Deproteinization can be defined as a process of removing the protein from a substance, usually as a stage in chemical purification. It is a necessary step in many procedures for the chemical analysis of body fluids. In dentistry, deproteinization can be used for elimination of the organic substances from the enamel surface before etching, as it increases the orthodontic bond strength by creating predominantly Type 1 and 2 etch patterns. Various authors have experimented the effect of enamel deproteinization with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) prior to phosphoric acid etching and its effect on the etching pattern and shear bond strength of different adhesive systems. This article has reviewed and summarized the different studies regarding the effectiveness of NaOCl as a deproteinizing agent including its alternatives.

The recent spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused widespread public health concerns. All the countries of the world are taking necessary measures to prevent the community spread of this disease. In doing so, many countries have imposed lockdowns to restrict the movements of its citizens within the country. Realizing the severity of outcomes associated with this disease, dentists who were estimated to be at high risk of acquiring the disease rendered only emergency treatments to their patients. However, due to nationwide lockdown, it was difficult for the patients to visit the clinics for routine check-ups. This was overcome by the recent advancements in the field of technology. Today, in the age of smartphones, clinical data exchange was facilitated with the help of mobile cameras and video conferencing applications. These types of virtual consultations formed the basis of teledentistry. Teledentistry is a combination of telecommunications and dentistry, involving the exchange of clinical information and images for dental consultation and treatment planning. This technology served as a boon for the pediatric dentists to manage dental health concerns of children during the lockdown period. This review discusses about teledentistry and its applications in pediatric dental practice among the COVID-19 lockdown.

Aim: Assessment and comparison of oral hygiene status and caries experience between the institutionalized special children and a group of healthy children, along with, association of oral hygiene with various sociodemographic variables (age, sex, etc.) and clinical variables (brushing frequency, cleaning mode, material used, etc.). Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in district Mandi of Himachal Pradesh on 384 children aged 6–17 years, of which 184 belonged to special health-care needs and 200 healthy subjects were selected randomly from three other government schools. Oral hygiene status and caries were clinically examined using simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) index, decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT), and decayed-extracted-filled teeth index, respectively. Results: Mean OHI(S) scores for mentally retarded, visually impaired, hearing impaired, and healthy children were 3.08 ± 1.35, 1.49 ± 1.44, 0.81 ± 0.95, and 1.14 ± 0.97, respectively, and the results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Mean DMFT scores for mentally retarded, visually impaired, hearing impaired, and healthy children were 1.48 ± 1.96, 0.85 ± 1.06, 0.68 ± 1.23, and 1.64 ± 1.70, respectively, and were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Mean OHI(S) score was significantly more for mentally retarded children followed by visually impaired, healthy, and hearing impaired whereas mean DMFT score was significantly more for healthy children followed by mentally retarded, visually impaired and hearing-impaired children.

Introduction: The need for the promotion of oral health in schools is discernible and it can easily be integrated by teachers, provided they have an optimistic attitude toward schoolchildren's oral health. Hence, the aim of the study was to evaluate the teacher's knowledge and attitude toward their schoolchildren's oral health care. Materials and Methodology: A sample of 226 schoolteachers was selected randomly from both rural and urban areas of Nalgonda district, Telangana. A structured questionnaire was formulated based on their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral health and trauma management. The data were collected and tabulated for statistical analysis. Results: 82.3% of teachers do not know that there is a specialist dealing with children's oral health and dental problems. 95.1% had an opinion that it is important to have an educational program in oral health and 80.5% intended to attend any educational program on oral health. 36.3% of teachers encountered a dental trauma in children at a school. Only 17.3% of teachers had knowledge that children with bulged/proclined teeth are more prone to injury during trauma and 43.8% of teachers had a knowledge that they should take to a pedodontist when a child underwent trauma to teeth. Conclusion: Teachers have inadequate knowledge regarding oral hygiene and trauma management in children. Teacher training programs should be conducted which makes a great difference by educating children about effective oral hygiene measures and by constantly motivating them.

Background: Pain perception of children in dental clinics is difficult to assess. Conventionally, visual analog scale (VAS) and Wong–Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS) are used as self-reporting pain assessment tools in children. Novel animated emoji scale (AES) is recently introduced for pain assessment in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pain using the novel AES in 3–14-year-old children and to compare it with frequently used VAS and WBFPS. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 266 patients in the 3–14-year age group with their first dental visit. Participants were divided into three groups on the basis of age: Group I–3–6 years, Group II–7–10 years, and Group III–11–14 years, and the pain was recorded using self-reporting tools, i.e., VAS, WBFPS, and recently introduced AES after the completion of dental procedure. Data were evaluated using the Pearson correlation test and Chi-square test. Results: A strong positive correlation among VAS, WBFPS, and AES in all the groups was observed (P < 0.05). AES was preferred more over VAS and WBFPS in all the groups for pain assessment (P < 0.001). Conclusions: AES as a self-reporting tool can be used frequently to assess the pain in children. AES was preferred over VAS and WBFPS due to its ease of understanding by children.

The most damaging sequelae of traumatic injuries to primary teeth are their effect on unerupted developing permanent dentition. Any injury to teeth of young child can have serious and long term consequences. Among the many malformations, dilaceration is particularly important as it requires a multidisciplinary approach. This case report reviews the restorative treatment proposed to reestablish the esthetics and function of the affected tooth of crown dilaceration in permanent maxillary incisor after trauma to their primary predecessors.

Ichthyosis is a group of rare Mendelian disorders which affects cornification of the skin characterized by hyperkeratosis and/or scaling. The incidence of lamellar ichthyosis is estimated to be approximately 1 in 300,000 live births with no known sex predilection. The presenting features comprise a wide array of dermatological manifestations. This case illustrates findings in a 5-year-old child with the rare disorder, i.e., congenital lamellar ichthyosis with a history of rickets with interesting array of orofacial manifestations associated with the disease. The dental management may include a multispecialty approach for rehabilitation while using delicate approach to manipulate soft tissues and skin. We share a few practical recommendations which were helpful for allaying challenges we faced in this case.

Tooth root dilacerations with taurodontism in primary teeth are a rare disease according to Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, National Institutes of Health and Orphanet, a European website of database of rare diseases. Till date, only one case with 10 taurodonts in a African-American male has been reported in the literature. This is a rare case of 7-year-old child with 12 taurodont along with bilateral flexion and taurodontism in primary mandibular first molars. This case reports the challenges and difficulty faced during the endodontic management of taurodontic and dilacerated tooth.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious public health issue that has a severe impact on the oral health of infants and children. Early loss of primary anterior teeth due to trauma or caries can cause masticatory inefficiency, reduced esthetics, mispronunciation of labiodental sounds, and development of parafunctional habits such as tongue-thrusting and psychological problems. The restoration of severely decayed primary teeth is often a difficult procedure that presents a special challenge to pediatric dentists. This case report documents full mouth rehabilitation of severely mutilated teeth in a patient with ECC.

Oral benign lesions in children present a challenge in its diagnosis and management. Irritational fibroma, a benign lesion of the oral cavity, occurs most commonly in the line of occlusion on the buccal mucosa and in the maxillary anterior gingiva. It is rarely seen among children. This paper aims to present a case of irritational fibroma of the gingiva in a 7-year-old female patient as sequelae to irritation following trauma to primary teeth and the use of laser as a modality to excise the tissue.