Does Dental Fear in Children Predict Untreated Dental Caries? An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

Despite free health care services in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of caries in children is substantially greater in comparison to other high-income countries. Dental fear in children may be an important issue that needs attention. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the role of dental fear in predicting untreated dental caries in schoolchildren. This analytical cross-sectional study included children aged 8-10 years residing in Saudi Arabia. Dental status via oral examinations was surveyed with the WHO standardized chart and the Children Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale was used to score dental fear. Descriptive, binary, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to report the findings at 5% statistical significance. Overall, there were 798 schoolchildren with an average fear score of 36. Nearly 70.4% reported fear of someone examining their mouth. About 76.9% had at least one carious tooth in their oral cavity. Children with dental fear were 1.8 times (OR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.26, 2.56) more likely to have at least one untreated carious tooth in their oral cavity than those who did not express fear during oral examinations and dental procedures. Thus, the current study concludes that fear of dentists and dental treatment procedures successfully predicts untreated carious teeth in schoolchildren.

Immediate effect of pulsed high-intensity neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser on staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa growth: an experimental study.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pulsed high intensity neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser on staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacterial growth, which cause many health problems and establish which doses are effective in bacterial inhibition. [Materials and Methods] Five samples of S. aureus and five samples of P. aeruginosa were prepared in the microbiology lab, one used as control sample and the other 4 samples acted as experimental samples. The experimental samples received pulsed high intensity Nd: YAG laser with a total dose of 500, 600, 700 and 800 joules. The primary measures are colony count and the percentage decrease in colony count, the colony count was assessed at baseline and after 24 h of laser application. [Result] There was significant decrease in colony count and the percentage decrease in colony count after pulsed high intensity Nd: YAG laser application in all experimental samples of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa after 24 h of application for all doses (500, 600, 700 and 800 j) as compared with the control sample, with the most effect in higher doses of pulsed high intensity Nd: YAG laser than lower doses in both types of bacteria. [Conclusion] pulsed high intensity Nd: YAG laser was found to be an effective modality for inhibition of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa growth after a single application.

[Verapamil-induced linear IgA disease mimicking toxic epidermal necrolysis]. / Dermatose à IgA linéaire induite par le vérapamil : présentation inhabituelle à type de nécrolyse épidermique toxique.

BACKGROUND: Linear IgA bullous dermatosis is a rare auto-immune bullous dermatitis characterized by linear IgA deposits in the basal membrane zone. Clinical diagnosis may be difficult due to the various clinical presentations mimicking bullous pemphigoid, pemphigus, erythema multiforme or toxic epidermal necrolysis. Linear IgA may be idiopathic or due to drugs, particularly vancomycin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe a 91-year-old woman treated with verapamil for coronary disease who developed an eruption presenting as a toxic epidermal necrolysis, although the diagnosis was amended after direct immunofluorescence revealed IgA deposits in the basal membrane zone. DISCUSSION: Ours appears to be the first reported case of verapamil-induced linear IgA bullous dermatosis.

[Occurrence of psoriasis in a patient presenting Shulman fasciitis treated with infliximab]. / Survenue d'un psoriasis au cours d'un traitement par infliximab pour fasciite de Shulman.

BACKGROUND: Anti-TNFalpha drugs are used in certain rheumatologic and gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases and are also effective in cutaneous psoriasis. Several case reports have recently been published concerning induction of paradoxical psoriasis during the course of anti-TNF therapy. We report a new case involving infliximab used to treat Shulman fasciitis. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old woman was treated with infliximab for corticoid-dependent Shulman fasciitis. No personal or familial cutaneous psoriasis was noted in her history. Two months after the third infusion, she developed psoriasis vulgaris and pustular palmoplantar psoriasis which improved under topical corticosteroids. Her psoriatic lesions worsened one month after the first maintenance infusion. Since the Shulman fasciitis was not under control, infliximab was withdrawn and replaced with azathioprine. Six months later, her psoriasis was in remission and the Shulman fasciitis was under control. DISCUSSION: TNFalpha plays an important role in the physiopathology of psoriasis through its action on inflammatory infiltrate, angiogenesis and keratinocyte proliferation. Several studies have reported the efficiency of TNFalpha inhibitors in moderate to severe cutaneous psoriasis. However, fourteen cases of induction or worsening of psoriasis have been reported with these drugs, suggesting a class effect. We report a new case of cutaneous psoriasis induced by infliximab in a patient presenting corticoid-dependent Shulman fasciitis, and we discuss the possible immunological mechanisms responsible for this paradoxical side effect. Other cutaneous lesions have been reported during treatment with TNFalpha inhibitors. The benefits of this treatment on the underlying inflammatory disease must be balanced against the potential cutaneous side effects when deciding whether to continue with anti-TNFalpha treatment.