Current clinical research in pediatric dentistry

Introduction

Children oral diseases constitute a public health issue [1, 2]. Although more attention has been posed to preventive measures, there is the strict necessity to act an early time [3, 4]. Life oral health conditions in the first years are a good predictor of the oral health status in adolescence, adulthood and elderly people [5, 6]. Clinicians treating pediatric patients should identify the presence of unhealthy habits as well as to inform parents and family members about the consequent risks [7, 8, 9]. This has the goal of reducing the incidence or the severity of dental caries [10, 11, 12], erosive tooth wear (ETW), hypomineralization and malocclusions [13, 14, 15, 16]. Additionally in case preventive measures fail, minimally invasive approaches and innovative restorative materials are now available for pediatric dentists to treat such conditions [17, 18, 19, 20].

In 2023, the Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry has collected many clinical research articles dealing with different aspects of pediatric dentistry. Community dentistry has been a field of research encompassing different topics, like oral habits and caries in schoolchildren and adolescent (contributions 1 and 2), special health care needs (contribution 3), preventive measures in scholars (contributions 4 and 5), tooth erosion (contribution 6), acceptance and awareness of private practice pediatric dentists of fluoride-free toothpastes (contribution 7), and knowledge of orthodontic and craniofacial growth amongst Italian Pediatric Medical Residents for early diagnosis in growing patients (contribution 8).

One of the widest field of research has been represented by pediatric restorative dentistry, encompassing pulp therapy in both primary and permanent teeth (contributions 9 to 13) and stainless-steel crowns (contributions 14 and 15). Additionally, craniofacial morphology and clinical orthodontic themes have been extensively investigated covering different aspects like dental and skeletal arch forms in children (contributions 16 to 21), growth status in children with non-syndromic oral clefts (contribution 22), tooth development (contribution 23), orthodontic retreatment (contribution 24), management of impacted teeth and supernumerary teeth (contributions 25 and 26), lingual and labial frenectomy (contribution 27), as well as barriers and challenges faced by orthodontists in providing orthodontic care and implementing new innovative technologies (contribution 28). Sleep apnea and temporomandibular disorders in children have been also covered (contributions 29 and 30).

Other research articles have explored pain and anxiety experiences by pediatric patients and options to manage and reduce them (contributions 31 to 37), dental treatments performed under general anesthesia (contributions 38 and 39), the effect of children parents’ emotional states and attitudes (contributions 40 to 43), and the frequency of missing data in clinical records in pediatric dentistry (contribution 44).

Finally, a corpus of research has been focused on the interdisciplinary aspects between pediatric dentistry and general medical conditions, like dental anomalies in cancer survivors (contribution 45), the orthodontic treatment needs in patients with β-thalassemia major and sickle cell disease (contribution 46), enamel developmental defects following perinatal HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) exposure (contribution 47), oral findings in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma (contribution 48), the effects of long-term antibiotic therapy in sickle cell disease associated with molar-incisor hypomineralisation (contribution 49), and the association of genetic mutations with dental anomalies (contribution 50).

On the basis of these considerations, the Authors would like to thank all Researchers and Clinicians who contributed both with their clinical research studies to the Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry hoping that this could be of interest for further dental researchers and professionals. Authors also hope that the present Collection could be the basis for the progression of pediatric dental research exploring new frontiers in this field, and in particular posing more and more attention on the interdisciplinary aspects relating pediatric dentistry with other medical specialties [21]. Finally, new technologies that are changing dental workflow should be clinically explored: from computer controlled devices and mobile apps [22, 23, 24] to artificial intelligence [25, 26, 27, 28] should be considered for future clinical trials toward new exciting research perspectives.

Availability of data and materials

The data are contained within this article.

Author contributions

AS—performed conceptualization, data extraction and manuscript review. PZ—wrote the draft text. Authors equally contributed to the present research. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Acknowledgment

Editors would like to thank the Authors for their contributions.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Andrea Scribante is serving as the Editor in Chief of this journal, and Paolo Zampetti is serving as the Editorial Board member of this journal.

List of Contributions

1. Yang R, Tang T, Wu S, Wu L, Lei L, Li H. Self-reported oral health habits, knowledge and conditions of schoolchildren and adolescents in mainland China. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 May; 47(3): 96–102. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.017.

2. Kim SY, Kim HN. Assessment of early childhood caries using ICDAS and Snyder caries activity test among preschool children: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 163–170. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.091.

3. Zahran SS, Bhadila GY, Alasiri SA, Alkhashrami AA, Alaki SM. Access to dental care for children with special health care needs: a cross-sectional community survey within Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 50–57. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2022.032.

4. Egić B. Impact of school for future parents and first preventive examination in the first year of life on oral habits. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 94–99. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.083.

5. Garg N, Khatri A, Kalra N, Tyagi R. The association of screen time with intake of potentially cariogenic food and oral health of school children aged 8–14 years-a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 116–123. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.060.

6. González-Aragón Pineda ÁE, García-Pérez A. Incidence and progression of erosive tooth wear according to tooth type in schoolchildren of Mexico City. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 116–120. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.042.

7. Patel MK, Milano M, Messer RL. Acceptance and awareness of Southeastern and Western private practice pediatric dentists of fluoride-free toothpastes: a survey study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 73–80. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.055.

8. Sfondrini MF, Gallo S, Pascadopoli M, Licari A, Marseglia GL, Gandini P, Turcato B, Nardi MG, Scribante A. The knowledge of orthodontic and craniofacial growth amongst Italian Pediatric Medical Residents for early diagnosis in growing patients: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 64–73. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.072.

9. Wassel M, Hamdy D, Elghazawy R. Evaluation of four vital pulp therapies for primary molars using a dual-cured tricalcium silicate (TheraCal PT): one-year results of a non-randomized clinical trial. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 10–22. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.004.

10. Han S, Zhang Q. Vital pulp therapy following pulpotomy in immature permanent teeth with carious exposure. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 65–72. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.054.

11. Sulimany AM, Aldowsari M, Saleh SB, Almajhdi FF, Al Ajlan OA, ALSayyari IM, Alshehri KM, Hamdan HM. Primary tooth vital pulp therapy techniques taught in dental schools in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 86–93. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.082.

12. Liu X, Sun Q, Li Q, Yao Y. Effects of an Nd: YAP laser used for root canal disinfection in pulp regenerative therapy: a pilot study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 23–29. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.008.

13. Sheng M, Zhang D, Yan J, Li W. Relationship between time to hemostasis and outcomes of pulpotomy using iRoot BP Plus in symptomatic young permanent teeth: a prospective study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 142–149. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.088.

14. Angelos GM. Perfecting the venerable SSC. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 1–3. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.047.

15. Shahawy OE, Maher RA, Jundi SA, Hussein I, Tong HJ, Srinivasan N, Duggal M, Nazzal H. The use of aesthetic paediatric full coverage restorations among paediatric dental practitioners: an international survey. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 16–24. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.031.

16. Al-Dulaimy DA, Al-Khannaq MRA, Nahidh M, Marrapodi MM, Cervino G, Cicciù M, Minervini G. Assessment of dental arch forms in a sample of children. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 51–56. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.045.

17. de Mora EP, Caleya-Zambrano AM, Martin-Vacas A, Ginés-Pérez A, de Nova-Garcia J, Gallardo-López NE. Panorametric study in a paediatric population in Madrid. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 103–115. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.059.

18. Omastova A, Valikova P, Cernochova P, Dusek L, Izakovicova Holla L. Morphological types of sella turcica bridging and sella turcica dimensions in relation to palatal canine impaction: a retrospective study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 124–132. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.061.

19. Lee J, Bae SR, Noh HK. Commercial artificial intelligence lateral cephalometric analysis: part 2-effects of human examiners on artificial intelligence performance, a pilot study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 130–141. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.087.

20. Chang L, Huang Q, Ren Z, Wang Y, Jiao Y, Tao Y, Zhao H, Hou Y. Influence of presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) treatment in maxillary dental arch width and nasolabial symmetry in patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 155–162. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.090.

21. Alqahtani HM, Togoo RA, Ain TS, Alshahrani AS, Asiri RM, Alkahtani ZM, Zakirulla M, Yassin SM. Correlation between head circumference and mesio-distal width of the maxillary central incisor: a cross sectional study among three different population groups. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 59–63. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.044.

22. Li N, Zhang K, Chen X, Cui J, Han X, Zhai D, Wang M, Zhou Z, Chen G, Zhu H. Evaluation of growth status of children with non-syndromic oral clefts. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 May; 47(3): 59–63. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.023.

23. Topal BG, Tanrikulu A. Assessment of permanent teeth development in children with multiple persistent primary teeth. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 50–57. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.011.

24. Wang T, Li H, Xia W, He F, Guo Y. Orthodontic retreatment need and related self-perceived factors among contemporary college freshmen in China. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 74–84. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.013.

25. Peng Y, Zhen Z, Qiu H, Li M, Xiong H, Chen K. The design and clinical application of a new appliance to treat impacted maxillary central incisors. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 40–49. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.010.

26. Jang DH, Chae YK, Lee KE, Nam OH, Lee HS, Choi SC, Kim MS. Determination of the range of intervention timing for supernumerary teeth using the Korean health insurance review and assessment service database. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 67–73. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2022.036.

27. Ginini JG, Rachmiel A, Bilder A, Botzer E, Capucha T, Nseir S, Ohayon C, Shilo D, Emodi O. Evaluation of parental perceptions of lingual and labial frenectomy on their child: a comparison of CO2 laser and conventional scalpel. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 30–37. doi: 10.22514/jocpd.2023.079. Epub 2023 Nov 3. PMID: 37997232. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.079.

28. Fazal A, Khattak O, Chaudhary FA, Hyder M, Javaid MM, Iqbal A, Albhiran HM, Migdadi FH, Ghawanmeh AM, Bader AK, Issrani R, Rashed AA, Sultan SE. Barriers and challenges faced by orthodontists in providing orthodontic care and implementing new innovative technologies in the field of orthodontics among children and adults: a qualitative study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 80–85. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.038.

29. Hoang DA, Le VNT, Nguyen TM, Jagomägi T. Orofacial dysfunction screening examinations in children with sleep-disordered breathing symptoms. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 25–34. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.032.

30. Uğurluel C, Şermet Elbay Ü, Elbay M, Babaoğlu A. Comparison of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders and parafunctions in children with and without cardiovascular diseases. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 74–81. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.001.

31. Pinheiro SL, Silva C, Luiz L, Silva N, Fonseca R, Velásquez T, Grandizoli DR. Dog-assisted therapy for control of anxiety in pediatric dentistry. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 38–43. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.080.

32. Maru V, Patil RSB, Kumari S, Tiwari S, Bapat S. Influence of pretreatment exposure to pediatric dental care using the “Tiny dentist” game on 4-7 years old children’s pain and anxiety: a parallel randomised clinical trial. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 96–102. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.058.

33. Vitale MC, Gallo S, Pascadopoli M, Alcozer R, Ciuffreda C, Scribante A. Local anesthesia with SleeperOne S4 computerized device vs. traditional syringe and perceived pain in pediatric patients: a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 82–90. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.002.

34. Fux-Noy A, Zeineh R, Shmueli A, Halperson E, Ram D, Moskovitz M. Anxiety during the dental care of children aged 4 to 6 years over three consecutive visits. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 100–105. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.084.

35. Elbay M, Elbay ÜŞ, Kaya E, Kalkan ÖP. Effects of photobiomodulation with different application parameters on injection pain in children: a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 54–62. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.035.

36. Bagher SM, Felemban OM, Alandijani AA, Tashkandi MM, Bhadila GY, Bagher AM. The effect of virtual reality distraction on anxiety level during dental treatment among anxious pediatric patients: a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 63–71. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.036.

37. Uguz HN, Çiftçi V, Dogan MC. Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on oral healthcare in pediatric patients. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 43–50. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.043.

38. Ashok M, Lumsden C, Myers A, Yoon R. Emergency dental treatment among patients waitlisted for the operating room. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 May; 47(3): 54–58. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.015.

39. Alfarraj J, Alsaad S, Alturki R, Alshehri FS, P J P. Parents’ perceptions and concerns regarding pediatric dental care under general anesthesia in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia): a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 27–35. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2022.030.

40. Aikaterini L, Andreas A, Maria BG, Athanasia T, Sotiria G. Long-term outcome of oral health in uncooperative children with caries treated under general anesthesia. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 May; 47(3): 64–70. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.024.

41. Ibrahim NA, Nor NAM, Azizi NZ, Hamzah TNNT, Dziaruddin N, Musa S. Retrospective analysis of dental treatment under general anesthesia among children with early childhood caries in Malaysia. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 46–53. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.034.

42. Sakaryalı Uyar D, Uyar T. Do hypomineralized teeth affect parents’ emotional states and attitudes more than other discoloration conditions? J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 162–169. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.066.

43. Qureshi R, Iqbal A, Khan M, Bader AK, Baig MN, Rao K, Alanazi GRA, Ayub T, Rizwan S, Cheema MM, Sarfarz S, Issrani R, Khattak O. Assessment of parental acceptance towards different non-pharmacological behaviour management techniques in pediatric dental care-a cross-sectional study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jul; 47(4): 35–39. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.033.

44. Souza-Oliveira AC, Paschoal MAB, Alvarenga-Brant R, Martins CC. Frequency of missing data in clinical records in pediatric dentistry: a descriptive study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Jan; 47(1): 44–49. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2022.034.

45. Defabianis P, Bocca N, Romano F. Prevalence and association of dental anomalies and tooth decay in Italian childhood cancer survivors. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 81–87. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.056.

46. Kalbassi S, Younesi M, Aligoudarzi SL. Assessment of orthodontic treatment needs in patients with β-thalassemia major and sickle cell disease. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 68–73. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.006.

47. Onyia NE, Akhigbe P, Osagie E, Obuekwe O, Omoigberale A, Richards VP, Coker MO; DOMHaIN Study team. Prevalence and associated factors of enamel developmental defects among Nigerian children with perinatal HIV exposure. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.007.

48. Vitale MC, Pascadopoli M, Gallo S, Campanini M, Licari A, Marseglia GL, Scribante A. Oral findings in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma: a cohort study of an Italian setting. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Nov; 47(6): 51–58. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.073.

49. Kumar H, McCafferty K, Neboda C, Chase I. Investigation on the effects of long-term antibiotic therapy in sickle cell disease associated with molar-incisor hypomineralisation-a pilot study. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Sep; 47(5): 37–42. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.052.

50. Rihani FB, Altayeh MM, Al-Kilani RZ, Alrejjal RA. Solitary median maxillary central incisor in Kabuki syndrome 2 with novel missense mutation of KDM6A and ABCC8 genes. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2023 Mar; 47(2): 108–116. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.005.