OrthoD (United Kingdom)

The aim of the study is to evaluate the oral hygiene and gingival health and to find if there is any variation between sex and age groups among adults aged 21–80 years in Thamar–Yemen. A sample of 224 individuals aged 21–80 years (177 males and 47 females) were examined using plaque index by Silness and Löe (1964) and gingival index by Löe and Silness (1963). The results showed that the mean plaque score for the total sample was 1.15; the plaque index was increasing with age significantly. Males reported higher means than females with statistical significant difference in the 3rd, and 5th age groups; while at the 4th age group the females rep-orted significantly higher plaque scores than males. The mean gingival score for the total sample was low (0.84) and it was increa-sing with age significantly. The mean gin-gival score was slightly better in males than females with statistical significant difference in all age groups except the 5th age group where the females showed bet-ter gingival health. Therefore, the objective of dental health education to those adults is to imp-rove the effectiveness of oral hygiene pra-ctice by tooth brushing and interdental aids.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of white spot lesions in orthodontic patients treated with fixed or-thodontic appliances at different treatment periods and to reveal the teeth most commonly affected by white spot lesions. Materials and Methods: Forty eight patients (31 females and 17 males) treated with fixed orthodontic appliance were included in this study. The patients were examined for the pres-ence of white spot before insertion of the appliance and after its removal using visual examination. Results: This study showed that there was a significant increase in the formation of white spot lesions along with the increase in treatment duration in male group, while females showed no significant dif-ference in white spots at different durations. The first molars were the most affected teeth by white spots followed by canines and second premolars. Conclusion: This clinical study showed that the teeth in buccal segment were affected by white spots more than incisors and the prevalence of white spots increased when the duration of treatment increased.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine digluconate rinsing solution on plaque and gingival bleeding in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances. Materials and Methods: This study included 42 orthodontic patients (29 females and 13 males), who were undergoing treatment in orthodontic postgraduate clinic of the collage of Dentistry, Mosul University. The patients of this study had a mean age of 18 years (range 12-28 years). The patients were divided in to control group (brushing only, N=20) and an experimental group (brushing +chlorhexidine digluconate mouth rinse, N=22). Plaque, gingival indices scores, in addition to pocket depth were measured in different three time periods (day 0, two weeks and four weeks). Results: Plaque, gingival indices scores, in addition to pocket depth shows statically significant differences at level (p≤0.05) among different genders between the two groups for each of the three time periods. Conclusions: The use of chlorhexidine digluconate based mouth rinses reduced bacterial plaque accumulation, pocket depth and improved the gingival index. Key wards: Chlorhexidine, Fixed appliance, Plaque, Gingivitis. Al-Sayagh GhDh, Mohammed RJ, Al-Shahery WGh. Effectiveness of Chlorhexidine Digluconate Mouth Rinse in Improving Oral Health in Orthodontic Patients with Fixed Appliances. Al-Rafidain Dent J. 2013; 13(1): 162-169.

Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of mandibular infiltration compared with the mandibular block in treating mandibular primary molars in children and to relate it to the type of treatment performed. Materials and Methods: The study design was case control study. The study sample consisted of 98 cooperative children of age 3-9 years old. Forty eight children were the study group (infiltration group). Equal number of children to the study group matched for age and gender were chosen (block group), they had the same criteria of the study group and required the same type of treatment. Dental procedure included amalgam restorations, foromcresol pulpotomies, and extractions. Evaluations of pain for each anesthesia technique and type of treatment were conducted using sounds; motor and ocular changes indicating pain. Evaluations were made upon probing, during tooth preparation, coronal pulp removal and extraction. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two anesthetic techniques of pain, when performing amalgam restorations (p>0.05). Mandibular infiltration was significantly less effective than mandibular block for pulpotomy and extraction (p<0.05). Conclusions: In this study, the mandibular infiltration was found to be a reliable local anesthetic technique in amalgam restoration. For pulpotomy and extraction, mandibular infiltration was not as effective as mandibular block. It is recommended to avoid the mandibular infiltration anesthesia, whenever possible for pulpotomy or extraction procedure in primary molars.

Aims: To reveal the changes of the soft tissue profile of the nose, that include; length, height and depth of the nose among four age groups. Materials and Methods: The studying sample subjects included 48, 41, 50 and 44 individuals of age 11, 12, 13 and 14 years respectively. The subjects were Iraqi individuals of class I normal occlusion, who live in center of Mosul City. All subjects were radiographed with the lateral cephalometric films, these films were traced and drawing the linear parameters of the nose, the tracing involve the length (N` – Prn), width (N – Sn) and depth (Prn – Prn`). The results were subjected to the descriptive and variance analyses. Results: The results appeared in males the length of the nose increase in dimension with no significant differences when compared among the four age groups, whereas in females showed significant increase when compared the 11, 12 years with 13 years and with 14 years age groups. While, the h weight of the nose (N`– Sn) appeared in males and females significantly increase at 14 years age group when compared with other age groups. But significantly increased at 12 years age group as compared with 11 years age group, in males only. Mean while, the depth of the nose (Prn – Prn`) displayed significantly increase at age 14 years group when compared with 11 and 12 years age groups for both sexes. The comparison between sexes for the nose parameters demonstrated that the length, width and depth of the nose displayed significantly increase in males than females at 11 years age group and no significantly differences at other age groups. Conclusions: The conclusions of the study are that the nose have significantly increase between 11 and 14 years age group in both sexes, the nasal profile parameters have insignificant difference in dimensions among 12, 13 and 14 years age groups.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of dental caries in primary and permanent dentition (dmft, DMFT) and to investigate the reason for seeking dental treatment and the type of treatment carried out for children. Material and Method: The study includes (1178) case sheets which represent the total number of children attending the Pedodontics Department during the academic year of (2004 – 2005). The WHO methodology was used to assess the individual tooth status. Results: Indicated that the highest percentage group of attends was 11–12 years group, and the children attended to clinic seeking treatment for painful condition had higher percentage (60.10 %). The DMFT for the total sample was 2.68% and increased with increasing age with a statistically significant age differences, the percentage of caries free children for total sample was 10.3 %, while mean dmft for primary dentition was 3.05% and increasing from the first age group till the third age group and then decreased till the last age with no gender variation. Conclusions: The priority of dental health services for children attending Pedodontic clinic is primary prevention (fluoride application, scaling and polishing) followed by tertiary prevention (extraction) and then secondary prevention as a totally (amalgum, light cure and root canal filling).