A cross-sectional survey was carried out through clinical examination of anterior teeth among 4015, 6- to 13-year-old children enrolled in 20 public primary schools of Sulaimani city, northern Iraq. The prevalence and pattern of traumatized anterior teeth were studied in relation to age, gender, type of injury, dental treatment needs, place and cause of the trauma in addition to occlusal relation and upper lip position. The prevalence of children with traumatic dental injuries was found to be 6.1% (243 children) of the total sample. Age and gender were highly significantly associated with dental trauma (P < 0.001). Males were more affected than females and the prevalence increased with age. Simple enamel fracture was the most common type of injury followed by enamel-dentine fracture and concussion. The maxillary central incisors were found to be most affected by trauma followed by mandibular central incisors and the maxillary lateral incisors. The number of injured teeth per child was 1.38 (totally 336 anterior teeth were found with dental trauma) and single tooth trauma was the most common type (69.5%). Results showed that only 7% of the traumatized anterior teeth received treatment and about half (48.7%) of the remaining traumatized teeth did not need dental treatments, while the least treatment type needed was extraction (3.5%). The highest proportions of traumatized children were found with class II division 1 malocclusion and inadequate upper lip coverage. Falls and playing were the most common causes of dental injury, while home was the most common place of trauma occurrence. The present study revealed a relatively low prevalence of dental trauma, but still this figure represents a large number of children. Therefore, educational programs are to be initiated for the community regarding causes, prevention and treatments of traumatic dental injuries.

No abstract

Background: Various herbal extracts are known to provide therapeutic benefits in the oral cavity when used topically. One of these herbs is cardamom which is a dried fruit of the tall permanent herbaceous plant, have its place in the family Zingiberaceae. Objectives: Test the effect of green and black cardamom extracts on Lactobacilli in comparison to chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% and de-ionized water. Materials and methods: Dried fruits of green and black cardamom were extracted by using alcohol 70% ethanol. Saliva was collected from seven volunteers. Agar well technique with different concentrations of green and black cardamom extracts was used to test the sensitivities of Lactobacilli, as well the effects of both cardamom extracts on viable counts of Lactobacilli. Results: Lactobacilli were sensitive to different concentrations of green and black cardamom extracts starting with (5%) to (40%) using agar well diffusion technique. Both types of cardamom extracts green and black were effective in inhibition of Lactobacilli but still weaker than chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2%. Highly significant reduction in the counts of bacteria were reported with cardamom extracts and chlorhexidine in comparison to neutral control after two hrs.. Conclusions: Both types of cardamom (green and black) showed an effect on Lactobacilli but still less than chlorhexidine.

No abstract

Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease among children and young adults which is caused mainly by mutans streptococci. The relation of dental caries and salivary mutans streptococci between children and their mothers according to the type of child feeding was controversies.A sample of 56 child-mother pairs with age range for children 3-4 year old and 25-30 year old for their mothers were examined. Dental caries was recorded following the WHO (1987) criteria. The Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin Agar was used for the cultivation of mutans streptococci.None significant difference was found in dental caries and salivary mutans streptococci between the breast and bottle fed children (P>0.05). The percentage of caries free breast fed children was higher than that of the bottle fed children. Highly significant positive strong correlations were found between both groups of children and their mothers regarding dental caries experience and salivary mutans streptococci count.The mother plays an important role in transferring salivary mutans streptococci and as a results dental caries to her child regarding both type of child feeding.