Evaluation of Marginal Microleakage and Depth of Penetration of Different Materials Used as Pit and Fissure Sealants: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: Fissure sealants hold a great significance in the preclusion of inception of caries process. The present in vitro study assesses the marginal sealing ability and penetration depth of various dental products used as pit and fissure sealants. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty freshly extracted human non-carious premolars were arbitrarily categorized into four groups of 15 samples. Prophylaxis of occlusal surfaces of sample teeth was done with pumice slurry and sealant was applied. Later, the teeth underwent thermocycling and immersion in 5% methylene blue for 24 hours. Sectioning of teeth samples was done buccolingually and they were analyzed under stereomicroscope. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Nonparametric tests Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney were applied to carry out microleakage comparison. The percentage penetration depth was compared using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Tukey's post hoc test was applied for multiple analogies. RESULTS: Highest microleakage was seen in glass ionomer-based sealant followed by flowable composite and least for classical sealant. Flowable nanocomposite gave comparable results with that of the classical sealant. No statistical difference was found with respect to depth of penetration between different tested materials. CONCLUSION: Flowable nanocomposite can be considered as a promising substitute for sealing fissures and thus can be endorsed to caries-susceptible pediatric patients. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Butail A, Dua P, Mangla R, et al. Evaluation of Marginal Microleakage and Depth of Penetration of Different Materials Used as Pit and Fissure Sealants: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(1):38-42.

Rotary Endodontics in Pediatric Dentistry: Embracing the New Alternative.

Pulpectomy is one of the most important procedures in maintaining the necrotic primary teeth until physiologic exfoliation. In clinical practice, time efficacy is invaluable, especially in pediatric endodontics, where unpredictability and difficulty of root canal morphology adds to a clinician's challenge. The success of a pulpectomy procedure mainly depends upon the biomechanical preparation of the root canal systems. With the advent of NiTi rotary files, adult endodontic procedures have been rendered easy, but its popularity in pedodontic practice is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review the use of NiTi rotary files for root canal instrumentation in primary teeth. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Chauhan A, Saini S, Dua P, et al. Rotary Endodontics in Pediatric Dentistry: Embracing the New Alternative. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2019;12(5):460-463.

Comparative Evaluation of Microhardness by Common Drinks on Esthetic Restorative Materials and Enamel: An in vitro Study.

AIM: This study was aimed to evaluate effects of various beverages on microhardness of esthetic restorative materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 160 disk-like specimens were prepared with 40 specimens each using nanocomposite resin, nano-ionomer, compomer, and conventional composite resin as experimental groups. Forty primary teeth were prepared and mounted in acrylic to be used as control group. Microhardness of the restorative materials was measured using Vickers microhardness tester at baseline and after immersion in various beverages. The difference between the two readings was evaluated within different groups. RESULTS: In general, low pH beverages adversely affected the properties of the tested materials. Microhardness of tested materials was significantly decreased after immersion in various beverages with the exception of Yakult. After the immersion period, the enamel showed the maximum loss in microhardness followed by nano-ionomer. CONCLUSION: Low pH beverages were the most aggressive media for enamel, nano-ionomer and compomer, but in contrast, composite resin was relatively less affected. Probiotic drink appeared relatively benign toward the tested materials.How to cite this article: Gupta R, Madan M, Dua P, Saini S, Mangla R, Kainthla T, Dupper A. Comparative Evaluation of Microhardness by Common Drinks on Esthetic Restorative Materials and Enamel: An in vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(3):155-160.

In vivo Outcomes of Indirect Pulp Treatment in Primary Posterior Teeth: 6 Months' Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Indirect pulp treatment (IPT) is a minimally invasive procedure based on the application of a protective liner on the affected dentin, thereby preserving the pulp vitality. AIM: This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of IPT when a layer of calcium hydroxide (Dycal), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), or Biodentine was placed over the affected dentin in primary molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical trial with sample size of 45 primary molars between the age group of 4-9 years, of which 15 teeth were considered, each for Group I (Dycal), Group II (MTA), and Group III (Biodentine). Measurements on digitized radiographs were made at baseline, 3, and 6 months using Corel Draw software. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA and post hoc tests indicated a statistically significant difference in dentin thickness (P < 0.05) in all the groups. Within Group I, the thickness of dentin was 0.066 ± 0.009 mm at 3 months and 0.099 ± 0.011 mm at 6 months. In Group II, 0.081 ± 0.010 mm at 3 months and 0.123 ± 0.016 mm at 6 months. In Group III, 0.102 ± 0.021 mm at 3 months and 0.154 ± 0.022 mm at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically, 100% success rate was observed in all the groups whereas radiographically, Biodentine was superior to both the groups.

Validating the Usage of Cariogram in 5- and 12-year-old School-going Children in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India: A 12-month Prospective Study.

AIM: To validate the caries risk profiles in 5- and 12-year-old school-going children and to single out main contributing factor, if any, using cariogram over a period of 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cariogram model was used to create caries risk profiles on 499 children aged 5 and 12 years ±6 months. They were divided into 2 groups. The group I and group II consisted of 250 and 249 children respectively. Re-examination was done after 1 year and caries increment was recorded. The caries risk profiles generated by the cariogram software were compared with caries increment. RESULTS: Percentage of subject having caries increment in groups I and II in high-, medium-, and low-risk group after 1 year was 66.2, 39.5, and 13%, and 48.5, 27.3, and 13.9% respectively. The mean caries increment after 1 year in groups I and II in high-, medium-, and low-risk patients was 0.96, 0.49, and 0.13, and 0.7, 0.36, and 0.11 respectively. Linear regression analysis showed dental caries, diet content, diet frequency, plaque index, Streptococcus mutans count, fluoride, salivary flow rate, and buffer capacity are significantly associated with actual chance to avoid caries. CONCLUSION: The risk of developing new carious lesions consistently reduced from high-risk category to low-risk category, reflecting the cariogram ability in accurately estimating future caries. Hence, cariogram can be said to be a useful tool for caries prediction. Initial dental caries came out to be the strongest predictor of future caries.How to cite this article: Garg A, Madan M, Dua P, Saini S, Mangla R, Singhal P, Dupper A. Validating the Usage of Car-iogram in 5- and 12-year-old School-going Children in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India: A 12-month Prospective Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(2):110-115.

Functional and Esthetic Rehabilitation during Deciduous Dentition Stage: A Case Report.

A virtual absence of palliative, preventive and restorative care characterizes juvenile oral health care in most of the developing and underdeveloped countries. Consequently, carious cavities remain untreated, which leads to pain, discomfort and functional limitation. It further, impacts negatively upon general health and cognitive development apart from causing decreased masticatory efficiency, difficulty in speech, compromised esthetics, development of abnormal tongue habits and subsequent malocclusion and psychological problems. The restoration of severely decayed deciduous teeth especially anterior ones presents a major challenge to dentists, particularly in uncooperative children. The following case report documents the restoration of severely mutilated deciduous teeth in an emotionally immature patient resulting in an improvement in not only his oral and general health also in helping him gain more self-confidence.

The effect of consumption of carbonated beverages on the oral health of children: a study in real life situation / Efeito do consumo de refrigerantes na saúde bucal de crianças: estudo em uma situação real

Objetivo: Avaliar a saúde bucal de crianças que consomem refrigerantes e também conhecer as razões para o consumo excessivo dessas bebidas. Método: Um estudo de natureza transversal CAP (conhecimento, atitude e prática) com uma amostra de 200 crianças na faixa etária de 12-13 anos de idade foi realizado em Maharishi Markandeshwar International School, Mullana, Ambala, na Índia. Um questionário foi elaborado e distribuído para verificar as razões para o alto consumo de refrigerantes e os seus efeitos sobre a saúde bucal. Os dados coletados foram analisados estatisticamente. Resultados: Em média, as crianças na faixa etária de 12-13 anos consumiam entre 7 e 8 refrigerantes (latas - 250ml) por semana, ou seja, de 1500mL a 2000mL. Verificou-se que a gravidade da cárie dentária foi elevada quando os resultados foram comparados a crianças que não consumiram bebidas carbonatadas na mesma escola. Os resultados também confirmam que as crianças não estão conscientes dos efeitos nocivos dos refrigerantes sobre a saúde bucal. Conclusão: As crianças que consomem refrigerantes regularmente são mais propensas a cárie dentária.

Objective: To assess the oral health of children consuming carbonated beverages and also to ascertain the reasons for excess consumption of these beverages. Methods: A cross-sectional KAP (knowledge, attitude and practice) survey of 200 children in the age group of 12 - 13 years was carried out in Maharishi Markandeshwar International School, Mullana, Ambala, India. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to ascertain the reasons for high consumption of carbonated beverages and its effects if any on oral health. The data collected was analysed statistically. Results: The results of the study revealed that on an average, children in the age group of 12-13 years consumed 7-8 drinks (cans - 250ml) per week, i.e. 1500 - 2000 ml consumption. The severity of tooth decay was seen to be high, when the results were compared to those children who did not consume carbonated drinks in the same school. The findings also confirm that children are not aware of the detrimental effects of carbonated beverages on oral health. Conclusion: The children who consume carbonated drinks regularly are more prone to tooth decay.

Evaluation of ability of dentifrices to remineralize artificial caries-like lesions.

BACKGROUND: Human endeavors to prevent dental caries have led to the use of different modalities and agents, the most commonly used of which is fluoridated dentifrice. An in situ study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of fluoridated dentifrices in achieving remineralization of initial caries-like lesions using surface microhardness measurements and to study the qualitative changes by scan-ning electron microscopy. METHODS: Sixteen children 12-16 years of age wore a specially fabricated appliance with an artificially demineralized enamel slab for 24 hours a day, for four weeks. The children were divided into two groups, A and B. Following one week use of placebo dentifrice by both groups, group A used a fluoride dentifrice containing l000 ppm sodium monofluorophosphate, whereas group B used a placebo twice daily for 5 minutes for 21 days. Surface microhardness test carried out using a Knoop diamond indenter followed by scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the lesions. The results were statistically analyzed using the student t test. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The average hardness recovery for the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that fluoride significantly enhances remineralization of initial caries-like lesions. CONCLUSION: Regular use of fluoridated dentifrices significantly enhances remineralization of white spot lesions.