Journal of the International Association of Dentistry for Children最新文献

Although there are reports on the use of fissure sealants in the United States, little information is available about the extent to which this preventive measure is used in Canada. This study reports the results of a survey of sealant use. Based upon the responses from 589 Canadian dental practitioners, it was found that 84.8% used sealants in their practices. There was no statistically significant difference in sealant use between dentists in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. However, usage increased with the number of dental auxiliaries in the practice. There also was more use of sealants in patients covered by dental insurance. Sealant usage declined the longer dentists had been in practice. Light-cured, tinted sealants appeared to be the most popular types.

Premature loss of teeth in posterior segments of the primary, mixed or permanent dentition may lead to space loss in an anterior-posterior dimension. This article illustrates how a simple, aesthetic and effective space maintainer can be used to prevent space loss in the permanent dentition.

Children with chronic renal failure are known to lag behind normal children for both height achievement and bone age. In the present study, dental maturity was assessed by scoring dental panoramic tomographs using two methods. The method of Dermirjian gave closer estimates of the chronological age than that of Leinonen. With the former method, dental maturity was found to be slightly delayed in children with chronic renal failure, although this was not statistically significant.

Complete dental treatment of 180 children has been undertaken under general anaesthesia. Indications for this were mental retardation and dental fear. Because of the simple technique and advantageous pharmacological properties, ketamine, and later its Hungarian analogue, Calypsol, were used.

The results from a questionnaire to all specialist clinics (n = 38) in Sweden concerning their activities during 1989 show that 1% of all Swedish children between 0 and 19 years of age were treated at specialist clinics in pedodontics. The decrease in caries prevalence during the last decade has not resulted in a decrease in the number of referrals. The major reason for referral was high caries activity in combination with behaviour management problems. Seventy per cent of the specialists' working-hours are spent in clinical treatment and about 11% in educational activities. In the future the need for specialist treatment will continue to change to other areas than those of today, such as medically compromised and socially handicapped children.

In 1984, Greater Glasgow Health Board commissioned a study of 5-year-old children to provide information for the planning of dental services. The study revealed high levels of caries prevalence in these children. As a preventive dental care programme has been introduced for pre-school children, a new investigation was undertaken in 1987 to assess whether there had been any improvement in caries prevalence in 5-year-olds. The study also compared caries prevalence in children from good and deprived socio-economic areas. Comparison of mean scores for all children in 1984 and 1987 showed reductions in dmft components with a 17% fall in mean dmft. However, when examined by socioeconomic group, significant differences in caries levels were noted. While there has been an improvement in dental health in 5-year-old children, the dental health divide between children from good and deprived areas has widened over time.

The treatment records of three dentists working in south-east England were screened and 361 chosen for the investigation of the longevity of restorations placed in primary molars. The analysis was carried out using an independent sampling technique, i.e., one restoration per patient. The median survival time for all the restorations was 70.6 months (standard error +/- 3.7 months). The survival pattern of the restorations for the three dentists was different and therefore the influence of six factors on the life-span of restorations was investigated using the Cox regression model. There was no evidence that the life-span of the restorations depended on the sex of the patients (p = 0.506), or the type of primary molars being treated (p = 0.776); there was weak evidence that the life-span depended on the caries susceptibility of the patient (p = 0.151) and preformed metal crown restorations (p = 0.106); there was good evidence that the life-span depended on the age of the patients at the time of treatment (p = 0.016), whether pretreatment radiographs had been taken (p = 0.023) and type of amalgam restoration (p = 0.003).

Diet can affect teeth both during their formation (pre-eruptively) and locally in the mouth (post-eruptively). Several dietary factors have been considered to act pre-eruptively, affecting the caries-susceptibility of the forming tooth, but only fluoride has been shown to have any distinct effect. The post-eruptive influence of diet is very much more important than any pre-eruptive effect, and sugar is by far the most cariogenic dietary item. The aim should be to reduce the frequency of consumption and the amount of sugar consumed. Important sources of added sugars are confectionery, table sugar and soft drinks. Starchy foods and fresh fruit as eaten by man cause little caries. Non-sugar sweeteners are non-cariogenic and useful substitutes for sugars in many foods and drinks.

The difficulties encountered in taking radiographs of the anaesthetized patient are easily overcome. Numerous simple techniques provide adequate film stabilization for all intraoral radiographs. Minor modifications during the induction phase of anaesthesia eliminate the superposition of nasopharyngeal tubing and adaptors on maxillary anterior radiographs. The main significance of the methods described is the total elimination of ionizing radiation to all members of the dental/anaesthesia team.