The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the effects of pulp treatment on exfoliation of primary teeth and its related factors. In this study, 167 teeth of 97 patients aged 6 months to 12 years who were treated with pulp treatment at Dankook Dental Hospital were selected, and information related to pulp treatment and tooth loss was collected. The included subjects were 72 primary anterior teeth (43.1%) and 95 primary posterior teeth (56.9%), of which 56 were males (57.7%) and 41 females (42.3%). The mean follow-up period was 106.1 ± 38.7 months, and the mean age at pulp treatment was 34.8 ± 15.4 months for primary anterior teeth and 69.1 ± 25.1 months for primary posterior teeth. Unilaterally pulpectomized teeth were significantly exfoliated earlier than the same tooth on the opposite side (p < 0.05). Also, in the case of teeth with periapical lesions, despite pulp treatment, the probability of extraction due to infection has been increased on primary anterior teeth (p < 0.05), but not on posterior teeth (p > 0.05). Pulpectomized teeth were lost earlier, an average of 7.8 months for primary anterior teeth and 8.5 months for primary posterior teeth. Early loss of the primary tooth can lead to space loss and premature eruption of the successor, so this can be considered when planning or performing treatment of the primary tooth.

The purpose of this study was to compare the palatal dimensions (volume, width, length, and height) in different malocclusions (Class I, II, and III) in mixed dentition using a three-dimensional digital scanner. The study was performed on 30 selected casts from 1400 casts that were taken at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Dankook University. Casts consisted of Class I, II, and III malocclusion groups in Hellman’s dental age IIIA. The mean age was 8 years and 6 months ± 11 months. Each cast was scanned by three-dimensional digital scanner, Medit T710 (Medit, Seoul, Korea), and shaped into the three-dimensional image and calculated palatal dimensions using the Plan T program (SMD solution, Seoul, Korea). The values were statistically compared and evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis followed by the Mann-Whitney test. According to our results, subjects with Class II malocclusion showed lower palatal width and longer palatal length compared to those with Class I and Class III. For palatal height, Class III malocclusion subjects in mixed dentition exhibited a larger number than Class II and Class I. Lastly, for palatal volume, compared to other malocclusions, Class III showed higher results; however, there were no significant differences. The form of the palate differs in types of malocclusions and understanding of these differences is important in clinical significance. Based on this study, the understanding of the relationship between the shape of the palate and the skeletal pattern provides useful information about orthodontic treatment plans, early diagnosis of malocclusion, and morphological integration mechanisms. Orthopedic treatment in the maxilla should be performed during early and intermediate mixed dentition to enhance treatment efficiency.