Advances in oral health knowledge of Greek navy recruits and their socioeconomic determinants

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate temporal changes on oral health knowledge and attitudes among two populations of young Greek males (age 19–29 years) undergoing their military training. A secondary aim was to identify socioeconomic trends that may have influenced the above. METHODS: A total of 2,764 healthy subjects (1511 in 1985, and 1253 in 1996) answered a standardized questionnaire of oral health issues. Respondents were stratified in 3 groups, according to their educational status (ES); their responses were compared using the chi-square statistic. The evaluation of socioeconomic indicators utilized longitudinal data from the national Household Expenditures Survey. RESULTS: An overall improvement was noted in the majority of "Knowledge" and "Attitudes" variables in 1996, as compared to 1985. Education seems to play an important role in both knowledge and attitudes. These changes may also be partially attributed to a shift in consuming standards from the coverage of main needs to income disposal directed towards the achievement of better quality of life

Prevalence and Socio-behavioral Influence of Early Childhood Caries, ECC, and Feeding Habits among 6-36 Months Old Children in Uganda and Tanzania.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious problem that has remained unexplored in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to identify possible socio-behavioral correlates of ECC focusing 6-36 months old children and their caretakers.\ud Cross sectional studies were conducted in a high fluoride rural area, Manyara, Tanzania and a low fluoride urban area, Kampala, Uganda. Totals of 1221 and 816 child - caretaker pairs attending health care facilities for growth monitoring were recruited in Manyara and Kampala, respectively. All caretakers completed face to face interviews at the health care facility. Children underwent oral clinical examination whereby ECC and Enamel hypoplasia were recorded using the dmft (WHO 1997) and the DDE index (FDI 1992). The prevalence of ECC was 3.7% in Manyara and 17.6% in Kampala. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, received oral health information from health worker was the strongest determinant of ECC in Manyara, adjusted OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.09 - 0.93. In Kampala, visible plaque, high sugar intake and presence of enamel hypoplasia associated with ECC, adjusted ORs 2.8 (95% CI 1.61- 4.95), 3.0 (95% CI 1.39 - 6.34) and 2.3 (95% CI 1.36 - 3.95). Oral health education aimed at caretakers of 6-36 months, including health care workers' information regarding the detrimental consequences for oral health of frequent sugar consumption and poor oral hygiene is important for prevention of ECC in Tanzania and Uganda

Case definition, aetiology and risk assessment of early childhood caries (ECC): a revisited review.

AIM: To provide a review of the existing literature on early childhood caries (ECC) with particular reference on the nomenclature, case definition, epidemiology, etiology and risk assessment. METHODS: An electronic search was used to identify and critically review papers that have been published and are pertinent to the above issues, evaluate and compile the reported evidence. RESULTS: The term ECC has been adopted to more accurately describe dental caries that affects primary dentitions, replacing previously used terminology that associated the disease with the nursing habit. Suggested ECC case definition uses caries patterns as defining criteria, however, further refinement to include different clinical expressions of a varying severity is necessary. Significant percentages of preschool child populations are affected by ECC today, with the disease concentrating disproportionately in deprived families. Early colonization by mutans streptococci (MS) is associated with increased ECC development, with bacteria being transmitted in both vertical and horizontal ways. Dietary factors related to sugar consumption predispose to early MS colonization and establishment and increase the risk for ECC development, being part of the causal chain. Inappropriate bottle and breast-feeding behaviors also increase the risk, without showing a direct causal relationship. High risk children belong to ethnic minority groups and to low income families with poor parental behaviors and attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Further high-quality studies are needed to explore the role bacteria other than MS may play in caries initiation and progression, elucidate the interaction of the saliva immune defence system with a potentially defective tooth, and investigate the effect distant behavioral factors have on the causal chain that leads to ECC development

Management of intrusive luxation injuries

Traumatic intrusion of permanent teeth is a relatively infrequent but serious type of dental injury, due to the complicated picture it involves. Various treatment approaches have been suggested, so far, regarding management of intrusive luxation. Techniques aiming to reposition the intruded tooth include observation for spontaneous reeruption, surgical as well as orthodontic repositioning. However, development of complications such as pulp necrosis, inflammatory root resorption, replacement resorption and ankylosis and loss of marginal bone support makes selection of the most favorable technique controversial. In this paper, a critical review of the existing treatment modalities is attempted and treatment approaches based on diagnostic parameters that are indicative of the severity of an intrusive injury are presented. Recommendations are made after taking into consideration experimental and clinical study findings and observations from other author's and our own clinical experience. Two cases of intrusive luxation in children are presented and management of the dental injuries as well as the complications which occured are being discussed. Copyright © Munksgaard, 1996

Direct pulp capping in asymptomatic carious primary molars using three different pulp capping materials: a prospective clinical trial

PURPOSE Τo assess the outcome of direct pulp capping in asymptomatic carious primary molars using three pulp capping materials. METHODS In this prospective clinical trial, carious primary molars free of irreversible pulp inflammation signs and symptoms, with negative pain history and pulp exposure following caries removal were included. Teeth were divided into groups: A: Ca(OH)$_{2}$, B: Pure Portland cement$^{®}$, C: Biodentine™. Following anaesthesia, isolation, caries removal, pulp exposure, hemorrhage control, pulp capping, additional lining in groups A, B, teeth were restored with composite resin. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, multivariable random effects Cox regression model were performed. RESULTS Sixty-six patients (25 girls, 41 boys) with mean age 7.2 (± 1.7) years participated. The mean follow-up time was 13 months. Seventy-nine primary molars were assigned to groups A (n = 27), B (29), C (n = 23). The overall failure was 16% and the distribution by group was: A: 5 teeth, B: 5 teeth, C: 3 teeth. No significant differences in failure rates between capping materials, tooth types, age bands and genders were identified. CONCLUSIONS Direct pulp capping in asymptomatic carious primary molars may be an acceptable option, when treating an exposed pulp with bioceramic materials as pulp capping agents

Garre's osteomyelitis of an unusual origin in a 8-year-old child. A case report

Garre's osteomyelitis is a type of chronic osteomyelitis that primarily affects children and adolescents. Although the disease is well described in the dental literature and is usually associated with an odontogenic infection resulting from caries, a number of other causative factors have been occasionally reported, such as a dental extraction or a mild periodontitis. There have also been cases of unknown aetiology. This paper describes a case of Garre's osteomyelitis in an 8-year-old child, in whom the condition arose following a local periodontal infection in an ectopically erupting first permanent molar that was in infraocclusion. The lesion remained unresolved for a period of over 6 months as a result of misdiagnosis, following a number of unsuccessful treatment attempts. Identification of the true cause and treatment through periodontal surgery resulted in lesion resolution and resolved the diagnostic problem. Dentists should be aware that the periodontium may be a potential source of infection for Garre's osteomyelitis in children, particularly in the presence of ectopically erupting posterior teeth. In such cases, periodontal treatment should be sufficient to treat the disease and extraction of the tooth involved may not be necessary

Oral health of overweight and obese children and adolescents: a comparative study with a multivariate analysis of risk indicators

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the oral health status of overweight and obese children compared to normal weight children and to explore the effect of risk indicators, including stress, on the oral health of the children. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 7–15-year-old children were enrolled: divided into a group of overweight and obese and a group of normal weight children. Parent-reported questionnaires were used to for data collection demographic data, children’s medical and developmental history, brushing frequency and dietary habits. Participants’ state and trait anxiety levels were evaluated using STAIC questionnaires while saliva cortisol was measured as a biomarker of stress. Dental Caries (DMFT/dmft), periodontal health (plaque index–PI and gingival index–GI), saliva flow rate and buffer capacity were recorded at the dental clinic by two calibrated examiners. Student’s t-test, Pearson’s r and Fisher’s exact test were used for bivariate associations and backward stepwise multivariate regression analysis for each oral health outcome was performed (P ≤ 0.05). Results: Overweight and obese children had significantly higher DMFT (3.92 ± 4.69 vs. 1.30 ± 2.49, P < 0.001), PI (0.9 ± 0.5 vs. 0.45 ± 0.52, P < 0,001) and GI (0.38 ± 0.39 vs. 0.18 ± 0.47, P < 0,001), salivary cortisol AUC (128.3 ± 55.5 vs. 99.4 ± 35.7, P = 0.004), lower saliva flow rate and decreased “high” saliva buffer capacity. There were no differences for the STAIC measures between the groups. Child’s weight affected periodontal parameters but not dental caries, when controlling for other risk indicators. Conclusion: Oral status of overweight and obese children was worse compared to normal weight children and this did not correlate to stress variables. © 2021, European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry

Oral hygiene and periodontal status of 12 and 15-year-old greek adolescents. A national pathfinder survey

Aim: To investigate oral hygiene and periodontal status of 12- and 15-year old Greek adolescents, in relation to sociodemographic and behavioural parameters. METHODS: A stratified cluster sample of 1,224 12-year old and 1,257 15-year old adolescents of Greek nationality were selected and examined by calibrated examiners. Periodontal and oral hygiene status were assessed using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and the simplified Debris Index (DIs) respectively. The socio-demographic and behavioural data collected included region, location, gender, parental educational level, tooth brushing frequency and reason for dental attendance. RESULTS: The majority of adolescents aged 12 (75.0%) and 15-years (61.4%) had fair oral hygiene levels. The most frequently observed condition in both ages was calculus with or without bleeding (42.8% in the younger and 53.3% in the older age group). Bleeding on probing was found in 41.5% of the 12-year-olds and in 30.0% of the 15-year-olds. The occurrence of shallow and/or deep periodontal pockets was very low (0.2%). Multivariable modelling revealed that gender, location and tooth brushing frequency were strongly associated with oral hygiene status in both ages; girls, those living in urban areas and brushing teeth more frequently had significantly lower DI-s. Tooth brushing frequency was also associated with periodontal status in both ages, while living in urban areas was associated with better periodontal health only in the 15-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that oral hygiene conditions among Greek children and adolescents are not satisfactory and that the occurrence of gingivitis is high. More efforts on oral health education and oral hygiene instruction are needed to improve their periodontal and oral hygiene status