. A total number of 506 students (55.6% boys and 44.4% girls) aged 13 +/- 3 years were examined. The water fluoride level was 2.43 +/- 0.23 ppm and in all the samples, which was more than normal. 19.9% of the subjects being surveyed were healthy 43.6% had mild, 25% moderate and 11.5% had severe fluorosis. Severe fluorosis was found in 65.8% of girls and 34.2% of boys (p < 0.05). The mean DMFT value was 1.8 +/- 1.73 and was higher in girls in comparison with boys (p < 0.05).

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Moebius syndrome is an extremely rare disorder characterized by a lifetime facial paralysis, involving sixth and seventh cranial nerves with malformations of orofacial structures and the limbs. In this case, an 8 year old girl with Moebius syndrome is presented, clinical findings are described and management aspects are discussed. Early dental evaluation and parental counselling as a part of preventive dental regimen can go a long way in providing complete psychosocial rehabilitation for such physically disabled children.

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India, a developing country, faces many challenges in rendering oral health needs. The majority of Indian population resides in rural areas of which more than 40% constitute children. The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health status of 5 years and 12 years school going children in Chennai city. The study population consisted of 1200 school children of both the sexes (600 private and 600 corporation school children) in 30 schools, which had been selected randomly. The survey is based on WHO, 1999 Oral Health Assessment, which has been modified by including gingival assessment, enamel opacities/ hypoplasia for 5 years. Evaluation of the oral health status of these children revealed, dental caries is the most prevalent disease affecting permanent teeth, more than primary teeth and more in corporation than in private schools, thereby, correlating with the socioeconomic status. It may be concluded that the greatest need of dental health education is at an early age including proper instruction of oral hygiene practices and school based preventive programs, which would help in improving preventive dental behaviour and attitude which is beneficial for life time.

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Although temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is one of the most common pathologies afflicting the facial skeleton, it is also the most overlooked and under-managed problem in children. The TMJ forms the very cornerstone of cranio-facial integrity and hence its ankylosis in growing children adversely affects the growth and development of the jaws and occlusion. Impairment of speech, difficulty in mastication, poor oral hygiene, rampant caries and acute compromise of the airway pose a severe psychologic burden on the tender minds of children. The aim of this article is to present an overview of efficient management strategies, based on a case report, so as to increase its awareness among all dental surgeons involved in the treatment of children.

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Supernumerary teeth are the teeth present in addition to the normal set of teeth. They may be single, multiple, unilateral or bilateral erupted or unerupted and in one or both jaws. Multiple supernumerary teeth are rare in individuals with no other associated diseases or syndromes. Our case presents with 12 supernumerary teeth in permanent dentition, of which six were erupted and six unerupted and a history of extraction of three teeth with no associated syndrome.

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Talon cusp is an uncommon odontogenic anomaly, presented as an accessory cusp like structure on the crown of an anterior tooth. Their presence may create diagnostic, esthetics, occlusal, pulpal and periodontal problems. This case report describes an unusual double facial talon cusp along with lingual trace talon on left maxillary central incisor.

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Neumann first described congenital epulis (CE) of newborn in 1871. CE occurs at birth and has a striking predilection for females. It is most frequently located on the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge. CE clinically appears as a pedunculated protuberant mass. In cases with large lesions mechanical oral and nasal obstruction can impair fetal deglutition and neonatal respiratory efforts resulting in polyhydramnios prenatally or respiratory impairment postnatally. Histologically CE shows characteristic large cells with granular cytoplasm and spindle cells resembling fibroblasts. The exact histiogenesis is still uncertain, various theories of origin are epithelial, undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, pericytes, fibroblast, smooth muscle cells and nerve related cells. A newborn female child with CE in the maxillary alveolar ridge reported to our institution is presented with investigation, management and follow-up.

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