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OBJECTIVES Teledentistry is a telematics approach validated in the literature that allows the remote diagnosis and management of various oral health problems, avoiding direct face-to-face contact with the patient. This study aims to present a review of the scientific literature to analyze in which fields of pediatric dentistry teledentistry has found application and with what results;in addition, a case of unconventional oral candidiasis in a child, diagnosed and managed through the use of teledentistry during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in April 2020, is presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature search was performed through PubMed (using keyword and MeSH terms), Scopus and Embase databases, evaluating observational, interventional, case reports and case series studies, published in English between 1999 and 2021 and conducted in children. The clinical case presented was diagnosed and managed through photographs that the pediatric dentist received from the patient's mother via a multi-platform messaging application. Through the same application, the mother was able to provide informed consent to take care of the patient remotely, after acceptance of possible critical issues regarding teledentistry, and receive a prescription for home treatment of oral candidiasis. RESULTS After exclusion of duplicates and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected. Teledentistry was applied in four different areas: oral health promotion, with 2 studies examining smartphone applications to improve home oral hygiene, diagnosis/follow-up/treatment in orthodontics with 4 studies, caries and other hard and soft tissue diseases of the oral cavity with 7 studies, and finally dental traumatology with a single study. With regard to the promotion of oral health, two applications for the improvement of home oral hygiene were examined. They showed promise for motivation and education. In orthodontics, the studies evaluated in this review reported that teledentistry is useful and valuable for follow-up and orthodontic consultations that can be obtained quickly;doubts remain regarding expense, intervention time and operator compensation. In addition, remotely supervised interceptive treatment appears to reduce the severity of malocclusions. About caries and other hard and soft tissue diseases of the oral cavity, results indicate that teledentistry can reduce waiting lists and the need for face-to-face examinations. Teledentistry is considered valid, efficient and potentially cost-effective for screening and follow-up of caries, being comparable to traditional clinical examination. Teledentistry has proven to be comparable to clinical examination for the diagnosis of dental trauma. CONCLUSIONS The data collected allow us to conclude that teledentistry, thanks to advances in technology, can be a useful means for pediatric dentists to improve the oral health of young patients and to provide better access to oral health services by effectively replacing face-to-face dentistry in various situations. The presented clinical case confirms the conclusions obtained from the literature search. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Teledentistry can replace face-to-face visits in several areas of pediatric dentistry and ensuring safe care during any future pandemics.Copyright © 2023 EDRA SpA. Tutti i diritti riservati.
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With COVID-19 declared as a worldwide pandemic, a nationwide lockdown was implemented overnight in India on March 24, 2020. With no prior warning or anticipation, patient appointments were temporarily ceased as institutions and clinics were indefinitely closed. Thus, with no prior warning or anticipation, orthodontic appointments were temporarily ceased. In the field of orthodontics, treatment is generally not considered an emergency. However, what is not understood is the importance of regular check-ups or monthly appointments, as well as the impact of restrictions put on patients concerning visiting their orthodontists in times of need. Understanding whether patients realize the importance of regular follow-ups, feel the need for orthodontic treatment to be regarded as emergencies, or assess the reasons for fear or inconveniences in the minds of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment in a time where they are entirely restricted to the confines of their homes are grey areas that are left unexplored. A set of 12 questions was formulated and distributed among the study. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire. The survey was conducted in an online forum. A total of 100 validated entries were collected. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed in SPSS V20. Associations between categorical variables were determined using Chi-square. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.85% of the population are aware of orthodontic treatment, 93% of the population responded that they are concerned about their facial appearance. 84% of the population believes orthodontic treatment is must. 76% of the population responded that orthodontic treatment affects their hygiene system. 63% of the population felt safe to visit dental clinics post COVID, 52% of the population are not aware of permanent teeth extraction during orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment is required mainly in smile correction or any other dental problems like elimination of malocclusion, trauma, periodontitis. Hence awareness on orthodontic treatment post COVID was improved.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
With COVID-19 declared as a worldwide pandemic, a nationwide lockdown was implemented overnight in India on March 24, 2020. With no prior warning or anticipation, patient appointments were temporarily ceased as institutions and clinics were indefinitely closed. Thus, with no prior warning or anticipation, orthodontic appointments were temporarily ceased. In the field of orthodontics, treatment is generally not considered an emergency. However, what is not understood is the importance of regular check-ups or monthly appointments, as well as the impact of restrictions put on patients concerning visiting their orthodontists in times of need. Understanding whether patients realize the importance of regular follow-ups, feel the need for orthodontic treatment to be regarded as emergencies, or assess the reasons for fear or inconveniences in the minds of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment in a time where they are entirely restricted to the confines of their homes are grey areas that are left unexplored. A set of 12 questions was formulated and distributed among the study. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire. The survey was conducted in an online forum. A total of 100 validated entries were collected. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed in SPSS V20. Associations between categorical variables were determined using Chi-square. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.85% of the population are aware of orthodontic treatment, 93% of the population responded that they are concerned about their facial appearance. 84% of the population believes orthodontic treatment is must. 76% of the population responded that orthodontic treatment affects their hygiene system. 63% of the population felt safe to visit dental clinics post COVID, 52% of the population are not aware of permanent teeth extraction during orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment is required mainly in smile correction or any other dental problems like elimination of malocclusion, trauma, periodontitis. Hence awareness on orthodontic treatment post COVID was improved. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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Aim: This retrospective research was aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on orthodontic emergencies and Patients' perceptions of orthodontic patients. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 204 patients were gathered who were not seen for nearly 5 months from the first of March 2020 to the end of July 2020 due to dental clinic closure. The mean age of the samples was 20.2 (SD = 12.5) years consisting of 134 females (66%) and 70 males (34%). All patients had undergone active orthodontic treatment with fixed and removable appliances before the pandemic. The survey included demographics, types of orthodontic emergencies, and Patients' perceptions of orthodontic treatment during the closure of the dental clinic. Continuous variables were analyzed by mean and standard deviation, while categorical variables were analyzed by frequency and percentage. Result(s): In general, 46.5% of the patients suffered from various emergencies. The incidence of emergencies was approximately 3 times higher than that of the normal appointment times. Debonding and poking wire had the most frequently reported classification respectively (14.2%) (7.9%). 30.4% of patients stated that pandemic had a significant impact on the efficacy of orthodontic treatment. Conclusion(s): This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on patient care due to a higher number of emergencies and in turns, it delayed the therapeutic progress of patients. 16% of patients with active orthodontic appliances did not continue their treatment due to pandemics. More than half of the patients were willing to be seen every 8 weeks. Copyright © by BIOLIFE, s.a.s.
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BACKGROUND: Self-mutilating behavior in the pediatric population is associated with psychiatric and psychosocial factors. Autosarcophagy, or self-cannibalism, is an extremely rare form of self-mutilation and is predominantly seen with psychosis or substance use.1 We report a case of oral autosarcophagy in a pediatric patient in the absence of substance use or psychosis. OBJECTIVE: To learn about autosarcophagy and its treatment in the pediatric population and to explore other neuropsychiatric disorders in which it is a predominant manifestation. METHODS: Review of a case using electronic medical records and relevant literature. Key terms: 'autosarcophagy,' 'body focused repetitive behavior,' 'oral self injury,' 'pediatric self-mutilation' using Medscape and Google Scholar. RESULTS: We present a 14-year-old female with history of seizure disorder in full remission, depression, self-cutting behavior, and suicidal ideation with 2 psychiatric hospitalizations, who presented to the pediatric emergency department with oral bleeding after eating one-third of her tongue over the course of a month. Evaluation was notable for poverty of speech and constricted affect. Patient stated she was 'trying to remove an infection' and alleviate discomfort. She denied that this behavior was an attempt to end her life but endorsed past suicidal ideations and cutting behavior. History revealed emergency room evaluation for aggressive behavior and episodes of volitional enuresis. We diagnosed major depressive disorder, recurrent episode in remission without psychosis. Drug screen, complete blood count, complete metabolic panel, COVID-19, urinalysis, thyroid-stimulating hormone, head computed tomography, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin were negative. Patient continued home oral medications aripiprazole 10 mg daily, fluoxetine 30 mg daily, and levetiracetam 500 mg twice daily and was discharged the next day. CONCLUSIONS: Self-harm is observed in 17.2% of adolescents, 13.4% of young adults, and 5.5% of older adults.2 Cases of self-mutilation in pediatric patients typically present as cutting, burning, or head banging.3 Our differential diagnoses include borderline personality disorder due to repeated impulsivity and self-harm, and body focused repetitive behavior disorder (obsessive-compulsive disorder-related disorder), which presents with repetitive strain injuries and dental malocclusions. Treatment of self-mutilation involves treating the underlying psychiatric condition with psychotropic medications.4,5 In pediatric patients, dialectical behavioral therapy has been shown to reduce parasuicidal behaviors after 1 year of therapy.6 Our patient, under constant 24-hour observation, was cleared by medical, psychiatric, and dental teams. The patient followed up with outpatient psychotherapy and psychiatry. We are presenting this rare case for clinicians to identify and manage pediatric patients presenting with unique forms of self-harm tendencies.
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Objective: To determine patient concerns and anxiety regarding orthodontic treatment and appointments during COVID-19 Pandemic Methodology: After approval from Sharif Medical Research Center (SMRC) and the Ethics Committee of Sharif Medical City Hospital (SMCH), 247 orthodontic patients were selected from the Orthodontics Department of SMCH, Lahore, who had ongoing orthodontic treatment. The total duration of the study was two and a half months from 12th March to 30th May 2021. Data was analyzed by IBM SPSS version 25. Percentages of the responses in each domain of the questionnaire were calculated. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied where applicable to determine the significance of associations between different variables, with p<0.05 taken as significant. Results: Two hundred and forty seven patients were sent the questionnaire links, while 213 patients responded, out of which 132 were females and 81 were males, with mean age 22.81±2.93 years. Anxiety about the coronavirus pandemic ranged from 5.32 ±2.30. Patients were particularly concerned about the length of time it would take to complete their orthodontic treatment as a result of quarantine (55.9 percent). 5.68±2.15 was the mean anxiety level. Conclusion: The quarantine recommended due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted orthodontic appointments and patients' anxieties and anxiety, since a statistically significant correlation was established between quarantine and coronavirus sentiments and orthodontic appointment willingness. Males were more willing to get braces than females. Delay in treatment end, bracket breaking, and growing malocclusion were patients' top concerns. Patients said the most critical precaution in orthodontics was changing the dentists' disposable lab coats after every visit to avoid cross-contamination.
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The proceedings contain 27 papers. The topics discussed include: oral health habits during the COVID-19 confinement period in Spain;application of artificial intelligence in caries diagnosis;Marfan syndrome in dental practice;COVID-19: what has changed in dentistry?;use of silver diaminofluoride (SDF) prior to pit and fissure sealing in incipient caries lesions;level of knowledge of pregnant women about oral health in infants;anterior open bite and oral quality of life in adult patients: a case-control study;prevalence of caries in internationally adopted children in Aragon;fluoride concentration in formula milks reconstituted with bottled water;in-vitro validation study of the diagnodent system for the diagnosis of incipient caries;oral microbiota and its relationship with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth;and approach to malocclusions in primary care: two case reports.
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Tongue function is regarded as a primary factor in the etiology of malocclusion, but details of the relationship remain unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate maximum tongue pressure, in preschool children to examine its relationship with dental occlusion. A total of 477 healthy children (248 boys, 229 girls, aged 4-6 years) were recruited. Dental occlusion was assessed visually to record sagittal, vertical, and transverse malocclusion, and space discrepancies. Maximum tongue pressure was measured using a balloon-based tongue pressure measurement device. Additionally, 72 children (37 boys, 35 girls, aged 4-5 years) were recruited for a 1-year follow-up study. Approximately half of the children (53.5%) showed some type of malocclusion in the present study. Maximum tongue pressure was highest in the 6-year-old children. The results of a two-way ANCOVA show that the effect of age was significant (p < 0.001); however, the effects of sex and dental occlusion, or the interactions among these variables, did not reach significance. Additionally, maximum tongue pressure increased significantly in the 1-year follow-up study (p < 0.001), especially in the normal occlusion group. Maximum tongue pressure increases markedly with growth in the preschool years and can be associated with some types of malocclusion in preschool children.
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The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusions in a group of schoolchildren from both urban and rural areas of Gorj County, Romania The study included 1007 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 14 years old, who were enrolled in randomly selected public schools from Gorj County. The data were collected from December 2019 to February 2020, based on the project "Educafie pentru sanatate orala. Cercetari privind anomaliile dento-maxilare si leziunile odonto-parodontale la scolarii din Oltenia", in which several institutions were involved. The study was interrupted before it was completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. In data collection and centralization we used: Angle's classification of malocclusions and the distribution of malocclusions according to gender, age groups and origin. We obtained a prevalence of 35.35% for malocclusions. Of the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions, the highest prevalence was recorded for those included in Angle's class I (60.37% for males and 65.63% for females). We found the highest prevalence of malocclusions in female gender (36.64%). Regarding the origin, there is a higher prevalence of malocclusions in urban areas (37.86%). Due to the strong impact of malocclusions on the quality of life, it is necessary to apply preventive measures to avoid psychological implications.