The Mean time taken by Stainless Steel Bur excavation was found to be less and caused more amount of dentinal tubule destruction when compared to Polymer Bur, Carisolv and Papacarie. Chemo-mechanical methods found to be more efficient with lesser amount of bacterial remnants and dentinal tubule destruction after caries excavation when compared to conventional methods.

Background: Among the numerous methods used to control anxiety, distraction is the most popular method for controlling behavior during dental procedures in children. The present study aimed to use a fidget spinner, kaleidoscope, and virtual reality as distraction techniques individually and observe the effects on the anxiety levels of children subjected to inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Methods: In this parallel-group randomized clinical trial, 102 children aged 6-9 years requiring IANB for various dental treatments were screened and 60 children who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled and randomly assigned into four groups of 15 each; Group 1 fidget spinner (FS), Group 2 kaleidoscope, Group 3 virtual reality (VR) and Group 4 no distraction (Control). The child's self-reported anxiety levels using Venham's picture test (VPT); the pulse oximeter was used to measure physiological signs of oxygen saturation and pulse rate at three intervals i.e. before, during, and after the IANB procedure. The collected data were statistically analyzed with SPSS 21 software. Paired t-test and One way ANOVA were used to compare the VPT, oxygen saturation, and pulse rate values. Findings: Groups 1, 2, and 3 showed significantly lower mean VPT scores compared to Group 4. Groups 1 & 3 showed lower mean pulse rates and Group 2 showed comparable mean pulse rates to Group 4 respectively during the IANB procedure. Oxygen saturation levels remained non-significant between all the Groups (p > 0.05). Interpretation: Fidget spinner, kaleidoscope, and virtual reality seem to be effective distraction methods and can be recommended as effective approaches to help alleviate children's dental anxiety during IANB procedures.

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To evaluate and compare the efficacy of eggshell derived calcium hydroxyapatite with Dycal ® as indirect pulp capping material in primary molars. Material and Methods: A total of 32 carious primary molars from 22 children (6-10-years) were screened, of which 26 primary molars meeting inclusion criteria were selected and equally divided into two groups. At the first appointment, the infected dentin was excavated using a spoon excavator after treating the carious part with Carie-Care™ chemomechanical caries removal agent. After this, eggshell derived calcium hydroxyapatite in Group 1 and Dycal ® in Group 2 were used as liners followed by restoration of the cavity with type IX glass ionomer cement. Clinical assessment for pain and radiographic assessment for measurement of the amount of reparative dentin thickness formation was performed at baseline, 8 weeks and 3 months. The data were subjected to statistical analysis by one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Higher mean reparative dentin formation was found in eggshell derived calcium hydroxyapatite group than Dycal ® group at the end of 8 weeks and 3 months and the difference was significant statistically (p<0.001). Conclusion: Eggshell derived calcium hydroxyapatite seems to be a suitable alternative to Dycal ® (calcium hydroxide) that can be used as a liner for indirect pulp capping in primary molars.

Objective:To compare the effectiveness of various caries removal techniques in mandibular primary molars using Smart Burs, atraumatic restorative technique (ART) (mechanical caries removal) and Carie-care (chemomechanical caries removal [CMCR]) among primary school children in clinical and community-based settings.Materials and Methods:A total of 80 carious primary mandibular molars were selected for the study from the dental clinic and community. They were equally assigned to four groups according to caries removal technique and also by the operating site. In Group 1, caries was removed using Carie-care in the dental clinic and in Group 2, with Smart Burs in the dental clinic. In Group 3, caries was removed using Carie-care in the field and in Group 4, with the ART in the field. The time taken for caries removal, the efficacy of caries removal and patient acceptance were evaluated with different caries removal techniques.Statistical Analysis:The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis by ANOVA test.Results:In clinical settings, Carie-care was time-consuming but was more efficient with increased acceptance than Smart Burs and the result was found to be significant statistically (P < 0.05). In community-based settings, Carie-care was more efficient, less time consuming, and showed an increased acceptance when compared to atraumatic restorative treatment and the result was found to be significant statistically (P < 0.05).Conclusions:The CMCR technique was superior to the mechanical caries removal technique in primary teeth among school children in terms of time, efficacy, and acceptance in both clinical- and community-based settings.

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IntrOductIOnMalocclusion is an appreciable deviation from the ideal occlusion and may be considered aesthetically unsatisfactory [1] thus implying a condition of imbalance in the relative sizes and position of teeth, facial bones and soft tissues (lips, cheek and tongue). Malocclusion is neither an unhealthy nor normal condition which occurs in most [2] as at this state the teeth stay firm, function efficiently, do not change the position during and after their contact, do not cause pain and remain in good state of health [3]. The hormonal fingerprint which is the ratio of second and fourth digit lengths (2D:4D) is a new risk marker that has been used in the study to predict caries risk at a very early stage of life is found to be more stable, reproducible and consistent for each individual. Research confirms the impact of hormones on human physical and personality traits. The second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is sexually differentiated in humans [4] as for humans, men tend to have lower 2D:4D than women, this sex effect is due to men's greater relative length of the ring finger, in comparison with their index finger. The first mechanism explaining this sexual dimorphism is that the development of digits and gonads occur by the common genes Hox A and Hox D. The timing of gene regulation results in formation of a digit ratio which is constant throughout the life and also reflects the amount of androgen produced [5]. The second proposed mechanism is that finger ratio is a function of androgen sensitivity rather than androgen concentration. That is the two digit ratio affected by exposure to androgens e.g., testosterone while in the uterus, and that this 2D:4D ratio can be considered a crude measure for prenatal androgen exposure, with lower 2D:4D ratios pointing to higher prenatal androgen exposure [5]. These sex and individual differences in 2D:4D emerge in-utero at the beginning of the second trimester and seems to be fairly stable during postnatal life. This ratio will be helpful for assessing the action of prenatal sex hormone retrospectively on the brain, body and behaviour and for the prediction of malocclusion and caries risk for the individual [5].Obesity and childhood overweight are becoming a major public health concern all over the world. Sedentary life style and altered dietary patterns have led to the development of obesity. Obesity appears to influence the general health as well as the oral health of an individual. Obesity is considered as a major risk factor in increased prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, accelerates dental development and decreases masticatory performance. Diet which is one of the etiological factors along with obesity which also has an equal importance in the caries process. There are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the association between BMI and dental caries [6].

Objectives:Oral diseases are affecting a large percentage of children worldwide. This study with Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry collaboration was taken up with the aim to evaluate the oral health status and treatment needs in school-going children of the West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted among 10126 school children who were randomly selected from 32 schools in West Godavari district. To find the significance of the obtained number of cases for different age groups, Chi-square test of significance was used.Results:The prevalence of dental conditions are as follows: Dental caries 63.5%, periodontal diseases 13.6%, dental anomalies 3.6%, dental trauma 3.2%, and orthodontic treatment 25.1%. Among the different age groups, 11–14 years age group has the highest prevalence of oral health problems. Females were more affected with dental caries (P = 0.17), orthodontic treatment needs (P = 0.12), and dental anomalies (P = 0.86) compared to males which was statistically insignificant. The highest prevalence of dental conditions in the case of females was observed during the age of 11–14 years, and in males, the peak was seen in the 15–18 years age group.Conclusions:This study demonstrated that school-going children in West Godavari district suffer from a high prevalence of dental conditions and have higher treatment needs.