Evaluating anxiety levels and pain perception while administering local anesthesia using conventional, insulin, and deception syringes in 6-12-year-olds.

Background: Injections are one of the most fear-provoking stimuli in dentistry. Painless administration of an injection is a vital step in alleviating anxiety, which in turn leads to good behavior in children. The aim is to evaluate and compare anxiety levels and pain perception using conventional, insulin, and deception syringes during the administration of local anesthesia in children. Methods: Forty-five children aged 6-12 were selected using a standard sample size formula and equally divided into three groups. Local anesthesia was administered using a conventional syringe to Group A participants and an insulin syringe for Group B participants. Group C participants were administered local anesthesia using a deception syringe by showing the patient disposable obturation tips, and eventually a conventional syringe was used for administration of local anesthesia after hiding them from the patient. Anxiety levels were assessed using Venham's Picture Scale and pulse rate at baseline and after administration of local anesthesia. The Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was used to assess pain perception after the administration of local anesthesia. Results: Insulin and deception syringes showed better reduction in anxiety levels and pain perception than conventional syringes, demonstrating a high statistically significant difference. Conclusion: The use of insulin and deception syringes for administration of anesthesia was demonstrated to be effective in alleviating anxiety in children and is therefore recommended as an alternative to conventional syringes.

Assessment of knowledge and attitude toward informed consent and assent for biomedical research involving children among health-care professionals in Belagavi city: A questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND: Most of the nations have proposed research regulations to protect the rights and welfare of the research participants. Among such regulations are the informed consent and assent. In the present world, informed consent and assent is the cornerstone in health practice. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To compare and evaluate the knowledge and attitude toward informed consent and assent for biomedical research involving children among health-care professionals in Belagavi city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 300 house surgeons divided into four groups of Medical, Dental, Nursing, and Ayurveda faculty of Belagavi city. A self-administered multiple choice questions were used to evaluate the knowledge and a five-point Likert scale was used to asses attitude regarding informed consent and assent for research involving children. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference in mean knowledge and attitude among all four groups (P < 0.05), and there was no significant correlation between knowledge and attitude as a whole in each group of professionals (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Emphasis on additional training is the need of the hour for all the faculty participants and also incorporation of study material regarding informed consent and assent for research involving children by the policy makers.

Comparative evaluation of antibacterial efficacy of conventional glass-ionomer cement and bulk-fill alkasite material when combined with doxycycline and double antibiotic paste containing ciprofloxacin and metronidazole against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp.: An in vitro study.

INTRODUCTION: Glass-ionomer cement (GIC) have been indispensable to pediatric dentistry. Along with these, newer materials like bulk-fill alkasite cement (Cention N) are popularizing. In spite of this, the search is still on for the "ideal" bioactive material which could provide a therapeutic edge. In light of this, incorporation of antibiotics in GIC or newer materials like bulk-fill alkasite cement (Cention N) would provide a novel alternative material to the dentists. AIM: The study was aimed at comparing the antibacterial efficacy of conventional glass-ionomer cement (CGIC) and bulk-fill alkasite cement (Cention N) with doxycycline (DOX) and double antibiotic paste (DAP) containing metronidazole and ciprofloxacin (1.5% w/w) on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Agar well diffusion method was followed, in which material discs of 10 mm were made and inserted into the wells. Inhibition zones were calculated after incubation for 24 h at 37°C with zone interpretation scale. RESULTS: A highly significant statistical correlation was found between antibacterial efficacy of the control groups (CGIC and bulk-fill alkasite cement [Cention N]) without antibiotics as compared to the experimental group (CGIC and bulk-fill alkasite cement [Cention N] with DOX and DAP), P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0006 for the CGIC group and P = 0.0147 and P = 0.0080 for the Cention N group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Incorporation of antibiotics significantly enhanced the antibacterial efficacy of CGIC and bulk-fill alkasite cement (Cention N).

Successful Management of the Masochistic Habit in a Child with Santovuori-Haltia-Hagberg Disease (Infantile Neuronal Ceriod Lipofuscinoses).

Self-injurious behaviours are usually related to paediatric patients with mental retardation. The management of such patients is quiet challenging to the paediatric dentists because of the difficulty to communicate with such patients regarding their feelings verbally. Here, we present a case report of successful management of self-injurious behaviour in a child with Infantile Neuronal Ceriod Lipofuscinoses (INCL).

Severe congenital cyclic neutropenia: A case report.

Congenital cyclic neutropenia syndrome is a constitutional genetic disorder which is characterized by very low number of neutrophils (neutropenia). Patients suffering from this disorder clinically present with neutropenia at early age, history of recurrent fever, ulcerations in the oral cavity, gingivitis, and other recurrent infections. This paper describes a case report of a child with recurrent mouth ulcers, fever, and later diagnosed with severe congenital cyclic neutropenia. This also emphasizes the importance of identification of rare causes of immunosuppressive conditions in children presenting with recurrent oral ulcers and poor dental hygiene, to prevent long-term complications of oral cavity and also morbidity and mortality secondary to neutropenic sepsis.