Root canal filling materials in primary teeth - review

Inadequate treatment of endodontic infections in primary teeth results in a loss of а deciduous tooth or abnormality in the development of hard dental tissues of the permanent successor. The main goal is to maintain the integrity and health of the primary tooth until their physiological exfoliation. The success of the endodontic treatment depends on the antimicrobial activity of the root canal filling material that contributes to the elimination or reduction of the microbial infection of the root canal system. The aim of this article is to systematically review the contemporary scientific literature concerning the root canal filling materials used in primary teeth. A critical evaluation of the antimicrobial activity, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the investigated materials, has been made. Knowledge of the composition and characteristics of the available obturating materials is a useful advantage to dentists to address the functional problems associated with endodontic infections in very young patients. Future studies should also seek and compare the long-term effects of the use of traditional and alternative intracanal materials

Knowledge and attitudes of dental practitioners regarding the use of behaviour management techniques for paediatric dental patients

Introduction: Understanding children’s behaviour and development is crucial in managing and treating paediatric dental patients. Dental practitioners are expected to be aware of the behaviour management techniques which will facilitate routine dental treatment of the child dental patient. Aim: The objective of the study was to investigate dental practitioners’ awareness and use of non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques in attending paediatric dental patients in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Materials and methods: An anonymous, self-completed mailed survey was sent to 200 dentists. The recorded information included items on awareness and frequency of using different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques, socio-demographic questions, working experience, specialty status. Results: Survey response was 59% and 118 dental practitioners participated in the study. Tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and stop signals were considered the most used techniques by more than 50% of participants. Less than 7% of the respondents reported the use of desensitization, cognitive restructuring, and latent inhibition. Conclusions: Most of the dental practitioners had a medium level of awareness of the non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques. The lack of training in using these techniques, however, is of concern. There is a need to build awareness among the dentists associated with the child psychology and its application during treatment

Knowledge and attitudes of dental practitioners regarding the use of behaviour management techniques for paediatric dental patients

Introduction: Understanding children’s behaviour and development is crucial in managing and treating paediatric dental patients. Dental practitioners are expected to be aware of the behaviour management techniques which will facilitate routine dental treatment of the child dental patient. Aim: The objective of the study was to investigate dental practitioners’ awareness and use of non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques in attending paediatric dental patients in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Materials and methods: An anonymous, self-completed mailed survey was sent to 200 dentists. The recorded information included items on awareness and frequency of using different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques, socio-demographic questions, working experience, specialty status. Results: Survey response was 59% and 118 dental practitioners participated in the study. Tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, and stop signals were considered the most used techniques by more than 50% of participants. Less than 7% of the respondents reported the use of desensitization, cognitive restructuring, and latent inhibition. Conclusions: Most of the dental practitioners had a medium level of awareness of the non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques. The lack of training in using these techniques, however, is of concern. There is a need to build awareness among the dentists associated with the child psychology and its application during treatment

Influence of dentists’ age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type on the use of behaviour management techniques in dental treatment of children

Abstract Aim: The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of dentists’ age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type on the use of non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques in the treatment of paediatric dental patients. Materials and methods: An anonymous, self-completion survey was mailed to 200 randomly selected dentists. The recorded information included items on practitioner’s gender, age, working experience, specialty status, and frequency of using different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques as well as the factors influencing the choice for specific behaviour guidance techniques. Results: Significant differences between age/gender distributions were seen in the use of the basic non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques. Younger females were more likely to indicate that they were comfortable using communicative guidance techniques. The respondents in the over-40 age group did not rely at all on negative reinforcement and parental presence/absence techniques during the dental treatment of children (p0.05). Conclusions: The present study showed age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type statistically significant differences in the use of behaviour management techniques during the dental treatment of children. The choice of a technique was influenced mainly by personal factors associated with the physical and psychological health of the child

Dental fear and anxiety in children: a review of the environmental factors

Dental fear and anxiety are psychological reactions that interfere significantly with daily life. They are problems suffered by many patients worldwide that remain a significant challenge to providing adequate dental care. The multifactorial etiology of children’s dental fear and anxiety identifies the influence of many different risk factors in its development.The aim of this review article is to analyse the scientific literature regarding the different factors associated with dental fear and anxiety in children. Our review of the literature presents a critical analysis of the contributing factors in dental environment that have been investigated in the literature and provides an insight into the possible explanations on the influence of these factors in pediatric patients.Being familiar with these factors would facilitate behaviour management in anxious children. The findings of the literature review give grounds to undertake studies investigating the influence of contributing factors in all pediatric age subgroups

Pulse oximetry in paediatric dentistry

Pulse oximetry is a technique used to measure the levels of blood oxygen saturation. Because this technique is regarded as non-invasive, easy to apply, and accurate technology, the number of possible applications in general dentistry practice has been gradually increasing. The aim of the present study was to summarise the contemporary research literature concerning the use of pulse oximetry in paediatric dentistry. We made a critical evaluation of the clinical applications of pulse oximetry and the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. Knowledge of innovative methods and techniques for treatment and diagnostics by paediatric dentists is a valuable advantage in dealing with the functional problems in attending dental patients. The expository analysis allows reviewing the succession of this diagnostic approach

Dental Fear of 6-12-year-old Children - Role of Parents, Gender and Age

Aim: To investigate the level of dental fear in middle childhood and the impact of various personal and social factors that contribute to developing dental fear.Materials and methods: The study included sixty-seven 6-12-year-old children and their parents, randomly selected while receiving their treatment at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Plovdiv. A modified version of Dental Subscale of the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS) was used to assess the dental fear of each patient. An interview was conducted with the parents to gather information about patient’s gender and age, parent’s dental anxiety (Corah’s dental anxiety scale-DAS) and pre-appointment preparation of children.Results: The results show that the mean of CFSS-DS for children is 30.28±1.17. Concerning the age and gender the comparison between groups of patients with different levels of dental fear demonstrate no significant difference (p>0.05). 60.6%±0.49 of parents prepare their children themselves for the future dental visit and 39.4%±0.49 rely on the dentists to do it. The analysis shows that parent’s dental anxiety and pre-appointment preparation are not associated with the level of dental fear of their children (p>0.05).Conclusions: In middle childhood the majority of children show no or low level of dental fear. The personal and social factors we studied are not determinant risk factors for 6-12-year-old children to develop dental fear

Influence of dentists’ age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type on the use of behaviour management techniques in dental treatment of children

Abstract Aim: The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of dentists’ age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type on the use of non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques in the treatment of paediatric dental patients. Materials and methods: An anonymous, self-completion survey was mailed to 200 randomly selected dentists. The recorded information included items on practitioner’s gender, age, working experience, specialty status, and frequency of using different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques as well as the factors influencing the choice for specific behaviour guidance techniques. Results: Significant differences between age/gender distributions were seen in the use of the basic non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques. Younger females were more likely to indicate that they were comfortable using communicative guidance techniques. The respondents in the over-40 age group did not rely at all on negative reinforcement and parental presence/absence techniques during the dental treatment of children (p0.05). Conclusions: The present study showed age, gender, working experience, and practitioner type statistically significant differences in the use of behaviour management techniques during the dental treatment of children. The choice of a technique was influenced mainly by personal factors associated with the physical and psychological health of the child

Influence of Er:YAG Laser on Objective and Subjective Parameters of Stress during Sealant Application in Children

Background: Acceptance of lasers as alternatives and accessory tools to traditional methods in dental medicine has created an explosion of interest. Er:YAG laser is recommended for enamel conditioning. There is no study evaluating the anxiety in children during fissure sealing procedures when using Er:YAG laser compared to the routine application technique