Enamel Defects in Deciduous Dentition and Their Association with the Occurrence of Adverse Effects from Pregnancy to Early Childhood.

PURPOSE: To verify the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) in deciduous teeth and analyse the association with adverse events that occurred during pregnancy and early childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 152 children with an average age of 3.57 ± 1.25 years were examined according to the criteria established by the DDE index. A previously validated questionnaire was given to mothers in order to obtain information regarding: calcium and vitamin D deficiency (measured in mothers); gestational diabetes; gestational undernutrition; weight at birth; neonatal hypoxia; and presence of asthma in early childhood. The clinical exam was conducted by a single examiner calibrated for visual exams (Kappa = 0.84), outdoors on patios of schools with children and examiner knee to knee. Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's Exact Test (p < 0.05) were used to determine statistically significant associations between the variables in study. The data were then analysed using a binary logistic regression regression. RESULTS: 26.3% of children exhibited DDE. It was possible to verify a statistically significant association between DDE and vitamin D deficiency (p < 0.01), calcium deficiency (p = 0.01), neonatal hypoxia (p = 0.026), and gestational diabetes (p = 0.04). The regression model allowed the conclusion that children who had neonatal hypoxia during childbirth, gestational diabetes or vitamin D deficiency during their gestation were 3.54, 12.47 and 6.40 more likely to exhibit signs of DDE, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DDE was considered high and was associated with vitamin D and calcium deficiency during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and neonatal hypoxia.

Effects of a New Nano-Silver Fluoride-Containing Dentifrice on Demineralization of Enamel and Streptococcus mutans Adhesion and Acidogenicity.

An experimental dentifrice containing nano-silver fluoride (NSF) and a sodium fluoride (NaF) toothpaste were tested in vitro, against S. mutans, to evaluate the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), antiadherence, antiacid, enamel microhardness, and OCT. The microdilution technique was used to determine the MIC and MBC. Fragments of deciduous enamel were treated with dentifrice slurries, containing bacterial suspension and PBS-treated saliva. The quantification of the microorganisms that adhered to the enamel was determined after 24 hours of incubation, and media pH readings were performed after 2 hours and 24 hours. Deciduous teeth were evaluated for microhardness and OCT during 14 days of pH cycling. Data were statistically analyzed using Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, and Tukey tests at 5% of significance. Dentifrices containing NSF presented a lower MIC and higher statistically significant results compared to NaF dentifrices with respect to preventing bacterial adhesion and pH decreases. NSF and NaF dentifrices showed the same ability to avoid enamel demineralization corroborated by the OCT images. The NSF formulation had a better antibacterial effect compared to NaF dentifrices and similar action on the demineralization of enamel indicating their potential effectiveness to prevent caries.

Evaluation of the genotoxic effects of formocresol application in vital pulp therapy of primary teeth: a clinical study and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This in vivo research investigated whether pulp treatments using formocresol for 7 days would cause mutagenic changes in children's lymphocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mutagenicity was tested in lymphocyte cultures established from the peripheral blood of children living in Brazil. The samples consisted of 2000 cells from teeth undergoing formocresol pulpotomies in which the formocresol pellet was sealed in the primary tooth for 7 days. It was removed on the seventh day, the base was placed, and the tooth was restored. Two venous blood samples (6-8 ml) were collected from each child; the first was prior to pulp therapy, and the second was 7 days later. Two thousand metaphases were analyzed. The level of significance adopted for the statistics was P < 0.05, and a random effects meta-analysis was performed combining this and two previous studies. RESULTS: There was no significant difference found in the metaphase analysis between the blood samples taken before and after the pulpotomy treatment (Wilcoxon signed rank test); however, the meta-analysis showed a significant difference between the combined studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not reveal any mutagenic effects, but based on the combined meta-analysis, we recommend the careful use of formocresol. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This research helps to bring scientific evidence of the safe use of formocresol in deciduous pulpotomy treatments.

Necesidades de tratamiento ortodóncico en niños y su relación con el género, los ingresos familiares y los grupos étnicos / Orthodontic treatment needs in children and its relationship with gender, family income and ethnic groups

Introduction: malocclusions are considered public health problems, needing an uniform method of assessment that prioritizes the attendance of individuals with greater orthodontic treatment need, with this purpose, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need has been used in many countries. Objetive: to evaluate the orthodontic treatment need in school going children, attending in Recife, northeast Brazil and also establishes its relationship with gender, family income and ethnic groups. Methods: 433 children, aged 6-12 years formed the sample. The dental health component grades it was recorded to define the orthodontic treatment need. Results: the findings revealed that 59.5 % of children had at least one type of malocclusion; 40.5 % had no need for orthodontic treatment (grade 1 and 2); 5.5 % were borderlines, indicating moderate need (grade 3); 54 % had definite treatment (grade 4), but no children were classified in grade 5. No statistically significant differences were found between genders (p= 0.217), family income (p= 0.176) and ethnic groups (p= 0.281). Conclusion: the most of the children had moderate and great orthodontic needs treatment. There was no association between orthodontic treatment need and gender, family income or ethnic groups(AU)

Introducción: las maloclusiones se consideran un problema de salud pública, que requiere un método uniforme de evaluación que priorice la asistencia de las personas con mayores necesidades de tratamiento de ortodoncia, para este fin, el Índice de Necesidad de Tratamiento Ortodóncico se ha utilizado en muchos países. Objetivo: evaluar la necesidad de tratamiento ortodóncico en niños en edad escolar que viven en Recife, noreste de Brasil, y establecer su relación con el género, el ingreso familiar y los grupos étnicos. Métodos: 433 niños de 6 a 12 años conformaron la muestra. Los datos obtenidos en el componente de salud dental fueron recodificadas para definir la necesidad del tratamiento ortodóncico. Resultados: los resultados revelaron que 59,5 % de los niños tienen al menos un tipo de maloclusión; 40,5 % no tenía necesidad de tratamiento de ortodoncia (grado 1 y 2); 5,5 % tenía una condición de frontera, lo que indica la necesidad moderada (grado 3); 54 % tenían un tratamiento definitivo (grado 4), y no hubo niños clasificados en el grado 5. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre sexos (p= 0,217), ingreso familiar (p= 0,176) y los grupos étnicos (p= 0,281). Faculty of Dentistry: La mayoría de los niños tenían necesidad de tratamiento ortodóncico moderada o grande. No hubo asociación entre la necesidad de tratamiento de ortodoncia y el sexo, ingresos o grupos étnicos(AU)

Tendencia y polarización de la caries dental en preescolares / Trend and polarization of dental caries in pre-schoolers

Objective: to evaluate the tendency and polarization of dental caries in children 4-5 years of age, between 2006 and 2014. Method: this is a comparison of two similar cross-sectional studies that included 226 children each year. Clinical data were collected according to the criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). A previously validated questionnaire was administered to parents or guardians of children, in order to obtain data related to family income. Results: 32.7 percent of children in 2006 and 35 percent in 2014 had at least one decayed tooth. The dmft index was 1.25 in 2006 and 1.40 in 2014, with no statistically significant difference (p> 0.05). It was verified that there is a higher concentration of dental caries in populations of lower economic status (p <0.05) for the years of analysis. Conclusion: the caries prevalence showed a tendency to remain constant after eight years of the baseline. Thus, the disease showed polarized, indicating a higher concentration of children whose families had worse socioeconomic conditions(AU)

Objetivo: evaluar la tendencia y la polarización de la caries dental en niños de 4-5 años de edad, entre 2006 y 2014. Método: se trata de la comparación de dos estudios transversales similares que incluyó a 226 niños en cada año. Los datos clínicos fueron recogidos de acuerdo con los criterios propuestos por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). un cuestionario previamente validado, fue aplicado a los padres o responsables de los niños, con la finalidad de obtener datos relacionados con los ingresos financieros familiar. Resultados: el 32,7 por ciento de los niños en 2006 y 35 por ciento en el 2014, tenían al menos un diente cariado. El índice ceod en 2006 fue de 1,25 y en 2014, de 1,40, no se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p> 0,05). Fue verificado que hay una mayor concentración de caries dental en poblaciones de menor estatus económico (p<0,05) para los años de análisis. Conclusión: la prevalencia de caries dental presentó una tendencia a mantenerse constante después de ocho años del momento de la evaluación inicial. Con esto, la enfermedad se mostró polarizada, evidenciando una mayor concentración en niños cuya familia poseía peores condiciones socioeconómicas(AU)

Early childhood caries and its relationship with perinatal, socioeconomic and nutritional risks: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic, perinatal and other life cycle events can be important determinants of the health status of the individual and populations. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC), perinatal factors (gestational age, teenage pregnancy and birth weight), family income and nutritional risk in children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in which 320 children were examined according to the criteria established by the World Health Organization. A previously validated questionnaire was used to obtain information from parents and guardians about family income, gestational age and birth weight. To check the nutritional risk, we used the criteria provided by the CDC (Center for Disease Control). For Statistics, Pearson's, chi-square and the multivariate Poisson analyses were used to determine the association among variables. RESULTS: Approximately 20% of children had ECC, and the Poisson multivariate analyses indicated that family income (p = 0.009), birth weight (p < 0.001) and infant obesity (p < 0.001) were related to the increase of ECC, and gestational age was not significantly associated with ECC (p = 0.149). Pregnancy in adolescence was not included in the regression analyses model because it was not statistically significant in the chi-square test (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ECC was related to low family income, premature birth and infant obesity.

An innovative approach to treating dental decay in children. A new anti-caries agent.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of a formulation containing silver nanoparticles and chitosan, provisionally called nano silver fluoride (NSF), against Streptococcus mutans in comparison to chlorhexidine and silver diamine fluoride (SDF). The product was characterised by transmission electron microscopy and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was evaluated by the spectrophotometric microdilution method and turbidity. The minimum bactericide concentration (MBC) was evaluated in brain heart infusion plates, and cytotoxicity was evaluated by haemolytic activity. The MIC and MBC for NSF were, respectively, 33.54 ± 14.52 and 50.32 µg/mL; for SDF were 33.33 ± 14.43 and 50.0 µg/mL, respectively; and for CHX were 3.3 ± 0.5 and 6 µg/mL, respectively. An ANOVA for MIC gave P = 0.032, and for MBC P = 0.035. The cytotoxic effect of NSF compared to SDF demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the MIC value (t test P < 0.05). The NSF formulation may be effective against S. mutans with much lower doses, may have lower toxicity than SDF, and may not stain teeth.