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Background: Tooth extraction, changing dentition and malocclusion can decrease area of occlusal contact and negatively affect masticatory efficiency. Aim of this study was to evaluate difference in masticatory efficiency in association with previously named factors., Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study masticatory efficiency parameters (number of particles, mean diameter and mean surface of particles) determined with optical scanning method were compared between children with healthy dentition (12 girls, 12 boys, age 3 to 14) and children with lost antagonistic contacts due to tooth extraction, changing dentition and malocclusions (12 girls, 12 boys, age 3 to 14)., Results: Number of chewed particles is significantly higher in a group of children with healthy dentition ( p < 0.001), and chewed particles' mean diameter and surface are significantly higher in the Group 2 ( p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Number of lost occlusal contacts is not in correlation with masticatory efficiency parameters ( p = 0.464; p = 0.483; p = 0.489)., Conclusions: Children with lost antagonistic contacts have an impaired masticatory efficiency in comparison to children with complete dentition, but there is no difference regarding the aetiology of contact loss.

The aim of this cross-sectional research was to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the activity of dental medicine in the Republic of Croatia in 2020. It included 136 doctors of dental medicine who completed an online survey regarding their personal and professional information; work in dental offices; and level of fear for their own health, the health of others, and financial existence; and their attitude about vaccination. There was a significantly higher decrease in patient visits in dental offices that do not have a contract with public health insurance (70% vs. 37%; p < 0.001) and in dental offices that have a higher percentage of profit from dental tourism (32% vs. 14%; p < 0.001). Fear of financial existence was significantly higher in the group of dentists who do not have a contract with public health insurance (p = 0.0) and is positively correlated with the percentage of profit from dental tourism (r = 0.299; p < 0.001). Dentists with a higher level of fear that they or their loved ones would get infected due to the nature of their job are more likely to get vaccinated (p ≤ 0.007). The decision to get vaccinated and wearing a disposable coat/apron was related to fear when all other parameters were controlled for (R = 0.44; p = 0.037). In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic had a minimal impact on the profession of dental medicine in Croatia but represented a larger financial stress for dentists working in dental offices that do not have a contract with public health insurance and have a higher percentage of income from dental tourism.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate paediatricians' actual attitudes towards emergency management of dental injuries, need for potential improvement in their knowledge and motivation for further education., Materials Methods: This study was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey on a sample of 84 respondents from four Croatian counties. A questionnaire of 24 questions was divided into four parts: personal and professional profile; self-assessed perceived knowledge and experience with dental injuries; specific questions on the management of dental injuries and specific questions regarding education about dental injuries. The questionnaires were collected during a 2-month period., Results: A larger percentage (95%) of surveyed paediatricians have at least once encountered trauma in the practice and in this case 90% of them contacted the dentist. Three quarters of participants (76%) would correctly hold completely extruded tooth. In case of tooth or fragment preservation 60% of the subjects would place the tooth in the saline solution, and only 12% of the respondents would use milk as a transport medium. The 19% of the paediatricians considered that the permanent tooth should not be replanted. Two tirds (62%) of participants did not get any information regarding dental trauma during their past education, but most of them (90%) consider that education about traumatic dental injuries is important, and 86% of the respondents are willing to be educated on the subject in the future. There is no difference in procedures (recommended vs. non-recommended) undertaken during management of detal injuries, according to the participants working place, experience in emergency department or their personal experience of dental trauma., Conclusion: The results revealed insufficient paediatricians' knowledge about emergency procedures in case of dental trauma, but they also point out high awareness of the importance of dental trauma, and willingness for further education.

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., Design: Investigation was conducted in five major Croatian cities (Zagreb, Varaždin, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split). A previously used questionnaire regarding knowledge and experience in child protection was adopted to Croatian terminology and distributed to 544 dentists., Results: A total of 510 dentists who returned a questionnaire with valid data 26.27% reported to have had suspicion of CAN during professional career and 5.1% reported their suspicion within the last 6 months, mostly to social services and police. Fear of violence towards the child and uncertainty about observations were the most frequently reported barriers towards referring and only 11.4% knew the procedure. About 80% of respondents want further training in identifying and reporting of physical abuse., Conclusions: Study showed a lack of knowledge and uncertainty in recognizing and reporting CAN cases in Croatian dentists. They expressed the need for undergraduate and post-graduate continuing education on this issue., (© 2014 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The aim of the study was to present the distribution of traumatic dental injuries in the permanent anterior teeth in 447 consecutively selected patients in the age interval of 6 to 25 years treated at the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the University Dental Clinic in Rijeka, Croatia, in the period from 2001 to 2006. Data on age, gender, number of injured teeth and type of injury were taken from the dental records. Of all 447 consecutively selected patients with traumatic dental injury 56.2% were boys and 43.8% were girls with a male/female ratio 1.28:1 (P < 0.01). The highest frequency of tooth injuries occurred among 10- to 13-years-old children. Among 30.6% of the cases, two or more teeth were injured (38.6% in boys and 21.4% in girls). Traumatic injuries affecting teeth in the upper jaw were more frequent (P < 0.001). The most commonly affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors (42.4% of right central incisors and 38% of left central incisors). The most frequent injury was enamel and dentin fracture without pulpal involvement (38.7%). In conclusion, more attention should be paid to preventive measures.

The first permanent molars which show the presence of congenital malocclusions, orthodontic treatment need and habits were studied in children with disabilities and healthy children. The examination covered 80 disabled children and 80 healthy ones (control group) of the age from 3 to 17 (mean age 10) years. Caries of the first permanent molars, bad habits and malocclusions were more common in children with disabilities than in healthy children. It was established that higher orthodontic treatment need was in children with disabilities who were less covered with orthodontic care.