Janaina Merli Aldrigui

Impact of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions on quality of life of young children

BackgroundThe presence of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions can have a negative impact on quality of life of young children and their parents, affecting their oral health and well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of traumatic dental injuries and anterior malocclusion traits on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of children between 2 and 5 years-old.MethodsParents of 260 children answered the six domains of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the OHRQoL (outcome). Two calibrated dentists assessed the types of traumatic dental injuries (Kappa = 0.9) and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits (Kappa = 1.0). OHRQoL was measured using the ECOHIS. Poisson regression was used to associate the type of traumatic dental injury and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits to the outcome.ResultsThe presence of anterior malocclusion traits did not show a negative impact on the overall OHRQoL mean or in each domain. Only complicated traumatic dental injuries showed a negative impact on the symptoms (p = 0.005), psychological (p = 0.029), self image/social interaction (p = 0.004) and family function (p = 0.018) domains and on the overall OHRQoL mean score (p = 0.002). The presence of complicated traumatic dental injuries showed an increased negative impact on the childrens quality of life (RR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.36, 2.63; p < 0.001).ConclusionsComplicated traumatic dental injuries have a negative impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their parents, but anterior malocclusion traits do not.

Predictive factors for pulp necrosis in traumatized primary incisors: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess factors associated with occurrence of pulp necrosis (PN) in traumatized primary incisors, which may contribute to the prognosis of this outcome. DESIGN Data were collected by single examiner through the analysis of clinical files of traumatized patients. The occurrence of PN in traumatized teeth was the evaluated outcome. Poisson regression analysis was applied to calculate the relative risk (RR) and the respective 95% confidence interval. RESULTS Five hundred and twenty-one files were assessed, summing up 727 traumatized primary incisors. The proportion of teeth affected by PN was 23.8%. Multiple regression analysis indicated the following factors as positively associated with PN: trauma with displacement, pulp exposure fracture, self-report of pain, yellow, grey and brown crown discoloration, internal root resorption, and bone loss. Trauma in 4- to 5-year old and more than 5-year-old children, pulp canal obliteration, and external root resorption with bone formation were negatively associated with PN. CONCLUSIONS Teeth that suffered more aggressive injuries, pain, some types of discoloration, and other radiographic findings (for instance, internal root resorption) are positively associated with the occurrence of PN. On the other hand, trauma in older children, canal obliteration, or external resorption show less probability of PN.

Pulp polyp in traumatized primary teeth – a case–control study

AIM To assess clinical characteristics and other factors associated with the occurrence of pulp polyp in traumatized primary teeth as well to evaluate the impact of pulp polyp occurrence on clinical decision-making after traumatic injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study was divided into three phases. First, occurrence and clinical characteristics of pulp polyp were assessed followed by a descriptive analysis and categorical tests of association. Secondly, a case-control design was used, and the occurrence of pulp polyp was set as the outcome. In third phase, the occurrence of pulp polyp after fracture with pulp exposure was investigated as a variable possibly associated with clinical decision-making (dental extraction/endodontic treatment). Logistic regression analyses were used, and odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (OR; 95% CI) were calculated in second and third phases. RESULTS Occurrence of pulp polyp in traumatized primary teeth was of 2.3%. Hyperplastic tissue color and proliferation size were not associated with the time to seek treatment after injury (P > 0.05). Children up to 2 years of age had more chance of having pulp polyp in comparison with older children (3.15; 1.15-8.64). Teeth with crown-root fracture had more chance of dental extraction in the therapeutic approach than the teeth with only crown fracture (4.36; 1.10-17.32). Presence of pulp polyp was not associated with the treatment carried out. CONCLUSIONS Occurrence of pulp polyp in traumatized primary teeth is not frequent and is associated with the age when traumatic dental injury occurs but does not interfere directly with the therapeutic approach.

Mucocele of the lower lip in a 1-year-old child

Mucocele is a common oral mucosal lesion, but it is rarely observed in the infant. The aim of this study is to present the case report of a 1-year-old male patient, with a mucocele of the lower lip, describing the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment performed under local anesthesia with no recurrence observed after nine months follow-up, and also to show the histological features of this benign oral lesion.

Endodontic and restorative treatment of fused primary anterior teeth — Case report

Fused teeth present a high predisposition to caries, which occurs due to the possibility of bacterial plaque accumulation in the fissures or grooves in the union between the teeth involved. This paper reports the case of a 2-year-old boy presented with a fused left maxillary central and lateral incisors which crown was destroyed by caries, and the endodontic and composite resin based restorative treatment performed, that restored aesthetics, function and preserved the primary teeth in the dental arch until their natural exfoliation.