Anganwadis should be addressed routinely on effective oral and general health promoting strategies which must include education of parents, oral and general health issues, risk factors for dental caries, and malnutrition in children below 5 years of age.

Aim:To assess the comparative efficacy of fluoride varnish and casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP–ACP) complex visa viz. Streptococcus mutans in plaque, and thereby the role that these two agents could play in the prevention of dental caries.Materials and Methods:A cluster sample of 120 caries inactive individuals belonging to moderate and high caries risk group were selected from 3–5-year-old age group based on the criteria given by Krassee and were randomized to four groups, namely, fluoride varnish – Group I, CPP–ACP complex – Group II, mixture of CPP–ACP complex –Gourp III, and fluoride and routine oral hygiene procedures as control – Group IV. The results thus obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.Results:A statistically significant difference in the pre and post-application scores of S. mutans (P < 0.01) count was observed in all the groups with CPP–ACP plus fluoride group being the most proficient.Conclusion:Materials such as fluoride varnish, CPP–ACP, and CPP–ACP plus fluoride protects the tooth structure, preserving the integrity of primary dentition, with the most encouraging results being with CPP–ACP plus fluoride.

Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbial reduction in deciduous molars using Morinda citrifolia juice (MCJ) as irrigating solution.Materials and Methods:This was a randomized comparative study including 60 deciduous molars chosen among the patients belonging to the age group of 6–9 years based on the inclusion or exclusion criteria. The selected teeth were divided randomly into two groups based on irrigation solution used, that was, Group I (1% NaOCl) and Group II (MCJ). The microbial samples were collected both pre- and post-irrigation and were transferred for microbial assay. Paired t-test was used for intragroup analysis of pre- and post-operative mean reduction of bacterial colony forming unit (CFU)/ml, whereas Independent t-test was used to assess the intergroup, pre- and post-operative mean reduction of bacterial CFU/ml.Results:In the intragroup comparison, both of the groups showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the mean CFU/ml; however, it did not show statistically significant reduction when intergroup comparison was carried out between the two groups. Both the study materials had clinically revealed decrease in the microbial count postirrigation.Conclusion:Both the irrigants, 1% NaOCl and MCJ, were significantly effective in the reduction of mean CFUs/ml postoperatively. The results of this study have confirmed the antibacterial effectiveness of MCJ in the root canals of deciduous teeth. Considering the low toxicity and antibacterial effectiveness of MCJ, it can be advocated as a root canal irrigant in endodontic treatment of primary teeth.

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Background:The term molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) has been described as a clinical entity of systemic origin affecting the enamel of one or all first permanent molars and also the incisors; less frequently the second primary molars have also been reported to develop hypomineralization of the enamel, along with MIH.Aim:To scrutinize the association between hypomineralized second primary molars (HSPMs) and MIH and their prevalence in schoolgoing pupils in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India and the associated severity of dental caries.Design:A sample of 1,109 pupils belonging to 3–12-year-old age group was included. The entire sample was then divided into Group I (3–5 years) and Group II (6–12 years). The scoring criteria proposed by the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry for hypomineralization was used to score HSPM and MIH. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) was used for appraising caries status in the hypomineralized molars. The examination was conducted by a single calibrated dentist in schools in daylight. The results, thus obtained, were statistically analyzed using Chi-square test and odds ratio.Result:Of the children examined, 10 in Group I (4.88%) had HSPM and 63 in Group II (7.11%) had MIH in at least one molar. In Group II, out of 63 subjects diagnosed with MIH, 30 subjects (48%) also had HSPM. Carious lesions with high severity were appreciated in hypomineralized molars.Conclusion:The prevalence of HSPM was 4.88% and of MIH was 7.11%. Approximately half of the affected first permanent molars were associated with HSPM. The likelihood of development of caries increased with the severity of hypomineralization defect.