Private Dental Research Articles

Knowledge and awareness of Consumer Protection Act among private dentists in Tricity, Punjab.

Background:Consumer Protection Act (CPA) aims to protect the interests of the patients in case of any unethical treatment rendered by a medical or a dental health professional. The present study was conducted to assess knowledge and awareness of CPA among dental professionals in a Tricity in India.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 265 private dental practitioners in Tricity. A close-ended self-structured questionnaire was administered which contained 15 questions on knowledge and awareness regarding CPA. Categorization of knowledge scores was done at three levels—low, medium and high. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA and Student t-test.Results:54.7% (145) of subjects were having low knowledge scores, 23.3% (62) had a medium score and 21.8% (58) had a high score. Mean knowledge score according to educational level was statistically significant (P<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in case of gender and type of practice (P > 0.05).Conclusion:The results of the present study showed that majority of the subjects were aware of the existence of CPA but knowledge regarding basic rules and regulations was lacking in few studies. Therefore, dental professionals need to keep them updated of various rules and latest amendments to save themselves from any litigation.

Awareness, Attitude and Barriers Towards Evidence Based Dental Practice Amongst Practicing Dentists of Bhopal City.

Evidence based dental practice is said to be the recent best approach to provide treatments or interventions, methodically proven to be safe and sound, efficient and cost effective. So, for providing quality dental care, clinical expertise, research evidence and patient's preferences all should be given equal importance. To assess the awareness, attitude & barriers of evidence-based dental practice (EBDP) amongst dentists of Bhopal city. The target population of this cross-sectional study involves dentists of Bhopal city. Two hundred fifty private dentists of Bhopal were selected using convenience sampling technique. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire containing 15 questions for assessing Knowledge, attitude, practice & barriers in Evidence based practice. Chi-square, t-test & one-way ANOVA were applied for data analysis and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study revealed that dental practitioners had low knowledge about evidence based dental practices but they showed positive attitude towards adopting it in their future practice. There exist certain barriers in practice of evidence based dentistry. Including evidence based dental practice teaching in dental curriculum may prove to be a significant step in effective and efficient dental care delivery to the patients. Barriers in evidence based practice needs to be identified & eliminated.

Conundrums in merging public policy into private dentistry: experiences from Australia’s recent past

Oral disease continues to be a major problem in Australia impacting quality of life, the economy and broader health system. Although the understanding of caries and periodontal disease has improved along with increased government support, oral diseases continue to be the most prevalent among all health conditions. This is despite unprecedented levels of funding in the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme and the Teen Dental Plan. Access to primary care dentistry in the private sector, where the majority of dental services are provided, remains a critical issue. Under the current system of dentistry, it cannot be assumed that the practice of dentistry represents a prioritised approach to combat disease patterns based on scientific evidence in primary health and prevention. Drawing on data in relation to these two programs, the present study highlights issues impacting dental service provision. This includes issues such as access and affordability to dental care, sustainability of policy and its unintended consequences, private practice pressures and the impact of remuneration on treatment. This paper argues that without structural reform there will continue to be barriers in implementing policies capable of improving oral health.

Prolonged Pacifier Use during Infancy and Smoking Initiation in Adolescence: Evidence from a Historical Cohort Study

Aim: To investigate the association between prolonged pacifier use during childhood and smoking in adolescence and early adulthood. Methods: A historical cohort study including patients from a dental private office was designed. Dental records were used, which contained complete data about sucking habits from 314 children (2-10 years of age) who had attended a private dental office from 1988 to 1994 in Ibiá, Brazil. Then, we collected data about the smoking habits from 261 subjects who were successfully contacted again from 2004 to 2006. Our outcome variable was smoking, and subjects who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes during their lifetime were classified as smokers. Poisson regression analysis matched the association between oral habits and smoking. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results: We observed a statistically significant association between prolonged pacifier use (more than 24 months) and smoking (IRR = 4.48; 95% CI 2.32-8.65). Breastfeeding, in contrast, was a protective factor (IRR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.42-0.96). Conclusions: Prolonged pacifier use during childhood is positively associated with smoking initiation in adolescence and early adulthood.

Seven-year prospective clinical study on zirconia-based single crowns and fixed dental prostheses.

Zirconia-based prostheses are used for esthetic crown and fixed restorations, but follow-ups are still limited. The authors evaluated the 7-year clinical results of 303 zirconia core restorations, performed in a general dental private practice. Clinical events (fracture and loss of retention, gingivitis, tenderness, excess cement, and temporary pain) were recorded in 303 zirconia core restorations positioned in 88 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival probability estimates were computed for failures (needed the replacement or removal of the prosthesis) and complications (resolved without replacing the prosthesis). One hundred and fifty single crowns (130 tooth-supported, 20 implant-supported) and 153 multiple units up to 6 elements (49 tooth-supported, 104 implant-supported) were followed-up for 7 years in 88 patients (40 men, 48 women), aged 35-89 years (mean 57). During the follow-up period, there were no complications for 287 (95 %) of the restorations. Sixteen restorations/abutment teeth (5 %) had some complication: extraction of abutment tooth (7, 2 %); caries (2, 1 %), porcelain veneer fracture (3, 1 %), loss of retention (4, 1 %). Nine (3 %) restorations were recorded as failures. The overall 7-year survival probability estimate for failures was 0.966 (95 % confidence limits, 0.932 and 0.983), for complications was 0.976 (95 % confidence limits 0.947 and 0.989), with a cumulative survival rate of 94.7 %. Within the analyzed follow-up, zirconia core restorations appear a good clinical solution, with favorable functional properties. All ceramic restorations can be successfully used for both single-and multiple-unit prostheses, either teeth or implants supported.

Pré-hipertensão, hipertensão arterial e fatores associados em pacientes odontológicos: estudo transversal na cidade de Santa Maria-RS, Brasil

INTRODUÇÃO: A hipertensão arterial sistêmica é um dos mais importantes fatores de risco de doenças cardiovasculares e uma das doenças crônicas mais prevalentes no Brasil e na população mundial.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência de hipertensão e pré-hipertensão, fatores associados e adesão ao tratamento anti-hipertensivo em uma amostra de pacientes odontológicos de uma faculdade particular do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Participaram deste estudo 250 pacientes de ambos os gêneros, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos. Foram obtidos dados demográficos, história de hipertensão arterial e outras doenças sistêmicas, informações sobre o uso de medicação anti-hipertensiva e tabagismo, e realizadas medidas antropométricas. A adesão ao tratamento foi avaliada pelo teste de Morisky e Green. Três aferições de pressão arterial foram realizadas por um Cirurgião-Dentista e a medição média das últimas duas tomadas foi utilizada na presente análise.RESULTADO: A idade média dos pacientes foi de 46,6 (±13,8) anos. Trinta por cento apresentavam pré-hipertensão e 36%, hipertensão arterial sistêmica. Destes, 28,9% não conheciam sua condição de hipertensão. A hipertensão mostrou associação estatisticamente significante com aumento da idade (p&lt;0,001) e diabetes (p=0,009). Dentre os pacientes em tratamento anti-hipertensivo, 58,1% não eram aderentes, enquanto 41,9% não estavam com a pressão arterial controlada.CONCLUSÃO: Na presente amostra, observou-se uma alta prevalência de pré-hipertensão e hipertensão não diagnosticadas, bem como alta taxa da doença não controlada. Estes resultados apontam para a importância da aferição da pressão arterial rotineiramente durante as visitas odontológicas.

Perfil epidemiológico de pacientes com diagnóstico de quisto odontogénico em uma universidade de odontologia

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the epidemiological profile of diagnosed odontogenic cysts (OCs) in patients of a private dentistry university over an 8‐year period. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the following characteristics from the histopathological records of patients: gender, age, anatomic location, type of cyst, and patient history. ResultsWe identified a total of 158 cases, showing a female predominance (50.6%), largely affecting patients younger than 60 years (88.6%), and with a lesion evolution time of ≥6 months (17.7%). The maxilla was the most prevalent anatomic location for OCs (47.5%). Further, of the 158 OC cases, 58 (36.7%) were developmental OCs and 100 (63.3%) were inflammatory OCs. The most prevalent types of OCs were apical periodontal cysts (57%) and dentigerous cysts (34.8%). Thus, our results have highlighted a higher prevalence of inflammatory OCs occurring in the maxilla, predominantly affecting female patients younger than 60 years. ConclusionThe epidemiological profile of OCs observed in this study was similar to that observed in different populations, with a discrete predominance of females and discrepancies regarding anatomic location.

Tooth Loss Prevalence and Risk Indicators among 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren from South Brazil

This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk indicators for tooth loss due to dental caries among 12-year-old schoolchildren from South Brazil. 1,528 out of 1,837 (participation rate = 83.17%) schoolchildren were included. Tooth loss prevalence was 5.81% (95% CI = 3.71-8.98) and 0.08 (95% CI = 0.04-0.12) teeth were missing. Schoolchildren with low socioeconomic status (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.23-4.21), who repeated years in school (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.42), and with gingivitis (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.33-2.45) were more likely to have missing teeth. Schoolchildren brushing 2 times/day (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64-0.96) or more (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.33-0.74), and those with dental insurance or private dentists (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.39-0.93) were less likely to present missing teeth.

Mobile and portable dental services catering to the basic oral health needs of the underserved population in developing countries: a proposed model.

India is the second most populous country in the world with an extensive rural population (68.8%). Children less than 18 years constitute about 40% of the population. Approximately, 23.5% of the urban population resides in urban slums. The extensive rural population, school children and the urban slum dwellers are denied of even the basic dental services though there is continuous advancement in the field of dentistry. The dentist to population ratio has dramatically improved in the last one to two decades with no significant improvement in the oral health status of the general population. The various studies have revealed an increasing trend in oral diseases in the recent times especially among this underserved population. Alternate strategies have to be thought about rather than the traditional oral health-care delivery through private dentists on fee for service basis. Mobile and portable dental services are a viable option to take the sophisticated oral health services to the doorsteps of the underserved population. The databases were searched for publications from 1900 to the present (2013) using terms such as Mobile dental services, Portable dental services and Mobile and portable dental services with key articles obtained primarily from MEDLINE. This paper reviews the published and unpublished literature from different sources on the various mobile dental service programs successfully implemented in some developed and developing countries. Though the mobile and portable systems have some practical difficulties like financial considerations, they still seem to be the only way to reach every section of the community in the absence of national oral health policy and organized school dental health programs in India. The material for the present review was obtained mainly by searching the biomedical databases for primary research material using the search engine with key words such as mobile and/or portable dental services in developed and developing countries (adding each of these terms in a sequential order). Based on the review of the programs successfully implemented in developed countries, we propose a model to cater to the basic oral health needs of an extensive underserved population in India that may be pilot tested. The increasing dental manpower can best be utilized for the promotion of oral health through mobile and portable dental services. The professional dental organizations should have a strong motive to translate this into reality.

Comparison of dental anxiety among patients visiting a dental college and private dental clinics in Thiruvallur district, India

Background: The objective of the study was to assess and compare the prevalence of dental anxiety based on age and gender distribution among the patients reporting at private dental clinics in Thiruvallur district and in private dental college, Thiruvallur. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised of 230 patients, out of which 115 patients randomly selected from the private dental clinics and other 115 patients from Priyadarshini Dental College and Hospital, Thiruvallur. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to assess the anxiety level of the patients. Result: A total of 115 patients in dental college and 115 patients in dental clinics were questioned in the study. Out of these, 13% of patients in dental college and 20.90% of patients in dental clinics were severely anxious. A total of 4.30% of patients in dental college and 3.50% of patients in dental clinics were not anxious at all. The ratio of rate of anxiety of female patients was greater than males. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental anxiety among the patients in this study was high. This highlights the need for dentists to understand what patients feel about dental treatment procedures and aid dentist efforts to improve patients care.

Oral health impact on quality of life assessment among dental patients in Bangalore city

Introduction: Over the past few decades mankind has been mainly affected with chronic noncommunicable diseases, which led to compromised quality of life. Common dental diseases come under same categories that are largely social and behavioral in origin. Health-related quality of life helps us address the limitations of traditional clinical indicators of health. Aim: To measure the impact of oral health on quality of life among patients visiting dental teaching hospitals and private clinics in Bangalore city using oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) - U.K index. Materials and Methods: A total of 1200 individuals who are above 16-year of age were selected through stratified cluster random sampling technique for this study. Data were collected using OHQoL-U.K instrument. Results: Most of the subjects (78%) perceived their oral health as impacting their quality of life. Many participants perceived their oral health had positive impact on life quality through enhancing their smile, appearance, speech. But 44.9% and 28.5% of respondents said their oral health has a negative impact on quality of life because of breath odor and finance respectively. Subjects are belonging to lower socioeconomic background, women and older adults (>45 years) perceived their oral health has a negative impact on quality of life compared to subjects from higher social class, men and young adults. Conclusion: Oral health has more impact on physical and functional aspects rather than on social and psychological domains.

Periapical status and quality of root canal fillings and coronal restorations in India

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the periapical status and quality of root canal fillings and coronal restoration using postoperative radiographs. Materials and Methods: Postoperative periapical radiographs were collected from Swami Devi Dyal Hospital and Dental College and private clinics of district Panchkula. Final the sample consisted of 776 root-filled teeth with 1480 root canals. Radiographs, where the root canal treatment (RCT) was not completed or whose radiographic quality was poor, were excluded. Length, density and taper of root fillings, quality of coronal restoration, crown and periapical status of tooth were recorded. Length of root fillings was recorded as adequate, short or over- filled in relationship with radiographic apex. Density and taper of root fillings, coronal restoration and crown was recorded as adequate or inadequate. Periapical status was recorded according to periapical index (PAI). Results were evaluated statistically using one-way analysis of variable (ANOVA) and Chi-square analysis. Results: Total of 42.4%, 70.3%, and 81.1% of the root fillings had adequate length, density and taper respectively. Total of 57.8% and 69.7% of teeth had adequate coronal restoration and crown, respectively, whereas 50% of the root fillings and teeth fulfilled the above criteria at the same time. The relationship between length, density of root fillings and presence of canal curvature was not significant statistically whereas the relationship between taper of root filling and presence of canal curvature was statistically significant ( P Conclusion: In this study, half of the root filled teeth were not treated according to accepted endodontic guidelines. Apical periodontitis was uncommon in root-filled teeth.

The role of dental surgeons in combating drug resistance: A study in South India

Objectives: One of the reasons for an important global concern i.e., antibiotic resistance is the pattern of antibiotic prescription by doctors. Knowledge regarding essential medicines and the rational use of medicines by doctors is important to combat drug resistance. This study was designed to study the knowledge of dental surgeons in south India regarding antibiotics required for various dental infections and also to assess the various factors that affect their prescription. Materials and Methods: A total 700 private dentists were randomly selected and questionnaires were sent by post or electronic media. The replies were collected and the response to each question was analyzed and expressed as absolute frequencies. Results: Over 80% of the dental surgeons correctly recognized the need to prescribe antibiotics when there was evidence of systemic spread, but over half of the dentists prescribed antibiotics even when a localized fluctuant swelling, for which antibiotics are not required. Also, 20-30% of dentists prescribed antibiotics unnecessarily for conditions such as chronic marginal gingivitis and acute pulpitis. Very importantly we found that there were many dentists' prescriptions that were affected by non-clinical factors, such as, patients' expectation of a prescription, work pressure, lack of time, and uncertainty in diagnosis to name a few. Conclusion: The results show that knowledge and antibiotic prescription pattern among dental surgeons is suboptimal. It is very important to provide continuing dental education in this aspect, to combat the threat of drug resistance.

Regional density of private dentists: empirical evidence from Austria

We investigated the determinants of disparities in the regional density of private dentists in Austria. Specifically, we focused on the relationship between the density of private dentists and their public counterparts, thereby controlling for other possible covariates of dentist density. Dentist density was measured at the district level. We used panel data of dentist density from 121 Austrian districts over the years 2001-2008. We applied a Hausman-Taylor framework to cope with possible endogeneity and to control for cross-district effects in the dentist density. A significant negative relationship was found between the density of private and public dentists, indicating a substitution effect between the two dentist groups. A significant positive spatial relationship also existed for private and public dentists in the neighboring regions. Dental capacities in public and private hospitals and dental laboratories run by the public health insurance system did not have a significant effect on private dentist density. Although a strong negative relationship existed between private and public dentists within the districts, one should not draw the conclusion that private dentists in Austria are close substitutes for public dentists. Such a conclusion would require further empirical analysis on the utilization patterns of dental services and their relationships with financing mechanisms.

Perspectives on providing good access to dental services for elderly people: patient selection, dentists’ responsibility and budget management

To suggest a model for organizing and financing dental services for elderly people so that they have good access to services. There are few studies on how dental services for elderly people should be organized and financed. This is surprising if we take into consideration the fact that the proportion of elderly people is growing faster than any other group in the population, and that elderly people have more dental diseases and poorer access to dental services than the rest of the adult population. In several countries, dental services are characterized by private providers who often operate in a market with competition and free price-setting. Private dentists have no community responsibility, and they are free to choose which patients they treat. Literature review and critical reasoning. In order to avoid patient selection, a patient list system for elderly people is recommended, with per capita remuneration for the patients that the dentist is given responsibility for. The patient list system means that the dentist assumes responsibility for a well-defined list of elderly people. Our model will lead to greater security in the dentist/patient relationship, and patients with great treatment needs will be ensured access to dental services.

A review of the reasons and sources of referral to a hospital paediatric dental service in Ireland

To examine the reasons for referral to the Paediatric Dental Department, Cork University Dental School and Hospital, Ireland and to study the profile of these reasons in terms of the various sources of referral. Clinical review. Consecutive clinical records for children attending the service were reviewed with regard to a child's age at initial attendance, the reason for referral and the source of referral. Reasons for referral were recorded based on a defined list of acceptance criteria and were categorised by their different sources of referral. Records were available for 612 children with a mean age at time of initial consultation was 9.13 (SD+/- 3.94) years. Reason for referral; children who had difficulty co-operating for dental treatment made up the largest group (36.1%). Children who only required treatment planning comprised 25.0% of the total. Source of referral: 56.0% of consultations were from the salaried public dental service and 31.2% from private dental practitioners. Forty seven patients (7.7%) were from emergency department, while 31 (5.1%) were from medical practitioners. From the public dental service, 51.0% of referrals were for children who had difficulty co-operating for dental treatment and 22.7% were for treatment planning only. Referrals from private dental practitioners were most commonly for treatment planning only (38.2%). The proportion of referrals from the public dental service for children who had difficulty cooperating for dental treatment was twice as high as from private dentists. The proportion of referrals for trauma and for extensive dental disease from private dental practitioners was twice as high as from the public dental service. Almost all attendances from an emergency hospital department were for dental trauma. The majority of attendances from medical doctors were for medically at risk patients. Children with difficulty cooperating for dental treatment made up the largest single group of children attending the service. The majority of children attending were referred from the salaried public dental service.

Private dentists assess treatment required as more extensive, demanding and costly, than public sector dentists

The aim was to evaluate whether contracted private practitioners assess required treatment more extensive, demanding and economically more rewarding than mainly salaried public sector dentists and to estimate the cost consequences of using these alternative providers. All dental services included in comprehensive treatments funded by the city of Turku and provided to adult patients during the year 2009 were recorded. Patients were distributed randomly without any determination of treatment needs before appointing them to different dentists. Treatment courses for 7432 patients in public clinics included 63 906 procedures and for 2932 patients assigned to treatment by contracted private practitioners included 21 194 procedures. Public sector dentists were mainly salaried with production incentives, and private practitioners worked purely on a fee-for-service basis. The cost estimates were based on the distributions of competence classifications recorded by the providers, which also formed the basis for reimbursement. For each studied treatment category with more than one competence classification, private contractors were less likely than their public sector counterparts to give an assessment of simple or less demanding: 8% versus 29% of examinations, 46% versus 69% of periodontal treatments, 63% versus 85% of extractions, 31% versus 46% of fillings, 18% versus 35% of root canals. The excess cost to society varied from 7.0% for root canal treatments to 21.3% for extractions, causing on average 14.4% higher cost level from use of private practitioners compared with public sector dentists. Private practitioners systematically classified the treatment procedures they provided as more demanding, and therefore more economically rewarding, than their public sector counterparts. The findings indicate that the costs of publicly funded dental care may be increased by the use of private dental contractors.

Reasons for replacement of restorations: dentists' perceptions

Objective. This study aimed at evaluating dentists' perceived reasons for replacement of restorations and ascertaining the differences arising from dentists' gender, time since graduation and working sector (salaried vs private). Materials and methods. A postal questionnaire was sent to a total of 592 working-age general dental practitioners in Finland, 57% (n = 339) responded. The dentists were asked to rank in order of priority the six most common reasons for replacement of composite in the incisors and posterior teeth and amalgam in the posterior tooth from a list of 12 reasons. Ranking order 1 was worth six points and order 6 one point; the non-ranked reasons were equal to zero. Differences in the means of the summed scores of caries-related (RC), fracture- and failure-related (RF) and miscellaneous (RO) groups were evaluated by ANOVA. The level of significance was set at p = 0.05. Results. For each of three restorations, the RF group comprised 48–56% of the sum-scores. Of the single reasons, secondary caries predominated (20–24%). For composite restorations in the incisors, the mean sum-score of the RO group was greater for private-sector dentists (p = 0.04). For composite restorations in the posterior teeth, the mean sum-score of RF group was higher for male than female dentists (p = 0.009). For amalgam, mean score for RF was 10.2, followed by RC (8.5) and RO (1.1). Conclusion. Secondary caries and various fractures and failures predominate as dentists' perceived reasons for replacement of restorations. Private dentists included miscellaneous reasons as one of their six reasons more often than did the salaried dentists. The complex process of treatment planning and decision-making is influenced by many as of yet unknown factors, calling for emphasis on investigating of perceptions.

Access to public dental care facilities in Chandigarh

The objective of the study was to determine the level of dental health care access and associated factors, at various public health facilities in the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh. A study was done using a multistage random sampling technique, to interview adult respondents at their homes and to interview the dentists in the public dental clinics and hospitals. The mean composite access score was 59.2 (SD 18.9) in urban areas and 60.5 (SD 20.9) in rural areas (P=0.64) on a scale of 100. The mean score for the self-perceived condition of their oral health was 6.47 (95% CI 6.17 - 6.76). Thirty-four percent of the respondents did not contact a dentist despite having a problem in the last year, primarily because dental problems were not important for them (45%), they lacked time (22%), and took self-medication (16%). Overall 58% of the respondents suggested government clinics and 44% liked private dentists for treatment of dental cavities. The government setup was preferred because the facilities were cheaper and affordable. Dental health care access and only limited dental facilities were available in most of the dental clinics in Chandigarh. Self-reported dental problem was low, and people ignored their dental problems.

Dental Treatment for Patients with Physical or Mental Disability under General Anesthesia at Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Hospital

Dental treatment for patients with physical or mental disability is often performed under general anesthesia due to level of cooperation with treatment, type and location of treatment, time required, or number of times patient is required to attend hospital. University hospitals are receiving an increasing number of requests from local private dentists and dental clinics to provide dental care for patients with physical or mental disability which can only be performed under general anesthesia. We carried out a retrospective survey of the routes of referral and types of dental treatment carried out in such patients under general anesthesia at Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Hospital. The survey covered a 5-year, 9-month period from April 2006 to December 2011, during which 163 patients, comprising 106 men and 57 women, were treated. Their age ranged widely, from 2 to 53 years, with a high proportion (118 patients, 72.4%) being minors aged under 20. Among the total number of patients, 69 (42.3%) had disorders associated with mental retardation. One hundred and two patients (62.6%) had been referred from other medical institutions, with a particularly high number coming from public dental clinics for patients specializing in such patients. Conservative restorative procedures were performed in most cases (59.4%), with composite resin restorations being particularly frequent. After treatment, many patients returned to their referring medical institutions, which were responsible for subsequent management, but information on the posttreatment status was not available for some patients. Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Hospital frequently collaborates with local medical institutions, and the present results suggest the importance of improving such collaboration.