Aim of the studyOral mucositis is the most commonly reported side effect observed in neoplastic patients treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy of the head and neck region as well as in patients who have received a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. The aim of the study was to assess the oral mucosa status in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) during antineoplastic therapy.Material and methodsThe clinical examination included 78 children aged 2-18 with ALL. The clinical examination was conducted using the dental preset tray. The condition of the oral mucosa was determined using the WHO scale for oral mucositis.ResultsIn the first period of antineoplastic therapy the pathological lesions of the oral mucosa of the mucositis type were observed among the examined patients. The lesions had various levels of intensity. Pain was found to be the primary symptom of oral mucositis. In this study the following were observed: local erythema of the oral mucosa in 35%, white pseudomembranous lesions in 18%, erosions in 40% and oral ulcerative lesions in 4% of patients who underwent the antineoplastic therapy. Oral mucositis was observed in 3.17% of children after 6 months of chemotherapy.ConclusionLocal treatment of oral mucositis with polyantibiotic-antifungal mixture, supporting antifungal systemic treatment, and improving the overall peripheral blood conditions in children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia improve the condition of the oral mucosa.

Vitamin D may prevent dental caries. To date, no attempts have been made to examine the correlation between the incidence of caries and the concentrations of vitamin D in children with pituitary growth hormone deficiency.The study observed patients of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology of the University Paediatric Hospital of the Medical University of Lublin treated with human recombinant growth hormone for pituitary growth hormone deficiency (GHD). The study was conducted between October 2014 and June 2015. The study group consisted of 121 children and adolescents (6–17 years old), including 56 children from rural areas and 65 children from urban areas. The study group was stratified by area of residence.In our study, the increase in vitamin D3 [25(OH)D] levels reduced the D component by 0.66 per each 10 ng/mL of vitamin D3 concentration. The percentage of children with active caries in rural areas is 91.07% (n = 51), which is significantly higher than the percentage of children with active caries in urban areas (81.54%, n = 53).To date, information regarding the potential possibility of reducing the incidence of dental caries by means of increasing the levels of vitamin D was sidelined by paediatricians and dentists alike. Therefore, this aspect of caries prevention should be highlighted.

Vitamin D deficiency is a common risk factor for multifactorial diseases, and it seems to be associated with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Vitamin D could prevent dental caries. The goal of this study was to identify whether there is an association between hormonal therapy with growth hormone (GH), vitamin D3 supplementation, vitamin D3 levels, and the occurrence of caries among children affected by GHD. The study group consisted of patients from the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology of the University Paediatric Hospital at the Medical University of Lublin treated with recombinant human GH for pituitary GHD. It was conducted between October 2014 and June 2015. The study group included 121 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years, with 56 children from rural areas and 65 from urban areas. The study group was stratified by the area of residence. We found the statistically significant impact of vitamin D3 concentration on the average value of the DMFT (decayed, missed, and filled teeth) index and its component—DT (decayed teeth), which was noted in subjects from rural areas. Among patients from urban areas, we found a statistically significant correlation between duration of therapy and the DMFT index. An increase in duration of GH therapy by 10 months leads to a mean increase in DMFT index by 0.70. Based on multiple regression analysis, we developed the following model: value of DT = 3.10 − 0.73∗category of vitamin D3 concentration − 0.07∗duration of supplementation (in months). In this model, variables with a significant impact on the value of DT in the group of patients from rural areas include time of vitamin D3 supplementation and category of vitamin D3 concentration. Greater emphasis should be placed on promoting vitamin D3 as a potentially effective agent reducing the number of dental caries, especially among patients with GHD.

Infiltration with a low-viscosity resin is one of the methods of minimally invasive treatment of enamel-induced hypo-mineralisation. It is one of the most modern methods of treatment of white lesions, which can be a bridge between remineralisation therapy and surgical methods. Long-term aesthetic effects of treatment depend on the colour stability of the resin used in this method. It is believed that due to the physical properties of the resin used in the infiltration method, there may be changes in the colour of the surface of the enamel subjected to infiltration. The paper attempts to summarise current reports regarding the colour stability assessment of enamel treated by infiltration with a low-viscosity resin confirmed in in vitro and in vivo studies. The previous results of laboratory tests indicate that the resin used in the infiltration method is susceptible to discolouration of internal and external origin. On the other hand, clinical trials prove that maintaining stable aesthetic effects of infiltration treatment is possible. It is assumed that the extent of discolouration may vary depending on the patient's eating and hygiene habits. Therefore, prophylaxis has a strong impact on the quality of infiltrated surfaces. The aim of the work is to summarise current knowledge on the stability of the colour of the enamel surface treated by resin infiltration, based on a review of the selected literature. The analysis of the literature is also aimed at presenting the methods proposed by clinicians in the event of a change in the colour of the teeth subjected to the infiltration procedure.

Background. Oral mucositis is a problem occurring within the oral cavity, which is the most difficult to deal with during anti-tumor treatment. The first symptom reported by the patient is discomfort. Salivary immunoglobulins play an important role in pathological processes occurring in the oral cavity.