Treatment of an intraoral bleeding in hemophilic patient with a thermoplastic palatal stent - A novel approach.

This is a case report of a 13-year old child diagnosed with hemophilia A. He reported with a bleeding wound in the middle part of the hard palate, due to trauma from a lead pencil. An intraoral palatal stent was planned to provide continuous pressure, stabilize the clot and allow local delivery of hemostatic agent. The stent was fabricated with a thermoplastic silicone rubber (biostar) under vacuum. The hemostatic agent used was one 500 mg capsule of tranxemic acid that was crushed and applied as a paste every 6 hourly. The patient was admitted under supervision for 3 days, where Recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) intravenous infusion of 15-25 U/kg twice a day was given. Complete healing was observed in the traumatized area within 10 days. This article emphasizes on prenatal diagnosis, carrier screening and counseling of parents born with hemophilic children.

Palmistry: a tool for dental caries prediction!

BACKGROUND: Dermatoglyphics can prove to be an extremely useful tool for preliminary investigations in conditions with a suspected genetic base. Since caries is a multifactorial disease with the influence of genetic pattern, early prediction for high-risk children can help in using effective and efficient caries preventive measures that are a part of the pedodontist arsenal. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study was done to determine the genetic aspect involved in the occurrence of dental caries through a cost-effective means, which can be used in field studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 550 kindergarten school children in the age group 3-6 years were examined during a school examination camp. Of these, only 336 children were included in the study. They were divided into four groups as follows: caries-free males (df score=0), caries-free females, caries males (df score≥10), caries females. The handprints of each child were taken and the frequency of occurrence of type of dermatoglyphic pattern on fingertip of each digit was noted. Separate df scores were recorded. SPSS software and test of proportions were used for the analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Handprints of caries-free children, especially females, showed maximum ulnar loops. The caries group showed maximum occurrence of whorls (r=2:1), which were more prevalent in females on the left hand 3rd digit than in males where the whorls were found on the right hand 3 rd digit, and also low total ridge count, especially in males.

"Rx--the mistakes we make!!": a short study.

CONTEXT: There is concern regarding the irrational production, prescription and use of drugs in India. AIM: This study aimed to describe the quality of prescriptions by dental practitioners of one particular college in a short period of time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey of all prescriptions dispensed from the various departments of K.L.E.S.'s Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, Karnataka, was conducted by collecting them from the patients exiting the college premises. The prescriptions were photocopied and handed back to the patients. The samples were collected over a period of 7 days. The samples were then analyzed for their content based on an ideal prescription format and the results were tabulated. RESULTS: The findings of the study suggest that most of the prescriptions given are woefully inadequate in content. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that a clear policy about the standard of prescriptions and periodic internal monitoring is the answer for quality prescriptions. Computerization of the prescription format is also a thought-provoking alternative.

Comparative evaluation of slot versus dovetail design in class III composite restorations in primary anterior teeth.

The esthetic restorations of primary anterior teeth have always occupied an important part of the pediatric dentist's armamentarium. Various materials have been tried for this purpose and ample materials have been researched in an attempt to fulfill the prerequisites for an ideal esthetic restorative material.Composite resins have been traditionally noted to have decreased bonding ability to primary teeth and the use of secondary retentive features has been advocated to increase bonding. Fifty pairs of anterior class III carious teeth were selected having mirror image lesions on their contralateral proximal surfaces. These teeth were prepared with either a slot or a modified dovetail type of cavity preparation. The patients were then kept on recall to check the clinical characteristics of the restorations at 3, 6, and 12 months. The criteria for evaluation included marginal adaptation, anatomic form, surface discoloration and secondary caries. It was concluded from the results that the both slot and dovetail types of cavity preparations were equally effacious when clinically reviewed for a period of 12 months. Hence the use of slot type of cavity preparation with reduced loss of the tooth structure is indicated for class III cavities in primary anterior teeth.

The language of pain: A short study.

BACKGROUND: Pain perception is a very controversial topic in child patients. It is affected by various factors such as fear, anxiety, previous experiences, parental factors, and pain threshold. The communication of such pain by the child to the parent is also very confusing with children having rudimentary and developing communication skills. A study to evaluate the pain perception of children and the parental understanding of the children's pain would be helpful in this scenario. The effect on behavior due to pain is also attempted in this particular study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 100 children aged between 5-13 years accompanied by either parent was performed. Data collection was done with the help of questionnaires, which assessed the parental understanding of the child's pain. Pain perception recording was done with the Visual Analog Scale of Faces (VASOF). The behavior of the child was noted using the Frankl's behavior rating scale. Data was collated and statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS (version 10) software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results show that parental factors such as education, work culture, influence parental understanding of pain. VASOF proves to be a reliable tool for pain perception in children. Behavior of the child shows a positive correlation to pain perception.