Introduction: Diet is a deeply ingrained element of a person’s life. Children’s dietary habits are a significant contributor to obesity and dental caries. Dental caries during childhood continues to be a significant public health concern, while childhood obesity is increasingly being cited as a major public health problem. This study aimed to assess the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and dental caries in children aged three to 12 years who attended both government and private schools in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional review of 2200 children aged three to 12 years with clinically recorded dental caries. The World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for BMI percentile was used to evaluate and record dental caries clinically. The Mann-Whitney and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for univariate comparisons. Results: Mean values between the overweight category and underweight category revealed no significant differences. Conclusion: We found no association between BMI-for-age and dental caries in children in both primary and mixed dentition. This relationship should be investigated further by longitudinal studies.

The intention of root canal preparation is to reduce infected content and create a root canal shape allowing for a well condensed root filling. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove excessive dentine for successful root canal preparation and concern must be taken not to over instrument as perforations can occur in the thin dentinal walls of primary molars. This study was done to evaluate the time preparation, the risk of lateral perforation and dentine removal of the stainless steel K file and K3 rotary instrumentation in primary teeth. Seventy-five primary molars were selected and divided into three groups. Using spiral computed tomography the teeth were scanned before instrumentation. Teeth were prepared using a stainless steel K file for manual technique. All the canals were prepared up to file size 35. In K3 rotary files (.02 taper) instrumentation was done up to 35 size file. In K3 rotary files (.04 taper) the instrumentation was done up to 25 size file and simultaneously the instrumentation time was recorded. The instrumented teeth were once again scanned and the images were compared with the images of the uninstrumented canals. Data was statistically analysed using Kruskal Wallis One-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U-Test and Pearson's Chi-square Test. K3 rotary files (.02 taper) removed a significantly less amount of dentine, required less instrumentation time than a stainless steel K file. K3 files (.02 taper) generated less dentine removal than the stainless steel K file and K3 files (.04 taper). K3 rotary files (.02 taper) were more effective for root canal instrumentation in primary teeth.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pulp chamber morphology in primary mandibular molars using spiral computed tomography (SCT). Materials and methods: Sixty extracted primary mandibular molars were scanned using SCT for the (i) distance between the central fissure to furcation, (ii) distance between the central fissure to the floor of the pulp chamber, (iii) height of the pulp chamber (roof-floor), (iv) distance between the floor of the pulp chamber to the furcation. The mean and standard deviation was analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program. Results: The results of this study show that the average mean distance from the central fissure to the floor of the pulp chamber is 5.07 mm in first mandibular primary molar and 5.54 mm in second mandibular primary molar. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the greatest depth to which a bur can go during access opening without perforating the furcation in first primary mandibular molar is 5.07 mm and 5.54 mm in second primary mandibular molar. How to cite this article: Selvakumar H, Kavitha S, Vijayakumar R, Eapen T, Bharathan R. Study of Pulp Chamber Morphology of Primary Mandibular Molars using Spiral Computed Tomography. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014;15(6):726-729.

Root canal cleaning is a key step in the endodontic treatment of the primary molars. An innovative generation of endodontic instruments has been devised with the aim of emerging better procedures. The objective of the study is to assess the preparation of time, the risk of lateral perforation, and the removal of dentin from Kedo-S and Mtwo rotary instruments on primary teeth. This is an in vitro experimental study comparing the two groups. A total of 50 extracted mandibular primary first molars are collected, divided randomly into two groups of 25 teeth each. Group I: Kedo-S Pediatric rotary file, Group II: Mtwo rotary file. Distal canal is standardized for evaluation and teeth are sectioned at the CEJ. The teeth were instrumented according to manufacturer's guideline. Both the groups are scanned before and after instrumentation of the canal using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and values are evaluated. Compared with Mtwo files, Kedo-S files need less instrumentation time and limited lateral perforation. No statistical differences were reported between the instrumentation of Kedo-S and Mtwo with regard to the amount of dentin removed. In pediatric endodontics, Kedo-S pediatric rotary file can be considered an effective alternative to traditional rotary files because it requires less instrumentation time and preserves dentin thickness. Swaminathan K, Rakkesh KM, Haridoss S. Computed Tomographic Assessment of Remaining Dentin and Risk of Perforation after Kedo-S and Mtwo Rotary Instrumentation in Root Canals of Primary Teeth: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-1):S87-S91.

Background: Intranasal sedation is commonly used in pediatric dentistry to manage dental anxiety and improve patient compliance. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the recovery time, patient satisfaction, and adverse effects of the intranasal sedatives midazolam, dexmedetomidine, and ketamine in pediatric dental procedures. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving intranasal sedation in pediatric patients (≤18 years) were included. The revised Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 2) was employed to assess study quality. A meta-analysis using a random-effects model was performed to evaluate the recovery time. Results: Twenty-one RCTs were included in this review. A meta-analysis of seven studies revealed that dexmedetomidine was associated with significantly longer recovery times compared to midazolam and ketamine. Specifically, midazolam demonstrated the shortest recovery time (mean difference: −19.1 min, p < 0.05), followed by ketamine (mean difference: −15.6 min, p < 0.05). A qualitative analysis of adverse effects showed mild to moderate complications, including nasal irritation (midazolam), prolonged sedation (dexmedetomidine), and hypersalivation (ketamine). Patient satisfaction was found to be highest with dexmedetomidine, although midazolam was preferred for its faster onset of sedation. Conclusions: Intranasal sedation in pediatric dentistry is a safe and effective approach, with each agent exhibiting distinct recovery profiles and safety considerations. The findings emphasize the importance of standardized sedation protocols and the need for further research into the long-term outcomes of these sedatives in pediatric populations.

Swaminathan K, et al. J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2025 Feb;25(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2025.25.1.1