Background and Aim: Space maintenance is an important process in the mixed dentition as a preventive measure for multiple malocclusion problems related to the loss of arch length. The awareness of parents and the satisfaction of children are two critical factors determining the efficacy of space maintainers. The aim of this study was to assess the level of parents' awareness of space maintainers in their children's oral cavity and the level of their children's satisfaction with these appliances. Materials and Methods: In the present descriptive-analytical study, a questionnaire was completed by 200 elementary school children, aged 6-12 years old, and by their parents, which was consisted of four main categories: 1) demographic data, 2) parents' occupation and educational level, 3) parents' awareness of the uses and maintenance of space maintainers, 4) children's satisfaction with space maintainers. Data collected from these questionnaires were analyzed in Stata 14 software. The significance level was set at P<0.05. Results: The mean awareness score of the parents was 57%, with no significant relationship with their educational level or occupation (P=0.819). The mean score of the children's satisfaction was 74%; however, the satisfaction significantly decreased with age (P=0.05). There was a significant correlation between children's satisfaction and the type of space maintainer (P=0.0001). Conclusion: The level of awareness of parents about the usage, maintenance, and advantages of space maintainers was average, whereas the satisfaction of children with the usage, maintenance, and comfort of space maintainers was high.

Background. Severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) is a rapid form of dental caries that firstly affects primary upper incisors of children less <3 years of age and can cause interference in child’s health by pain, nutritional deficiencies and sleep disorders. It seems there are many unknown factors in the etiology as well as progression of S-ECC. The aim of this study was to assess parents' views in this relation. Methods. In this qualitative study parent’s views and their 1‒3-year-old children were studied when they visited pediatric medical clinics in Kerman. After cleaning the children teeth and examination of them to discover caries, they were placed in 2 groups with or without S-ECC. Then each parent was interviewed separately and their comments were collected and studied. Examinations and interviews continued with parents until they did not express anything new. Results. Parents of children without S-ECC had better understanding about S-ECC related factors than parents of children with S-ECC and greater number of them (without significant differences) expressed known reasons for occurrence of S-ECC. There were differences among known reasons and proposed reasons mostly in parents of children with S-ECC, although the differences were not significant. Maternal stress and amount of breast milk’s lactose were factors that were reported by some parents while there were unknown factors related to the etiology of S-ECC. Furthermore, no parents mentioned factors like saliva or mode of delivery. Conclusion. The most important achievement of the study was the attention of some parents to the role of their chronic stress in the occurrence of S-ECC. Another important consideration was that none of the parents mentioned the important role of the quality and quantity of saliva in preventing S-ECC, which should be promoted in the community.

Background. Stainless steel crowns (SSCs) of the opposing maxillary deciduous molar teeth are used in mandibular deciduous first molars with decreased proximal surfaces due to caries. However, the SSCs of maxillary deciduous molar teeth are different from those of the mandibular deciduous molars in terms of the occlusal surface morphology, the buccal margin, and the proximal surface contour. Therefore, it is possible to prepare the buccal and lingual surfaces to use the SSC of the lower deciduous molar teeth and compare microleakage. Methods. Eighty extracted mandibular deciduous first molars were randomly assigned to two groups. In the case group (BLP), the buccal (B) and lingual (L) surfaces were prepared in addition to the proximal (P) surface, and an SSC was placed on the mandibular first deciduous teeth. Only the proximal surface was prepared in the control (P) group, and the SSC of the opposing tooth (maxillary deciduous first molar teeth) was placed. After dissecting the teeth, the extent of dye penetration was measured. Results. The difference in microleakage on the buccal aspect between the case and control groups was significant (P=0.02); however, the difference in microleakage on the lingual aspect between the case and control groups was not significant (P=0.89). Conclusion. Microleakage at the buccal margin of the SSC of mandibular deciduous first molars was less than the maxillary deciduous first molar SSC, with no significant differences in the lingual margin.

Pit and fissure caries is the most common type of caries in children and adolescent [1]. It is not possible to clean deep and narrow I-shaped and K-shaped pit and fissures and these surfaces are the most susceptible areas to the incidence of caries and a source of concern for dentists [2]. The occlusal surface comparises only 12.5% of the tooth surface; however, more than two-thirds of caries in children occur on this surface, especially during the eruption of the first permanent molar tooth when the enamel is still immature and the child and the parents are not usually aware of the eruption of this tooth [3].Introduction: The present study evaluated the effect of dabbing motion, which is a slow motion perpendicular to the tooth surface during tooth etching, on the microleakage of fissure sealants.Methods: Thirty extracted sound premolar teeth were randomly assigned to two groups (n=15). In the case group, 37% phosphoric acid was applied on the occlusal surfaces of teeth with a dabbing motion; however, in the control group, the dabbing motion was not used. Clinpro fissure sealant was applied in both groups according to manufacturer's instructions and light-cured for 40 seconds at a light intensity of 500 mW/cm 2 . Microleakage was evaluated quantitatively under a stereomicroscope in terms of dye penetration at sealant-tooth interface. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the two groups. Statistical significance were set at P<0.05. Results:The mean microleakage values in the case and control groups were 0.9 and 1.4 mm, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P= 0.040). Conclusion:The results showed that dabbing motion can decrease microleakage of fissure sealants; therefore, it can affect the clinical success of fissure sealants. The fissure sealant technique, which was introduced by Cueto and Bunocore in 1967, has had an established preventive effect on pit and fissure caries [4]. Fissure sealants prevent accumulation of microbial plaque and foodstuff in the fissures and result in remineralization of incipient caries and buffering of the acids produced by cariogenic bacteria [5]. Microleakage results in the penetration of bacteria, liquids, molecules and ions into the tooth-covering material interfaces, including fissure sealants [6]. The effect of fissure sealants on prevention of caries depends to a great degree on the retention and adaptation between the sealant material and the enamel and