Shades of Decay: The Meanings of Tooth Discoloration and Deterioration to Mexican Immigrant Caregivers of Young Children

Perspectives on Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study among Parents of Primary School Children in Saudi Arabia

Background:

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases affecting many people worldwide. Many people do not recognize the early signs of dental caries or its causes, which is crucial for the prevention and early intervention of the disease and consequently less-invasive and cheaper treatment options.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the perspectives of parents about the meaning, causes, and early signs of dental caries, the association of tooth discoloration with decay, and the effect of different socio-demographic variables on the knowledge of patients regarding caries.

Methods:

Questionnaires were distributed to parents of primary school children in the region of Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Meaning of dental caries, early signs, causes of tooth discoloration related to decay, and the effect of different socio-demographic variables were calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to identify significant predictor variables associated with caries knowledge scores.

Results:

There was a total of 2690 respondents. The majority had average caries knowledge scores. Lighter shades of tooth discoloration were reported to be associated with stains and warranted home care only, while darker shades were associated with caries and yielded a necessity for a visit to the dentist. Different socio-demographic variables had an effect on the caries knowledge of the parents.

Conclusion:

There is a need for increased knowledge about the early signs of dental caries among parents. Delayed recognition of signs of dental caries has a detrimental effect on the teeth of children and leads to seeking dental care at the later stages of the disease process. Community-oriented programs are fundamental for improving caries knowledge, its clinical presentations starting from its early signs, causes, and prevention.

Perspectives on Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study among Parents of Primary School Children in Saudi Arabia

Background:

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases affecting many people worldwide. Many people do not recognize the early signs of dental caries or its causes, which is crucial for the prevention and early intervention of the disease and consequently less-invasive and cheaper treatment options.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the perspectives of parents about the meaning, causes, and early signs of dental caries, the association of tooth discoloration with decay, and the effect of different socio-demographic variables on the knowledge of patients regarding caries.

Methods:

Questionnaires were distributed to parents of primary school children in the region of Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Meaning of dental caries, early signs, causes of tooth discoloration related to decay, and the effect of different socio-demographic variables were calculated. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to identify significant predictor variables associated with caries knowledge scores.

Results:

There was a total of 2690 respondents. The majority had average caries knowledge scores. Lighter shades of tooth discoloration were reported to be associated with stains and warranted home care only, while darker shades were associated with caries and yielded a necessity for a visit to the dentist. Different socio-demographic variables had an effect on the caries knowledge of the parents.

Conclusion:

There is a need for increased knowledge about the early signs of dental caries among parents. Delayed recognition of signs of dental caries has a detrimental effect on the teeth of children and leads to seeking dental care at the later stages of the disease process. Community-oriented programs are fundamental for improving caries knowledge, its clinical presentations starting from its early signs, causes, and prevention.

Development of Controlled-Release Carbamide Peroxide Loaded Nanoemulgel for Tooth Bleaching: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Studies

Burst release of carbamide peroxide (CP) from traditional hydrogels causes severe inflammation to periodontal tissues. The present study explores the development of a novel CP nanoemulgel (CP-NG), an oil-in-water nanoemulsion-based gel in which CP was loaded with a view to controlling CP release. CP solid dispersions were prepared, using white soft paraffin or polyvinylpyrrolidone-white soft paraffin mixture as a carrier, prior to formulating nanoemulsions. It was found that carrier type and the ratio of CP to carrier affected drug crystallinity. Nanoemulsions formulated from the optimized CP solid dispersions were used to prepare CP-NG. It was found that the ratio of drug to carrier in CP solid dispersions affected the particle size and zeta potential of the nanoemulsions as well as drug release behavior and tooth bleaching efficacy of CP-NG. Drug release from CP-NG followed a first-order kinetic reaction and the release mechanism was an anomalous transport. Drug release rate decreased with an increase in solid dispersion carriers. CP-NG obtained from the solid dispersion with a 1:1 ratio of CP to the polymer mixture is suitable for sustaining drug release with high tooth bleaching efficacy and without reduction of enamel microhardness. The developed CP-NG is a promising potential tooth bleaching formulation.

Oral care product formulations, properties and challenges

This review explores the physical, chemical and structural properties of key components of oral care products, whilst looking at the challenges which need to be overcome to continue to improve the efficacy of oral care, and improve dental health. Oral care has been an essential part of all populations and cultures around the world for thousands of years. To maintain good oral health, dental plaque causing bacteria and malodour must be controlled whilst also strengthening and protecting the teeth to prevent dental caries. Advanced modern formulations need to provide controlled and extended release of ingredients vital for dental health. With modern day products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes, it has never been easier to maintain good oral hygiene and health, yet the incidence of dental caries is still on the rise. The complex formulations of modern toothpastes and mouthwashes makes them one of the most sophisticated pharmaceutical products on the market today. The demands of the consumer coupled with the complexity of the oral cavity make it one of the most challenging development processes.

Relationship between Socioeconomic Inequalities and Oral Hygiene Indicators in Private and Public Schools in Karachi: An Observational Study

Background: The study investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status and oral hygiene indicators in two schools located in Karachi, Pakistan. Oral hygiene indicators of public and private school children were compared. Private schools cater to children of relatively wealthier families compared to public school, whose attendees are generally children from less affluent backgrounds. The aim of this study was to determine whether socio-economic differences and inequalities have an impact on key oral hygiene indicators. Methodology: Primary data for this research was collected from community school visits conducted by the community dentistry department of Jinnah Medical and Dental and Medical College from January to September 2019. A convenience sample of the two schools, comprising 300 school students was selected. Data was collected using modified World Health Organization (WHO) oral health care forms. A pre-tested/customized dental hygiene form based on WHO forms was created by the research team. This form was used to measure DMFT/dmft scores and key oral hygiene indicators in the sample. Results: A total sample size of 300 school-children affiliated with public and private schools was selected. The children’s age ranged from 2 to 18 years. The mean DMFT scores of private and public-school children were not significantly different (private (1.82) vs. public (1.48)). (p = 0.257). The mean of carious teeth was 1.69 in private school children compared to 1.34 in government school children, whereas the mean values of other key indicators of oral hygiene including plaque deposition (p = 0.001), dental stains (p < 0.001) and bleeding gums/gingivitis (p < 0.001), were statistically significant between public and private school children. Conclusion: Oral health inequalities can be reduced with increased awareness and public funding to cater for the oral health needs of children of less affluent families. A dynamic and practical community-oriented program is fundamental for enhancing pediatric oral hygiene status, particularly for children attending government schools.

Discoloration of Resin Composites Induced by Coffee and Tomato Sauce and Subjected to Surface Polishing: An In Vitro Study

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare color stability of 3 resin based restorative materials when immersed into staining media at 0, 3, 30, 45, 60, and 75 days, and to assess the efficacy of surface polishing in reducing possible discoloration. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety composite discs were prepared in a custom-made mold (5 mm diameter and 2 mm thick) from 3 different light cured composites (Filtek™ Z250, Harmonize™, and G-aenial). Color differences of all specimens were measured by a spectrophotometer according to the CIE L*a*b* system. After baseline color measurements, 30 discs from each composite group were randomly divided into 3 subgroups of 10 specimens each. Subgroups (n=10) were immersed for 75 days into different staining solutions: coffee, tomato sauce, and distilled water (control). Solutions were changed every week and color measurements were repeated every 15 days. At day 75, color measurements of the specimens were performed before and after surface polishing with aluminum oxide discs. The experimental data were statistically evaluated using repeated measures one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey's multiple pairwise comparison with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS Of the 3 composites, G-aenial reported the highest color change deviation when immersed into coffee (ΔE=8.674), and tomato sauce (ΔE=7.737) at day 75, followed by Harmonize that also exhibited a significant difference for coffee (ΔE=4.7) and tomato sauce (ΔE=3.8) when compared to distilled water. While Filtek™ Z250 did not show any significant difference between the 3 storage solutions (P>0.05). Only G-aenial had significant color change (P<0.05) after polishing with aluminum oxide discs for all tested samples, whereas Filtek™ Z250 and Harmonize presented no significant difference after surface polishing (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Under the tested experimental conditions, Filtek™ Z250, among the 3 resin-based composites, exhibited the highest color stability when subjected to coffee and tomato sauce as well. Whereas, G-aenial presented the highest color deviation when immersed in both staining media. Surface polishing effectively reduced coffee and tomato sauce discolorations for G-aenial's specimens and had no significant effect regarding Filtek™ Z250 and Harmonize.