A cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examination of anterior teeth among 4015, 6- to 13-year-old children enrolled in 20 public primary schools of Sulaimani city, northern Iraq. The prevalence and pattern of traumatized anterior teeth were studied in relation to age, gender, type of injury, dental treatment needs, place and cause of the trauma in addition to occlusal relation and upper lip position. The prevalence of children with traumatic dental injuries was found to be 6.1% (243 children) of the total sample. Age and gender were highly significantly associated with dental trauma (P < 0.001). Males were more affected than females and the prevalence increased with age. Simple enamel fracture was the most common type of injury followed by enamel-dentine fracture and concussion. The maxillary central incisors were found to be most affected by trauma followed by mandibular central incisors and the maxillary lateral incisors. The number of injured teeth per child was 1.38 (totally 336 anterior teeth were found with dental trauma) and single tooth trauma was the most common type (69.5%). Results showed that only 7% of the traumatized anterior teeth received treatment and about half (48.7%) of the remaining traumatized teeth did not need dental treatments, while the least treatment type needed was extraction (3.5%). The highest proportions of traumatized children were found with class II division 1 malocclusion and inadequate upper lip coverage. Falls and playing were the most common causes of dental injury, while home was the most common place of trauma occurrence. The present study revealed a relatively low prevalence of dental trauma, but still this figure represents a large number of children. Therefore, educational programs are to be initiated for the community regarding causes, prevention and treatments of traumatic dental injuries.

ObjectivesThis study examined the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of conventional glass-ionomer cement (GIC) modified by the addition of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles.Materials and methodsMgO nanoparticles were characterised by XRD, FTIR, and SEM analysis and tested for its activity against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. MgO nanoparticles were incorporated into GIC powder (Ketac Molar Easymix) at different concentrations and the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity was evaluated using agar disk diffusion and biofilm-CFU counting assays. ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were used for the analysis, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsMgO nanoparticles showed antibacterial activity against both microorganisms (MIC = 500 μg/ml and MBC = 1000 μg/ml). A significant difference in the zones of inhibition was detected (p < 0.005). The effect was evident in the 2.5% MgO nanoparticle modified GIC while the CFU counting biofilm assay showed the effect of the added nanoparticles from 1% with a significant difference between the tested material groups (p < 0.005).ConclusionsThe MgO nanoparticle modified GIC showed effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against two cariogenic microorganisms and could be considered for further development as a biocompatible antibacterial dental restorative cement.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of molar incisor hypomineralisation among Kurdish children in Sulaimani City, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on primary school students in Sulaimani City. A total of 2346 Kurdish children aged 7 to 9 years old were examined; 1194 (50.9%) males and 1152 (49.1%) females, enrolled in 20 primary public schools. The index teeth were evaluated using the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) criteria for MIH. Results: The prevalence of MIH was found to be 18.2% where no statistically significant association was found with age or gender (P>0.05). Multiple teeth involvement (13.2%) was more common than a single molar involvement (5.1%). The mean number of the affected index teeth with MIH per affected child was (3.1). Mild defects were present in 64.1% of the affected teeth with demarcated creamy-white opacities were the most common finding (33.3%). Conclusion: It’s been found that MIH is a prevalent pathology among Kurdish children in Sulaimani City which could result in a large number of children continuously seeking professional dental treatment. Therefore, dental practitioners who deal with child patients could encounter such cases and should be aware of the treatment choices and management protocols for coping with this particular condition.

Objectives: The objectives of the present study was to find the number of subjects and distribution, etiology and some associated factors of TMJ problems of patients attending the Oral Diagnosis Clinic at the School of Dentistry/ University of Sulaimani. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study consists of available case-sheet records for patients attended the clinic of Oral Diagnosis of the School of Dentistry at the University of Sulaimani within one academic year (2013-2014) and consisted of 1325 patients aged from 10-79 years; 650 males (49.05%) and 675 females (50.94%). Results: Out of 53 (0.04%) patients who complained of TMJ problems, 30 patients were males (56.6%) and 23 patients were females (43.4%). The highest numbers of patients seen were from the younger age groups (20-30 years; n= 37, 69.8%). The pain was the most prevalent reported symptom followed by clicking in the joints and more than half of patients reported emotional stress as a causative factor. About one-third of the patients reported that their TMJ problems have affected their functional activities, and also only one-third of the patients reported ear symptoms. Conclusions: TMD patients require a special kind of attention due the multifactorial nature of the condition and the wide range of clinical manifestations that may be associated with the condition. Furthermore, the impact of the condition on the general health and the quality of life are clearly evident and should not be overlooked by any clinician who encounters such patients.