Introduction/Objective "Cariogram" takes into account interactions between caries-related factors and expresses a graphic assessment of the caries risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between caries risk and different variables of Cariogram in pregnant women. Methods This study included 96 pregnant women. At baseline, data on general health, diet, oral hygiene, and fluoride exposure were obtained. DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) index was calculated by clinical examination. Saliva analyses included mutans streptococci and lactobacilli counts, buffer capacity, and secretion rate. Scores were entered and caries risk was assessed. The women were divided into five groups according to their Cariogram caries risk. Results The results of the study showed that 29.17% (28) of the pregnant women had high caries risk, 21.88% (21)-medium, 17.71% (17)-low, 16.67% (16)-very high, and 14.58% (14)-very low caries risk. In an average caries risk profile of pregnant women, the dominant sector was "Bacteria" (18.85% of the risk structure profile), followed by "Diet" (17.97%), "Circumstances" (15.68%), and "Susceptibility" sector (14.65%). Conclusion Cariogram shows that pregnant women in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, had 46.14% chance of avoiding caries in the future. The Cariogram model can successfully determine caries risk profiles for pregnant women.

Summary Background: Despite the availability of a variety of preventive and treatment modalities, caries in the early childhood remains a serious and prevalent disease worldwide.The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) among 24 to 71-month old children who attended the Center for preschool education Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The whole sample included 297 children of both genders. Caries status of each child was recorded using the dmft index according to the WHO criteria.Results: Two hundred ninety-seven children (138 girls and 159 boys) 24 to 71-month old were examined. The overall prevalence of dental caries was 64.65%. Only 23 (7.74%) children had their teeth restored.Conclusions: ECC prevalence among 24 to 71-month old children who attended the Center for pre-school education in Banja Luka is very high, but the problem is even greater because most of those caries lesions are untreated.

Introduction: Many socio-demographic indicators, apart from other risk factors, may lead to a multicausal disease, such as caries. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate dental health status in 12-year olds in urban and rural populations in Banja Luka and determine possible risk factors in their oral health behavior. Subjects and Methods: The study involved 496 children, 12-year-old pupils in primary schools in urban and rural regions of Banja Luka. Dental checkup was performed in classrooms at day light and using dental mirrors and probes. Caries prevalence was analyzed using the Klein-Palmer system to obtain the mean decayed teeth values for the two regions. The pupils filled in questionnaires about their socioeconomic status, motivation and knowledge on oral health as well as oral hygiene and dietary habits. Results: High mean decayed teeth values were obtained in the rural population of pupils (4.89 and 6.74). Questionnaire data showed statistically significant differences regarding dental visits, fluoride prophylaxis, the frequency of tooth brushing and the age when pupils started to maintain oral hygiene. Conclusion: 12-year olds have a large number of affected teeth, especially in the rural region. It is essential to implement oral health education programs aimed at improving oral health and eliminating the misbalance in dental health status in populations living in different socio-economic and demographic regions

Introduction During the first two years of life children’s nutrition is mostly based on frequent, liquid and sweetened meals which can cause Severe-Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) development. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between dietary habits and S-ECC in children up to 24 month-old living in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods Cross-sectional study included representative sample of 192 children. Before dental examination of children, each parent/caregiver was interviewed about the basic info, socio-demographic characteristics and children's eating habits. The questionnaire was conducted as interview (“face to face”). Subjects were divided into two groups: the first group - children with S-ECC and the second group - caries free children. For statistical analysis and presentation of results SPSS 16.0 for Windows, MS Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel were used. Results In the study sample 34.9% of children were suffering from S-ECC. About 50% of children who were breast-fed at night after first tooth eruption had S-ECC. The use of baby bottle with milk or other sweetened content during bedtime and during the night was identified as significant caries risk factor (P <0.05). Conclusion Nighttime breastfeeding, use of bottle with milk during bedtime/nighttime or other sweetened content during night after eruption of first primary tooth were strongly associated with S-ECC in the examined children.

Restorations in dentistry must reproduce the aspect of the patient’s natural teeth and require non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties in order to last longer. Restorations are permanently in contact with microbes that can adhere to and form biofilms. The purpose of this study was to determine the adhesion extent of Streptococcus mutans to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin base containing TiO2 nanoparticles. To understand the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on the modified resin-based surfaces, the following surface properties were measured: the roughness, contact angle, zeta potential and CIE color parameters. Evaluation of tensile stress performance in TiO2 modified PMMA showed that the maximum tensile stress of the modified PMMA resin decreases with an increasing amount of TiO2 nanoparticles. The increasing amount of TiO2 decreases the roughness and causes contact angles in the border between hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. All the studied surfaces are negatively charged and added TiO2 tends to increase the zeta potential. The addition of TiO2 nanoparticles increases the lightness and decreases the intensity of the red and yellow color. The increasing addition of TiO2 nanoparticles into PMMA increases the morphological change of bacterial cells.