Pediatric Odontogenic Infections.

Odontogenic infections are a broad group of head and neck conditions that arise from the teeth and surrounding periodontium. These largely preventable infections disproportionately affect members of ethnic and racial minorities and low-income/uninsured groups, and result in significant costs to our health care system. Left untreated, odontogenic infections can spread to deep spaces of the head and neck and can result in life-threatening complications.

Dental and Dentoalveolar Injuries in the Pediatric Patient.

Dental and dentoalveolar injuries are common in the pediatric population. Management is predicated on the type of tooth injured (primary or permanent), extent of injury, the dental and behavioral age of the patient, and ability of the patient to tolerate treatment. Although many dental injuries occur in isolation, a systematic evaluation of the patient is mandatory to confirm the absence of basal bone fractures of the maxilla or mandible, traumatic brain injury, cervical spine injury, and/or facial soft tissue injury.

Do Standard Bibliometric Measures Correlate with Academic Rank of Full-Time Pediatric Dentistry Faculty Members?

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between quantitative measures of research productivity and academic rank for full-time pediatric dentistry faculty members in accredited U.S. and Canadian residency programs.

Time Interval Reduction for Delayed Implant-Based Cranioplasty Reconstruction in the Setting of Previous Bone Flap Osteomyelitis.

Background: Reinfections following implant-based cranioplasty, in the setting of previous bone flap osteomyelitis, are common and associated with significant morbidity. The timing of reconstruction following initial osteomyelitic bone flap removal remains controversial; most advocate for prolonged time intervals of approximately 6 to 12 months. Thus, the authors investigated their delayed cranioplasty outcomes following both early (between 90 and 179 days) and late (≥ 180 days) time intervals with custom craniofacial implants to determine whether timing affected outcomes and rates of reinfection.

Anticoagulation for Hypercoagulable Patients Associated with Complications after Large Cranioplasty Reconstruction.

Background: Despite advancements in materials and techniques used for cranial reconstruction, complication rates following reconstructive cranioplasty remain significant.

Methods: In this study, the authors assessed the association of perioperative anticoagulation use and/or a hypercoagulable state with minor (i.e.

Is Canine Eruption Velocity Affected by the Presence of Allograft Within a Repaired Alveolar Cleft?

Purpose: To assess the rate of canine eruption in alveolar clefts repaired with cancellous autograft versus cancellous autograft mixed with allograft.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in mixed dentition who underwent primary repair of uni- or bilateral alveolar cleft defects. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the method of bony reconstruction (group 1, iliac crest autograft; group 2, iliac crest autograft harvested through a minimal access approach and mixed 1:2 with demineralized bone allograft).

Are panoramic radiographs predictive of temporomandibular joint synovitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis?

Purpose: To identify specific panoramic radiographic findings associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with JIA evaluated at Boston Children's Hospital. Patients were included if they had a confirmed diagnosis of JIA, a panoramic radiograph, and a contemporaneous TMJ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study with contrast.

A systematic review of screw- versus cement-retained implant-supported fixed restorations.

Purpose: To systematically evaluate the survival and success of screw- versus cement-retained implant crowns.

Materials And Methods: The authors performed an electronic search of nine databases using identical MeSH phrases. Systematic evaluation and data extraction of the articles from 1966 through 2007 were completed by three reviewers and two clinical academicians.

Physical findings associated with active temporomandibular joint inflammation in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Purpose: To identify the physical findings associated with active temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation (ie, synovitis) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with JIA evaluated at Boston Children's Hospital. The patients were included if they had a confirmed diagnosis of JIA and had undergone a TMJ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study with contrast.

Differentiating arthritic from myofascial pain in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: preliminary report.

Purpose: To differentiate between temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation and myofascial pain (MPD) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective study of children with JIA evaluated at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Patients, aged 16 years or younger at the time of diagnosis, were included if they had confirmed JIA with jaw signs or symptoms.

The reporting of race and ethnicity information in the dental public health literature.

Objectives: To document how race and ethnicity are identified, categorized, and utilized in contemporary dental public health literature.

Methods: Two researchers independently performed a literature review of all articles in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology and the Journal of Public Health Dentistry over a 5-year period (2004-2009). Articles pertaining to the study of US-based populations with any mention of race or ethnicity were included.

Does a case completion curriculum influence dental students' clinical productivity?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new clinical curriculum on dental student productivity as measured by number of procedures performed in the student teaching practice. Harvard School of Dental Medicine adopted a new clinical education model for the predoctoral program in summer 2009 based upon a Case Completion Curriculum (CCC) rather than a discipline-based numeric threshold system. The two study groups (threshold group and case completion group) consisted of students who graduated in 2009 and 2010.