sanaz kamareh

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of buccal infiltration anesthesia (BIA) with 4% articaine versus inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) with 2% lidocaine for extraction of primary mandibular molars.

This single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial evaluated 100 children between 4-8 years requiring extraction of primary mandibular molars. The children were randomly assigned to two groups (n=50) of IANB with 2% lidocaine and 1:100,000 epinephrine (control), and BIA with 4% articaine and 1:200,000 epinephrine. The Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS) and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale were used to assess the analgesic efficacy of each technique, and the resultant behavioral reaction of children. Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and independent t-tests (alpha=0.05). 

In total, 43 girls and 57 boys with a mean age of 6.59±1.20 years were evaluated. The mean FLACC score was 0.98 in the lidocaine and 1.44 in the articaine group with no significant difference (P=0.246). The mean WBFPS score was significantly higher in the articaine than in the lidocaine group (P=0.039), but the difference between the two groups separately for each tooth type was not significant (P>0.05).

Despite the significantly lower pain score of the IANB with lidocaine group, BIA with 4% articaine was comparable to IANB with 2% lidocaine in behavioral control of children, and may be considered as an acceptable alternative.

 One of the important indicators of growth and development is tooth eruption timing, which is influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to assess the relationship between different developmental parameters and eruption time of first primary tooth in infants aged 2-15 months.

 This cohort study was conducted on 873 infants aged 2-15 months in eastern health centers of Tehran, Iran. The height, weight, head circumference, breastfeeding/bottle-feeding practices, vitamin AD supplementation, and maternal age at birth of the infants were recorded. The eruption time of first primary tooth was recorded by monthly examination of infants at the health centers. The effects of qualitative and quantitative variables were analyzed using the independent t-test and Chi-square test, respectively. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the simultaneous effects of growth parameters on tooth eruption time at a significance level of 0.05.  

 The eruption time of first primary tooth had an inverse relationship with the weight (P<0.001), height (P=0.003), and head circumference (P=0.01) of the infants. The mean eruption time of the first primary tooth was 7.6 ± 1.7 months in normal birth weight infants (above 2500 g) and 9.7 ± 1.9 months in low birth weight infants (below 2500 g). There was no significant correlation between gender and the eruption time of the first primary tooth (P=0.16). However, the eruption time had significant relationships with maternal age, breastfeeding, and vitamin AD supplementation (P=0.001).

 higher birth weight, height, and head circumference, as well as breastfeeding and receiving vitamin AD supplements are correlated with earlier eruption of first primary tooth.

 This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian pedodontists regarding preventive measures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 Iranian pedodontists. Data regarding their knowledge, attitude, and practice related to COVID-19 were collected through a valid and reliable researcher-designed questionnaire and analyzed using the independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey test (alpha = 0.05).

The majority of the participants were between 30 and 50 years old. The attitude and practice scores of participants aged over 50 were significantly higher than those of younger participants (P < 0.05). The majority of the participants were female, but the mean practice score of males was significantly higher than that of females (P = 0.018). The participants’ mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores had no significant association with their work experience or practice location (P > 0.05). The participants had a good level of knowledge regarding self-protection; however, they needed to update their knowledge.  

 The Iranian pedodontists’ levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice were generally good, and they adhered well to the infection control protocols, social distancing measures, and taking thorough medical histories.

Intrusive luxation is a severe type of dentoalveolar injury, which causes damage to the pulp and supporting tissues of a tooth, as the tooth is apically dislocated into the alveolar process.

This report describes a case of re-eruption of an intruded immature severely ankylosed upper permanent central incisor. A seven-year-old boy was referred to the pediatric dental clinic three months after a traumatic injury. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed intrusive luxation of the immature left upper permanent central incisor. In the first visit, initial bracketing was performed, and the left central incisor was engaged. In the second visit (after four weeks), the tooth showed no movement and produced a metallic sound in percussion. The tooth was consequently luxated and engaged again with a heavier force and followed-up monthly.

It re-erupted completely, and the follow-up periapical radiographs showed that root formation continued, and the root apex was approximately closed.

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) refers to a group of hereditary disorders that affect the quality and/or quantity of dental enamel of both primary and permanent dentitions. Also, these patients may suffer from certain systemic disorders and other dental and skeletal defects or abnormalities.

A 9-year-old female patient with hypoplastic type AI with unerupted maxillary first molars, and pulpal calcifications is reported. Her permanent anterior teeth were restored with composite veneer while the posterior teeth received stainless steel crowns.

Hypoplastic type AI is a rather uncommon disorder. Early treatment of AI, not only prevents tooth wear, but also has a positive psychological impact on children. The possible association of AI with nephrocalcinosis can also be monitored through initial radiographic evidence of pulp stones.

Since fluoride therapy is usually the first step of treatment in pediatric dentistry and it may interfere with other treatments, such as composite fill-ing, this study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of topical pre-fluoride therapy on marginal microleakage of composite restorations in deciduous teeth. In this in-vitro study, 30 deciduous canines were randomly allocated to five groups: 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel was used in two groups, while 2% sodium fluoride (NaF) gel was used in the other two groups. Thirty minutes and two weeks after fluoride therapy, Class V cavities were prepared and restored using composite resins. After thermocycling, the teeth were soaked in 0.5% fuchsine solution and were sagittally sectioned in half. The extension of dye penetration into the occlusal and gingival walls was investigated un-der a stereomicroscope at ×30 magnification and scored using a 0-3 scoring system. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Marginal microleakage was neither affected in enamel walls (P=0.213) nor in dentinal walls (P=0.851). The scores of microleakage in enamel walls were lower than that in dentinal walls, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Topical fluoride therapy using 1.23% APF or 2% NaF gel before the placement of composite resin restorations has no negative effect on marginal microleakage.

Attempts to retain primary teeth have led to introduction of materials and techniques for their preservation such as stainless steel crowns (SSCs). Due to variations in tooth anatomy among different populations, this study compared the buccolingual (BL) to mesiodistal (MD) ratio of primary mandibular first molars with that of SSCs in an Iranian population.

  This cross sectional study was conducted on 96 primary mandibular first molars with intact cementoenamel junction, which had been extracted for severe caries. The MD and BL dimensions of the teeth and available maxillary and mandibular SSCs (3M) were measured. Two independent examiners measured the dimensions twice at two different time points using a digital caliper. Data were analyzed by one-sample t-test and McNemar's test via SPSS 21.0 software.

Significant differences were observed in both BL and MD dimensions between teeth and both maxillary and mandibular SSCs (P<0.001). According to McNemar's test, the dimensions of 65.6% of teeth matched those of mandibular SSCs while the dimensions of 38.5% matched those of maxillary crowns. Dimensions of 3.1% of the teeth did not match any of the crowns and in 7.4%, both maxillary and mandibular SSCs were appropriate.

Comparing the variances of BL/MD ratio of teeth with SSCs revealed that the dimensions of two-thirds of the teeth matched those of mandibular SSCs, while the maxillary SSCs were appropriate for the remaining one-third. Significant differences were seen between the size of teeth and both maxillary and mandibular crowns.