Regarding high prevalence of caries in children, the issue of prophylaxis is of great significance and current interest. In that respect, health education should point out to the significance of proper nutrition, regular oral hygiene and fluoride prophylaxis, all aimed at preventing dental diseases. It is certain that parents must take an active part in these activities both as educators and controllers of the proposed measures.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of gingival inflammation and the prevalence of periodontopathogenic microorganisms in adolescents with chronic gingivitis, as well as to compare the effectiveness of two approaches in gingivitis treatment-basic therapy alone and basic therapy + adjunctive low-level laser therapy (LLLT). After periodontal evaluation, the content of gingival pockets of 140 adolescents with gingivitis was analyzed by multiplex PCR for the presence of P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans, T. forsythensis and P. intermedia. Subsequent to bacteria detection, the examinees were divided into two groups with homogenous clinical and microbiological characteristics. Group A was subjected to basic gingivitis therapy, and group B underwent basic therapy along with adjunctive LLLT. A statistically significant difference between the values of plaque-index (PI) and sulcus bleeding index (SBI) before and after therapy was confirmed in both groups (p<0.001), though more pronounced in group B. Following therapy, the incidence of periodontopathogenic microorganisms decreased considerably. The best result was obtained in P. gingivalis eradication by combined therapy (p=0.003). The presence of periodontopathogens in adolescents with gingivitis should be regarded as a sign for dentists to foster more effective oral health programs. LLLT appears to be beneficial as adjuvant to basic therapy.

Gingival epithelial cells are the first physical barrier against periodontal pathogenic microorganisms. Bacterial products may penetrate the epithelium and directly disturb its integrity. We investigated the clinical and cytomorphological status of the gingiva in children with gingivitis before and after low-level laser therapy. The study enrolled 130 children divided into three groups: group 1 comprised 50 children with chronic catarrhal gingivitis who received basic treatment, group 2 comprised 50 children with chronic catarrhal gingivitis who received low-level laser treatment in addition to basic treatment, and group 3 comprised 30 children with healthy gingiva as controls. Oral hygiene and the status of the gingiva were assessed using the appropriate indexes before and after treatment. Inflammation of the gingiva was monitored by cytomorphometric evaluation. Cytomorphometric analysis revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in the size of the nuclei of the stratified squamous epithelial cells of the gingiva before and after treatment in chronic catarrhal gingivitis. Evaluation using clinical parameters showed that treatment of gingivitis with basic treatment was successful. Cytomorphometric analysis showed that after basic treatment the nuclei of the stratified squamous epithelial cells of the gingiva were reduced in size, although not to the size found in healthy gingiva. However, after adjuvant low-level laser therapy, the size of the nuclei of the stratified squamous epithelial cells in the gingiva matched the size of the nuclei in the cells in healthy gingiva.

Background:Identifying caries predictors in the subpopulation at risk is one of the preconditions for developing effective caries prevention measures. The present exploratory study aimed to examine the significance of socio-demographic characteristics, dietary-hygiene habits, salivary pH, and salivary antimicrobial HNP-1, hBD-2, and LL-37 peptides as potential caries risk predictors in children ages 11-13 years. Material/Methods:This prospective 1-year study enrolled 213 children ages 11-13 years. The subjects underwent a dental examination and their mothers were interviewed. Unstimulated saliva was collected from the subjects to determine its pH value, as well as the salivary levels of HNP-1, hBD-2, and LL-37 peptides in 85 of the subjects. After 12 months, the 1-year caries incidence rate was recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the ability of selected variables to predict caries risk. Results:The univariable logistic regression analysis determined that the most significant independent caries risk predictors were: sex (female) (OR=2.132, p=0.007), mothers' education (OR=1.986, p=0.020), salivary pH (OR=0.270, p=0.043), oral hygiene index (OR=1.886, p=0.015), and daily tooth brushing frequency (OR=0.565, p=0.042).The multivariable model showed that sex and oral hygiene-related variables were the most important caries predictors. Conclusions:Salivary HNP-1, hBD-2, and LL-37 peptides were not found to have a significant predictive value. Therefore, socio-demographic and oral hygiene variables remain important caries predictors in early adolescents, suggesting the importance of the mechanical control of biofilm as the key measure for preventing caries. However, there is still a need for effective caries risk biomarkers, and additional research is needed in this area of caries risk prediction.

Kratak sadržaj Uvod. Visoka prevalencija karijesa kod dece predstavlja veliki medicinski, socijalni i ekonomski problem. Karijes, kao bolest savremenog načina života, finansijski opterećuje pojedinca i društvo. Školska stomatološka nega (ŠSN) predstavlja najefikasniju i ekonomski najisplatljiviju metodu u sprovođenju oralno-preventivnog programa. Cilj. Cilj rada je bio da ukaže na pozitivan efekat ŠSN na ukupno oralno zdravlje, kao i na socijalni i ekonomski aspekt života. Materijal i metod rada. Istraživanje je sprovedeno na 2 grupe isitinika. Jedna grupa ispitanika je bila iz ruralnih sredina opštine Surdulica, koja u školi nije imala stomatološku ambulantu. Druga grupa ispitanika pohađala je osnovnu školu u Nišu i imala je školsku stomatološku ambzlantu.. Kontrolnu grupu su činili ispitanici koji su bili redovni pacijenti klinike za stomatologiju u Nišu. Svi pacijenti su bili uzrasta 9,11 i 13 godina a reprezentativni uzorak za svaku grupu bio je 150 ispitanika. Kod svih ispitanika je urađen sistematski stomatolški pregled i izračunata prevalencija karijesa (KIO-karijes indeks osoba, KIZ-karijes indeks zuba, KIP-karijes indeks prosek) standarnim formulama. Polse sanacije zuba izračunata je prosečna i ukupna cena koštanja stomatoloških usluga prema cenovniku Republičkog Fonda za Zdravstveno Osiguranje Republike Srbije. (RFZZO) Rezultati. Rezultati dobijeni istraživanjem pokazuju značajnu razliku u zastupljenosti karijesa kod ispitanika koji su imali tj. koji nisu imali stomatološku ambulantu u školi. Sa ekonomskog aspekta iako su naši proračuni predviđali da će tretman dece iz rurlih sredina biti daleko skuplji od dece koja su imala ŠSN , manje je para potrošeno kod ispitanika koji nisu imali školsku stomatološku ambulantu od predviđenih , jer je zbog udaljenosti ambulante izostao redovan stomatološki tretman, a kompletna sanacija usta pacijenata iz ruralnih sredina i nije sprovedena do kraja. Zaključak. Karijes indeks prosek kod ispitanika od 9, 11 i 13 godina koji su imali školsku stomatološku ambulantu kretao se od 3.6-5.15, dok je kod ispitanika koji nisu imali stomatološku ambulantu bio skoro trostruko veći i kretao se od 9.03-9.37. Sticanje pozitivih navika, edukacija i informisanje deteta započinje u porodici i nastavlja se primenom preventivnih i profilaktičkih mera kroz predškolsko i školsko obrazovanje. Neulaganje u preventivni program i niske cene stomatoloških usluga direktno su povezani sa porastom prevalencije karijesa. Ključne reči: Školska stomatološka nega, zdravstveno vaspitanje, prevalencija karijesa, cene stomatoloških usluga Uvod Karijes, i druga oralna oboljenja, kao globalni problem čovečanstva , datiraju još od pra-Abstract Introduction. A high prevalence of caries in children is a huge medical, social, and economic problem. Caries, as a disease of the modern way of life, presents a financial burden to both individuals and society. School dental care (SDC) is the most efficient and cost-effective method used in oral prevention programs. Material and methods. The study was done on 2 group...