Assessment of Four Obturation Methods in Deciduous Teeth Using Digital Radiography: An In Vivo Study.

Aim and objective: This study was carried out to comparatively assess the efficiency of four methods of obturation viz Lentulo spiral, Navi tip syringe, Bi directional spiral, and Past inject carrier in deciduous teeth using vista scan. Materials and methods: A total sample of 100 primary root canals [4 groups of 25 canals each] with 2/3rd of root length were selected and randomly allocated into four different obturating techniques, i.e., Group I: Lentulo spiral, Group II: Navi tip syringe, Group III: Bi directional spiral, and Group IV: Past inject carrier. The quality of obturation [Coll and sadrain, 1996] and presence or absence of voids were evaluated by using Vista scan. The recorded data was statistically analyzed. Results: The highest mean rank value of optimally filled canals was obtained by Group IV [58.00] followed by Group I [50.00] with no significant difference. The highest mean rank value of under filled canals and over filled canals were obtained by Group III and Group II, respectively, and these results were statistically significant. All the four obturation techniques showed presence of voids with no significant difference. Conclusion: Both Lentulo spiral and Past inject carrier were equally efficient in attaining an optimally filled homogenous obturation in deciduous teeth. How to cite this article: Raju SS, Reddy RE, Rani TS, et al. Assessment of Four Obturation Methods in Deciduous Teeth Using Digital Radiography: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-1):S52-S56.

Quantitative proteomics of hamster lung tissues infected with SARS-CoV-2 reveal host factors having implication in the disease pathogenesis and severity.

Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) manifests lung pathology. In this study, efforts were made to check the infectivity of a local SARS-CoV-2 isolate in a self-limiting and non-lethal hamster model and evaluate the differential expression of lung proteins during acute infection and convalescence. The findings of this study confirm the infectivity of this isolate in vivo. Analysis of clinical parameters and tissue samples show the pathophysiological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection similar to that reported earlier in COVID-19 patients and hamsters infected with other isolates. However, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), a common histopathological feature of human COVID-19 was only occasionally noticed. The lung-associated pathological changes were very prominent on the 4th day post-infection (dpi), mostly resolved by 14 dpi. Here, we carried out the quantitative proteomic analysis of the lung tissues from SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters on day 4 and day 14 post-infection. This resulted in the identification of 1585 proteins of which 68 proteins were significantly altered between both the infected groups. Pathway analysis revealed complement and coagulation cascade, platelet activation, ferroptosis, and focal adhesion as the top enriched pathways. In addition, we also identified altered expression of two pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins (Sftpd and Sftpb), known for their protective role in lung function. Together, these findings will aid in understanding the mechanism(s) involved in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and progression of the disease.

Effect of Digitalized Previsit Imagery on Behavior of Children in the Dental Operatory.

Aim and objective: The present study was aimed to determine the impact of exposure to digitalized previsit imagery technique on the anticipatory dental anxiety levels of children. Design: 40 children, aged 4-8 years requiring noninvasive dental treatment were included in the study. Preintervention anxiety levels were assessed using Venham picture test (VPT) in the waiting room and randomly divided into two groups. The study group was exposed to the digitalized previsit imagery technique which included a customized cartoon video of dental operatory and the concerned pediatric dentist in his/her own voice through WhatsApp messenger. The other group was dealt with the conventional approach using verbal and nonverbal communication. Postintervention anxiety was assessed in both the groups and the difference was compared. Result: A significant difference in anticipatory dental anxiety was found between the two groups (p<0.001) using SPSS software. There was no marked relation of age and sex with the reduction of anxiety levels after exposure to digitalized previsit imagery. Conclusion: The idea of digitalizing previsit imagery can be a time saving approach which is helpful in managing anxious children before entering the dental operatory. How to cite this article: Reddy RE, Merum K, Mudusu SP, et al. Effect of Digitalized Previsit Imagery on Behavior of Children in the Dental Operatory. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(S-2):S124-S130.

Comparison of ocular wavefront aberrations in subluxated lenses before and after lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation.

PURPOSE: To compare the change in ocular higher-order wavefront aberrations (HOAs), visual acuity, and modulation transfer function (MTF) after lens extraction with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with subluxated lenses. SETTING: Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India. DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: Eyes with subluxated lenses having lens extraction with IOL implantation were included. Capsular bag fixation with in-the-bag IOL implantation or sutured or sutureless scleral fixation of the IOL was performed. Aberrometry was performed preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The following were compared: root-mean-square (RMS) value for total ocular HOAs, coma aberration, spherical aberration, MTF, and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). RESULTS: Of the 39 eyes with subluxated lenses, 26 eyes had Cionni ring fixation, 9 had sutured scleral fixation, and 4 had intrascleral fixation of the IOL. The mean preoperative and postoperative values, respectively, were as follows: RMS HOAs, 10.5 µm ± 9.5 (SD) and 4.73 ± 4.6 µm (P < .001); coma aberration, 2.46 ± 2.4 µm and 0.11 ± 0.1 µm (P = .03); and spherical aberration, 0.37 ± 0.9 µm and 0.02 ± 0.06 µm (P = .02). The MTF improved significantly in all eyes (mean 0.05 ± 0.02 preoperatively and 0.32 ± 0.16 postoperatively) (P = .005). The CDVA was statistically significant improved 6 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Lens extraction with IOL fixation in eyes with subluxated lenses significantly reduced ocular HOAs and improved the MTF.

A Study of Prescription Pattern of Neutraceuticals, Knowledge of the Patients and Cost in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Neutraceuticals are increasingly becoming a part of diet in a health-conscious society. People have changed their outlook towards neutraceuticals because of varying lifestyle diseases and they see the need to improve their physical and mental health. AIM: To study the prescription pattern by doctors, knowledge of patients, cost for patients and patient satisfaction regarding neutraceuticals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total of 120 patients were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. The patients were interviewed and the prescriptions and bills were scrutinized. The data was gathered based on a structured pretested questionnaire comprising of socio-demographic variables, their knowledge of neutraceuticals and history of regular usage, reason for their use, total cost for a month on neutraceuticals alone. The data was analysed using tests of proportions and percentages. RESULTS: Vitamins were prescribed maximum in Internal Medicine (51%), Orthopaedics (43%) and Surgery (37%). Minerals were prescribed maximum in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (30%). 66% of the patients were aware about neutraceuticals. The awareness was maximum in medicine department (70%) and least in surgery department (63.3%). The study showed that the average amount that the patients spent was Rs 357.45 per month on neutraceuticals alone, maximum was Rs 557 in orthopaedics and minimum was Rs 219 in medicine respectively. A 61.6% of the patients expressed their satisfaction after taking the neutraceuticals. However, 12.45% of the patients were dissatisfied even after taking the neutraceuticals. CONCLUSION: Neutraceuticals are being increasingly perceived as beneficial to health and are being continuously used in the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that a doctor educates the public and creates an awareness of the required amount of neutraceuticals that can be safely used. The future of neutraceuticals is bright and can transform healthcare in a developing country like India which utilizes a large number of natural compounds.

Evaluation of palatal rugae pattern in establishing identification and sex determination in Nalgonda children.

BACKGROUND: Establishing individual identification of a decedent only by dental means is a mammoth task in forensic odontology. Palatal rugae's uniqueness, its resistance to heat, and stability throughout life have been proved by its use as an alternative aid in individual identification where comparison of fingerprints and other records is difficult. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of palatal rugoscopy in personal identification and sex determination of Nalgonda pediatric population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 100 children having mixed dentition within the age range of 8-11 years, residing in Nalgonda district. Palatal rugae pattern, shape of the incisive papillae, length of the median palatal raphae, and shape of the dental arches were analyzed using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests between males and females. RESULTS: Wavy and curved patterns appeared to be most prevalent in both males and females but with no significant difference. The number of primary rugae in females and secondary rugae in males, on left side of the palate, was significantly more than their counterparts (P < 0.05). When rugae unification was observed, diverging type was significantly more in males than in females. Parabolic dental arch form, elliptical type of incisive papilla, and medium length of median palatal raphae was observed in majority of the subjects. CONCLUSION: The present study hypothesizes the uniqueness of the rugae in personal identification as no two palates showed similar type of rugae in either of the genders. The rugae pattern also contributes minimally towards sex determination as there was no significant difference observed between the two variables.

Chiari osteotomy in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

A retrospective study of 22 Chiari osteotomies in 21 children with severe Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is presented. All cases were studied at skeletal maturity. The average age at surgery was 8.5 years with an average follow-up of 6.1 years. Four hips were classified as Catterall group III and the remaining hips as group IV. Arthrography was used preoperatively to measure the femoral head sphericity, the femoral head coverage and the eccentric index. The same parameters were studied on radiographs at skeletal maturity. Chiari osteotomy provided an improvement in the femoral head coverage and hip congruency. Radiographs showed progressive spherical remodelling of the femoral head and improvement of the concentricity. One hip required premature total hip replacement.