The effects of fluoride and CPP-ACP before bracket bonding on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets have been reported with contradicting results. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different preventive agents namely; casein phosphopeptide-amorphous-calcium-phosphate (CPP-ACP), fluoride-containing-CPP-ACP (CPP-ACPF) and 5% sodium fluoride (5% NaF), on the enamel-bracket shear bond strength (SBS) and to compare their effects when applied before or after acid-etching.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the characteristics of malocclusion and determine the orthodontic treatment needs of a group of children with Down syndrome. The study group comprised 23 children aged 10–14 years with Down syndrome who were attending special schools. A clinical examination was performed to measure several parameters that assessed malocclusion as well as classifications based on the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN-DC). When the dental health component (DHC) of the IOTN-DC was considered, results showed that a high percentage of children involved in the current study needed orthodontic treatment (81.9%). Moreover, 59.1% showed Angle’s class-III malocclusion compared to 36.4% who showed class I. However, the differences between the IOTN-DC values for the boys and girls were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The present study has concluded that a higher percentage of children, suffering from Down syndrome, had very severe malocclusion; therefore, treatment can be considered mandatory. Similarly, more than three-fourths of the children with Down syndrome had visited a dental clinic at least once during their life. However, 30.4% of the children’s mothers have mentioned that they had not visited any orthodontic clinic. Therefore, there is a need to develop awareness and knowledge among the parents of children suffering from Down syndrome.

As individuals with Down syndrome often suffer from oro-facial abnormalities which can affect their oral health as well as their and their family’s quality of life, this link was examined in the present study. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 63 parents of children with Down syndrome who attended two special daycare centres in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were surveyed using a self-administered validated questionnaire. The findings yielded by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 17 revealed that in 34.9% children and 46% of their families, quality of life was affected by oral health. Moreover, 54% children experienced physical pain, which was severe in 22.2% of the cases. Further analyses revealed that families’ emotional lives were negatively affected by children’s oral health status. Therefore, as oral health in children with Down syndrome exerts significant adverse impacts on different aspects of their lives and those of their families, timely provision of required oral health care is warranted.