Dentistry

Care for a child’s teeth and gums can start even before the baby is born.  Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes , among these the rise of estrogen and progesterone increases the risk of developing oral health problems, like gingivitis and periodontitis .  The presence of maternal periodontal diseases and active infections has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and foetal loss.  Therefore, it is important to educate pregnant women about their oral hygiene and the importance of taking care of their newborn’s oral health.  J. Courtad and A. Horowitz devised six steps to help us in promoting oral health (ADA Convention- 2016 Denver):  1. Asking right questions such as “Has there been any change in your health history since your last visit?” and “When did you brush your teeth last?” is recommended in order to find out wether your patient is pregnant and to get to know her dental care better.  2. Know your audience:

Dentists should always be prepared to give appropriate advice to the public about first aid for avulsed teeth .  An avulsed permanent tooth is one of the few real  emergency situations in dentistry. In addition to  increasing the public awareness by, for example, mass  media campaigns, healthcare professionals  and teachers should receive information on how to  proceed following these severe unexpected injuries. should receive information on how to  proceed following these severe unexpected injuries. Also, instructions may be given by telephone to people  at the emergency site. Immediate replantation is the  best treatment at the place of accident.  How can a dental trauma be manifested? If for some  reasons this cannot be carried out, there are alternatives such as using various storage media .  If a tooth is avulsed, make sure it is a permanent tooth  (primary teeth should not be replanted)  First aid for avulsed teeth at the place of accident • Keep the patient calm. • Find the too

Little is known about the influence of biological characteristics on the occurrence of malocclusion .This study aimed to investigate the association between preterm birth and primary-dentition malocclusion and how breastfeeding and the use of pacifiers are related to this association ? Dentists should be aware that preterm birth may be a risk factor for malocclusion in primary dentition . The findings reinforce the benefits of breastfeeding on occlusal development and the negative consequences of pacifier use. In children born preterm, MSM ( moderate or severe malocclusion ) was found to be more prevalent even after adjustment for pacifier use and breastfeeding for a short period. Breastfeeding longer than 9 months reduced but did not eliminate the risk of malocclusion in preterm children.                                                   malocclusion in primary dentition By contrast, pacifier use seemed to have a more harmful effect of MSM in infants born preterm compared wit