The Management of an Unusual Combination of Anomalies Following Primary Tooth Trauma: A Case Report.

The prognosis of luxation injuries of primary teeth is often unpredictable. A two-year-old girl presented with a displaced left primary maxillary anterior tooth diagnosed as severe intrusive luxation. On radiographic examination, it was noticed to be impinging on the underlying permanent tooth bud. The tooth was extracted, and periodic follow-ups were emphasized until the successor tooth erupted. However, after eight years, the patient followed up with a chief complaint of an unerupted permanent maxillary anterior tooth. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed a combination of anomalies in the crown and root of the maxillary anterior tooth. After a wait-and-observe regime for six months, the incisal third of the crown erupted. At eight years and eight months, the tooth developed a periapical abscess which was treated endodontically and restored. At nine years and three months, the tooth is asymptomatic till date. The present case report highlights the consequences of intrusive luxation injuries to the primary teeth and the need for a multidisciplinary team approach in the management of complications of dental trauma along with meticulous long-term follow-ups.

Child Temperament and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review to assess current evidence for the association between child temperament and early childhood caries (ECC). Methods: A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE® through PubMed®, EMBASE®, Scopus®, LILACS, Web of Science™, and EBSCO up to January 2023. Studies measuring ECC and child temperament for children younger than or equal to six years of age using questionnaires, interviews, and surveys through case-control studies, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies were included. Literature reviews were excluded. Medical subject heading (MeSH) terms like "temperament" and "dental caries" were used by two authors who independently extracted the data, and a third author resolved disagreements. Risk of bias assessment was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa assessment scale for case-control and cohort studies and the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach (GRADE approach). A chi-square test and I-square index were used to evaluate heterogeneity. Results: A total of 5,072 records were screened, resulting in 15 included studies that yielded data for 6,667 participants; sevenstudies were high, and eight were of moderate quality. Seven studies qualified for meta-analysis, which revealed that persistence did not affectthe presence or absence of ECC. However, there was a strong association between difficult temperament and ECC (odds ratio equals 2.63). Conclusion: A positive association between a child's temperament and early childhood caries exists that is supported by quantitative findings, indicating a connection with very low certainty.

Comparison of two different caries risk assessment tools for infants and toddlers - A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: One of the essential components for successful caries management is caries risk assessment (CRA). Among CRA tools (CRATs) published in the literature: Caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) 123 and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) CRATs are specifically designed for infants and toddlers. AIMS: The aim of this study is to compare readily available internationally accepted CRAT for infants and toddlers and check the usability of these tools in assigning caries risk among the Indian population. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was conducted at Baby Oral Health Promotion Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, Tertiary Care Hospital using a cross-sectional study design. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were collected using CAMBRA 123 and AAPD CRATs from 379 children aged 0-6 years. The caries risk of the children was recorded with each CRAT and a comparison was made between the two tools used. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The percentage of agreement and Cohen's kappa coefficient were used to know the agreement between the CAMBRA 123 and AAPD CRATs using the SPSS statistical tool. The significance level was set at 5% (α = 0.05). RESULTS: For children aged <2 years, the study showed slight agreement between the CAMBRA 123 and AAPD, whereas, for children more than 2 years, there was a fair agreement between the two methods which was statistically significant. This indicates that the agreement between the two methods is still not perfectly established, and AAPD CRA assigns a higher risk category than CAMBRA 123. CONCLUSIONS: CAMBRA 123 is a promising user-friendly quantitative method for CRA in clinical practice. Since there is ambiguity in assessing the caries risk in children <2 years, there is a need to establish a CRAT that can be used exclusively for children below 2 years.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia: Use of hemocoagulase (BotroClot) for arrest of bleeding during a primary tooth endodontic procedure.

The Rationale: Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a rare platelet disorder affecting 0.0001% of the population. Dentists may often be unaware of this condition, and manipulation of soft tissue can lead to grave consequences, which may even result in fatality. Patient Concerns: In this case report, a 4-year-old patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia reported to the department with a chief complaint of a discoloured tooth. Clinical Findings: On examination, 51 was nonvital, and pulpectomy was the treatment planned. The non-vital anterior tooth was treated with a pulpectomy procedure. There was uncontrolled bleeding during the procedure. Treatment: A topical solution of BotroClot was used to arrest the bleeding, and obturation was completed following that. The post-operative period was uneventful. Take-away Lessons: Case report explored the use of a topical hemostatic agent to arrest bleeding from the canal. This case report warrants eliciting a thorough medical history before any dental procedure.

Vitamin D deficiency as an etiological factor in delayed eruption of primary teeth: A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: Delayed tooth eruption might be the primary or sole manifestation of local or systemic pathology. Aims: The aim of the study was to correlate Vitamin D level and eruption status of primary teeth. The objectives also included the assessment of the association between Vitamin D levels and socioeconomic status, infant's sun exposure, maternal sun exposure during pregnancy and religion. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational study conducted on 96 infants aged 12-15 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-six infants, aged 12-15 months were selected after obtaining parental consent. Blood samples were assessed for Vitamin D3 levels using the Vitamin D ELISA Kit. The eruption status of the teeth was recorded in all the 96 infants. The obtained data were subjected to the statistical analysis. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The obtained data were subjected to relevant statistical analysis such as Analysis of Variance, unpaired t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square Test, Tukey HSD, and Fisher's exact Test. Results: A significant correlation was found in the Vitamin D levels and the eruption timing (P < 0.001). The difference in mean Vitamin D levels among the three socio economic groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.088). A significant association was found between the infant's sun exposure and mother's sun exposure during pregnancy and religion on the Vitamin D levels (P = 0.002, P = 0.042, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency can be considered as an etiological factor for delayed eruption. A strong association exists between the socioeconomic status, infant's sun exposure, maternal sun exposure during pregnancy, and religion with Vitamin D levels.

Antibiotic overusage and resistance: A cross-sectional survey among pediatric dentists.

INTRODUCTION: Most human orofacial infections originate from odontogenic infections and prescribing antibiotics has become a ubiquitous phenomenon. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the inappropriate, indiscriminate, and irrational use of antibiotics leading to antibiotic resistance as a global problem. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this survey is to compare the antibiotic prescription pattern and the awareness of antibiotic resistance among Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) practitioners and pediatric dentists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hundred BDS practitioners and 100 pediatric dentists included in the study were given a questionnaire containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The questionnaire comprised information pertaining to antibiotic prescription for most common oral conditions, commonly prescribed antibiotics, their dosage, etc. RESULTS: The majority of the practitioners prescribed antibiotics for managing oral diseases. On comparing the prescription patterns between the BDS practitioners and pediatric dentists, there was an overprescription in the BDS group for many conditions, which was statistically significant. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed drug in both the groups. In the presence of an anaerobic infection, the most preferred drug was a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid with metronidazole. With regard to the duration of antibiotic prescription, 74% BDS practitioners prescribed antibiotics as a 3-day course and 60% pediatric dentists resorted to a 5-day course, which was statistically significant. The awareness regarding antibiotic prophylaxis and antibiotic resistance was found to be adequate in both the groups. However, there was a general lack of awareness with regard to the guidelines for antibiotic prescribing in both the groups. CONCLUSION: Practitioners should prescribe antibiotics in accordance with the guidelines to curb antibiotic resistance, an emerging public health problem.