Evaluating the Thickness of the Root Canal Dentin Wall in Primary First Molars Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography.

Aim: To evaluate the thickness of the root canal dentin wall in the cervical, middle, and apical third of primary first molars. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study consisting of 30 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of primary maxillary and mandibular first molars, with crown, and root integrity. The wall dentin thickness of each canal was measured in three axial views, divided into distal (D), mesial, lingual/palatine, and buccal surfaces. Results: The smallest dentin wall thickness of the maxillary molar was located on the mesial surface of the mesiobuccal (MB) canal apical third (mean 0.55 ± 0.04 mm). The buccal and palatal (P) surfaces of the distobuccal (DB) and P canals showed the smallest dentin thickness on the cervical third (0.62 ± 0.02 mm). On the mandibular molar, we found the smallest dentin thickness on the apical third [lingual surface of the MB canal and buccal surface of the mesiolingual (ML) canal] with a mean of 0.41 ± 0.07 mm. Additionally, the dentin thickness is average of the D canal was about 0.67 ± 0.11 mm. Conclusion: It is essential to understand the primary first molar's anatomy to reduce possible complications in pediatric patients from instrumentation during root canal treatments. Clinical significance: Pulpectomy is among the most challenging procedures in pediatric dentistry and the knowledge of the root anatomy of primary teeth allows the professional to make better clinical decisions and reduce possible risks during root canal treatment. How to cite this article: Justiniano-Navarro C, Caballero-García S, López-Rodriguez G, et al. Evaluating the Thickness of the Root Canal Dentin Wall in Primary First Molars using Cone-beam Computed Tomography. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-2):S122-S127.

Association between knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and dental specialty.

OBJECTIVE: To associate the knowledge and attitudes about Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (POSA) with the specialty of dentists in Metropolitan Lima, Peru. METHODS: A cross-sectional, analytical observational study was carried out during 2021-2022. Two hundred and ten orthodontists and pediatric dentists were surveyed using the adapted and validated Spanish translation of the OSAKA-KIDS questionnaire and additional sociodemographic questions. RESULTS: The data indicated an association between dental specialty and the professional's knowledge about POSA. Orthodontists were 59% less likely to have acceptable knowledge, compared to pediatric dentists (p = .013, IC 95% 0.21-0.83). The study revealed an association between the professional's attitudes and three intervening variables: age (p = .025), clinical experience (p = .049) and sector of practice (p = .020). CONCLUSION: Knowledge was associated with the dental specialty of professionals in the sample included, whilst attitudes were not.

Calidad de vida relacionada a la salud oral de preescolares peruanos en el año 2018 / Qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em pré-escolares peruanos em 2018 / Oral health-related quality of life in peruvian preschool children in 2018

Antecedentes: Existen pocas investigaciones que muestren cómo la caries de aparición temprana (CAT) afecta a la mayoría de los niños peruanos. Sin embargo, es aún menor la cantidad de estudios que muestran cómo la CAT y la necesidad de tratamiento (NTx) afectan la calidad de vida de los menores. Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de la salud bucal sobre la calidad de vida según CAT y NTx en preescolares del Perú. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo-transversal conformado por una muestra de 360 niños de 3 a 5 años de una institución educativa pública del distrito de Independencia, en Lima. Los niños fueron examinados con el índice CEOD, NTx y el cuestionario de Escala de impacto de la salud oral en infancia temprana (ECOHIS). Los datos fueron analizados con estadística descriptiva y para relacionar se usó ANOVA y Kruskal Wallis (p<0,05). Resultados: La prevalencia de CAT fue de 73,6% y la NTx más requerida fue la "obturación superficial". Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas tanto para CAT como para NTx en relación con todos los dominios de calidad de vida. Conclusiones: La CAT y la NTx tienen impacto negativo en la calidad de vida de los preescolares.

Contexto: Existem poucas pesquisas que demonstrem como a cárie precoce na infância (CPI) afeta a maioria das crianças peruanas. No entanto, é ainda menor o número de estudos que mostram como a CPI e a necessidade de tratamento (NTx) afetam a qualidade de vida das crianças. Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto da saúde bucal na qualidade de vida segundo a CPI e a NTx em pré-escolares do Peru. Material e métodos: Foi realizado um estudo descritivo-transversal, com uma amostra de 360 crianças de 3 a 5 anos de uma instituição de ensino público do distrito de Independência, em Lima. As crianças foram examinadas com o índice CEOD, NTx e o questionário de a escala de impacto na saúde bucal na primeira infancia (ECOHIS). Os dados foram analisados com estatística descritiva e para relacioná-los foram usados ANOVA e Kruskal Wallis (p <0,05). Resultados: A prevalência de CPI foi de 73,6% e a NTx mais requerida foi a "obturação superficial". Foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas tanto para a CPI, quanto para a NTx em relação a todos os domínios da qualidade de vida. Conclusões: A CPI e a NTx tem impacto negativo na qualidade de vida dos pré-escolares.

Background: Few studies have investigated the effect of early childhood caries (ECC) on Peruvian children; there are even fewer studies of how ECC and treatment needs (TNs) affect the quality of life of these children. Objective: To assess the impact of oral health on the quality of life, according to ECC and TNs, of Peruvian preschool children. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, consisting of a sample of 360 children aged 3 to 5 years from a public educational institution in the district of Independencia, Lima. The children were examined using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, the TNs index, and the early childhood oral health impact scale (ECOHIS) questionnaire. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics using ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test to establish relationships (p <0.05). Results: The prevalence of ECC was 73.6%, and the most required TN was "surface filling." Statistically significant differences were found for both ECC and TNs in relation to all quality of life domains. Conclusions: ECC and TNs have a negative impact on the quality of life of preschool children.

Asociación de la presencia de dientes en forma de pala y lesiones cariosas

Objetivos: Determinar la asociación entre el diente en forma de pala y la presencia de lesiones cariosas. Material y métodos: Se determinó el tamaño de muestra de 335 niños de 7 a 14 años de edad utilizando el Software EPIDAT, versión 4.2. Se consideró la clasificación de Hrdlicka y se utilizó como instrumento el Sistema Internacional de Detección y Diagnóstico de Caries II (ICDAS II) para codificar la caries dental desde su estadio más temprano. Resultados: La prevalencia de incisivos en forma de pala fue de 56.42%. El género con mayor prevalencia fue el masculino con 51.64%. Se observó 583 piezas dentarias que no presentaban caries y que no eran forma de pala y 646, que si tenían forma de pala. Por otro lado, sólo 111 piezas tenían morfología de pala con presencia de caries dental. Conclusiones: Los dientes que no presentaron forma de pala no presentaron caries dental en casi su totalidad. Se encontró un mayor riesgo de presentar caries dental cuando los dientes presentan forma de pala comparado con los dientes que no presentan esta alteración. Esto se debe a su morfología, la cual se caracteriza por tener rebordes marginales prominentes, fosa lingual profunda que puede producir un mayor acúmulo de placa. Asimismo, se determinó que el género no es considerado una predisposición.

Influencia de los incisivos en forma de pala en el overjet / Influence of the shovel-shaped incisors in the overjet

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de incisivos en forma de pala y su asociación con el overjet. Material y Métodos: La muestra estuvo conformada por 270 niños de 7 a 11 años de una Institución pública deChilca. Se realizó una evaluación clínica para determinar la presencia o ausencia de los incisivos en pala y de qué tipo se trataba según la clasificación de Hrdlicka. Asimismo, se registró la medida del overjet con una sonda periodontal PCP 11.5B Hu Friedy®. Finalmente, se realizó la prueba de Chi cuadrado para determinar la asociación entre ambasvariables. Resultados: La prevalencia de incisivos en forma de pala fue de 72,60% con mayor frecuencia en el género femenino. Se halló una mayor prevalencia de forma de pala en los incisivos laterales (71,85%) que en los centrales (67,77%). El tipode forma de pala predominante fue el de tipo I en ambos grupos de incisivos (31,85% y 31,48%). No se encontró una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre los incisivos en forma de pala y el overjet. (p=0.075)...

Objective: To determine the prevalence of the shovel-shaped incisors and their association with the overjet. Material and Methods: The sample included 270 children from a Chilca’s Public Institution aged from 7 to 11. Aclinical assessment was carried out to determine the presence or absence of the shovel-shaped incisors and whichwas its type according to the Hrdlicka’s scale. Likewise, the measurement of overjet was registered with only oneperiodontal probe PCP 11.5B Hu Friedy®. Finally, the chi-squared test was carried out to determine the association between both variables. Results: The prevalence of the shovel-shaped incisors was 72,60%, more frequently in females It was found a greaterprevalence of shovel-shaped lateral incisors (71,85%) than shovel-shaped central incisors (67,77%). In both groups ofincisors, the Type I was predominant (31,85% and 31.48%). An association statistically significant between the shovelshaped incisors and overjet was not found. (p=0.075)...

When and Why Parents Seek Dental Care for Children under 36 Months.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to analyze an infant preventive program determining at what age parents take their children for their first dental visit and the reasons why they do it. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 844 children aged from 0 to 36 months, enrolled in the program of oral health maintenance of the Baby Clinic, participated in this study. During the first dental visit, the parents were inquired about the reasons that led them to enroll their children in the program. One trained investigator identified this reasons on the records and classified them according to the following scores: orientation/prevention, caries treatment, malpositioned teeth, dental trauma, tooth color alterations and others. RESULTS: Orientation/prevention was the most prevalent reason from 0-6 months to 25-30 months of age, and at the age 30-36 months, the reason caries/treatment overcame orientation/prevention, becoming the most prevalent reason in that age group. The third place was occupied by dental trauma. The mean age parents seek for dental care to their children was 14, 92 months. CONCLUSION: This study showed a preferentially preventive/educational profile for the children. However, lots of parents still take children to the dentist preferentially for curative instead of preventive treatment. How to cite this article: Volpato LE, Palti DG, Lima JE, Machado MA, Aranha AM, Bandeca MC, Pedro FL, Borges AH. When and Why Parents Seek Dental Care for Children under 36 Months. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(4):21-25.

Surgical excision of mucocele with local anesthesia in an 8-month-old baby / Excisão cirúrgica de mucocele sob anestesia local em um bebê de 8 meses de idade

Mucoceles are common disorders of the minor salivary glands, occurring specially on the lower lip. Their occurrence in newborn babies has rarely been reported. In addition, the surgical removal of oral lesions in babies has often been performed with general anesthesia, which option is usually related to the patients' ages, irrespective of the lesion's size and the access to anatomic region where it is located. The present report, however, details the treatment of a mucocele excision performed in an 8-month-old baby with local anesthesia. This case illustrates well that knowledge of the lesion and dentist's experience in the attendance of babies is important, as often only conservative treatment with local anesthesia is required. Therefore, clinicians and parents should be reassured that early surgical intervention under local anesthesia will provide a swift and satisfactory resolution to the problem.

Mucocele é uma ocorrência comum nas glândulas salivares menores, que acontece, principalmente, no lábio inferior. Em bebês, tem sido raramente reportada na literatura. Em adição, a remoção cirúrgica de lesões orais em bebês tem sido realizada sob anestesia geral, cuja opção geralmente se refere à idade do paciente, sem ter relação com o tamanho da lesão e o acesso à região anatômica onde está localizada. O presente caso clínico, no entanto, descreve a excisão da mucocele realizada em um bebê de 8 meses de idade, sob anestesia local. Esse caso ilustra bem que o conhecimento da lesão e a experiência do dentista no atendimento de bebês é muito importante, já que somente um tratamento conservador sob anestesia local é necessário. Portanto, clínicos e pais devem ser alertados para o fato de que uma intervenção cirúrgica precoce sob anestesia local irá proporcionar uma resolução rápida e satisfatória do problema.

Associative priming effects with visible, transposed-letter nonwords: JUGDE facilitates COURT.

Associative priming effects can be obtained with masked nonword primes or with masked pseudohomophone primes (e.g., judpe-COURT, tode-FROG), but not with visible primes. The usual explanation is that when the prime is visible, these stimuli no longer activate the semantic representations of their base words. Given the important role of transposed-letter stimuli (e.g., jugde) in visual word recognition, here we examined whether or not an associative priming effect could be obtained with visible transposed-letter nonword primes (e.g., jugde-COURT) in a series of lexical decision experiments. Results showed a sizable associative priming effect with visible transposed-letter nonword primes (i.e., jugde-COURT faster than neevr-COURT) in Experiments 1-3 that was close to that with word primes. In contrast, we failed to find a parallel effect with replacement-letter nonword primes (Experiment 2). These findings pose some constraints to models of visual word recognition.

Anesthetic technique for inferior alveolar nerve block: a new approach.

BACKGROUND: Effective pain control in Dentistry may be achieved by local anesthetic techniques. The success of the anesthetic technique in mandibular structures depends on the proximity of the needle tip to the mandibular foramen at the moment of anesthetic injection into the pterygomandibular region. Two techniques are available to reach the inferior alveolar nerve where it enters the mandibular canal, namely indirect and direct; these techniques differ in the number of movements required. Data demonstrate that the indirect technique is considered ineffective in 15% of cases and the direct technique in 13-29% of cases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe an alternative technique for inferior alveolar nerve block using several anatomical points for reference, simplifying the procedure and enabling greater success and a more rapid learning curve. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 193 mandibles (146 with permanent dentition and 47 with primary dentition) from dry skulls were used to establish a relationship between the teeth and the mandibular foramen. By using two wires, the first passing through the mesiobuccal groove and middle point of the mesial slope of the distolingual cusp of the primary second molar or permanent first molar (right side), and the second following the occlusal plane (left side), a line can be achieved whose projection coincides with the left mandibular foramen. RESULTS: The obtained data showed correlation in 82.88% of cases using the permanent first molar, and in 93.62% of cases using the primary second molar. CONCLUSION: This method is potentially effective for inferior alveolar nerve block, especially in Pediatric Dentistry.

Anesthetic technique for inferior alveolar nerve block: a new approach

BACKGROUND: Effective pain control in Dentistry may be achieved by local anesthetic techniques. The success of the anesthetic technique in mandibular structures depends on the proximity of the needle tip to the mandibular foramen at the moment of anesthetic injection into the pterygomandibular region. Two techniques are available to reach the inferior alveolar nerve where it enters the mandibular canal, namely indirect and direct; these techniques differ in the number of movements required. Data demonstrate that the indirect technique is considered ineffective in 15 percent of cases and the direct technique in 13-29 percent of cases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe an alternative technique for inferior alveolar nerve block using several anatomical points for reference, simplifying the procedure and enabling greater success and a more rapid learning curve. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 193 mandibles (146 with permanent dentition and 47 with primary dentition) from dry skulls were used to establish a relationship between the teeth and the mandibular foramen. By using two wires, the first passing through the mesiobuccal groove and middle point of the mesial slope of the distolingual cusp of the primary second molar or permanent first molar (right side), and the second following the oclusal plane (left side), a line can be achieved whose projection coincides with the left mandibular foramen. RESULTS: The obtained data showed correlation in 82.88 percent of cases using the permanent first molar, and in 93.62 percent of cases using the primary second molar. CONCLUSION: This method is potentially effective for inferior alveolar nerve block, especially in Pediatric Dentistry.

Knowledge and attitude of parents or caretakers regarding transmissibility of caries disease.

Dental caries is a transmissible infectious disease in which mutans streptococci are generally considered to be the main etiological agents. Although the transmissibility of dental caries is relatively well established in the literature, little is known whether information regarding this issue is correctly provided to the population. The present study aimed at evaluating, by means of a questionnaire, the knowledge and usual attitude of 640 parents and caretakers regarding the transmissibility of caries disease. Most interviewed adults did not know the concept of dental caries being an infectious and transmissible disease, and reported the habit of blowing and tasting food, sharing utensils and kissing the children on their mouth. 372 (58.1%) adults reported that their children had already been seen by a dentist, 264 (41.3%) answered that their children had never gone to a dentist, and 4 (0.6%) did not know. When the adults were asked whether their children had already had dental caries, 107 (16.7%) answered yes, 489 (76.4%) answered no, and 44 (6.9%) did not know. Taken together, these data reinforce the need to provide the population with some important information regarding the transmission of dental caries in order to facilitate a more comprehensive approach towards the prevention of the disease.

Knowledge and attitude of parents or caretakers regarding transmissibility os caries disease

Dental caries is a transmissible infectious disease in which mutans streptococci are generally considered to be the main etiological agents. Although the transmissibility of dental caries is relatively well established in the literature, little is known whether information regarding this issue is correctly provided to the population. The present study aimed at evaluating, by means of a questionnaire, the knowledge and usual attitude of 640 parents and caretakers regarding the transmissibility of caries disease. Most interviewed adults did not know the concept of dental caries being an infectious and transmissible disease, and reported the habit of blowing and tasting food, sharing utensils and kissing the children on their mouth. 372 (58.1 percent) adults reported that their children had already been seen by a dentist, 264 (41.3 percent) answered that their children had never gone to a dentist, and 4 (0.6 percent) did not know. When the adults were asked whether their children had already had dental caries, 107 (16.7 percent) answered yes, 489 (76.4 percent) answered no, and 44 (6.9 percent) did not know. Taken together, these data reinforce the need to provide the population with some important information regarding the transmission of dental caries in order to facilitate a more comprehensive approach towards the prevention of the disease.

Evaluation of superficial microhardness in dental enamel with different eruptive ages.

This study evaluated the superficial microhardness of enamel in teeth at different posteruptive ages (before eruption in the oral cavity, 2-3 years after eruption, 4-10 years after eruption and more than 10 years after eruption). The study sample was composed of 134 specimens of human enamel. One fragment of each tooth was obtained from the flattest central portion of the crown to produce specimens with 3 x 3 mm. The enamel blocks were minimally flattened out and polished in order to obtain a flat surface parallel to the base, which is fundamental for microhardness testing. Microhardness was measured with a microhardness tester and a Knoop diamond indenter, under a static load of 25 g applied for 5 seconds. Comparison between the superficial microhardness obtained for the different groups was performed by analysis of Student's t test. The results demonstrated that superficial microhardness values have a tendency to increase over the years, with statistically significant difference only between unerupted enamel and that with more than 10 years after eruption. According to the present conditions and methodology, it was concluded that there were differences between the superficial micro-hardness of specimens at different eruptive ages, revealing an increasing mineralization. However, this difference was significant only between unerupted specimens and those with more than 10 years after eruption.

Evaluation of superficial microhardness in dental enamel with different eruptive ages

This study evaluated the superficial microhardness of enamel in teeth at different posteruptive ages (before eruption in the oral cavity, 2-3 years after eruption, 4-10 years after eruption and more than 10 years after eruption). The study sample was composed of 134 specimens of human enamel. One fragment of each tooth was obtained from the flattest central portion of the crown to produce specimens with 3 x 3 mm. The enamel blocks were minimally flattened out and polished in order to obtain a flat surface parallel to the base, which is fundamental for microhardness testing. Microhardness was measured with a microhardness tester and a Knoop diamond indenter, under a static load of 25 g applied for 5 seconds. Comparison between the superficial microhardness obtained for the different groups was performed by analysis of Student's t test. The results demonstrated that superficial microhardness values have a tendency to increase over the years, with statistically significant difference only between unerupted enamel and that with more than 10 years after eruption. According to the present conditions and methodology, it was concluded that there were differences between the superficial micro-hardness of specimens at different eruptive ages, revealing an increasing mineralization. However, this difference was significant only between unerupted specimens and those with more than 10 years after eruption.

Neural correlates of semantic and morphological processing of Hebrew nouns and verbs.

Neuropsychological evidence regarding grammatical category suggests that deficits affecting verbs tend to localize differently from those affecting nouns, but previous functional imaging studies on healthy subjects fail to show consistent results that correspond to the clinical dissociation. In the current imaging study, we addressed this issue by manipulating not only the grammatical category but also the processing mode, using auditory presentation of Hebrew words. Subjects were presented with verbs and nouns and were instructed to make either a semantic decision ("Does the word belong to a given semantic category?") or a morphological decision ("Is the word inflected in plural?"). The results showed different patterns of activation across distinct regions of interest. With respect to grammatical category effects, we found increased activation for verbs in the posterior portion of the left superior temporal sulcus, left dorsal premotor area, and posterior inferior frontal gyrus. In each of these regions, the effect was sensitive to task. None of the ROIs showed noun advantage. With respect to task effects, we found a semantic advantage in left anterior inferior frontal gyrus, as well as in left posterior middle temporal gyrus. The results suggest that cerebral verb-noun dissociation is a result of localized and subtle processes that take place in a set of left frontal and temporal regions, and that the cognitive and neural processes involved in analyzing grammatical category depend on the lexical characteristics of the stimuli, as well as on task requirements. The discrepancy between functional imaging and patient data is also discussed.

Cortical representation of verb processing in sentence comprehension: number of complements, subcategorization, and thematic frames.

The processing of various attributes of verbs is crucial for sentence comprehension. Verb attributes include the number of complements the verb selects, the number of different syntactic phrase types (subcategorization options), and the number of different thematic roles (thematic options). Two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments investigated the cerebral location and pattern of activation of these attributes. Experiment 1 tested the effect of number of complements. Experiment 2 tested the number of options of subcategorization and of thematic frames. A group of mismatch verbs with different number of options for subcategorization and thematic frames was included to distinguish between the effects of these attributes. Fourteen Hebrew speakers performed a semantic decision task on auditorily presented sentences. Parametric analysis revealed graded activations in the left superior temporal gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus in correlation with the number of options. By contrast, the areas that correlated with the number of complements, the right precuneus and the right cingulate, were not conventionally linguistic. This suggests that processing the number of options is more specifically linguistic than processing the number of complements. The mismatch verbs showed a pattern of activation similar to that of the subcategorization group but unlike that of the thematic frames group. By implication, and contrary to claims by some linguists, subcategorization seems indispensable in verb processing.

Neural correlates of syntactic movement: converging evidence from two fMRI experiments.

This paper studies neural processes of sentence comprehension, focusing on a specific syntactic operation-syntactic movement. We describe two fMRI experiments that manipulate this particular syntactic component. The sentences in each of the experiments are different, yet the structural contrast in both is syntactically identical, comparing movement and no-movement sentences. Two distinct Hebrew constructions, topicalization and wh-questions, were presented in an auditory comprehension task and compared to carefully matched baseline sentences. We show that both contrasts, presented in an auditory comprehension task, yield comparable activations in a consistent set of brain regions, including left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), left ventral precentral sulcus (vPCS), and bilateral posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). Furthermore, we show that these regions are not sensitive to two other syntactic contrasts. The results, considered in the context of previous imaging and lesion studies, suggest that the processing of syntactic movement involves a consistent set of brain regions, regardless of the superficial properties of the sentences at issue, and irrespective of task.