Objective: To determine occurrence of oral habits among Saudi preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compare it with healthy preschool children.Methods: This study was conducted over a 14-months period in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of two groups; a study group (SG) of 150 ASD children, and a control group (CG) of age- and gender-matched 150 healthy children. The parents of the children in both the groups were administered a questionnaire that included questions about the children

Objective: To determine the occurrence of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among Saudi preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compare it with Saudi preschool children without ASD.Methods: This study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of three to five year old Saudi preschool children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of two groups; a study group (SG) of 257 ASD children, and a control group (CG) of age- and gender-matched 257 children without ASD. Clinical examinations were performed at selected ASD centers and kindergartens to determine the occurrence of TDIs based on modified World Health Organization (WHO) classification system.Results: Out of 514 children examined, 108 (21.0%) had suffered TDIs. The prevalence of TDIs was significantly higher in the SG (25.7%) children than the CG (16.3%) [p=0.012]. The primary maxillary central incisors were the most commonly affected teeth in both the groups; significantly more in CG (72.9%) than SG (50.1%) [p=0.017]. Enamel fracture was the most frequent type of TDI in both the groups; significantly more in CG (29.2%) than SG (21.1%) [p=0.032]. Luxation injuries and tooth avulsions were significantly higher in the SG than the CG (p=0.028).Conclusions: The occurrence of TDIs was higher in Saudi preschool children with ASD than in non-ASD children.

Middle East respiratory syndrome in children. Dental considerations

Objective: This study investigated the knowledge of Saudi mothers regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires was employed for mothers chosen by stratified-cluster random sampling technique from primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a period of 12 months (July 2016–June 2017). The questionnaire surveyed mothers’ background and knowledge on management of tooth fracture and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases. Results: The sample consisted of 3,367 Saudi mothers. More than half of the mothers (55.3%) gave the correct response, which was to send the child with tooth fracture immediately to the dentist (p<0.01). The majority of mothers (41.6%) gave the correct response for the immediate mode of action, which was to save the avulsed tooth in storage medium and send the child to the dentist immediately (p<0.001). However, they prioritized the immediate management of TDIs, and most reported saline as a suitable storage medium (p<0.001). The mothers expressed a positive interest in further education. Conclusion: Educational programs and TDI protocols must be implemented to increase mothers’ awareness and improve the prognosis of children with TDIs.

Aim: This study investigated the knowledge of elementary school staff regarding the management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children. Methods: The present cross-sectional study analyzed data collected between September 2016 and April 2017. The sample consisted of 2,027 elementary school staff members in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A stratified cluster random sampling technique was used to select the required sample. Those who agreed to participate in the study completed a 4-part self-administered questionnaire comprising questions regarding demographic data, knowledge on management of tooth fracture, and avulsion using photographs of TDI cases. Results: The majority of the school staff showed inadequate basic knowledge regarding the importance of saving the broken piece of the tooth and identifying the tooth involved in the trauma (67% and 66.3%, respectively), P<0.05. However, they had a significantly high number of correct responses regarding the immediate management of TDIs for the 2 case scenarios presented in the questionnaire (P<0.05), and the majority (41%) reported normal saline as a suitable storage medium (P<0.01). Conclusion: This study revealed a lack of knowledge in certain aspects of TDIs among elementary school staff.

Aim: To investigate the effect of immediate versus one week later loading time on color stability of resin-based composite (RBC), resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) and glass ionomer cement (GIC) restorative materials bonded to silver diamine fluoride (SDF)-treated demineralized dentin. Materials and Methods: Ninety extracted premolars were randomly assigned to the following groups (n = 30 each): group-I (loaded with RBCs), group-II (loaded with RMGIC), and group-III (loaded with GIC). Each group was divided randomly into the following subgroups (n = 10): subgroup-A (control specimens) consisted of sound dentin and the restorative material was immediately loaded; subgroup-B consisted of demineralized dentin, underwent a SDF treatment and the restorative material was immediately loaded; subgroup-C consisted of demineralized dentin, underwent a SDF treatment and the restorative material was loaded 1 week later. The color difference (ΔE) and visual color changes (L*a*b*) of each specimen were calculated using a spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey’s tests to compare the ΔE values and a paired t test to compare the mean of L* a* b* coordinates. Results: The highest color stability was observed for GIC, followed by RMGIC, and the lowest color stability was observed for the RBC group. Significant differences within groups were noted in RBC and RMGIC (p < 0.001). Regarding the loading time of the restorative material, in RBCs, a significantly lower ΔE value was observed in the delayed loading group than in the immediate loading group (p = 0.035). In the RMGIC and GIC groups, there were no significant differences. Conclusion: Delaying the loading time of the restorative material for 1 week following the application of SDF resulted in greater color stability than that of immediate loading. The caries arresting potential of SDF was revealed by the dark staining, which could be improved with the subsequent delayed restoration.