Mieko Tomizawa

Oral conditions in Japanese infants: A retrospective study

Abstract The present study was carried out to investigate the oral status of 234 Japanese infants, who had registered at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital over a period of 26 years, from 1979 to 2005. The 234 infants consisted of 125 males and 109 females and the youngest patient was 2 days old. We divided them into 11 groups based on the diagnosis. The groups consisted of 46 oral mucosal lesions (8 patients were counted again with natal teeth), 45 cleft lip and/or palate infants, 28 with normal oral condition, 26 high maxillary frena, 21 natal or neonatal teeth, 21 traumatic injuries, 15 teeth anomalies, 14 ankyloglossia, 11 eruption problems, 8 occlusal problems, and 7 with other conditions. Among the 234 cases, some very rare conditions were noted, including a prematurely exfoliated supernumerary deciduous tooth in a 2-month-old infant, 3 cases of palatal polyps, and 2 cases of epulides. It was shown that infants exhibit many kinds of oral conditions that require professional attention from pediatric dentists.

Chronic benign neutropenia diagnosed due to severe stomatitis: a case report

Chronic benign neutropenia is seen in children and is usually detected when repeated occurrence of infectious diseases such as acute otitis media, gastroenteritis, tonsillitis and skin infection, are observed. It is rarely diagnosed as a result of detection of oral lesions. A case of chronic benign neutropenia diagnosed during evaluation of severe stomatitis in a 20-month-old Japanese girl is described in this paper. In order to establish a treatment plan, we examined a dental plaque sample by PCR method, but found no specific causal bacteria. When pediatric dentists encounter repeated gingivitis or stomatitis, the possibility of hematologic disease should be considered.

Congenitally missing lower primary canine, anomalous lower primary first molar and impacted supernumerary premolar in one dental arch

Abstract A rare case is presented in which a congenitally missing primary canine, an abnormally formed primary first molar and an impacted supernumerary premolar were found in the same lower left quadrant. The patient was a Japanese girl aged 2 years and 10 months. After 4 years of observation, when the girl was 6 years 2 months old, the abnormal first primary molar and the impacted supernumerary tooth were extracted to avoid disturbance of the developing lower first premolar. The extracted teeth were examined microscopically. The first primary molar seemed to be a fusion of a normal first primary molar with a small coronal tooth. Thus the supernumerary premolar seemed to be a successor of the coronal tooth. When the patient was 8 years 1 month old, the lower left permanent canine began to erupt; its shape was normal.