Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of dental fear, the relationship between dental fear and dental caries and the dentist appearance most likely to reduce anxiety among children. In this way, dental treatment could be made more effective by changing the dentist's appearance. Study Design: The “Children's Fear Survey Schedule–Dental Subscale” and a questionnaire ‘designed to examine the children's preferences for their dentist's appearance’, were administered to 810 patients between 6–12 years of age. Patients were examined after completing the questionnaires, and their DMFT/dmft indexes were determined. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to their CFSS-DS scores. Results: Among patients, anxiety scores differed significantly by age and gender (p=0.046, p=0.001). Specifically, higher anxiety scores were identified among 6- to 8-year-olds and in female patients relative to their respective counterparts. A statistically significant association between anxiety and dental caries was detected. (DMFT p=0.030/dmft p=0.015), and DMFT/dmft scores were found to be higher among patients with high levels of dental anxiety than among patients with low levels of dental anxiety. Additionally, children were highly perceptive of and exhibited strong preferences for the appearance of their dentist. Conclusion: Anxiety and dental caries were associated; small alterations in a dentist's appearance may reduce dental anxiety among children.

İstanbul Üniversitesi | Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü - 1453

Changes in the color of the teeth are a common dental finding associated with clinical and esthetic problems. Especially, the discoloration of primary teeth can cause parental concern and have a negative effect on social interactions between preschool children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of pediatric drugs and an oral rinse on the discoloration of primary teeth. Similar to medication intake recommendations, 7 primary teeth in each group were immersed for 1 min in one of 11 different solutions at 8-hour intervals for 1 week. The color values were obtained using a spectrophotometer (VITA EasyShade®) at baseline and after 1 week. The color change (ΔE*) values were calculated according to the CIELab system. The statistical analysis was conducted using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc tests at a p-value <0.05. When comparing values L*, a* and b* at baseline and day 7, a statistically significant difference was found in the a* value for the teeth immersed in pseudoephedrine (p = 0.012). There were also statistically significant differences with regard to color change at day 7 (ΔE*7) between the pseudoephedrine and chlorhexidine as well as pseudoephedrine and control groups (p = 0.034 and p = 0.030, respectively). The ΔE*7 value for pseudoephedrine was 3.7 after 1 week, indicating that it may have the potential to cause significant tooth discoloration when used for a long period. Clinicians and children's families should be aware of the fact that some pediatric drugs can cause tooth discoloration.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine-thymol varnish alone, its combination with chlorhexidine-fluoride containing dentifrice and fluoride varnish on oral hygiene and caries prevention in orthodontic patients. Study design: Sixty patients, aged 12-18, with orthodontic fixed appliances were randomly assigned into three groups as follows: Group 1 (n=20): 1% chlorhexidine and 1% thymol varnish (Cervitec®Plus); Group 2 (n=20): Cervitec®Plus+ 0.2% chlorhexidine and 0.2% sodium fluoride (900 ppm fluoride) (Cervitec®Gel)); and Group 3 (n=20): 0.1% fluoride varnish (Fluor Protector®). Mutans streptococci (MS), lactobacilli (LB) levels, buffering capacity (BC), visible plaque index (VPI), and gingival bleeding index (GBI) scores were evaluated at four stages: T0, before orthodontic bonding; T1, one week after orthodontic bonding; T2, one week; and T3, four weeks after the first application, respectively. Inter and intra group comparisons were made by the Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, Friedman and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests with Bonferroni step-down correction (P0.017) were found in Group1-2 compared with T0. Significantly lower LB levels were recorded in Group 2 at T2 compared with T0 (P0.017). Conclusions: Addition of Cervitec®Plus+Cervitec®Gel combination to the standard oral hygiene regimen may be beneficial for orthodontic patients for maintaining oral health by reducing bacterial colonisation and gingivitis.