Purpose: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective caries control agent. The aim of our study was to investigate the parental acceptance of the utilization of SDF on their child’s primary and permanent teeth and to determine the factors that influence their decision-making. Patients and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included parents of healthy children aged 12 years and younger and currently receiving dental treatment. The interview questionnaire was conducted and pre-tested for face and content validity. The trained interviewing dentists showed colored pictures of primary and permanent teeth before and after receiving SDF treatment. The statistical significance was set at P <0.05. Results: A total of 104 parents were included in the study. The mean parental rating of treatment acceptability of the staining associated with SDF was 3.9±1.95. The plurality considered the staining caused by SDF treatment strongly not acceptable 46 (43.4%). Parental acceptance of SDF treatment was significantly affected by the location and type of teeth. Parents showed significantly higher acceptance of SDF treatment on their child’s primary compared to permanent teeth and posterior compared to anterior in both dentitions ( P <0.001). In addition, parents of children with a history of uncooperative behavior during previous dental treatment were significantly more accepting of SDF treatment regardless of the type and location of the teeth. Conclusion: Parental acceptance of SDF increased for primary compared to permanent teeth, on anterior compared to posterior teeth in both dentitions and for uncooperative children.

Parental acceptance of the utilization of silver diamine fluoride on their child's primary and permanent teeth [Corrigendum]

Purpose: Dental treatment has been associated with improvement in the oral healthrelated quality of life (OHRQoL) in children. There is little evidence of whether the effect of treatment is sustainable over time or not. The aim of this study was to determine whether the effect of dental treatment on OHRQoL is maintained or diminishes over time. Materials and Methods: A consecutive sample of parents of 47 children between 2 and 6 years who received comprehensive dental treatment at a postgraduate dental clinic were recruited. Parents completed the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) prior to treatment and at 1 and 4 months after treatment. Parents were also asked three global questions. Score changes (overall and for each section) between time points were analyzed by a repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni tests. Results: The children's mean age was 4.7 ± 1.1, and 60% were females. ECOHIS scores were significantly improved from baseline (22.2 ± 6.9) to 1 month after treatment (8.7 ± 6.8) and were further improved at 4 months after treatment (1.9 ± 2.7), P < 0.001, with large effect sizes (2.8 for the child impact section and 2.2 for the family impact section). Parents' perception of changes in the OHRQoL of their children obtained from a global question indicated an improvement in OHRQoL that was sustained over the follow-up period; at 1-month and 4-month follow-up, 89% and 94% of mothers reported that their child's oral health improved a lot after dental treatment, respectively. Conclusion: The impact of dental treatment on OHRQoL continued to remarkably improve during the 4 months following dental treatment.

Aim: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are prone to many complications. However, little is known about oral infectious. This study aimed to assess the oral health status of pediatric patients with SCD and explore the associations between oral health conditions and clinical complications of SCD. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in children with SCD admitted to the pediatric wards of two government hospitals in Jeddah city. The children were examined for dental caries, gingival diseases, oral lesions, and dental infections. Oral findings were compared between children who were hospitalized for vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) or had a history of VOC in the last 6 or 12 months and those who were admitted for other reasons such as blood transfusion or other complications or had no history of VOC in the last 6 or 12 months. Results: A total of 107 children with SCD were included, with a mean age of 9.82 ± 3.82 years, of which 51 (47.7%) were females. Of the total, 58 (54.2%) were admitted because of VOC. There was a significant relationship between VOC and dental attrition ( P = 0.038), osteomyelitis, and dental abscesses ( P = 0.004). A significant association was found between the presence of dental abscesses and a history of osteomyelitis or avascular necrosis of long bones in the previous 12 months ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.041, respectively). Conclusion: Dental abscesses and non-carious lesions are likely to be associated with VOC; however, further prospective cohort studies are warranted to confirm this association and establish a causal relationship.

Aim: Basic guidance on nonpharmacological behavioral management techniques in dental practice is fundamental for the effective treatment of pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to compare the use of basic nonpharmacological behavior guidance in general and specialist pediatric dentists and to evaluate the perceived difference in their effectiveness across hospital clinics in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with a nonpurposive sample of 179 registered general and pediatric dentists in the Saudi Dental Society based in Jeddah in 2019. Participants were contacted and asked to complete a validated questionnaire. The first section of the questionnaire comprised questions on demographic data and the second section investigated the frequency of the use of various behavioral management techniques. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics were used. Results: A total of 109 participants completed the survey; 52 were general dentists and 57 were pediatric dentists. The techniques tell–show–do ( P = .018), positive reinforcement ( P = .004), distraction ( P = .001), and nonverbal communication ( P = .001) were used more frequently by pediatric dentists than general dentists, and there were statistically significant differences. Also, pediatric dentists reported that the techniques tell–show–do ( P = 0.035), positive reinforcement ( P = .026), distraction ( P = .011), and nonverbal communication ( P = .007) were highly effective more often than general dentists did. Conclusions: Statistically significant differences were found between general and pediatric dentists in the use of basic behavioral management techniques. Broadly, general dentists used fewer behavior guidance techniques compared to pediatric dentists. More pediatric dentists reported that behavioral management techniques were effective in comparison to general dentists.