Natal and neonatal teeth: Clinically relevant findings in a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Teeth present at the time of birth are called natal teeth while the teeth which erupt within 30 days of birth are neonatal teeth. The natal and neonatal teeth are an uncommon occurrence causing extreme anxiousness among the parents because of various myths related to their occurrence in our society. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 12 patients who reported to the dental center between 2012 and 2015 with natal or neonatal teeth was carried out. RESULTS: Our study sample comprised of 12 patients. The age group ranged from 4 to 27 days in which there were eight male and four female infants. Out of 12 cases, eight cases had history of a physiologic delivery, while four were delivered by C-section. All the teeth were white to yellowish white in color, grade III mobile, and were devoid of roots. Except difficulty in feeding, only one case had a complication because of the tooth which was the development of a small lingual ulcer. Eleven cases were managed by extraction of the natal or neonatal teeth, and in one case, the parents did not consent for extraction. Six infants below 10 days of age were administered inj Vit K prior to the extraction. On follow-up of all the patients families reported that the child was feeding much better after the treatment and there were no complications. CONCLUSION: Natal and neonatal teeth have been causing dilemmas in the minds of pediatricians and dentists world over. Thus, it is important to know the basics about such teeth so that proper guidance can be given to parents and a suitable case specific treatment plan can be formulated.

Management of skeletal class II malocclusion using bimaxillary skeletal anchorage supported fixed functional appliances : A novel technique.

AIM: To evaluate the treatment effects in growing skeletal class II patients subjected to a novel treatment technique, i.e., bimaxillary miniplates supported fixed functional appliance. The null hypothesis was that there is no statistically significant difference in skeletal changes of patients with class II malocclusion treated with bimaxillary skeletal anchorage supported fixed functional appliance and those who were not provided any intervention. METHODS: The sample comprised 32 skeletal class II subjects (17 males and 15 females) with a Cervical Vertebrae Maturity Index (CVMI) demonstrating peak of pubertal growth spurt. Sixteen patients (12.37 ±1.09 years of age) were treated with bimaxillary skeletal anchorage supported fixed function appliance, while 16 well-matched subjects (12.06 ± 1.34 years of age) were included as controls. For both groups, cephalograms (T1, T2) were taken with a matched observational interval of about 7.5 months; 17 linear and 10 angular measurements were recorded. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine reliability of measurements recorded. Student t test was carried out to determine the changes produced by the treatment relative to control. RESULTS: When compared with the control group, the treatment group demonstrated significant maxillary retrusion. No significant changes were seen in mandibular growth pattern, whereas mandibular length increased significantly more than in the control group (B-VP: 3.05 mm; Co-Gn: 2.65 mm). Treatment mechanics had minimal effects on maxillary dentition. Mandibular incisors proclined by an average of 3.06°. Maxilla-mandibular relation improved significantly (ANB: -4.29°; NA-Pog: -3.76°). CONCLUSION: The new bimaxillary skeletal anchorage supported fixed functional appliance technique was found to be highly effective in the treatment of class II malocclusion with significant skeletal changes.

Sub-mental Intubation in Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma Patients.

Oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures present a unique set of problems for both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist as achieving dental occlusion is one of the most important aims of the treatment. Sub-mental intubation is a reliable and safe method of alternative airway management in maxillofacial surgery. This article presents the technique of sub-mental intubation along with a brief comparison with other techniques.

Childhood Obesity: Review of a growing Problem.

The consequences of obesity in adulthood are well known. Obesity has a direct influence on mortality and acts as a risk factor for various diseases and health problems. It is associated with nonfatal but debilitating illnesses, such as respiratory difficulties, musculoskeletal disorders, skin problems and infertility. The association with fatal chronic diseases includes cardiovascular diseases, conditions related to insulin resistance and noninsulin-dependent diabetes. There has been a marked increase in the number of obese children coming for treatment to dentists, thus it is the moral responsibility of the dentists to educate both the patient and the parents of the problems of obesity and its control. A dentist may actually be the first person to inform the patient about this problem thus, a basic knowledge about it is important. How to cite this article: Shivpuri A, Shivpuri A, Sharma S. Childhood Obesity: Review of a growing Problem. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2012;5(3):237-241.