Evaluation of pediatric dentists' knowledge and approaches to tooth discoloration

In recent years, esthetic expectations have come to the fore in pediatric dentistry, as in every field of dentistry. Therefore, to better meet patients' expectations, the steps taken to determine and improve the current level of knowledge of pediatric dentists on tooth discoloration gain importance. This study aims to measure the knowledge levels of pediatric dentists regarding tooth discoloration. A 33-questioned survey created online was emailed to pediatric dentists between March and December 2021. The first part included four multiple-choice and two open-ended questions regarding demographic characteristics. The second part was to measure the participants' knowledge of tooth discoloration. The last part was to evaluate the clinical approaches of the participants. Participants who agreed to answer all of the questions were included in the study (n = 129). The knowledge levels of the participants were scored according to the accuracy of their answers. The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Of the pediatric dentists who participated in this study, 16.3% had high knowledge, 79.8% had medium knowledge, and 3.9% had insufficient understanding of tooth discoloration. There was no correlation between time since dental school graduation and time spent practicing as a pediatric dentist (p > 0.05). The group with the highest average level of knowledge was the group most frequently encountered with tooth discoloration in the clinic (p ≤ 0.05). On average, pediatric dentists had moderate knowledge of tooth discoloration. The group with the highest average expertise in this field was the group that most frequently encountered and treated tooth discoloration. Information on tooth discoloration due to systemic factors was insufficient. To increase the knowledge level of pediatric dentists about the causes and treatments of tooth discoloration, it may be beneficial to establish training programs during and after specialization education.

Factors for choosing a pediatric dentist in Saudi Arabia

The choice of a pediatric dentist is a crucial decision for parents, influenced by a variety of factors. This study aimed to investigate the key determinants that guide parents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their selection of a pediatric dentist. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a diverse participant pool. The survey captured demographic information, history of dental visits, parents' level of concern about dental treatment for their children, and the importance of specific factors in the choice of a pediatric dentist. The survey was completed by a balanced representation of different age groups and genders. Most participants from Riyadh and other regions had a history of dental visits. Parents' concern about dental treatment varied based on the number of children they had. The most significant factors influencing the choice of a pediatric dentist were the quality of the dental unit's disinfection process, the dentist's ability to communicate with the child and manage uncooperative behaviour, and the dentist's experience. The least influential factors were the proximity of the dental office to the child's school, the dentist's gender, and the number of pediatric dentists in the practice. This study provided valuable insights into the factors that influence parents' decision in choosing a pediatric dentist in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data helps dental professionals understand parents' priorities and improve their services accordingly to meet patient needs and expectations.

Integration of Breastfeeding Consultation and Practices in the Scope of Pediatric Dentistry: Collaboration with Lactation Specialists

Background

In recent years, breastfeeding has been largely promoted due to health benefits for the children and the mothers and social, economic, and environmental advantages. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years and to be continued for as long as this is desired by the mother-child dyad.Despite its advantages, including protection against caries in the 1st year of life, prevention of malocclusions, and development of more normal breathing patterns, there is a great controversy in the literature regarding breastfeeding involvement in elevated risk for early childhood caries (ECC).Breastfeeding and oral health are strongly related. Breastfeeding can influence oral health and development, but oral findings, such as tethered tissues and natal/neonatal teeth, may negatively affect lactation.

Conclusion

A healthy collaboration between the oral health care provider and the lactation specialist is important in order to identify those oral findings and prevent breastfeeding implications, but also in order to facilitate uneventful breastfeeding by emphasizing oral health care prevention strategies.

Clinical significance

Information on the advantages of certain lactation aspects and the potential risks for ECC is important for the pediatric dentist to be able to form an individualized treatment/prevention plan that will benefit and promote the oral and general health of young patients.

How to cite this article

Papadopoulou P, Boka V, Arapostathis K. Integration of Breastfeeding Consultation and Practices in the Scope of Pediatric Dentistry: Collaboration with Lactation Specialists. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-3):S306-S310.

Global Developmental Delay in Children with Full Mouth Rehabilitation: A Case Series

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a chronic neurological disturbance that includes defects in one or more developmental domains. Although some diagnosed delays are benign, certain presentations are more worrisome. The developmental domains can be motor, cognitive, daily activities, speech or language, and social or personal development. The etiology of GDD can be prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal. It can be diagnosed early in childhood as the delay or absence of one or more developmental milestones. Hence the role of pediatric dentists and pediatricians becomes more crucial in identifying this condition.

How to cite this article

Thimmegowda U, Chikkanarasaiah N, P A, et al. Global Developmental Delay in Children with Full Mouth Rehabilitation: A Case Series. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(3):522-527.

Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists toward Silver Diamine Fluoride in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Dental caries is managed by two approaches: prevention which focuses on inhibiting the caries progression, and the traditional approach which is treating caries by drilling and filling. Logically, the first approach is more effective. One of the recently marketed preventive methods for preventing and inhibiting the progression of dental caries is silver diamine fluoride (SDF), which is proven to be minimally invasive and cost-effective, SDF has proven to have a significant success rate in caries prevention, especially in the early childhood caries.

Objective

The study aims to evaluate general practitioners’ SDF clinical experience, knowledge, professional behavior, and attitudes.

Materials and methods

The study was a cross-sectional study and we utilized a random sampling of Saudi general dental practitioners from different places in the Hail region, KSA. The study was conducted using papered interview and an online questionnaire followed by educating the dentists about SDF.

Results

Dentists were asked about SDF, 62.7% answered that they heard about SDF topical application, but the dentists who answered all questions correctly are only 14.89% with no statistically significant difference among gender, age, or sector.

Conclusion

This study had several limitations. It only included the dental GPA in the Hail region, Saudi Arabia. As is the case with all surveys, only a limited number of questions could be asked. Thus, the information to be obtained is also limited. Future research should therefore include other questions to clarify other aspects which we could not explore in this research.

How to cite this article

Alshammari AF, Alenzi RH, Alanezi AA, et al. Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists toward Silver Diamine Fluoride in Saudi Arabia. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(5):662–665.

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the use of dental operating microscope in pediatric dentistry in India: An online survey

Background and aim

Literature search shows scarcity of information regarding the use of Dental Operating Microscope (DOM) in children. There are various factors that limit the use of this novel technology by Pediatric Dentists in their practice. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pediatric dentist regarding DOM use in children.

Method

The present study was a descriptive web based questionnaire study conducted among 363 Pediatric Dentists (PDs) of India. A close-ended questionnaire was prepared to test the KAP regarding microscope use among PDs. Results obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis in SPSS software and correlation was studied using chi-square test where statistical significance was observed at p ​< ​0.05.

Results

A response rate of 82.1% was observed. Majority (88.9%) of the pediatric dentists were aware of Dental operating Microscope (DOM) usage in their field, however, only 61.4% were aware of its magnification levels. 76.5% participants responded 12^oclock position to be the ideal position. Majority (94.0%) agreed that DOM is helpful in locating canals in deciduous teeth. 70.5% think that DOM can increase apprehension of children. 85.2% believed that DOM can aid in behavior management of children through its live visual output. However, 84.2% of the pediatric dentists hadn't used DOM in their practice.

Conclusion

The knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dental operating microscope among pediatric dentists in India is limited. In the foreseeable future, the use of magnification is likely to become the standard of practice in dentistry.

Orthodontic treatment and referral patterns: A survey of pediatric dentists, general practitioners, and orthodontists

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the orthodontic diagnostic skills, referral patterns, and the perceptions of orthodontic benefits of pediatric and general dentists in comparison with orthodontists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two online surveys were e-mailed to pediatric dentists, general dentistry practitioners, and orthodontists registered as members of the Saudi Dental Society and the Saudi Orthodontic Society. The surveys included questions about the type of orthodontic treatment provided, referral trends, and timing; presumed benefits associated with successful orthodontic treatment; and diagnosis and treatment plans of seven cases representing different malocclusions.

RESULTS

In total, 25 orthodontists, 18 pediatric dentists, and 14 general practitioners completed the survey. Only 38.8% of pediatric dentists and 7.1% of general practitioners reported that they practiced orthodontics clinically. The perceptions of the three groups toward the benefits of orthodontic treatment were comparable in the psychosocial areas. However, the orthodontists perceived significantly lesser effects of orthodontic treatment on the amelioration of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms. Pediatric dentists tended to rate the need and urgency of treatment higher, while general practitioners tended to rate the need of treatment lower. The selected treatment plans for three early malocclusion cases showed the greatest discrepancies between the orthodontists and the other two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The orthodontists consistently and significantly downplayed the perceived benefit of orthodontic treatment to reduce TMD symptoms. Also, while there was a similarity in the diagnosis, there were notable differences in the proposed treatment approaches, perceived treatment need, and timing of intervention between the three groups of practitioners.

Trends in authorship in an Indian pediatric dentistry journal: relevance of matthew effect

Introduction:

The maxim “rich get richer and the poor get poorer” forms the basis for Matthew effect in Science. Our goal of conducting this study was to test the hypothesis that the gap in number of publications between renowned, older authors and newer authors amongst Indian pediatric dentists widens over time as stated by the Matthew effect and possible trends in publication in Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry (JISPPD).

Materials and methods:

It was hypothesized that the Matthew effect is applicable to the work published by Indian Pedodontists in the official publication of Indian Society of Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry (ISPPD). The names of the authors in JISPPD from 1996 to 2011 were recorded year wise and the data was entered in Microsoft excel 2007 and analyzed using SPSS software.

Results:

The study revealed that there were a total of 823 papers published in JISPPD during the study period (1996 to 2011) by 1142 authors. 71.6% authors had contributed only one paper and 14.4% authors had contributed two papers during the study period. Only 0.6% authors had contributed to 20 or more papers. The results revealed evidence of Matthew effect for publications in JISPPD and the effect is relatively large.

Conclusions:

The results of the study showed that the Matthew effect is prevalent in the publication trends in JISPPD.