¶ … pediatric dentistry, after perusing current literature it is obvious that the studies concerning pediatrics are not as available as adult dentistry studies. Current literature, however, does seem to be turning a more conducive eye to what takes place in the dental office especially concerning children and young adults.

This study will observe pediatric dentistry in a local hospital and seeks to determine the incidence of dental disease in young hospital patients. For instance, one recent study determined that "although the oral health of the children with either a congenital or an acquired heart disease was the same as that of the healthy children, there were significant differences in the decayed, missed, and filled teeth indices" (Cantekin, Cantekin, Torun, 2013, p. 706).

Another study sought to determine the context in which children and adolescents were referred to special care or pediatric dental services in the "medical, functional, social and environmental context" (Faulks, Norderyd, Molina, Macgiolla, Scagnet, Eschevins, Hennequin, 2013, p. 1) and what the study determined was that while many reports describe their study population solely in terms of medical diagnosis, "this gives very little information as to the capacity of the child to maintain oral health" (p. 2).

Of additional interest is another study that observed that studied over 200 pediatric patients with coeliac disease. Since coeliac disease "is characterized by oral manifestations, such as dental enamel defects and recurrent oral aphthae" (Bucci, Carile, Sangianantoni, D'Angio, Santarelli, Lo Muzio, 2006, p. 203) the study wished to discover "the prevalence of enamel defects and recurrent aphthous stomatitis" (p. 203).

Works Cited

Bucci, P.; Carile, F.; Sangianantoni, A.; D'Angio, F.; Santarelli, A.; Lo Muzio, L.; (2006) Oral apthous ulcers and dental enamel defects in children with coeliac disease, Acta Paediatrica, Vol. 95, Issue 2, pp. 203-207

Cantekin, K.; Cantekin, I.; Torun, Y.; (2013) Comprehensive dental evaluation of children with congenital or acquired heart disease, Cardiology in the Young, Vol. 23, Issue 5, pp. 705-710

Faulks, D.; Norderyd, J.; Molina, G.; Macgiolla Phadraig, C.; Scagnet, G.; Eschevins, C.; Hennequin, M.; (2013) Using the international classification of functioning: Disability and Health (ICF) to describe children to special care or pediatrics dental services, PLoS, Vol. 8, Issue 4, pp. 1 -- 13