The Role of Malocclusion and Oral Parafunctions in Predicting Signs and Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine to what extent malocclusion and parafunctional habits contribute to the development of signs and symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in schoolchildren with mixed dentition in Croatia in a sample of 338 children, aged 9 to 15 years.

Methods: TMD signs and symptoms assessed by the clinician were joint function and pain, masticatory muscles tenderness, range of mandibular motion, and joint sounds. To evaluate subjective symptoms and parafunctions, children and parents were asked about the presence of headaches, jaw locking, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds, pain during mouth opening, or bruxism, as well as parafunctions like biting pencils or nails, chewing hard candies or ice, daily gum chewing, opening bottles with teeth, engaging in jaw play, thumb-sucking, and clenching/grinding teeth.

Impact of oral hygiene instructions on plaque index in adolescents.

Objective: The objective of the study, which consisted of a motivational lecture and hands-on training, was to evaluate the role of oral hygiene education for adolescents.

Methods: The study population included sixty-two high school students between fourteen and fifteen years of age (thirty males and thirty-two females). The response rate was 76.

New model for dental age estimation: Willems method applied on fewer than seven mandibular teeth.

Willems method measures the developmental stages of the seven left permanent mandibular teeth and is frequently used for dental age estimation. The aim of this study was to test its accuracy on a large sample of the Croatian population and to develop new models for estimation based on one to seven mandibular teeth. The developmental stages were evaluated on the digital, standardized orthopantomograms of 1868 Croatian children aged 5 to 16.

Under the lens: Dental expert witnesses in Brazil, Croatia, Indonesia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

The dentists' main job is to restore health and function to the oral cavity. However, dental professionals can also be involved in medico legal activities as forensic odontologists or by being Expert Witnesses (EW) to testify in professional liability cases, car accidents and work-related injuries. When called to act as an expert witness by the Court, the appointed dentist has to combine both biological and technical knowledge with equivalent medico-legal and forensic knowledge.

Anatomical variations of the frontal sinus and its relationship with the orbital cavity.

The anatomy of the frontal sinus is highly variable and its variations affect the occurrence/course of pathological processes. We investigated its size and relationship to the orbit, searching for patterns that would allow it to be classified anatomically. Cone beam computed tomography was applied to 91 skulls (age range 21-86 years) to determine sinus height, width, length, and length of contact with the orbit in the coronal and sagittal planes.

General dentists' awareness of how to cope with medical emergencies in paediatric dental patients.

Background: General dentists (GDs) should be aware of the symptoms, signs, diagnoses and treatment of medical emergencies in paediatric patients.

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge of GDs in coping with medical emergencies, and to identify whether they are confident to diagnose and treat medical emergencies in paediatric patients.

Design: The questionnaire was conducted immediately before the beginning of national dental meetings and continuing education seminars in Croatia, attended by the GDs, in order to obtain a representative sample.

Prevalence, Type and Etiology of Dental and Soft Tissue Injuries in Children in Croatia.

The prevalence, type and etiology of dental and soft tissue injuries and relationship between the time of arrival and sustaining soft tissue injury were analyzed in this retrospective study conducted at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University Dental Clinic in Zagreb, Croatia, during the 2010-2014 period using documentation on 447 patients (264 male and 183 female) aged 1-16 years with injuries of primary and permanent teeth. The highest prevalence of traumatic dental injury (TDI) was found in the 7-12 age group and maxillary central incisors were most frequently affected (80.9%) in both primary and permanent dentitions.

Medical Emergencies in Pediatric Dentistry.

Medical emergencies that are life threatening can occur in dental practice. Complications may arise because of an underlying disease or a reaction to medication. Reactions to medications may be allergic and toxic.

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES REGARDING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and attitude of dentists in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) regarding signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect (CAN), reporting procedure and level of education.

Methods: Data were collected through a self-administrated structured questionnaire adopted and modified from previous studies. It was administrated to 300 dentists out of which a total number of 210 subjects were in final sample for statistical analyses.

Sphenoid sinus types, dimensions and relationship with surrounding structures.

The human sphenoid sinus is an extremely variable cavity and an important landmark in hypophyseal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the sphenoid sinus type, size, extent of pneumatization and occurrence of protrusions of the adjacent neurovascular structures. A total of 51 randomly selected skulls (≥20 years of age, 33 male; 102 sinuses) were analyzed using cone beam computed tomography to estimate pneumatization extension beyond the body of the sphenoid (planum sphenoidale, pterygoid process, greater wings, clivus, dorsum sellae) and protrusions of the maxillary, mandibular, optic or pterygoid nerve or the internal carotid artery.

Croatian dentists' knowledge, experience, and attitudes in regard to child abuse and neglect.

Background: Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is a widespread social phenomenon encompassing all forms of maltreatment with serious lifelong consequences. Dentists and dental team members are in the unique position to identify the symptoms of CAN often visible in craniofacial region.

Aim: To evaluate Croatian dentists' level of knowledge, experience, and attitude towards CAN issue.

A retrospective study on traumatic dental and soft-tissue injuries in preschool children in Zagreb, Croatia.

The purpose of this study was to analyze data according to gender, age, cause, number of traumatized teeth, time elapsed before treatment and type of tooth from the records of traumatized children. A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the University Dental Clinic in Zagreb, Croatia using the documentation of 128 patients (61 males and 67 females) aged 1 month to 6 years with injuries of primary teeth between February 2009 and January 2013. Trauma was seen in 217 primary teeth, which implies that the number of injured primary teeth was 1.

Child protection: legal and ethical obligation regarding the report of child abuse in four different countries.

Child protection is the duty of every single member of the society. Health professionals who work with children, such as members of dental team, are in the unique position to recognize signs of physical, sexual and emotional abuse as well as (dental) neglect. They should report any suspected case where a child is or may be in need of welfare.

Expert witnesses in dentistry: a comparison between Italy and Croatia.

A dentist is frequently required to translate dental trauma into monetary value, for example after car accidents and/or work-related injuries. When called to act in this capacity a dentist should combine his/her biological and technical knowledge with a quality medico-legal knowledge. Calculation of economic (pecuniary) damages and non-economic (non-pecuniary) damages requires specific training in medico-legal matters and awareness of the inherent pitfalls.

Croatian dental students' educational experiences and knowledge in regard to child abuse and neglect.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the educational experiences of a group of Croatian dental students and to assess their knowledge about child abuse and neglect. In the study, 544 respondents (153 male and 391 female) from all six years at the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 74.9 percent.

Oral health awareness in Croatian and Italian urban adolescents.

Purpose of this study was to investigate and compare differences in oral health awareness between Croatian and Italian urban adolescents. The sample consisted of primary school last grade students aged between 13 and 15 years, 300 children from Zagreb (Croatia) and 298 children from Bari (Italy). Oral health awareness was evaluated using a self-administered standardized questionnaire.

The chronology of third molar eruption in the Croatian population.

Dental age estimation is common in orthodontics, paedodontics, paleodontology and forensic dentistry. The aim of this study was to assess chronological course of eruptive developmental phases of third molar and to establish parameters for the Croatian population. Sample of this study consisted of 1249 orthopantomograms of 530 (42.

Dilated odontome in the mandibular third molar region.

The dilated odontome is the most severe form of the dens invaginatus (dens in dente), which is extremely rare in the mandible, especially in the molar region. A case is reported in a 28-year-old female with an unusual ringlike radiopaque appearance of the mandibular third right molar on panoramic x-ray. CT scan findings were suggestive that the intraosseous circular radiopaque formation was a dilated odontome.