RESIN INFILTRATION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ENAMEL OPACITY - A CASE SERIES AND LITERATURE REVIEW Resin infiltration (RI) technique was introduced as one of the minimally invasive dentistry techniques for the management of enamel opacity. Six young patients with post-orthodontic white spot lesions, molar incisor hypomineralization, fluorosis, and amelogenesis imperfecta were treated with resin infiltration (RI). RI was used alone or in conjunction with bleaching or microabrasion. The esthetic improvement of lesions is immediately noticeable following treatment, even though some enamel discoloration remained visible. No color changes of the treated teeth noted after 6-month review. The use of RI alone or in combination with the other interventions has been shown to be successfully masking enamel opacities in young patients. Therefore, RI technique can be an option in managing enamel opacity of anterior teeth due to demineralization or developmental defects of enamel.

THE USE OF HYPNOSIS AS AN ADJUNCT TO NITROUS OXIDE/OXYGEN SEDATION: A CASE SERIES It is known that managing patients with dental fear and anxiety is challenging for clinicians and patients. This series of case reports highlights the importance and benefits of dental management under clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to nitrous oxide inhalation sedation for ages six to fifteen. These treatments range from pulp therapy, extraction and minor oral surgery. Customised hypnosis scripts were utilised for each patient, and the metaphors used were tailored to the patient’s interest and preference. The intended treatment was successfully carried out in all the patients. Five cases discussed in this case series were initially indicated for treatment under general anaesthesia, but treatment was successfully carried out using hypnosis and nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation. In the two surgical cases, nitrous oxide was tapered off once local anaesthesia was achieved, and the state of relaxation was maintained using a hypnotic trance, reducing the anaesthetic agent’s utilisation. Hypnosis successfully reduces patients’ anxiety, allowing them to feel more relaxed and confident about accepting future dental treatment without the need for pharmacological intervention.

INTERPRETATION OF EMOJI® IN MALAY LANGUAGE AMONG CHILDREN IN MALAYSIA The existing dental anxiety scales for paediatric patients tend to categorize and label children according to their level of cooperation. However, human emotions are more complex, and each child is unique. Hence, a more dynamic and interactive method should be introduced for a better understanding of the patient’s current state of emotion. The aim of this study was to investigate the interpretation and understanding of children towards frequently used emoji® for the development of an emoji® dental emotional spectrum. Both online and physical surveys were conducted among 147 Malay language-speaking children aged between 4-to-16 years in Malaysia. The children were asked to interpret 30 pre-selected emoji® images in their own words using the Malay Language. The pre-selected emoji® represent happiness, neutral, fear, sadness, and anger. The interpretations were subsequently based on their similar meaning, a process that was validated by two experts in the field of linguistics. The study involved participants with an average age of 9.2 years, with the majority of them being female (61.2%). Of the 30 pre-selected emoji® images used in this study, 13 had respondent agreement exceeding 60% which was the threshold set for suitability for use in evaluating dental emotion. The remaining 17 emoji® images have a remarkable variability in the interpretation which indicates potential misinterpretation by the respondents. The 13 emoji® images range from happiness, neutral, fear, dislike, unhappy, sad, anxious, and angry with the emoji® images which represent “excited” (94.0%), “loudly crying” (97.3%) and “angry” (91.8%) had the highest agreement. Meanwhile, the emoji® images represented “confounded” and “downcast” had the least agreement among respondents (1.3%). Despite the universal meaning imposed by emoji®, the interpretations may vary in different populations and age groups. Emoji® images hold the potential to serve as a valuable tool for identifying and managing children’s behaviour.

RESIN INFILTRATION – A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF PROPERTIES Resin infiltration ICON® has made it possible to treat initial caries lesions in a novel manner that is consistent with the concept of minimal intervention dentistry. Infiltration of caries lesions is a novel technique for treating non-cavitated lesions on the proximal and smooth surfaces of primary and permanent teeth. The greatest benefit of this method is that it is non-invasive, preserves tooth structure and can be completed in a single visit. This narrative review intends to discuss the properties of the material, its clinical applications and its effectiveness in terms of caries inhibition and esthetics effect, surface roughness, microhardness and penetration ability. There are a number of high-quality studies that support the use of ICON® in arresting non-cavitated proximal caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth. However, the masking ability in managing anterior white spot lesions and fluorosis is still doubtful. Among the material limitations were its questionable long-term color and material stability.

Lateral luxation injuries are common during childhood and in young adolescence. These injuries involve the surrounding tissues that could lead to extensive clinical treatment problems with a risk of pulpal complications such as pulp necrosis. A case of a healthy 4-year old Malay boy visiting the paediatric dental clinic after seven months of laterally luxated injury on the lower right lateral incisor (tooth 82) was reported. The traumatic tooth was splinted by a private practitioner three days after the trauma, however, the splint dislodged less than 24-hour after placement. In view of the mother’s fear of bringing her child to the dentist due to the COVID-19, no follow-up and further treatment were carried out. This has resulted in the development of discolouration and pulpal necrosis to the injured tooth. Lesion sterilization and tissue repair technique (LSTR) was performed. This report highlights the rare occurrence of lateral luxation injury on tooth 82 and the management of pulp necrosis as a complication via lesion sterilization and tissue repair technique due to the uncooperative behaviour of the child.
Tooth, Deciduous