Oral Health Assessment of a Group of Children with Autism Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to determine the oral status of a group of children with autism. STUDY DESIGN: An observational transversal study was carried out in 96 pediatric patients between the ages of 2 and 16 years old with a diagnosis of autism. The patients were assessed to determine the presence of caries with Index Caries (WHO criteria) and debris and calculus with the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, as well as the type of diet they followed. RESULTS: It was established that 41.7% of the patients had caries, with the result of an index of DMFT= 0.96 and dmft =2.41. In terms of the periodontal health 59.4% suffered from calculus. The OHI-S was 3.4. CONCLUSIONS: Children with autism exhibited a higher caries prevalence in primary teeth than in permanents. They also presented poor hygiene and an extensive presence of calculus.

Prevalence of bucco-dental pathologies in patients with psychiatric disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Oral diseases in psychiatric patients are usually a result of bad oral hygiene and psychopharmaceutical side-effects. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect the most prevalent oral lesions in patients hospitalized in a psychiatric institution in Caracas, Venezuela with the confirmed diagnosis of psychiatric illness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A transversal study consisted of 65 hospitalized patients with psychiatric disorders out of whom 50 were males and 15 females. Patients were aged from 19 to 80 years, mean age 50.2 years. Data on oral lesions were obtained within history and clinical examination of the oral cavity. Other medical data were collected from medical documentation. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 17.0. RESULTS: 56.92% of patients had caries in at least one tooth, 29.23% presented gingivitis and 56.92% periodontal disease. In relation to Temporomandibular joint, 36.92% presented articular sounds and 10.76% muscular pain. Between the most prevalent parafunctional habits were found cigarette habit, bruxism, onychophagia and cheek bite. CONCLUSION: Results imply that psychiatric patients are more frequently involved with oral lesions than healthy persons. It is necessary to organize specific preventive and educational oral health programmes with these patients, in a multidisciplinary group. Key words:Phychiatric patients, schizophrenia, medication, periodontal diseases.

Retention of a resin-based sealant and a glass ionomer used as a fissure sealant in children with special needs.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research is to evaluate the retention of sealants of resin and resin-modified ionomeric glass pits and fissures, on first permanent molars of special patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample was comprised by 32 children. The ages were between 7 and 18 years. The sealing procedure was made with the relative isolation of the molars to be sealed, through the use of cotton rolls. Two molars were sealed with Clinpro Sealant 3M Dental and the others with Vitremer. Checking of the sealants was made after 3 and 6 months of their placement, evaluating with 3 values: TR: Totally Restrained; PR: Partially Restrained; and CL: Completely Lost. RESULTS: 67.18% of the resinous sealants, and 70.31% of the glass ionomer sealants were successful after three months. After six months, 57.81% of the resin-based sealants and 51.56% of the glass ionomer sealants were successful. When performing the Chi-square statistical analysis (P<0.05) no statistical significance was observed after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The retention of the resin sealant was similar to that of the glass ionomer cement at the end of six months and the retention of sealants on maxillary teeth was higher than on mandibular teeth. Key words:Sealant, glass ionomer, retention, caries, special needs.

Dental management of a patient with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) occurs in one out of 300,000 individuals. It is mainly characterized by a delay in growth, psychomotor retardation, duplication of the distal phalanx of the thumbs, typical facial dimorphism, a risk of cancer, and multiple dental abnormalities. This case report describes the dental management of a 13-year-old female with RTS, who had multiple dental problems such as caries, periodontal disease, and a severe malocclusion. Physical findings were similar to those previously described in other reports. Dental treatment was carried out under sedation due to the patient's inability to cooperate during dental treatment. After 3 years of follow-up there were no new caries and the periodontal health had improved.

Rol del Odontopediatra en el Diagnóstico de Maltrato Infantil

El Maltrato Infantil es toda acción u omisión que conduzca a una agresión, abuso o descuido físico, psicológico, social y/o moral provocado por padres o cuidadores del niño interfiriendo en su proceso normal de crecimiento. La violencia en el medio familiar es un problema social complejo en el cual el personal sanitario juega un rol importante en su detección. Los padres maltratadores suelen cambiar los médicos de sus hijos con frecuencia para evitar ser descubiertos. Sin embargo el odontopediatra tiene la posibilidad de verlo generalmente dos veces al año por lo cual se trasforma en una pieza fundamental en el diagnóstico de maltrato. Debido a dicha importancia, se hace necesario indagar en los factores de riesgo, signos de alarma y características clínicas de un niño maltratado para dar al especialista las herramientas necesarias para poder diagnosticarlo y denunciarlo a las autoridades correspondientes evitando de esta manera que miles de niños sigan muriendo al año por esta causa.

Child Abuse is considered to be any action or omission driving to an aggression, physical abuse or negligence, psychological, social, moral forms of abuse, incured by the parents or custodians of said child and said to interfere in the child's normal growth process. Domestic violence is a complex social issue and the sanitary personnel plays a vital role in its detection. Molesting parents usually change their child's treating physician to avoid getting caught, however, the dentist has the possibility to hold continuous appointments with the patient (generally twice a year), this makes him/her a key player in the detection of Child Abuse. Due to said advantage, it becomes necessary for the Pediatric Dentist to be aware of this risk indicators, alarm signs and clinical features of an abuse child and be able to give the specialist the necessary tools to diagnose and prosecute child molesters and avoid the thousands of victims that die every year due to child abuse.