Subir Sarkar

Erupted maxillary conical mesiodens in deciduous dentition in a Bengali girl - A case report

Mesiodens is a midline supernumerary tooth commonly seen in the maxillary arch. It is the most significant dental anomaly affecting permanent dentition mainly and primary dentition rarely. It may occur as an isolated dental anomalous condition or may be associated with a syndrome. Many theories have been promulgated to explain its etiology. But an exact etiology is still obscure. Incidence of mesiodens in children varies from 0.15 to 3.8%. Boys are affected more (2:1) than girls. Morphologically, mesiodens may be of three types: the most commonly seen is conical, while tuberculate and supplementary types.

Tricho-dento-osseous syndrome and precocious eruption

Tricho-dento-osseous syndrome (TDO), an uncommon form of ectodermal dysplasia is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder which is characterized by inherited defects in tissues arising from epithelial-mesenchymal interaction. Genetic studies have revealed that it is caused by mutation in the DLX3 gene. TDO presents with a great phenotypic heterogeneity and studies have suggested that this heterogeneity is the result of environmental factors or other genetic modifiers. In this article, we report a case of TDO in which the child had typical clinical features of hair, teeth and bone defects, as seen in TDO. Parents of the child were unaffected. Genetic analysis of the child revealed mutation in DLX3 gene. The child also showed precocious eruption of the permanent molars, a clinical feature which has been rarely reported. We suggest that the precocious eruption seen in TDO is probably due to a markedly increased osteoblastic activity. Key words:Tricho-dento-osseous syndrome, DLX3 gene, precocious eruption.

Clinical Measurement of Maximum Mouth Opening in Children of Kolkata and Its Relation with Different Facial Types.

INTRODUCTIONnMaximal opening of mouth is described as the greatest distance between incisal edge of maxillary central incisor to the incisal edge of mandibular central incisor, when the mouth is opened as wide as possible painlessly or as the inter incisal distance plus the overbite. Clinical measurement of normal range of Maximum Mouth Opening (MMO) in children is an important diagnostic criterion for evaluation of stomatognathic system, especially for those with temporomandibular and neurogenic dysfunctions.nnnAIMnTo determine the correlation of maximal mouth opening with age, sex, height, body weight and different facial types.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnThe study was a cross-sectional study which was conducted on 434 children, who were randomly divided into three groups based on their age: Group I- children of age 6 to 8 years, Group II- children of age 8.1 to 10 years, Group III- children of age 10.1 to 12 years. For each child, the examiner took three readings of MMO in millimeters (mm) and the mean of the three readings was considered. Age, sex, standing height, body weight and facial type of each child were also recorded simultaneously. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between the different parameters. p-value <0.05 was the bench mark for statistical significance in the analysis. Descriptive and inferential analysis was done for the data using SPSS version 20.0. (SPSS 20, inc.; Chicago).nnnRESULTSnThe estimated average MMO measured for girls and boys in the age range of 6-8 years, with a total sample size of 139, was 41.14 ± 4.29 mm and 42.16 ± 3.98mm respectively in euryprosopic face type. In leptoproscopic face type, it was 42.12 ± 4.54mm and 43.76 ± 3.80 mm in girls and boys respectively. In mesoproscopic face type, MMO measured was 41.77 ± 4.09mm and 42.51 ± 3.95 mm in girls and boys respectively. The estimated average MMO measured for girls and boys in the age range of 8.1-10 years, with a total sample size of 143, was 44.42+4.69mm and 43.30 ± 4.11 mm in euryprosopic face type. In leptoproscopic face type, it was 43.02 ± 3.92mm and 46.29 ±3.09mm in girls and boys respectively. In mesoproscopic face type, MMO measured was 42.50 ±4.32 and 42.80 ± 5.16 mm in girls and boys respectively. The estimated average MMO measured for girls and boys in the age range of 10.1-12 years, with a total sample size of 152, was 44.63 ± 5.28 mm and 45.80 ± 5.18 mm respectively in euryprosopic face type. In leptoproscopic face type, it was 45.76 ± 4.98 mm and 46.28 ± 4.68 mm in girls and boys respectively. In mesoproscopic face type, MMO measured was 45.32 ± 5.80 mm and 46.03 ± 5.86 mm in girls and boys respectively.nnnCONCLUSIONnThere was a significant difference in MMO between males and females; with males having higher values in all age groups. MMO is seen to increase with age in a statistically significant manner. Significantly increased value of MMO was observed in leptoproscopic face type in comparison to euryproscopic and mesoproscopic face type for each age group.

Stretching new boundaries of caries prevention with silver diamine fluoride: A review of literature

Silver diamine fluoride can arrest dental caries and prevents its progression. By doing so, it provides an alternative care path for those patients in whom traditional restorative treatment cannot be done, for example, children lacking cooperating ability. Although silver diamine fluoride had been used as a caries preventive measure in 1970s in Japan, it had not become popular in the other part of the world. Now, many countries have recommend the use of 38% silver diamine fluoride solution for caries prevention as well as for caries arrest. Recently, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry provided the guidelines regarding the use of silver diamine fluoride for dental caries management in children and adolescent including those with special healthcare needs.

Cleft lip and cleft palate: Role of a pediatric dentist in its management

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital anomalies requiring multidisciplinary care. Such anomaly causes many problems such as impaired suckling, defective speech, deafness, malocclusion, gross facial deformity, and severe psychological problems. Cleft of the lip and palate is one such condition that occurs at such a strategic place in the orofacial region and at such a crucial time that it becomes a complex congenital deformity. Pediatric dentist has a vital role to play right from the neonatal period up to phase of permanent dentition. This review describes a vital role played by pediatric dentist, may it be preventive, restorative, or the interventional care. In the present review article, we offer an extensive review of the literature found in the ISI Web of Knowledge, Index Copernicus, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. The key words searched were “Cleft lip,” “Cleft Palate,” “Cleft lip and palate, “Dentist,” “Pediatric Dentist” “Pedodontist,” “Management,” and “dental treatment.”

Smart materials-making pediatric dentistry bio-smart

As of now, there has been no single material in dentistry that fulfills all the requirements of an ideal material. While the search for an “ideal material” continues, a newer generation of materials has been introduced. The adjective “smart” implies that these materials are able to sense changes in their environments and then respond to these changes in predetermined manners – traits that are also found in living organisms. These materials may be altered in a controlled fashion by stimulus such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, and electric or magnetic field. Some of these are “bio-mimetic” in nature while others are “bio-responsive.” These materials would potentially allow new and groundbreaking dental therapies with a significantly enhanced clinical outcome of the treatment procedures. This paper attempts to highlight some of the currently available “smart materials” in pediatric dentistry which may over the course of years help us move toward a new era of bio-smart dentistry.

Distance M-Me: A novel parameter having significant potential as a predictor of mandibular growth

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship of the measured distance between two mandibular points (distance M-Me) to chronological age and to find out whether the absolute values of distance M-Me could be classified age-wise into a unique range, which could be directly read for predicting the stage of mandibular growth. Methods and Materials: The study sample consists of lateral cephalometric records of 65 patients (34 females and 31 males; age range: 6–21 years). Chronological age was calculated in decimal years. Lateral cephalograms were assessed by two independent examiners. Points M and Me were located on the lateral cephalograms, and linear distance between them was measured. Results: Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients showed a high correlation between chronological age and distance M-Me (0.746 for females and 0.869 for males, p < 0.01). When the values of distance M-Me were compared with chronological age, it was possible to make four age groups (for females and males separately), where each group showed a unique range of value for distance M-Me. The values increased with increasing age. Conclusions: Increase in value of distance M-Me with age, showing reduced individual variation, depicts a well-conserved linear dimension. Values of distance M-Me can be directly read for predicting the stage of mandibular growth and can be used as a valuable adjunct or substitute to chronological age.

Evaluation of knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward emergency dental trauma management among the school teachers of Kolkata

Introduction: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are very common in childhood. Majority of TDI occur at home followed by schools. The prognosis of TDIs to a great extent is dependent on prompt emergency measures taken at the site of accident. Hence, it is of paramount importance to assess the knowledge of people present at the site of accident that generally includes parents, teachers, and sports coaches. Aim of Study: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and awareness of school teachers of Kolkata regarding management of TDIs. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 school teachers of Kolkata over a period of 2 months using a pretested close-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire had three parts: Part 1 contained questions on personal information, Part 2 contained questions based on two imaginary cases of trauma, and Part 3 related to their attitude toward dental trauma education. Chi-square test was done to describe the strength of the associations. Results: : The overall knowledge of school teachers regarding management of TDIs was not found to be satisfactory. It was observed that most of the teachers were in favor of taking immediate professional consultation for the emergency management, but most of them were unaware of the steps to be taken on their part to minimize complications and improve prognosis. Conclusion: Despite the lack of knowledge and awareness regarding management of dental trauma, school teachers of Kolkata had a good attitude toward management of dental trauma and its education.