This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of interdental flossing for preventing interproximal dental caries in the primary and young permanent dentitions. Following a clincial and radiographic examination, first-grade pupils attending three public schools in a fluoride-deficient region were selected. Each subject had at least one contralateral pair of caries-free contacting interproximal tooth surfaces. Experimental tooth surfaces were flossed with unwaxed dental floss by research assistants. The contralateral surfaces were not flossed and served as controls. After 8 months the clinical and radiographic examinations were repeated. Analysis of 249 paired surfaces in 52 children revealed significant differences between the control and experimental surfaces (p = 0.008). These data suggest a dental caries reduction and beneficial effect from the dental flossing procedure.

Traumatic dental injuries in children often require multiple follow-up visits to the dentist and may have long-term consequences for the developing dentition. The aim of this audit was to examine age, gender, location, time of year, mechanism of injury and type of injury sustained in relation to dentoalveolar trauma in children attending the paediatric dental trauma clinic at Glasgow Dental Hospital from 2002 to 2004, and to compare our findings with data in the published literature. Males suffered 60% of all dental trauma, 79% of sporting injuries and 85% of assaults. The injuries in males were more severe, representing 65% of enamel dentine and pulp fractures, 100% of crown root fractures and 66% of crown root and pulp fractures. A peak for trauma was seen in the 8-11-year-old group (43%). The majority of injuries in the under four age group resulted from falls (87%). Taken as a whole, falls accounted for 49%, sports related injuries 18%, bicycle and scooter 13%, assault 7%, and road traffic accidents 1.5% of all injuries. They also accounted for a far higher percentage of intrusive luxations (67%). The largest proportion of injuries occurred during the summer months (33%). Sixty-four percent of children suffered trauma to more than one tooth. Fifty-eight percent of injuries involved the dental hard tissues and pulp and the majority of these (82%) were crown fractures. Most subjects (82%) suffered trauma to their periodontal tissues, (26% concussion or subluxation, 26% lateral luxation and 23% avulsion). Injuries to the supporting bone were uncommon. Sixty-six percent of all injuries occurred outdoors. Our findings were similar to a number of published studies, but in contrast to several others. More consistency is required in the collection and reporting of trauma data to be able to draw meaningful conclusions by comparison.

(1) Dust from the KCP 1000 is insufficient to be a health hazard to patients or operators, (2) chair-side suction can be used as an alternative to the KCP 1000 suction, (3) superior sealants were obtained when tooth surfaces were prepared by a bur, compared to air abrasion and conventionally prepared surfaces, and (4) air abrasion tooth surfaces demonstrated less microleakage than conventionally prepared tooth surfaces.

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A clinical study was designed to evaluate the effect of frequent interdental flossing on the incidence of proximal dental caries. School children from a fluoride-deficient area were studied after clinical and radiographic examinations. Each child had at least one contralateral pair of intact, contacting proximal tooth surfaces between the distal surface of the primary cuspid and the mesial surface of the first permanent molar. Randomly selected test surfaces were flossed each school day with unwaxed dental floss by researchers. The contralateral surfaces served as controls. Flossing was done for eight months, discontinued for four months, and reinstituted for another eight months. A significant reduction in the incidence of proximal caries resulted.