Caries Experience in Primary and Permanent Dentition in Children Up to 15 Years of Age from Bosnia and Herzegovina-A Retrospective Study.

The purpose of the study was to analyze caries experience in primary and permanent dentition in children up to 15 years of age located in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: The research was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional study. Analyzes and comparisons of caries indices were performed using groups formed according to their gender (male-M and female-F) and age, i.e., the first group-children in early childhood, ≤5 years; the second group, middle childhood 6-8 years; the third group, preadolescents 9-11 years old; fourth group, adolescents 12-15 years old. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of caries in primary dentition was 89.1%, while in permanent dentition, it was 60.7%. The overall mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth- dmft in male participants was 5.4, while in female participants, it was 5.1. By contrast, a higher overall mean DMFT was established in the female participants (2.7 vs. 3.0). CONCLUSIONS: We can see a high prevalence in all of the examined groups. In primary dentition, males examined during the course of the study had a higher overall mean dmft and the mean number of untreated decayed primary teeth, whereas females up to age 15 examined during the course of the study had more DMF teeth.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Paediatric Dental Treatment: A Retrospective Study in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. It was difficult to find a balance between dental care, especially preventive and other non-urgent dental procedures, and prevention of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental treatment in children in the Dental Clinic of the University of Banja Luka, and to compare it before and during the first and second years of the pandemic. All dental records of paediatric patients who attended the Dental Clinic (for the period March 2019 to March 2022) were analysed. The data on selected dental treatment procedures were divided into three groups per year and compared. The results during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in single treatments compared to the year before, while in the second year there was an increase in some interventions such as oral hygiene training and patient motivation, deciduous tooth extraction, and glass ionomer filling. Although the number of dental treatments in the clinic in the second year nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, preventive and restorative interventions are the most appropriate strategy to improve the oral health of children after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severity of COVID-19 Symptoms among University of Belgrade Students during the July-September 2021 Pandemic Wave: Implications for Vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the intensity of COVID-19 symptoms during the pandemic wave during July-September 2021 and to identify factors associated with having moderate and severe symptoms of COVID-19 among affected students in the University of Belgrade. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was carried out at the Institute for Students' Health (ISH) in Belgrade, Serbia. The ISH is the referral institution for health care delivery at primary and secondary levels. This analysis includes students who presented from July 1 until September 30, 2021, when the latest pandemic wave of COVID-19 was observed among university students. Data were extracted from students' electronic medical records. Three levels of COVID-19 symptom intensity were defined: mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: Of students seeking medical care at the ISH who were diagnosed with COVID-19, 27.3% had mild disease and the majority, 59.3%, had moderate disease, and 13.4% had severe symptoms. Of all students, 124 (21.8%) were fully vaccinated with 2 doses of Sinopharm (81, 60.9%), Pfizer-BioNTech (38, 28.6%), Sputnik V (7, 5.3%), or the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (7, 5.3%). The multiple multinomial regression model suggests that students who were vaccinated against COVID-19 were 78% less likely to develop moderate symptoms and 96% less likely to develop severe symptoms of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Students who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are at lower risk of developing moderate and severe symptoms of the disease.

Clinical Testing of Walking Bleach, In-Office, and Combined Bleaching of Endodontically Treated Teeth.

Objective. The causes of internal posteruptive discoloration of teeth are bleeding, necroses, infections, and endodontic filling materials. The aim of this study was to establish the results of bleaching endodontically treated teeth using walking bleach, in-office, and combined techniques, using 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide, as well as the effect of etiological factors, and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment on the success of bleaching. Materials and Methods. The research involved 30 endodontically treated teeth in healthy patients. Retroalveolar X-rays were taken to check the quality of root canal obturation. Endodontic treatment and obturation were carried out on the discolored non-vital teeth without any previous endodontic treatment. Before bleaching, two millimeters of the filling were removed from the root canal and the very entry into the canal was protected with glass ionomer cement. The teeth were divided into three groups, depending on the bleaching technique: walking bleach technique (10 patients), in-office technique (10 patients), and combined technique (10 patients). The teeth were bleached with 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide. The bleaching procedure was repeated in all the patients three times. The color of all teeth was determined based on the Vita Classic guide before and after bleaching. The Χ2 square and Kruskal−Wallis tests were used to identify differences in teeth bleaching results. Results. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was established between bleaching success and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the bleaching success and etiological factors, bleaching techniques, or bleaching agents. Conclusions. The effectiveness of non-vital tooth bleaching is affected by the time elapsed after endodontic treatment.

Identifying risk factors of severe early childhood caries in infants from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate risk factors for S-ECC among infants under 24 months of age living in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out. Considering inclusion criteria, the total sample consisted of 192 examined infants under 24 months of age. Parents/caregivers were interviewed ahead of each dental examination of children. Following data collection, outcome measures were: the presence/absence of S-ECC (children with at least one active early carious lesion on the smooth surfaces of the maxillary anterior teeth/caries-free children) and the severity of dental caries (no caries, initial caries and cavitated caries lesion). RESULTS: Overall results of the study indicated that 22.9% of infants had initial caries, while 12.0% (95% CI: 8.1-17.3) of infants had at least one cavitated carious lesion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the age of infants (p < 0.001) and family monthly income (p = 0.003) variables were statistically significant predictors for the development of caries. CONCLUSIONS: This research found that the most important risk predictors for the development and severity (intensity) of S-ECC in infants under 24 months of age were low monthly income of parents and the infant's age.

Validation of Cariogram in Caries Prediction in Women and Their Children 4 Years After Pregnancy - Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Cariogram®, an algorithm-based software model, for predicting caries risk has been used to assess the caries risk profile of many different groups. The aims of the study were to evaluate Cariogram caries risk assessment during pregnancy with DMFT/dmft incidence in mothers and their children 4 years after pregnancy and to check if there is an association between children's caries risk profiles using Cariogram and caries risk profiles (by Cariogram) of their mothers during pregnancy. METHODS: The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women (average age 27.4±7.2 years at baseline) who completed clinical baseline examination and salivary tests. The follow-up study was initiated 4 years later and the 80 pairs of mother and children (from that pregnancy) were re-examined using the same procedure at baseline. An individual caries risk profile and DMFT/dmft incidence were made for each woman and child. The prediction of the Cariogram was compared to the actual dental experience in 4 years. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for two cut-offs were calculated to express the outcome. RESULTS: The results showed a strong association between the risk categories of pregnant women and their offspring as well as between caries development in offspring and the Cariogram risk categories of pregnant women. Sensitivity and PPV for new DMFT (ΔDMFT>0) 4 years after for women were  high (>80%) for those participants assessed with 0-60% "chance to avoid caries", as well as diagnostic accuracy (74.00%). High specificity (91.00%), very high PPV (95.00%) and clinically useful values according to Youden's index (0.53) were obtained for moderate-risk and two lowest-risk groups for dmft in children. CONCLUSION: Cariogram was valid in the authors' sample only and highly predictive in caries risk assessment in investigated children based on caries risk assessment of their mothers in pregnancy.

Triple V-Y Vermilion Augmentation of the Upper Lip.

Lip enhancement is one of the most common procedures in the facial cosmetic surgery. The most important reason for that is the fact that fullness of lips symbolizes youth and sensuality. The authors present 2 patients whose upper lip vermilion dimension was increased using the triple V-Y augmentation surgical technique. The main request for both was augmentation of the upper lip without dermal fillers and implants into the lip. Treatment and postrecovery were routine. After 1 month both upper lips had satisfactory look with the preservation of curvature of the Cupid's bow and natural appearance.The V-Y lip augmentation technique can be a method of choice for lip enhancement in adequately selected patients.

[The diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infection among students by using classical and molecular methods].

INTRODUCTION: Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of sexually transmitted disease. The possibility of serious complications may be prevented by early detection of the bacteria on the uterine cervix by the application of sensitive and reliable tests such as up-to-date molecular tests. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was the comparison of sensitivity and specificity of three different methods in the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection. METHODS: The study included 69 female students referred to the gynecological outpatient unit at the Students' Polyclinic for colposcopic examination of the uterine cervix. Cervical Chlamydia trachomatis was diagnosed by using three different methods: direct immunofluorescence (DIF), nucleic acid hybridization assay (hc2), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: By using DIF Chlamydia trachomatis was identified in four students (5.80%), by using hc2 also in four (5.80%), while by using PCR test in six students (8.70%). Comparative analysis of the obtained results evidenced sensitivity and specificity rates of DIF in comparison to PCR method of 46% and 95%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of DIF method in comparison to hc2 was 62% and 97%. Sensitivity and specificity of hc2 method in comparison to PCR was 76% and 100%. CONCLUSION: Contemporary molecular methods, such as PCR, are methods of choice for the identification of endocervical Chlamydia trachomatis in the population of university students without symptoms of the disease.