Despite major advances in the field of caries prevention over the past few decades, there are several reports of high early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence in young children. Today, all experts on dental caries generally agree that it is an infectious and communicable disease and that multiple factors influence the initiation and progression of the disease. ECC is one of the most common dental conditions found in young children, and its prevalence appears to be increasing. The rates of ECC are highest among the socially disadvantaged such as low socioeconomic groups and indigenous and ethnic minorities. The behavioral risk factors that are directly involved in ECC have been well documented. ECC has been posing a challenge to the dental profession throughout the developing and developed world. In Saudi Arabia, dentists working with children have long expressed their concerns about the seriousness of the ECC problem. Social factors were shown to be the most important determinants of caries experience. Although the adverse feeding patterns associated with ECC are well described, the maternal psychosocial and cultural factors underlying these behaviors that place a child at risk for ECC are unclear. A mother’s health behavior often reflects her own personality and age as well as her familial, cultural, ethnic, and educational background. On the other hand, a mother is also influenced by her child’s response and temperament as well as community and cultural factors. Thus, there are highly complex pathways connecting a mother’s behavioral patterns with the child, family, and society that can impact on her child’s oral health. During the past few years, many epidemiological studies were carried out comparing caries prevalence and oral hygiene levels in children; however few studies are done in Saudi Arabia. Dental caries critically impacts the health and development of children. In order to combat dental caries in children, it’s important to investigate factors that could a ect the initiation and increase of the carious process. ECC usually a ects primary dentition of children aged between 1 to 6 years old. ECC includes rampant caries, nursing caries, and incipient caries. As known, ECC has many risk factors such as inappropriate feeding, inadequate oral hygiene, failure of professional dental care, frequent sugar snacks between meals and feeding bottles containing sweet fluid during bedtime, awareness of mother and the background of the parents play a great role in the process of ECC. As well as the misconception and false beliefs in the community and the etiology of ECC. Mother’s education level has an active role in solution for this problem. All these factors represent important risk factors in ECC.

Functional appliance therapy is one of the most important fragments in orthodontics. It is essential for the treatment of patients with skeletal or dental malocclusions.  A number of functional appliances have been developed, since the time of the “activator” developed by Andresen which offer definite advantages in growth modification to correct skeletal malocclusions. However Removable functional appliances have several disadvantages, as a result, fixed functional appliances are replacing removable functional appliances, which can be attached/adapted to the fixed orthodontic appliances thus reducing treatment duration at the same time achieving orthopedic changes, followed by orthodontic changes. In this review study, we would introduce appraise the different types of the functional appliances, and continue with different categories such as fixed or removable and the best time for starting of each appliance as well as the clinical approach and home care. Sufficient knowledge of functional appliances with dental professionals can aid in saving patients from more intrusive and cumbersome corrective treatment modalities in the future. Knowledge in this specific matter from the beginning may be the only preventive measure to alleviate dental malocclusions from an early age and ultimately save patients from lessened self-confidence.  In conclusion, sufficient and appropriate knowledge of functional appliance therapy is necessary for dental practitioners who are exposed to young patients in order prevent any future problems in functional aesthetics, skeletal formation, and stable occlusion.

Advanced lipoprotein testing has largely been proposed for improving evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk associated to dyslipidemia in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to define new lipoprotein patterns by 2D-diffusion-ordered ¹H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy data (Liposcale Test)1. This cohort included 1442 subjects who underwent a health checking. The Liposcale Test was used to quantify lipid content –cholesterol (-C) and triglycerides (-TG)-, particle number (-P) and size (-Z) of main lipoprotein classes (VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL) from plasma. We performed exploratory multivariate analysis (unsupervised k-means clustering) to identify four lipoprotein patterns among population. Graphical models were designed to represent each pattern. The statistical method grouped study subjects according to their lipoprotein pattern. Group A (29%, age 25±16, 37% women, BMI 22±5) and group B (9%, age 45±14, 44% women, BMI 27±6) were constituted by apparently healthy people with low lipid levels and low risk lipoprotein pattern. Subjects in group C (37%, age 52±15, 45% women, BMI 28±6) were mainly hypercholesterolemic exhibiting mean LDL-C level around the decisional threshold (133 mg/dl), increased number of large, medium and small LDL particles as well as large LDL mean size (21.23 nm). This group showed varying concentrations in IDL-C and IDL-TG. Hypertriglyceridemic subjects were found in group D (25%, age 55±13, 45% women, BMI 32±7) showing high levels of VLDL-TG (161 mg/dl) and IDL-TG (14 mg/dl) accompanied by small LDL mean size (20.83 nm). We found varying concentrations in small LDL particles and triglyceride composition in HDL among these subjects. The Liposcale Test provides a more complete insight into lipid metabolism disturbances. Lipoprotein pattern recognition beyond standard lipid values allows a broad analysis of lipoprotein disturbances, a better stratification of patients and thus a more accurate clinical assessment.

Temporary anchorage devices have proven to be a useful armamentarium for dentists and orthodontists throughout the world. Now, cases which initially believed to be a surgical one can the without surgery with results as equivalent to the one that would have first-year with University by using temporary anchorage devices. I will be showing a University case where surgery was one of the options provided to the patient but ultimately treated without surgery with the use of TADs. Interestingly, the same 6mm TADs were used first in the lower anterior segment for intrusion and later in the upper posterior a for retraction of anterior segment as the patient was reluctant to use new sets of TADs (8mm) because of financial issues. The dramatic change in facial esthetics and function obtained by the use of TADs resulted in the patient.

Background and aims: Last years we have reported that 10-Dehydrogingerdione (10-DHGD) is a novel Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor of natural origin. Such study demonstrated its potential to attenuate lipid profile, inflammation, oxidative stress and additional risk markers in dyslipidemic rabbits. Some synthetic CETP inhibitors have recently been reported to suppress PCSK9. Therefore the present study aimed mainly to clarify 10-DHGD effect on platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction and cellular adhesion molecules in relation to certain biomarkers. The latter includes a lipogram profile, inflammatory markers, CETP inhibitory effect and PCSK9 suppression as compared to atorvastatin in dyslipidemic rabbits.  This may have a value as the therapeutic target of dyslipidemia and subsequent atherosclerotic complications.  Results: Both 10-dehydrogingerdione and atorvastatin significantly reduced CETP protein level, CETP activity, serum PCSK9 , LDL-C and raised HDL-C levels as compared to control rabbits (p< 0.001). Both treatments induced a marked decrease in the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin), inflammatory cell infiltration, atherogenic indexes as well as aortic intima/media ratio, respectively as compared to the control group (p< 0.001). These Markers showed a significant correlation with PCSK9 suppression and CETP inhibitory effect, however, 10-dehydrogingerdione exerted marked potential regarding these biomarkers as compared to atorvastatin.   Conclusion: Our findings suggest that 10-dehydrogingerdione  is a promising PCSK9 inhibitor and of significant value against many atherosclerotic risk factors