Nutrient intake and dental health in school children.

Diet refers to the customary allowance of food and drink taken by a person from day to day. The diet may affect dental caries by reacting with the enamel surface and by serving as a substrate for cariogenic microorganisms. This study examined the role of specific nutrients in the caries experience of elementary school children. 120 children aged between 6-11, who attended the Pedodontics Department of Marmara University, Faculty of Dentistry for routine dental treatment received a dental examination, parent interview, and a 3-day diet diary. The diary was completed adequately for 100 children (83%). The average daily intake of nutrients were computed and total sugar consumption and Ca/P ratio were calculated. Each child's gender, age, fluoride history, socio-economic state of the family, previous dental experience, brushing habit, and nutrient intake were examined as independent variables. No association was apparent between dental caries and the intake of specific nutrients or Ca/P ratio, except with total sugar consumption.

Children's stress during a restorative dental treatment: assessment using salivary cortisol measurements.

Dental environment may be a source of stress for the young patient. Such stressful conditions may provoke fear in anxious children. It is well known that stress produces an activation adrenal steroid secretion. Among the methods for assessing child dental fear, measurement of salivary cortisol level is a simple method, because especially in children, sampling of saliva is easy, and cortisol levels in saliva closely mirror serum free cortisol levels, independent of salivary flow rate. For this study, the salivary cortisol levels of 8 children (mean age 5.6 yr) were measured receiving initial dental treatment. Saliva samples were collected via cotton rolls placed to the floor of the mouth at four stages; prior to treatment, during cavitation, placement of the liner and the restoration. Statistical comparison of the results were done by Student-t test. The increase in salivary cortisol levels during cavitation at the first and secondary appointments were significant (p<0.01 and p<0.05), but not at the second. The other comparisons were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The results of this study suggest that in restorative procedures, mostly it is the cavitation step that creates stress and anxiety in children. Knowledge of the most stressful condition may be helpful for the dentist to prepare the child to treatment steps.

Dental management of a child with EEC syndrome.

The EEC syndrome is a condition characterized by ectrodactyly, ectodermal dysplasia and clefting of the lip and/or palate. Here we report a case of a boy with the EEC syndrome. The clinical and radiologic aspects of this condition, as well as the dental treatment, are reviewed.