Orofacial characteristics in a child with Hajdu-Cheney syndrome.

Hajdu-Cheney syndrome (HCS) also known as Cranio-skeletal dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder of bone metabolism. It is mainly characterized by acro-osteolysis and generalized osteoporosis. The other distinctive features include a dysmorphic face, short stature, aplasia of facial sinuses, and persistent cranial sutures. Although the condition begins to manifest since birth, the characteristic features become more prominent with age. This syndrome is usually recognized by dentists due to these craniofacial abnormalities. This case report aims to highlight a case of 6-year-old girl HCS who presented with aberrant facial features, premature exfoliation of teeth, unusual mobility of teeth and atypical root resorption in primary dentition.

Effectiveness of various methods of educating children and adolescents for the maintenance of oral health: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: School-based oral health education has emerged as one of the most effective methods to instill a positive attitude toward oral health in children. AIM: This systematic review (SR) aimed to assess the effectiveness of different methods of oral health education in children and adolescents. DESIGN: Systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, LILACS, Scopus, and EMBASE on January 29, 2023. Review included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and their risk of bias (ROB) was assessed by Cochrane RoB-2. Data were extracted and analyzed by expert group. The GRADE approach was used to assess the quality of evidence for each outcome. Every step was conducted in duplicate, and disagreements were resolved by consulting the third reviewer. RESULTS: The SR included 10 RCTs with majority showing a high ROB. They included 12 methods with the commonest being the use of leaflets/flash cards. Most interventions were effective in improving oral hygiene, gingival health, and knowledge except conventional teaching methods, lecture by using PowerPoint by dentists, and e-learning interventions. The grade of evidence in the majority of outcomes was found to be low or very low. CONCLUSION: Interventions using the interactive methods such as games, motivational-experiential learning, and audiovisual methods were found to be more effective than controls and other interventions. Variabilities in study methods and outcome variables must be addressed in the future.

Evidence Mapping and Quality Analysis of Systematic Reviews on Various Aspects Related to Cleft Lip and Palate.

BACKGROUND: Management of cleft lip and palate is interdisciplinary. An evidence-mapping approach was envisaged to highlight the existing gaps in this field, using only the highest level of evidence. OBJECTIVES: To conduct evidence mapping and quality analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to any aspect of cleft lip and palate. SEARCH METHODS: The cleft lip and palate field was divided into 9 domains and 50 subdomains and a method of categorization of systematic reviews was established. A comprehensive search strategy was carried out in seven databases along with the search of gray literature and references of included articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Systematic reviews related to any aspect of cleft lip and palate, conducted by a minimum of two reviewers, with a comprehensive search strategy and adequate quality analysis were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: A self-designed, pre-piloted data-extraction sheet was used to collect information that was analyzed through an expert group discussion. Quality analysis was performed using ROBIS-I, AMSTAR 2, and the PRISMA checklist. RESULTS: A total of 144 systematic reviews published between 2008 and 2022 were included. The largest number of these could be categorized in the therapeutic domain (n = 58). A total of 27% of the studies were categorized as inconclusive, 40% as partially conclusive, and 33% as conclusive. As per ROBIS-I, 77% of reviews had high risk of bias while 58% were graded as critically low in quality as per AMSTAR 2. The majority of systematic reviews showed low reporting errors. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of systematic reviews related to cleft lip and palate relate to therapeutic and prognostic domains and show high risk of bias and critically low quality regardless of the source journal. The results of this paper might serve as a starting point encouraging authors to carry out high-quality research where evidence is lacking. REGISTRATION: A multidisciplinary expert-group formulated an a priori protocol, registered in Open Science Framework (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/NQDV2).

Prevalence of sports-related traumatic orofacial and dental injuries in Asian countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The head and face, due to their prominent positions, are at risk of intentional and unintentional injuries in the majority of competitive sports. There are regional preferences for sports and differences in infrastructural facilities. The majority of the recommendations for sports have been based on the studies conducted in the western world. Hence, this systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence of sports-related orofacial and dental injuries in professional-sportspersons living in Asian countries. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A protocol was prepared as per the best practices of evidence-based medicine and registered (PROSPERO-CRD42021252488). Search strategy was based on the research question and conducted in six databases using text words and MeSH terms. Scrutiny of title and abstracts and later full-texts were done as per eligibility criteria. Data extraction was done using a pre-piloted sheet and the risk of bias (ROB) was assessed. Qualitative synthesis and meta-analyses were performed and the strength of evidence was assessed by using GRADE-approach. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Twenty-three studies published between 1998 to 2021 and from nine countries were included. The highest numbers were from Türkiye (N.=7). The total number of professional sportspersons assessed in all the included studies was 14,457. The highest prevalence of orofacial and dental injuries observed was 66.18% and the highest prevalence of dental injuries was 39.81%. Low risk of bias was seen only in four studies. The changes were observed during the sensitivity analysis with all the meta-analyses showing significant publication bias and heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled prevalence of the combined orofacial and dental injuries was found to be 40.6%, while that of orofacial injury was 17.1% and dental injuries was 15.9%. There were 23 studies included in this review which covered 27 different sports from nine Asian countries. A high level of heterogeneity and the high ROB were observed in the majority of the studies. Further studies on the basis of the recommendations provided in the systematic review will improve the quality of evidence in this area in future.

A Survey of Self-perceived Physical Discomforts and Health Behaviors Related to Personal Protective Equipment of Indian Dental Professionals during COVID-19 Pandemic.

AIM: In the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment has to be mandatorily worn by dental professionals all times in the dental clinical settings. The aim of this study was to assess the physical discomforts and related health issues faced by dental professionals while wearing personal protective equipment in dental clinical settings during the pandemic. METHODS: This was an online cross-sectional survey conducted in November to December 2020 among dental professionals of various regions of country. A prevalidated questionnaire was sent through email/WhatsApp groups to 650 dental professionals. Informed consent was taken from all the participants. Information was collected about the demographics, type of dental set-up, average daily working hours, types of PPE worn, physical discomforts related to the various procedures in dentistry. Association was analyzed between demographics and the discomforts using Chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 309 dental professionals (163 females, 146 males) from all parts of the country responded to the online questionnaire. Maximum respondents were postgraduates or pursuing MDS (79%), majority (42.1%) were pediatric dentists followed by general dentists. Sweating, difficulty in vision, difficulty in breathing, and headache were the common discomforts reported by majority of the respondents. Headache and difficult breathing were more significantly associated with female dental professionals (p < 0.05). N95 wear was associated with breathing difficulty (56%) while use of faceshield led to the discomforts in visual acuity in 46% respondents. CONCLUSION: The survey has depicted several challenges and various physical discomforts being experienced by the dental professionals during this pandemic. Although wearing PPE is associated with difficulties to dentists but it is extremely essential to wear PPEs for self-protection during the ongoing pandemic. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Bansal K, Saji S, Mathur VP, et al. A Survey of Self-perceived Physical Discomforts and Health Behaviors Related to Personal Protective Equipment of Indian Dental Professionals during COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(6):784-789.