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Objectives:The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the dmft-DMFT indexes and the oral hygiene status of 136 individuals attending a special school for the disabled.Methods:Participants were grouped according to disability [Mental Retardation (MR), Cerebral Palsy (CP), Autistic Disorder (AD), Down Syndrome (DS), Other (OTH)] and age [2–6 years (n=24), 7–12 years (50 children) and 13+ years (62 children]. Caries examinations were carried out in accordance with WHO criteria and oral cleanliness was evaluated by visually assessing the presence of plaque on teeth.Results:The age range of patients was 2–26 years (mean age: 11.89±5.19 years). Mean dmft and DMFT scores by age group were as follows: 2–6 years: dmft=2.04±2.24; 7–12 years: dmft=2.24±2.60, DMFT=0.98±2.58; 13+years: DMFT=2.68±2.91. Overall, 15.4% of children had no caries or fillings. While dmft and DMFT levels (P>.05) did not vary significantly by type of disability, oral cleanliness did. Children with autism were observed to maintain the best oral hygiene and those with mental retardation (MR), the poorest.Conclusions:It is important for the dentist to concentrate on a preventive approach and provide proper dental education to parents of disabled individuals. Among the children with disabilities, more attention should be paid to the oral hygiene of MR group.

The aim of this study was to identify the types and etiologies of dento-alveolar injuries among patients who were treated for injuries to maxillary and/or mandibular permanent teeth at the Gulhane Medical Academy, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Center of Dental Sciences in Ankara, Turkey to provide a basis for determining optimal treatment approaches and educational needs. From a total of 4956 children aged 6-12 years (mean age: 8.91 +/- 1.95) applying to the Center, 472 children (9.5%) were found to have suffered dental injuries during a period of 2 years. Injuries were classified according to drawings and texts based on the WHO classification system, as modified by Andreasen and Andreasen. Injury rates were highest among children age 6 and ages 8-10. The most frequently injured permanent teeth were the maxillary central incisors (88.2%), and the maxillary right central permanent incisor made up 47.2% of all injured teeth. The most common cause of dental trauma was falling while walking or running (40.3%). Most injuries involved a single tooth (64.8%). The most common type of injury was enamel fracture (44.6%). There was a significant difference in gender, where boys more often suffered from a dental hard tissue and pulp injury than girls (P = 0.019), whereas there was no difference in gender (P = 0.248) in the distribution of periodontal injuries. Injuries were found to occur more frequently during the summer (P < 0.001). Children with increased overjet were 2.19 times more likely to have dental injuries than other children. Considering that the incidence of traumatic dental injury is highest among children ages 6 and ages 8-10 as well as the fact that patients with increased overjet are more prone to dental trauma, preventive orthodontic treatment in early mixed dentition may play an important role in reducing traumatic dental injuries.

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Although there were no statistically significant differences in clinical and radiographic success rates among the 4 groups, MTA appears to be superior to formocresol, Portland cement, and enamel matrix derivative as a pulpotomy agent in primary teeth.

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The purpose of this study was first to evaluate the elution of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) monomers from resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) and compomers cured with halogen and light-emitting diode (LED) light-curing units (LCUs). The effect of cured materials on the viability of L929 fibroblast cells was also evaluated. One RMGIC (Ketac N100) and two compomers (Dyract Extra and Twinkystar) were tested. Materials were prepared in teflon disks and light-cured with LED or halogen LCUs. The residual monomers of resin materials in solution were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The fibroblast cells' viability was analyzed using MTT assay. The type of LCU did not have a significant effect on the elution of HEMA and TEGDMA. A greater amount of HEMA than TEGMDA was eluted. The amount of TEGDMA eluted from Twinkystar was greater than Dyract Extra (P < 0.05) when cured with a halogen LCU. All material-LCU combinations decreased the fibroblast cells' viability more than the control group (P < 0.01), except for Dyract Extra cured with a halogen LCU (P > 0.05). Curing with the LED LCU decreased the cells' viability more than curing with the halogen LCU for compomers. For Ketac N100, the halogen LCU decreased the cells' viability more than the LED LCU.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate oral health care knowledge and behavior of women during pregnancy. Subjects and Methods: The study population consisted of 351 mothers with children under 3 months of age who presented at Gülhane Medical Academy’s Department of Pediatrics for a routine child check-up. Mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire about their knowledge and behavior regarding dental care during pregnancy. Results: All the women who participated in the study had dental insurance, and most of them had high levels of education. Of the 351 mothers, 263 (75%) had heard about possible connections between oral health and pregnancy outcome, and 165 (47%) believed tooth and periodontal problems could affect pregnancy outcome. However, 256 (73%) women still believed that calcium would be drawn out of their teeth by the developing baby, and 151 (43%) believed in the erroneous statement ‘A tooth for a baby’. 241 (68.7%) women had experienced oral health problems during pregnancy; however, only 48 (13.7%) visited a dentist during their pregnancy. Conclusions: Turkish women, despite having knowledge that adverse pregnancy events may be related to dental and periodontal problems, did not seek oral health care during pregnancy. This suggests the need to better educate medical providers to inform pregnant women to obtain oral health care during pregnancy.