Background: Pain control during dental procedures is one of the most important topics related to behavior management in children. This study aims to compare the pain perception associated with a needle-free system (Comfort-In™) and the dental needle method during filling and pulpotomy treatments in children. Methods: The study included teeth that required treatment (pulpotomy or filling treatment) in 56 patients aged 4 to 11 years with no systemic problems or history of allergy. Patients were randomly divided into the needle-free system group (filling treatment, n = 13; pulpotomy, n = 15) and dental needle method group (filling treatment, n = 14; pulpotomy, n = 14). For pulpotomy and filling treatment performed with 0.3 mL anesthesia, the active ingredient of which is 2% lidocaine and 1/80000 epinephrine. The patients’ behavior before the procedure was evaluated by a pediatric dentist using the Frankl Behavior Scale. The pain intensity was assessed Immediately after injection (induction), during treatment (treatment), and at the end of the treatment (post treatment) by the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale. Results: The median (IQR-InterQuartile Range) induction pain value was 6[3-8] and 2[0-4] in dental needle method and needle-free system respectively, p < 0.001). In filling and pulpotomy treatment group, no difference between the needle and needle-free group for treatment and post-treatment pain values. Conclusions: For pulpotomy and filling treatment, needle-free system performed with 0.3 mL anesthesia was found as effective as infiltrative anesthesia with a dental needle method. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04653974. Registered 4 December 2020 – Retrospectively registered.

Belevcikli M, et al. J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2023 Feb;23(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2023.23.1.1

Background and objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)—a chronic inflammatory disease—on dental maturation regarding dental development using three dental age estimation methods. Methods: The orthopantomograms of 78 children diagnosed with FMF were compared with those of 78 systemically healthy control children. Demirjian, Willems, and Cameriere’s methods were used to estimate the dental age from seven teeth in the left mandible on the orthopantomograms. The data were analyzed using R statistical software. Results: The mean difference between dental age (DA) and chronological age (CA) using the Demirjian method was 0.646 in the control group and 0.753 in the FMF group (p = 0.595). For the Willems method, the mean DA versus CA difference was 0.283 in the control group and 0.322 in the FMF group (p = 0.835). Regarding the Cameriere method, the mean difference between DA and CA was −0.399 for the control group and −0.435 for the FMF group (p = 0.863), indicating no significant differences. At the ±1-year threshold, the Willems method showed the highest accuracy (69.87%), followed by the Cameriere method (66.67%), whereas the Demirjian method had the lowest accuracy (54.49%). These results suggest that the Willems method provides a more reliable estimate of chronological age within a ±1-year margin compared with the other two methods. Conclusions: Of the dental age estimators, the Willems method gave the closest age estimates. The Demirjian method overestimated the chronological age in both healthy children and children with FMF. For Turkish children receiving regular colchicine therapy, dental maturation was unaffected by FMF, suggesting that effective inflammatory control might preserve odontogenesis.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of povidone iodine on the color stability of different restorative materials. Methods: In the study, ten discs (30 in total) of 8 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness were prepared with compomer (Dyract Extra, Dentsply, Germany), composite (Palfique estelite paste, Tokuyama, Japan) and glass ionomer cement (R&D Series Nova Glass-L, Imicryl, Konya, Turkey) materials. One surface of all samples was standardized under water with 800, 1000 and 1200 grid sandpapers, respectively. After the samples were kept in distilled water in closed containers, color measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer (VitaEasyshade, Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Sackingen, Germany). 10 samples in each group were kept in 0.23% povidone iodine (Konix, Turkuaz health services, Istanbul, Turkey) for 1 minute. The surfaces of the samples were washed with distilled water to remove povidone iodine and dried with tissue paper. Color measurements of the samples were carried out with the help of spectrophotometer. Color change amounts were calculated in ΔE. The data were analyzed statistically with the Shapiro Wilk test, Anova and Post Hoc Tamhane test. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the ΔE measurement averages of the samples kept in povidone iodine according to the materials used (p

Dental caries is a serious health problem with too high prevalence among children. It can affect the pulp and lead to infection, fistulas, abscesses, and premature tooth loss. The main purpose of pulp treatment in the primary teeth is to maintain health of teeth and oral tissues, thus, preserving functions of orofacial complex, such as chewing, speaking, and to keep primary teeth in position to maintain the arch size until the permanent teeth erupt. Contemporary pediatric dentistry seeks new materials and strategies to stimulate the regenerative ability of dental tissues. Dentists must be aware of the most suitable treatment choices to keep pulp tissue vitality. Vital pulp therapies (VPT) consist of indirect pulp capping, direct pulp capping, and pulpotomy for the treatment of deep carious lesions in teeth without a history of pain or with reversible pulpitis. VPT is used to treat reversible pulpal inflammation and maintain vitality and functionality of the pulp. Due to its high internal resorption and failure rate, direct pulp capping is still a controversial treatment choice for deep carious lesions. In this review, studies on direct pulp capping and pulpotomy treatments of VPT in primary teeth are presented together.