Introduction. Knowledge of oral health (KOH) among mothers has an important influence on their children's oral habits and routines. Lack of maternal KOH had been related to the development of early childhood caries among preschool children. Aim. To assess KOH among mothers of 1–4 year-olds. Study design. Participating mothers completed a 3-part questionnaire on general demographic information, KOH of their children, and ranking of six food items according to their cariogenic potential. Results. Most of the 285 participating mothers had an academic education. Only 47% of the mothers correctly answered seven questions on KOH. The dentist was the main source for KOH. Most of the mothers (94.39%) were aware of the need to brush their children's teeth twice daily. Most of them (72.29%) did not know the correct fluoride concentration in their child's toothpaste. They ranked salty snacks as the least cariogenic food item. Most of the mothers were not aware that snacks and sweetened drinks should be consumed during meals, and two-thirds reported tasting food from their child's spoon. Conclusion. Overall, mothers of toddlers lacked basic knowledge of oral health issues and practices to follow for the prevention of their children's caries.

Objective: To examine whether general and dental health and habits of families were affected by the first-wave lockdown due to COVID-19, and whether these habits were related to family functioning, resilience and stress. Study design: A cross-sectional study using an online survey disseminated among families with kindergarten and primary school-aged children during the lockdown of March and April 2020. Results: A total of 361 respondents completed the survey. Most respondents adapted well to the changes imposed by lockdown and reported that they and their children had low anxiety levels and high mental resilience. Family functioning and behavior were positively correlated with nutrition habits and hygiene. General hygiene was positively correlated with oral hygiene. Respondents who reported requiring dental care had difficulties gaining access to it. Most respondents perceived that it is important to improve patients’ digital access to pediatricians and dentists during crises. Conclusion: The study showed that better family functioning was associated with better family hygiene and nutrition, parental resilience and lower mental stress among children.

positive attitude towards caries preventive measures was found among parents with higher awareness for preventive oral health measures and among bigger families. Mothers were more positive about fissure sealants than fathers. Mothers with up to 12 years of education tended to have a positive opinion regarding water fluoridation.

Objective: To compare postoperative pain among children who received an oral dose of paracetamol, ibuprofen or a placebo, prior to tooth extractions. Study design: Thirty minutes prior to dental treatment, children received a liquid dosage, fruit flavored and orange colored, of paracetamol, ibuprofen, or a placebo. Data accessed included children's dental history, their behavior, and their feeling of pain or anxiety according to Wong-Baker FACES: before treatment, following local anesthesia, and following treatment. Parents were interviewed by telephone regarding their children's need for a postoperative analgesia (paracetamol or ibuprofen), and their feeling of pain at four and 24 hours posttreatment. Results: Parents reported administering paracetamol or nurofen following the dental procedure to 9/43 (21%), 2/33 (6%) and 12/29 (41%) of the children in the preemptive paracetamol, ibuprofen, and placebo groups, respectively. For the 3 groups, mean pain assessment were similar: around the middle of the Wong-Baker FACES scale at baseline, slightly higher following local anesthesia, and low (pain-free) at four and 24 hours postoperative. Conclusion: Children who received paracetamol or ibuprofen prior to tooth extractions were less likely to need an analgesic following treatment, compared to children who received a placebo.

The old axiom that dental anxiety is more prevalent among women is questioned. Dental anxiety of children may be equally influenced by both parents.

Background: Candida species are common inhabitants of the normal oral microbiota. A few studies founded a relationship between high levels of Candida albicans in the oral cavity and high DMF scores. Toothbrushes can also be reservoirs of microorganisms, the proliferation of these microorganism on a toothbrush could be a major factor for its distribution in the oral cavity. Aim: To examine the associations between salivary Candida and DMF, and between salivary Candida and Candida in the toothbrush. Method: 46 healthy school children, who attended a University pediatric dental clinic, were tested for Candida in their saliva and in their toothbrush. Their DMF was recorded. Results: 38 children were Candida-positive (79.2%), out of whom 5 demonstrated a positive growth of Candida in the toothbrushes. No correlation was found between Candida in the saliva and in the toothbrush. The number of Candida-positive girls was significantly higher than the number in boys. No significant relationship between caries experience and the presence of Candida was found. Conclusions: No correlation was found between Candida in the saliva and in the toothbrush. The origin of the Candida in the toothbrush is not totally clear.

The time to discharge post-midazolam sedation correlated to the child's age and weight and total amount of administered midazolam. Sedation negatively affected behavior in 43.6% of the cases.

Amalgam and composite were the materials of choice among the participating Israeli dentists. Most of them (86.7%) responded that amalgam does not possess any health issues. Their satisfaction with the restoration materials was highest for amalgam and composite, a choice significantly affected by whether they were in general practice (amalgam) or specialized in pediatric dentistry (composite).