Assessment of child psychological attributes using strength and difficulties questionnaire for prediction of child behavior at first dental visit: a cross-sectional study

Difficulty score for the treatment of multiple gingival recessions with the Modified Coronally Advanced Tunnel technique: a preliminary reliability study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to propose a new difficulty score for the treatment of multiple gingival recessions (GRs) with Modified Coronally Advanced Tunnel (MCAT), and to test the score's reliability.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A difficulty score was developed for the assessment and grading of 13 relevant anatomical parameters at baseline. Six experienced dental practitioners evaluated existing GRs in three patients. The scale was assessed at two levels: for each single tooth, and seven days later for whole quadrants. Accuracy was estimated using Fleiss' kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) to determine the inter- and intra-examiner agreement.

RESULTS

During the evaluation of individual teeth, all parameters exhibited very good to excellent agreement, with Fleiss' kappa statistics ranging between 0.74 and 1. Only recession type, CEJ detectability, and cervical step displayed minor variations. The total MCAT score also produced a minor discrepancy (kappa = 0.78). During the evaluation of whole quadrants, excellent reproducibility was recorded for individual parameters (kappa 0.9-1). Minor variation was observed for recession type and CEJ detectability. Excellent reliability in the total MCAT scores was noted between examiners (kappa = 0.9). Overall intra-examiner agreement values were very high (0.75-1).

CONCLUSIONS

The reliability of the proposed difficulty score was assessed between very good and excellent. Some difficulties arose in the evaluation of recession type, CEJ detectability and cervical step.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The presented score may be considered for assessing the difficulty of multiple GRs treatment using MCAT in order to improve the process of clinical decision-making.

Risk Factors Associated with Children's Behavior in Dental Clinics: A Cross-Sectional Study

One of the most crucial tasks of pediatric dentists is to control children's negative behaviors. This study aimed to assess dental behavior and the associated risk factors among children aged 4-12. This cross-sectional study recruited healthy, unaffected children aged 4 to 12 years. Parents were interviewed regarding the sociodemographic details and characteristics of their children's dental visits. Two collaborative dentists examined the children for dental caries (DMFT/DMFT) and behavioral status (Frankl's behavior rating scale). This study included 439 children: 27.3% exhibited uncooperative behavior, and the mean DMFT/dmft was 8.46 ± 3.530. Uncooperative behavior significantly increased when the dental visit was scheduled as an emergency treatment (p = 0.134; Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.530) and when there was an elevated DMFT/DMFT ratio (p < 0.001; AOR: 1.308). This study revealed a significant association between children's uncooperative behavior and their first dental visit, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to address behavioral challenges when scheduling pediatric dental care. The proactive measures included controlling caries and avoiding emergencies.