Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual (AV) distraction in behavior modification during dental caries assessment and sealant placement in children with autism spectrum disorder. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 28 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, aged 6.5−9.8 years. Children underwent one introductory (desensitization) appointment and three treatment sessions. During the introductory session, children had the procedures explained to them, they watched a movie projected on a screen while oral screening and assessment of cooperation level were carried out. In treatment session I, oral examination, charting, and dental x-rays were undertaken, whereas the children watched movies with or without video eyewear. During treatment sessions II/III, dental prophylaxis was carried out on upper and lower jaws in addition to the application of dental sealants on the right upper and lower and the left upper and lower permanent molars, respectively, while the children were distracted by cartoon movies using video eyewear. Changes in pulse oximeter and heart rate were recorded every 5 min. Independent samples t-test was used to assess the significance of changes in pulse and O₂ saturation levels during each visit. Results: International Caries Detection and Assessment System-code 2 was found to be the most prevalent (n = 58; 52%). A significant difference (P < 0.02) was observed in mean heart rate during dental screening of the upper and lower jaws with and without video eyewear. A decrease was observed in the mean heart rate during subsequent treatment sessions. Conclusion: Initial desensitization appointment and “tell-show-do” approach, followed by short and positive treatment sessions, assisted in gaining cooperation and improving behavior in the subjects. Video eyewear distraction proved an effective tool in managing children with autism spectrum disorder during noninvasive preventive dental procedures.

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Background: Early childhood caries is a public health problem that continues to affect babies and preschool children worldwide. This untreated caries process results in progressive destruction of the crowns of the teeth, often accompanied by severe pain and suffering, affecting the quality of life. Fluoride varnish which is one of the most important materials to prevent ECC is easy to apply and well tolerated by children. This study aimed to evaluate the scientific evidence regardingthe role of fluoride varnish in preventing early childhood caries. Materials and Methods: Records were searched from various databases such as PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, and EMBASE. Articles published over the past 36 years (1979-2015) were identified using the key search terms. A total of 190 records were identified by title/abstracts/full text articles and were retrieved. Potentially relevant reports identified from the reference lists of relevant studies, review articles and chapters were hand-searched, which yielded an additional 10 articles. The main outcome of our investigation was prevention of early childhood caries following application of fluoride varnish and unavoidable fluoride exposure. Out of 190 articles originally identified, 30 records were considered potentially eligible and sought for further assessment. 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and these studies were assessed independently for methodology and performance. Results: Analysis of literature revealed that basically two concentrations of fluoride varnishes have been used: 1% and 5%, with a caries preventive fraction ranges of 6.4-30% and 5-63%, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that fluoride varnishes have been used at concentrations of 1% and 5% in the prevention of ECC. The preventive fraction was influenced by the frequency of application, the duration of study and sample size. The evidence level of the studies was of moderate to limited value.

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Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), accounting for 23% of all malignancies in children, is the most prevalent pediatric malignancy. This study compared dental caries, oral hygiene status, salivary pH, and Streptococcus mutans counts in dental plaques and saliva of children with leukemia with those of healthy controls. Materials and Methods: This case–control cross-sectional study assessed 32 children with ALL and 32 healthy children (4–9-year-old) for gingival bleeding index (GBI), decayed, missing, and filled/decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMF/dmfs), and plaque index (PI). Sampling was performed to determine salivary pH and S. mutans counts of the participants. The two groups matched in terms of age, gender, and socioeconomic status. The groups were compared using independent t-test, Mann–Whitney test, Chi-square test, and Spearman's and Pearson's correlation analyses. Results: The mean DMF/dmfs and GBI were significantly higher in the ALL group (P_DMF/_dmfs = 0.03; P_GBI = 0.04). However, the two groups were not significantly different in the mean PI values (P = 0.47). The mean S. mutans counts in dental plaques and saliva of the children with leukemia were significantly lower than the healthy controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, the mean salivary pH was significantly lower in the ALL group compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Higher caries and gingival bleeding rates, higher dental plaque accumulation in children with ALL, decreased salivary pH, and cumulative effects of other risk factors highlight the significance of oral hygiene training programs (for the parents of these children) and regular dental examinations for these children.

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Background: The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine children's preferences in a dental clinic so as to reduce anxiety during dental procedures. In this study survey methodology was used. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was designed to evaluate the child's preference in a dental hospital so as to remove anxiety during a dental procedure. This study was carried out on 50 children aged 6–10 years. The children were randomly selected based on their first dental visit in a private dental college. Results: A large number of children preferred listening to rhymes and watching cartoons while undergoing dental treatment. They also preferred the walls painted with cartoons, the dental chair full of toys, a scented environment, and the presence of their parents during the treatment. Conclusion: The results of this study will help the dental team decide on the appropriate design of the pediatric dental operatory room in order to provide a comfortable dental environment which will reduce anxiety in children and improve the quality of health care.

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Background: The objective of this study was to systematically review prevalence of dental caries at different water fluoride levels and emphasize fluoride concentration of drinking water and prevalence of dental caries. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive study was conducted using PubMed database. Inclusion criteria were predefined and some articles fulfilled these criteria. Study validity was assessed by some checklists. Surveys were conducted to determine prevalence of dental caries among individuals. Results: The heterogeneity in the group of children with deciduous teeth in terms of the amount of fluoride in drinking water and social class was significant, and the results of the studies in all the subgroups could not be pooled. However, the heterogeneity of group 2 for subjects with permanent teeth in terms of the fluoride level in drinking water and social class was not significant, and the results of the studies in each subgroup could be pooled together. Conclusion: The meta-regression showed that tooth type and social class had a significant association with the difference in the prevalence of dental caries. Therefore, these variables were the sources of heterogeneity, and the studies must be grouped and subgrouped based on these variables.

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Background: The use of jargon has become very common in the healthcare field, especially in medical/dental records. Although the use of standard medical jargon can be seen as professional, efficient shorthand, a lack of awareness regarding the standard medical abbreviations and incessant and overzealous use of slang among the healthcare professionals can act as a barrier to effective communication and understanding among patients and peers. The aim of this study was to assess the acceptance and use of jargon in case history taking among clinical dental students and dental teaching faculty members of dental colleges in Ernakulam and Idukki districts of Kerala. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out, consisting of 15 questions, to assess the objectives of the study. The study was conducted among clinical dental undergraduate students, house surgeons, postgraduate students and teaching faculty members of five dental colleges in Ernakulam and Idukki districts, Kerala. The results were expressed as a number and percentage of response for each question and Chi-squared test was used for inferential statistical analysis. Results: All the 549 respondents used jargon in case history taking. Approximately 22.4% of the respondents admitted that they always used jargon and 55.8% admitted of using jargon only when there was a lack of time. The majority of the respondents (71.4%) learned the jargon from their colleagues. Approximately 50% of the respondents admitted use of jargon in a history section and about 32% of the respondents in all the sections of case history taking. Approximately 74% were of the opinion that abbreviations should be permitted in case history taking. Conclusion: This study showed widespread use of jargon/abbreviations in case history taking among the respondents. There is a lack of knowledge regarding standard medical abbreviations. Although the majority of the respondents were comfortable with the use of jargon, the majority of the postgraduates and faculty members felt the use of jargon should be stopped.

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Achondroplasia is the most common cause of dwarfism, which is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder, caused by genetic mutation in fibroblast growth factor 3, leading to defective maturation of chondrocytes. It is known to be associated with various oral and dental manifestations such as delayed dental development, midfacial hypoplasia and constricted maxilla with a relatively large mandible, resulting in skeletal/dental Class III malocclusion, posterior crossbite, anterior reverse jet and anterior overbite. However, the association of achondroplasia with talon cusp and supernumerary teeth has never been reported in the literature. Wehereby reported a case of achondroplasia associated with such unusual findings. Moreover, all the three variants of talon cusp, i.e., “true talon,”“semitalon” and “trace talon” are observed in the present case, which makes it a unique one. Further double talon cusps were noticed in the palatal aspect of maxillary central incisors.

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Background: This study investigated the impact of different surface treatments, including fractional carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser on shear bond strength (SBS) of resin cement to lithium disilicate ceramic. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 72 blocks of IPS e.max CAD ceramic were randomly divided into six groups in terms of treatment (n = 12). Group 1 underwent etching with 9.6% hydrofluoric (HF) acid, whereas group 2 was subjected to air abrasion with aluminum oxide particles. Groups 3 and 4 were treated with a fractional CO₂laser for 10 s using 10 W/14 mJ (group 3) or 20 W/10 mJ (group 4). In groups 5 and 6, the CO₂laser was applied similar to that in groups 3 and 4, respectively; then, the specimens were etched by HF acid. After silane application, luting cement was bonded to the specimens. The SBS was assessed with a universal testing machine, and the type of bond failure was determined. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, Duncan, and Fisher's exact tests. Results: Surface conditioning with fractional CO₂laser alone resulted in significantly lower SBS than HF acid treatment (P < 0.05). Bond strengths of the specimens treated with a combination of laser irradiation and acid etching were significantly greater than all the other groups (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the distribution of failure modes among the groups (P = 0.337). Conclusion: The combination of fractional CO₂laser irradiation and HF acid etching could be recommended when extra retention is required for lithium disilicate-based restorations, whereas laser treatment alone cannot produce sufficient SBS.

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Osseous choristoma is a rare, benign lesion of the oral cavity. This report presents a case of osseous choristoma in the submental region of a 30-year-old female subject. Her chief complaint was a painless swelling in the submental region. Panoramic radiography showed a well-defined, round, radiopaque lesion near the inferior border of the left mental region. The lesion was diagnosed as an osseous choristoma based on the histopathological examination of the surgical specimen. This paper is an attempt to bring forward a unique occurrence of osseous choristoma, which would further help the medical fraternity in improvising their knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment of this entity.

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Background: This study aimed to assess the salivary levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in oral lichen planus (OLP) and diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, and OLP + DM patients in comparison with healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 patients (30 with OLP, 5 with both OLP and DM, 20 with DM and 20 healthy controls). The salivary levels of IL-8 and fasting blood sugar and 2-h postprandial blood glucose levels were measured in all the subjects. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and post hoc least significant difference tests. Results: The mean salivary level of IL-8 was the highest in OLP + DM patients, followed by DM, OLP and control groups, respectively. Pair-wise comparisons of the groups revealed significant differences in the salivary levels of IL-8 between OLP and control, DM and control, also OLP + DM patients and control (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The increasing salivary level of IL-8 in the control, OLP, DM, OLP + DM groups, respectively, indicates the role of this inflammatory cytokine in the pathogenesis of OLP and diabetes.

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