Pediatric Dental Resident's Education on Children with Special Health Care Needs in the United States.

PURPOSE: To describe pediatric dental residents education as it pertains to children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN). METHODS: A web-based survey was administered to 80 program directors of pediatric dental residencies recognized by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). The survey identified demographic data and education and training methods pertaining to CSHCN. RESULTS: Forty surveys (50 percent) were received from programs in all six AAPD regions. Programs that treated 4,500 patients or less/year were statistically less likely to require a specific assessment and were less likely to use written tests to assess competency treating CSHCN. A specific special needs didactic course (88 percent) and journal articles (85 percent) were the most common didactic training methods. The majority of the programs (69 percent) offered more than 20 hours of didactic education. On average 36.3 percent of the patients treated in residencies reported to be CSHCN and each resident clinically treated and average of 13 CSHCN/week. One-third of the respondents planned to increase CSHCN education in the next three years. Almost 70 percent of respondents supported the standardization of a national curriculum regarding CSHCN. CONCLUSIONS: A wide disparity exists among residencies regarding education related to CSHCN. Most pediatric dental residency directors support the national standardization of CSHCN education.

Conventional Therapy in Adults With X-Linked Hypophosphatemia: Effects on Enthesopathy and Dental Disease.

CONTEXT: Treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) with active vitamin D metabolites and phosphate can partially correct skeletal deformities. It is unclear whether therapy influences the occurrence of two major long-term morbidities in XLH: enthesopathy and dental disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between treatment and enthesopathy and dental disease in adult XLH patients. DESIGN: The study was designed as observational and cross-sectional. SETTING: The study was conducted at an academic medical center's hospital research unit. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two XLH patients aged 18 years or older at the time of the study participated in the study. INTERVENTIONS: There were no interventions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of enthesopathy sites identified by radiographic skeletal survey and dental disease severity (more than five or five or fewer dental abscesses), identified historically, were measured. METHODS: Associations between proportion of adult life and total life with treatment and number of enthesopathy sites were assessed using multiple linear regression, whereas associations between these exposure variables and dental disease severity were assessed using multiple logistic regression. All models were adjusted for confounding factors. RESULTS: Neither proportion of adult nor total life with treatment was a significant predictor of extent of enthesopathy. In contrast, both of these treatment variables were significant predictors of dental disease severity (multivariate-adjusted global P = .0080 and P = .0010, respectively). Participants treated 0% of adulthood were more likely to have severe dental disease than those treated 100% of adulthood (adjusted odds ratio 25 [95% confidence interval 1.2-520]). As the proportion of adult life with treatment increased, the odds of having severe dental disease decreased (multivariate-adjusted P for trend = .015). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment in adulthood may not promote or prevent enthesopathy; however, it may be associated with a lower risk of experiencing severe dental disease.

Pediatric soft tissue oral lesions.

This article provides an overview of common color changes and soft tissue oral nodular abnormalities in children and adolescents. The clinical presentation and treatment options to address these conditions are presented in a concise approach, highlighting key features relevant to the oral health care professional.

Bispectral index monitoring of sedation depth in pediatric dental patients.

The bispectral index (BIS) monitor records electroencephalogram waveforms and provides an objective measure of the hypnotic effect of a sedative drug on brain activity. The aim of this pilot study was to use the BIS monitor to evaluate the depth of procedural sedation in pediatric dental patients and to assess if the BIS monitor readings correlate with a validated pediatric sedation scale, the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS), in determining the level of sedation in these patients. Thirty-five pediatric dental patients requiring sedation were studied prospectively. A baseline BIS reading was obtained and during the procedure an independent observer recorded the BIS every 5 minutes. The operator, who was blinded to the BIS results, determined the UMSS scale at the same 5-minute interval. The patients were monitored postoperatively for 1 hour. There was a significant but moderate correlation between BIS values and UMSS scores (Spearman's rank correlation r  =  -0.574, P < .0001). Percentage of agreement and kappa coefficient using all the observations were also calculated. The percentage of agreement was 37.8%, the kappa coefficient was 0.18 (P < .0001), and the weighted kappa coefficient 0.26 (P < .0001). A lack of correlation was noted between the deeper levels of UMSS sedation scores and BIS values. This study demonstrated a significant correlation between BIS values and the UMSS score in pediatric dental patients undergoing mild to moderate sedation. Based on our results, it appears that the BIS monitor may be useful during mild or moderate sedations to establish the level of sedation objectively without the need to stimulate the patient.

Adjuncts to traditional local anesthesia techniques in instance of hypomineralized teeth.

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a defect in the enamel of permanent and/or primary molars and incisors. This disorder allows for rapid breakdown of the teeth and often calls for extensive restorative procedures. Due to the chronic pulpitis condition that is often associated with hypomineralized teeth, local anesthesia complications can result. This paper is a systematic review of the literature for the purpose of investigating adjuncts to traditional local anesthesia techniques in the case of hyper-responsive, hypomineralized-involved teeth during restorative procedures.

Pathologic paediatric conditions associated with a compromised airway.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to describe pathologic paediatric conditions associated with airway compromise adversely affecting dental treatment with sedation and general anaesthesia. METHODS: A review of available literature was completed, identifying pathologic paediatric conditions predisposing to airway compromise. RESULTS: Airway-related deaths are uncommon, but respiratory complication represents the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality during the administration of general anaesthesia. Differences in anatomy and physiology of the paediatric and adult airway contribute to the child's predisposition to rapid development of airway compromise and respiratory failure; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spine injury, morbid obesity, and prematurity represent only a few conditions contributing to potential airway compromise of which the paediatric clinician needs to be aware. In all cases, thorough physical examination prior to treatment is mandated to affect a positive treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Successful management of children and adolescents with a compromised airway begins with identification of the problem through a detailed medical history and physical examination. Due to the likely fragile nature of many of these patients, and possibility of concomitant medical conditions affecting airway management, dental treatment needs necessitating pharmacological management are best treated in a controlled setting such as the operating room, where a patent airway can be maintained.

Pediatric conditions associated with compromised airway: part I--congenital.

Epidemiological studies have confirmed that respiratory complications are collectively the leading cause of pediatric anesthetic-related morbidity and mortality Perioperative pulmonary complications associated with sedation and/or general anesthesia include obstruction, atelectosis, aspiration, pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, hypoxemia and respiratory failure. This review discusses congenital conditions characterized by potentially diff cult airway management, and proposes treatment considerations to prevent adverse events in these patients. The importance of patient evaluation prior to sedation and general anesthesia is emphasized. Knowledge of normal and abnormal head and neck anatomy and its influence on maintaining airway potency during routine and emergency procedures is necessary in providing safe and high-quality care for young and adolescent patients.

Obesity: a complicating factor for sedation in children.

The purpose of this review was to describe the potential influence of childhood obesity on pharmacosedation in pediatric dentistry and provide specific recommendations for managing obese patients. Increasingly common in the United States, childhood obesity poses specific challenges to the dentist. The greatest of these involve the increased potential for respiratory complications because of fat-induced restrictive lung disease and obstructive sleep apnea. Cardiovascular complications associated with obesity alone are rare in the pediatric patient, although hypertension is more likely. Gastrointestinal problems include increased likelihood for aspiration, necessitating strict fasting requirements. Sedative drugs dosed on total body weight may oversedate obese patients; dosages based on lean body mass may undersedate and usually produce a decreased duration of effect. Extra precautions regarding drug selection (such as avoiding opioids) and proper patient positioning can help minimize the incidence of complications.