Background: Antibiotics are widely used in dentistry. Dentists often provide antibiotics unnecessarily. Excessive use can induce resistant bacterial strains. There are certain indications for the proper use of antibiotics for pediatric dentistry according to the European and American Pediatric Dentistry (EAPD and AAPD). Very often dentists do not follow these guidelines. Objectives: This study aims to examine the level of knowledge among general dentists (who also treat children) and pediatric dentists on proper use of antibiotics. In addition, we examined whether there is unjustified use of antibiotics, if dentists are aware of the new and conservative approach of administering antibiotics to patients, and whether there is a relationship between years of professional seniority and dentist’s knowledge level of proper use of antibiotics. Methods: One hundred general dentists (GD) who treat children in addition to 100 pediatric dentists (PD) completed the study questionnaires which measured knowledge, practice and attitudes regrading using antibiotics during dental treatment among children. Results: The general average of level of knowledge on proper use of antibiotics among general dentists was relatively low for both GD (60.7%) and PDs (65%). PDs demonstrated a relatively greater knowledge of correct use of antibiotics, especially in cases of endodontics and trauma. PDs also showed higher awareness to latest guidelines for the admission of “prophylactic antibiotics” according to the American Association (AAPD) and/or the European Union (EAPD) compared with GDs (86.2% vs. 66.3%). Conclusion: The level of knowledge of both general dentists and pediatric dentists is poor, with a large percentage of dentists from both groups not knowing whether antibiotics are needed in a specific dental case or not. Compliance with the EAPD/AAPD guidelines is also low and inadequate. The method of prescribing antibiotics given by dentists can be improved by increasing awareness, educational initiatives, and postgraduate courses among dentists regarding the recommended indications.

Local anesthetic injections are an essential tool in dentistry, particularly in pediatric dentistry. The needle penetrating the tissue can cause stress, anxiety, and pain. Studies have shown that using touch may alleviate pain and reduce patient anxiety. Yet, this has not been tested in pediatric dental patients. Therefore, this study examined the effect of hand-holding on children undergoing local anesthetic injections. Its effect on children’s pain perception was tested, with the hypothesis that pain perception would be lower for children whose hand was held by an assistant. Additionally, the study examined whether hand-holding would affect children’s anxiety levels and cooperation. Fifty-five children, who underwent dental treatment within the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tel Aviv University, were recruited. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. In the study group, the assistant gently placed her hand on the patient’s hand during the anesthetic injection. In the control group, the same treatment was performed without the hand being placed by the assistant. After the anesthetic injection, the child’s pain and anxiety levels were assessed using visual analog scales (VAS). The patients’ pulse was measured. The level of cooperation was evaluated using the “Frankl” scale. Interestingly, although the trends aligned with this study’s hypotheses, no significant effect of hand-holding on pain, anxiety, or cooperation during anesthetic injections was found.

Traditional hand instrumentation is a commonly used technique to perform pulpectomy in deciduous teeth by most specialists in pedodontics. Lately, dentists have embraced rotary instrumentation as a safe and effective alternative. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of root canal preparation in extracted primary molars between manual and two rotary file systems using micro-CT. Thirty-six extracted human second primary mandibular molars were divided into three groups according to the instrumentation method: (1) Manually instrumented (MI) group (n = 9) in which the teeth were treated using K-files up to size 30; (2) Kedo-Ssystem (KS) group (n = 9); (3) ProTaper Gold system (PTG) group (n = 10) and control group (n-8). Each tooth was scanned before and after the retrograde root canal preparation. Residual dentin volume was calculated using micro-CT scans to evaluate the technique’s efficacy. Additionally, the preparation time and procedural errors were recorded for each tooth preparation. A one-way ANOVA test was carried out to compare the groups’ dentin volume and preparation time. The mean preparation time using the manual method (13.14 min) was more than two times longer than that of the rotary techniques (4.62 min and 6.45 min). The manual preparation method using a K-file removed almost half the root canal material when compared with the rotor method (p = 0.025). Conclusion: our results suggest that rotary instrumentation is more efficient for root canal preparation in primary teeth than the traditional manual method. This finding may call for a paradigm shift in current clinical practices, where manual instrumentation is still commonly preferred.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies and whethera significant association exists between dental anomalies and consanguinity marriage among Arabic orthodontic patients in Israel. Pretreatment panoramic radiographs of 513 patients (38% males and 62% females) were examined to detect dental anomalies related to number, size, shape, and eruption. A chi-square test was carried out to determine the associations between dental anomalies, gender, and consanguinity marriage. The results indicated that 29% of the subjects manifested at least one dental anomaly. Impacted tooth was found to be the most frequent dental anomaly, with a prevalence of 13.5%, whereas fusion and transmigration were found to be the least common, with a prevalence of 0.2% each. The prevalence of dental anomalies was significantly greater in males (p < 0.001) than in females. In our sample a significant association was found between dental anomalies and consanguinity marriage, and it was found to be greater in subjects with a family history of consanguinity marriage. This association can be attributed to the negative effects of consanguinity marriage, which was also reported in many studies in other fields. This study suggests that consanguinity marriage can be one of the factors involved in the development of dental anomalies in certain at-risk populations.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to examine the effectiveness of diagnosing occlusal caries in molar teeth in children under the use of loupes and, secondarily, to examine whether there is a difference in the diagnosis between permanent and primary teeth using dental loupes. In addition, to check whether the student’s diagnosis using loupes improves caries diagnosis compared to dentists’ diagnosis in both methods. Methods: The data were collected from 163 patients aged 6–14 who sought treatment in the Pedodontic Department of the Faculty of Dentistry at Tel-Aviv University during 2020–2021. The first and second permanent molars and second primary molars with deep groves were examined. A student and dentists made the diagnosis with and without loupes while using the ICDAS criteria. Results: The student’s examinations without the loupes detected no caries in 60% of the cases compared to 76.9% in the examinations with the loupes and found initial caries without cavitation (ICDAS1) in only 17.6% of teeth without loupes examination compared to 33% using loupes. The dentist correctly diagnosed no caries (ICDAS0) in 82.1% of cases without loupes and initial caries without cavitation (ICDAS1) in 62.5% of cases. The dentist correctly diagnosed distinct caries without cavitation (ICDAS2) in 90.8% of cases. No differences were observed in caries diagnosis between primary and permanent teeth when the examiner was a specialist/intern using loupes; however, there was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.047) when the diagnosis was made by a student using loupes. Clinical significance: The use of dental loupes is an effective method for the correct and early diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions in children’s molar teeth by both dentists and students, and this is in accordance with the principle of minimally invasive dentistry. There is a justification for the use of dental loupes for the diagnosis of initial occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars in children in a precise way. Using loupes especially improves the correct diagnosis of initial caries in primary teeth by students.

Background: Dental loupes are used by dental professionals to improve visual performance, reduce eye strain and prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Data on their usage in pediatric dentistry are scarce. Study design: We performed a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the approach, knowledge, and frequency of using loupes among 100 general and pediatric dentists. Results: showed that the use of loupes is significantly more prevalent among general dentists (64.3%) compared to pediatric specialists and residents (35.7%). Among dentists who reported that they do not use loupes, 63.6% were pediatric dentists and residents, and 82.5% were dentists working with children. A significantly higher percentage of dentists who self-reported as loupes users perceived that the loupes afford comfortable and stable posture, confidence while working, and contribute to the detection of tooth decay. A significantly higher percentage of dentists who self-reported as non-users of loupes (compared to loupes users), claimed that they weaken the eyes, require long adjustment, and cause discomfort. Conclusion: Although the use of loupes in general dentistry is becoming more prevalent, there is still a need to raise awareness for this vision aid among pediatric dentists while promoting its advantages, to reap benefits associated with their usage.