Study on frequency of dental developmental alterations in a Mexican school-based population

Background

The aim of this study was to know the distribution of dental developmental alterations in the population requesting stomatological attention at the Admission and Diagnosis Clinic of our institution in Mexico City.

Material and Methods

We reviewed the archives and selected those files with developmental dental alterations. Analyzed data were diagnoses, age, gender, location and number of involved teeth.

Results

Of the 3.522 patients reviewed, 179 (5.1%) harbored 394 developmental dental alterations. Of them, 45.2% were males and 54.8% were females with a mean age of 16.7 years. The most common were supernumeraries, dental agenesia and dilaceration. Adults were 30.7% of the patients with dental developmental alterations. In them, the most common lesions were agenesia and supernumeraries. Mesiodens was the most frequently found supernumerary teeth (14.7%).

Conclusions

Our finding that 30.7% of the affected patients were adults is an undescribed and unusually high proportion of patients that have implications on planning and prognosis of their stomatological treatment.

Key words:Developmental dental alterations, developmental alterations, supernumerary teeth, dental agenesia, root dilaceration.

Pathological findings in a sample of Mexican pediatric patients. Clinical and radiographic survey

AIM

The findings of a clinical-radiological review of 467 children attending the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the Facultad de Odontología, UNAM, Mexico, are presented.

METHODS

All patients were clinically reviewed, clinical history was taken, and an orthopantomogram obtained by last year dentistry students. Patients and radiographs were then reviewed by the panel and all alterations in teeth, soft tissues and bone were recorded.

RESULTS

Clinical and/or radiographic alterations were found in 132 (28.26%) children. The main alterations were developmental (75%) and inflammatory/infectious and traumatic (6.06% each). The most common entities were: supernumeraries (30.77%); hypodontia (29.7%); osteosclerotic lesions and microdontia (4.4% each).

CONCLUSION

The data on the frequency of alterations in the pediatric population attending at our institution reinforce the importance of this kind of study in efforts to improve the quality of stomatologic services in the pediatric population.

Clinico-pathologic study of odontogenic cysts in a Mexican sample population

BACKGROUND

Odontogenic cysts are uncommon lesions that frequently behave agressively and attain a large size. Unfortunately, information on the relative incidence of these cysts from different populations is not abundant. In Mexico, for example, only a few examples have been reported. The aim of this study was to ascertain the frequency of odontogenic cysts in a Mexican sample and to compare these data with previously reported studies from other countries.

METHODS

The files of the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Diagnosis Service at the School of Dentistry at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) were reviewed and all accessions of odontogenic cysts were listed. Clinical and radiographic data were recorded and microscopic slides evaluated according to the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification (1992).

RESULTS

Three hundred and four cases of odontogenic cysts (55.9% male predominance) were found. The most frequent odontogenic cysts were the following: periapical cyst (38. 8%); dentigerous cyst (35.5%), and odontogenic keratocyst (18.8%). Periapical cyst was more frequent in females, and maxillary anterior teeth were most commonly involved. Dentigerous cysts appeared in males at a rate of 64.8%, this cyst found more frequently between the 1st and 2nd decades of life and in the molar zone. Odontogenic keratocyst was more frequent in males (59.6%), between the 2nd and 4th decades of life and more common in the molar zone.

CONCLUSIONS

More than 50% of the sample were aggressive cysts (dentigerous and keratocyst). Our results suggest that Mexican patients develop aggressive odontogenic cysts more commonly than other populations. Our figures point to the need for a precise diagnosis in order to institute the correct surgical procedure, prevent recurrence, and forestall more extensive tissue destruction.

Gingival salivary gland choristoma. A case report

Gingival salivary gland choristoma is an extremely rare disturbance of glandular development. A review of the literature disclosed only 5 reported cases of this entity and 7 gingival salivary gland tumors or alterations. We present a case of this condition present in a 43-year-old female patient, which was found while reviewing casts for the design of a prosthetic appliance. This case suggests that embryonal pluripotentiality of gingival epithelial cells is retained and that development of salivary glands in gingival tissue is feasible. An additional discussion about its histogenesis is presented.

Cytotoxicity of Ketac Silver cement

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of a glass ionomer cement with silver particles (Ketac Silver) on pulp tissue. Class V cavities were prepared in 60 healthy teeth scheduled for extraction for orthodontic reasons. A base of Dycal was placed in each cavity. Thirty teeth were filled with Ketac Silver and 30 with ZOE. Ten teeth of each group were extracted 15, 30, and 60 days later. At 15 days, the pulps in the Ketac group showed vacuolization and disruption of the odontoblastic layer, edema, vasodilation, chronic inflammatory infiltrate (CII), and necrosis. At 30 days, a necrotic odontoblastic layer, severe CII, and extensive areas of necrosis were seen. At 60 days, pulp tissue was almost completely necrotic. The ZOE control group showed a slight CII at 15 days. Our results suggest that under these experimental conditions, this cement is highly toxic and induces irreversible pulpal damage.

Gingival compound odontoma

Peripheral odontomas arising in gingival tissue are very rare; only three have been reported to date. The case of a peripheral odontoma arising in the gingiva of a 3-year-old girl is presented.