CORRELATION BETWEEN BMI, DENTAL CARIES AND SALIVARY BUFFER CAPACITY IN A SAMPLE OF CHILDREN FROM MURES COUNTY, ROMANIA

Both dental caries and malnutrition in children are serious public health problems with diet as a common risk factor. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between dental caries, Body Mass Index (BMI) and salivary buffer capacity in children. Materials and Method: The first part of the study was conducted on 144 children, aged between 6 and 12 years, examined in the Pediatric Dentistry Department of UMF Tirgu Mures. Nutritional status was assessed using BMI in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation. The sample was divided into four groups based on BMI: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese for age. Dental caries were evaluated using the DMFT (Decayed Missing Filled Teeth) index for permanent dentition and dmft (decayed missing filled teeth) for deciduous dentition. Salivary buffer capacity was recorded with CRT Buffer Strips from Ivoclar Vivadent. Results: The mean age of the sample was 9.11 ± 0.19 years, the mean dmft was 2.58 ± 0.26 and mean DMFT 1.76 ± 0.2. The underweight group presented a significantly higher dmft index compared to the other groups. A negative correlation between the salivary buffer capacity and the caries index was found. Conclusions: Because the results of this preliminary study show a higher caries incidence in underweight children, the relationship between dental caries and malnutrition should be further investigated. Dentists and physicians treating children should consider malnutrition as a risk factor for dental caries

CORRELATION BETWEEN BMI, DENTAL CARIES AND SALIVARY BUFFER CAPACITY IN A SAMPLE OF CHILDREN FROM MURES COUNTY, ROMANIA

Both dental caries and malnutrition in children are serious public health problems with diet as a common risk factor. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between dental caries, Body Mass Index (BMI) and salivary buffer capacity in children. Materials and Method: The first part of the study was conducted on 144 children, aged between 6 and 12 years, examined in the Pediatric Dentistry Department of UMF Tirgu Mures. Nutritional status was assessed using BMI in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation. The sample was divided into four groups based on BMI: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese for age. Dental caries were evaluated using the DMFT (Decayed Missing Filled Teeth) index for permanent dentition and dmft (decayed missing filled teeth) for deciduous dentition. Salivary buffer capacity was recorded with CRT Buffer Strips from Ivoclar Vivadent. Results: The mean age of the sample was 9.11 ± 0.19 years, the mean dmft was 2.58 ± 0.26 and mean DMFT 1.76 ± 0.2. The underweight group presented a significantly higher dmft index compared to the other groups. A negative correlation between the salivary buffer capacity and the caries index was found. Conclusions: Because the results of this preliminary study show a higher caries incidence in underweight children, the relationship between dental caries and malnutrition should be further investigated. Dentists and physicians treating children should consider malnutrition as a risk factor for dental caries

ASSESSMENT OF THE OCCLUSAL CHARACTERISTICS IN PRIMARY DENTITION. RESULTS FROM A ROMANIAN MEDICAL CENTER

Aim of the study The objective was to assess the occlusal characteristics of primary dentition and difference in various parameters in children between 3 and 6 years of age. Material and method A total of 172 children between 3 and 6 years of age with complete primary dentition were examined. The study group was assessed for several occlusal parameters: primary molar and canine relations, degree of overjet and overbite, anterior and posterior crossbite, presence or absence of physiologic spaces and crowding. Results Percentage distribution of terminal molar relationship showed flush terminal in mesial step was 25 % at 3 years old, 44.5% at 5 years old, and 63.6% at 6 years old. Primary canine relations were Angle class I in 72% of the cases. As age increases we noticed a decrease in overjet percentages: 25% of the 3 year old had overjet above 4mm, 19% of the 4 year old and only 9% of the 5 year old. Underbite and crossbite were noticed mainly in boys. Lack of physiological spacing was predominant in girls with 21%, while in boys was only 12%. Also crowding percentage was higher in girls, 19% of the cases. Conclusions We noticed that occlusal problems are higher as age increases. Low incidence of open bite and cross bite suggest the lack of vicious habits, like thumb sucking, in examined childre

Original Research. The Evaluation of Caries Severity Index and Dental Hypoplasia in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Results from a Romanian Medical Center

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that most frequently affects children, and its treatment involves intensive chemotherapy, which might interfere with the normal development of dental tissues. The aim of our study was to measure the incidence of dental caries and enamel hypoplasia in children diagnosed with ALL treated according to the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster-95 (ALL-BFM-95) protocol during the complete remission phase. Two groups of children between 8-12 years of age were investigated: Group 1 consisted of 36 children with ALL, and Group 2 of 58 control age-matched children. The decay-missing-filling index for the deciduous teeth (DMFT) and the presence of hypoplasia in the first permanent molars (MH) or in both incisors and molars (MIH) were recorded. The results were statistically analyzed and showed that there were no differences between the groups regarding the DMFT values (p >0.05), but there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of MH and MIH between groups (p <0.05). According to our results, chemotherapy was not responsible for the decay process, as there were no differences in DMFT indices between the groups, but the high incidence of MH and MIH in the ALL group indicates the need of a good dental care for these children in order to prevent future dental complications

The Assessment of Sealants&rsquo; Effectiveness in Arresting Non-Cavitated Caries Lesion&mdash;A 24-Month Follow-Up

Dental sealants are excellent means to prevent pits and fissure caries. Nowadays, the application of sealants is extended to therapeutic use in arresting non-cavitated carious lesions. This relatively new concept still lacks evidence to support its routine use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a resin-based sealant applied on first permanent molars with carious lesions (ICDAS 1&ndash;3), in comparison with its effectiveness when applied on sound surfaces (ICDAS 0). Included in the study were 114 children aged between six and eight years old, with a high caries risk (according to the CAMBRA system), with all four permanent molars erupted and with deep pits and fissures. A total number of 407 molars were sealed and assessed. A total of 49 were excluded (they had caries, which according to the ICDAS II classification were classified with code 4&ndash;6 or had older sealants or fillings). Out of these 407 molars, 213 were sound (code 0) and 194 had caries lesions as follows: 56 teeth classified as code 1, 79 teeth classified as code 2, and 59 teeth classified as code 3 according to the ICDAS II classification. The retention of the sealant and carious lesions were assessed clinically at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Regarding sealant retention, a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) among the two types of sealed teeth, sound (ICDAS 0) and decayed (ICDAS 3), showed at 18- and 24-month follow-up intervals. Regarding caries lesions, a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) showed between sound (ICDAS 0) and decayed (ICDAS 3) molars at 24-month follow-up. Our study results supported the resin-based sealant effectiveness in arresting incipient carious lesions, which according to the ICDAS II classification have received codes 1 and 2 but did not support sealant effectiveness in arresting caries lesions classified according to the same classification with code 3