Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of the association between molar-incisor hypomineralization, dermatoglyphics, and other risk factors in children: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Rooposhi Saha, Rana Ismail, Shivani Sunder, B K Vanishree, Yusuf Chunawala","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_181_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_181_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a common developmental enamel defect affecting first permanent molars and often permanent incisors in children. Dermatoglyphics, the study of fingerprint patterns, has been associated with various dental and systemic conditions and may serve as a noninvasive marker for early identification of MIH.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To assess the association of MIH with dermatoglyphic patterns and related factors in children.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 92 children aged 6-12 years, divided into MIH ( n = 46) and non-MIH ( n = 46) groups. Dermatoglyphic patterns were recorded using a digital scanner. Socioeconomic status and familial history were obtained via questionnaire. Salivary pH and flow rate were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests (e.g., Chi-square and t -test).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The MIH group showed a significantly higher salivary flow rate ( P < 0.05). Salivary pH was higher in the non-MIH group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). A statistically significant association was observed in the loop pattern of the left thumb ( P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in the right thumb ( P > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Dermatoglyphic analysis may serve as a simple, noninvasive adjunct for early identification of children at risk of MIH; however, further studies are required to confirm its predictive value.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"405-410"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of erosive potential of various condiments on primary teeth: An in vitro study.","authors":"Priya Subramaniam, Anushree S Shenoy","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_206_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_206_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aim: </strong>Changes in lifestyle and food habits have led to increased consumption of processed foods by children. These foods contain additives which may affect primary teeth enamel. This study aimed to assess the erosive potential of various condiments on primary teeth enamel.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Freshly extracted sound primary teeth were decoronated and sectioned mesiodistally to give 105 tooth sections. They were coated with acid resistant nail varnish, leaving a 5 mm × 5 mm window, and stored in 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Fifteen enamel specimens served as baseline controls and were assessed for surface roughness, surface hardness, and calcium content. The remaining 90 specimens were allocated to six groups ( n = 15) and subjected to the exposure protocol. Six condiments were evaluated for pH, titratable acidity (TA), and viscosity and used to expose enamel specimens ( n = 15/group) twice daily for 15 days, with storage in artificial saliva between exposures. Following this, samples were reassessed and data were statistically analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All six condiments were acidic, with the lowest mean pH and highest TA observed for imli sauce, while chocolate syrup showed the highest pH and lowest TA. Veg mayonnaise showed the highest viscosity. Significant changes in enamel surface roughness, surface hardness and apparent calcium content were observed following exposure ( P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Exposure to all six condiments demonstrated erosive potential on primary tooth enamel. Frequent consumption may increase the risk of dental erosion in children, particularly in those with altered salivary characteristics or enamel defects.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"455-461"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative evaluation of two intranasal sedative agents among children undergoing invasive dental procedures: A randomized crossover clinical trial.","authors":"Raghavendra Havale, N H Praveen Kumar, Kashyap Balkattu, Santhebachalli Prakasha Shrutha, Ramesh Babu, Shiny Raj Rajan, Kanchan M Tuppadmath","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_270_26","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_270_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dental anxiety is a significant barrier in pediatric dentistry, particularly in children with Frankel's negative behavior ratings. Sedation through the intranasal route offers a rapid and noninvasive alternative with high bioavailability. Among various sedatives, the relative efficacy and acceptance of midazolam and dexmedetomidine in pediatric dental care remain underexplored. Hence, the purpose of the study was to compare the sedative effect, acceptance, and side effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine and intranasal midazolam in anxious children undergoing invasive dental procedures.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>A triple-blind, split-mouth, crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 children aged 4-10 years who required either bilateral pulpectomy or extraction. The study was conducted from September 2024 to October 2025. Participants received intranasal midazolam (0.3 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine (3 mcg/kg) in separate appointments, with a 2-week washout period between them. Behavior was assessed using the Houpt behavioral rating scale, whereas drug acceptance and side effects were recorded using the al-Rakaf scale. Statistical analysis included the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman test, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Midazolam demonstrated significantly higher patient acceptance compared to dexmedetomidine. Behavior scores were significantly greater with midazolam across preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases ( P < 0.002). Both agents showed minimal and nonsignificant differences in side effects, with occasional sneezing and nasal irritation observed. No serious adverse effects or carryover effects were noted.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Intranasal midazolam demonstrated relatively effectiveness in comparison to dexmedetomidine regarding patient acceptance and behavioral results, with both drugs having acceptable safety profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"446-454"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial profiling of dental plaque in caries-active and caries-free children: A cross-sectional 16S rRNA gene sequencing study.","authors":"Kalpana Bansal, Amit Katiyar, Kalpana Sharma, Azeema Shamoo, Vijay Mathur","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_243_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_243_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Advances in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing and bioinformatics have improved understanding of caries- and health-associated oral microbiomes. This preliminary study investigated differences in dental plaque microbiota between caries-active (CA) and caries-free (CF) Indian children using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Twenty-five children were enrolled (20 CA, 5 CF), and 30 supragingival plaque samples were collected: 20 from CA lesions, 5 from clinically sound CF surfaces (CFS) in CA children, and 5 from CF (healthy control) children. DNA was extracted and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced using the Illumina platform. Bioinformatic analyses included operational taxonomic unit clustering and alpha and beta diversity assessment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were observed among groups ( P > 0.05), indicating comparable overall richness and evenness. Streptococcus mutans , traditionally considered a primary cariogenic pathogen, was absent in 65% of CA subjects. Seventeen genera were detected exclusively in plaque samples from CA surfaces including Bifidobacterium , Scardovia , Lactobacillus , Peptoanaerobacter , Propionibacterium , Streptobacillus , Desulfobulbus , and several previously uncultured taxa. In contrast, some taxa, including Corynebacterium matruchotii , Capnocytophaga gingivalis , Campylobacter gracilis , and Selenomonas noxia , were more commonly associated with samples from CFS.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings indicate compositional differences in plaque microbiota between CA and CF children and support the concept that dental caries is a polymicrobial, dysbiosis-driven disease rather than the result of a single pathogen. Further large-scale studies incorporating functional analyses are required to clarify the ecological and clinical significance of these microbial patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"382-391"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between mandibular foramen position and Nolla's developmental stages of mandibular permanent first and second molars in 6-15-year-old children using orthopantomographs - A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Jayasri Selvakumar, D Sharon Lydia, Sharath Asokan, Geetha Priya Pollachi-Ramakrishnan, Sudhandra Viswanath","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_371_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_371_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Context: </strong>Chronological age is commonly used to predict mandibular foramen (MF) position, but its use is limited by variability in dental maturation. Nolla's developmental stages may provide a more reliable guide for MF localization, potentially improving the success of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB) in pediatric patients.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The aim of the study is to assess the association between the position of MF and Nolla's developmental stages of mandibular permanent first and second molars in children aged 6-15 years using Orthopantomographs (OPGs).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study analyzed 255 OPGs of children aged 6--15 years. Bilateral MF depth relative to the deepest point of the coronoid notch and height relative to the mandibular occlusal plane were measured. Developmental stages of the mandibular permanent first and second molars were assessed using Nolla's developmental staging (0-10). Statistical analyses were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MF depth and height increased significantly with advancing Nolla's developmental stages bilaterally of the mandibular permanent first and second molars ( P = 0.004; P < 0.001). Chronological age showed a significant but weak positive correlation with MF depth and height ( P < 0.001). No significant gender differences were observed in MF position ( P > 0.05). Significant bilateral differences were found in MF height ( P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MF position correlates significantly with developmental stages of the mandibular permanent first and second molars, offering a more reliable reference than chronological age. This may improve accuracy and success of IANB anesthesia in children.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"411-416"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post publication peer review - VAR intervention in science!","authors":"Sharath Asokan","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_421_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_421_26","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"357-358"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical outcomes of clear aligners in growing children: An umbrella review.","authors":"Mebin George Mathew, Saumya Jose, Joe Mathew Cherian, Oshin Pragya Lepcha","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_225_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_225_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Clear aligners are increasingly used in growing patients, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. This umbrella review aims to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and limitations of clear aligner therapy in growing children.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This umbrella review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251054252), and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews checklist. Systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis assessing clinical outcomes of clear aligner therapy in children under 18 years were included. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Epistemonikos were searched without year or language restrictions on December 5, 2025, alongside Gray literature and registries. Methodological quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR-2. A qualitative assessment was conducted; pooled estimates were reported where available. Overlap among primary studies was assessed using the corrected covered area.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 1609 records identified, six systematic reviews were included Methodological quality was critically low in five reviews and low in one, with a high degree of overlap. All six reviews reported dentoalveolar improvements, including alignment, overjet reduction and arch development. Skeletal outcomes varied across reviews, with two reporting possible mandibular changes, three reporting minimal or no skeletal effects and one reporting insufficient evidence. Periodontal and patient-reported outcomes were each reported in two reviews. Meta-analyses assessed ANB, SNA, SNB, overjet, and overbite, demonstrating low heterogeneity for sagittal skeletal measures and variable heterogeneity for dental outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Clear aligner therapy in growing patients is associated with predictable dentoalveolar correction. Evidence for skeletal effects remains limited, and periodontal and patient-reported outcomes are insufficiently reported. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the low methodological quality of the included reviews and overlap of primary studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"359-373"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of rewarming time in teeth with pulpitis using infrared thermography: A cross-sectional, observational study.","authors":"Harsh Ulhas Manerkar, Siya Dukle","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_129_26","DOIUrl":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_129_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Context: </strong>Early and accurate differentiation between reversible and irreversible pulpitis is vital for appropriate treatment planning and prognosis in pediatric patients. Conventional sensibility tests are subjective and assess neural response rather than true pulpal vitality, which is determined by blood flow. Infrared thermography offers a noninvasive, contactless technique to measure surface temperature recovery, potentially reflecting pulpal vascular status.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>The study aimed to compare thermographic rewarming time between teeth with reversible pulpitis and healthy controls, irreversible pulpitis and healthy controls, and reversible and irreversible pulpitis using infrared thermography.</p><p><strong>Settings and design: </strong>This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Goa Dental College and Hospital.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty children with symptomatic permanent molars were included, contributing 60 teeth (30 test teeth and 30 control teeth). Diagnoses were established as per the American Association of Endodontists criteria. After cold stimulus with Endo Frost spray, rewarming time was recorded at intervals up to 120 s using the TOPDON TC001 infrared camera (thermal sensitivity <0.05°C, accuracy ±2°C, and resolution 256 × 192). Blinding of the operator and statistician was maintained throughout.</p><p><strong>Statistical analysis: </strong>Median (interquartile range) values were calculated and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U -test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Irreversible pulpitis cases showed a significantly prolonged rewarming time (90 s; P = 0.002) compared to controls. Rewarming time also significantly differed between reversible and irreversible cases ( P = 0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Infrared thermography reliably demonstrated delayed rewarming in irreversible pulpitis, suggesting it is a promising adjunctive diagnostic tool for distinguishing pulpal inflammatory states.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"434-439"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Large language models for early childhood caries risk triage: A validation study using standardized pediatric dental vignettes.","authors":"Balaji Suresh, Nandini Devi Madiajagane, Maria Anthonet Sruthi","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_203_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_203_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare the diagnostic accuracy and public health utility of Gemini 2.5 Flash and GPT-4 for early childhood caries (ECC) risk triage in classifying presentations as high risk (warranting immediate referral) or low risk (amenable to preventive counseling).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A standardized dataset of 50 clinical vignettes (25 high risk and 25 low risk) was evaluated against both large language models via official application programming interfaces using a blinded, prospective comparative design (CONSORT-AI; TRIPOD+AI). This constitutes a vignette-based internal validation study and does not represent a clinical diagnostic accuracy study. Ground truth was established by two consultant pediatric dentists (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92). Performance was quantified using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and false negative rate (FNR). Readability, actionability, and multilingual competence in Hindi and Tamil were additionally assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both models exceeded the 80% accuracy threshold. GPT-4 achieved significantly higher sensitivity (92.0% vs. 80.0%; P = 0.032) and a lower FNR (8.0% vs. 20.0%), with superior readability (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.9 vs. 8.1), actionability (4.8 vs. 4.2), and cross-lingual consistency. Both models achieved 100% safety disclaimer compliance in English.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>GPT-4 demonstrates a statistically superior safety profile for ECC risk triage. As a Level 1 adjunct, it can assist pediatric dentists by prescreening caregiver-reported presentations, reducing diagnosis lag, and directing specialist capacity toward confirmed high-risk pathology without replacing clinical judgment.</p><p><strong>Clinical relevance: </strong>This study establishes that GPT-4 is a safer and more accessible AI triage tool than Gemini 2.5 Flash for pediatric dental screening, particularly in linguistically diverse, resource-constrained settings where specialist access is limited.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"392-398"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age influence in the location of the mental and mandibular foramen in children: A cone-beam computed tomography-based study.","authors":"Parul Tyagi, Nikhil Srivastava, Vivek K Adlakha, Noopur Kaushik, Sangeeta Malik","doi":"10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_127_26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_127_26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Growth and remodeling of the mandible during childhood results in dynamic changes in the position of key anatomical landmarks. Accurate localization of the mandibular foramen and mental foramen is essential for the successful administration of mandibular anesthesia and to minimize complications during oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 120 patients aged 3-18 years who underwent cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for diagnostic purposes. Subjects were divided into three age groups: Group I (3-6 years), Group II (7-12 years), and Group III (13-18 years), with 40 subjects in each group. CBCT images were analyzed to determine the position of the mandibular foramen relative to the occlusal plane, and the vertical and horizontal location of the mental foramen. Variations in the mandibular canal (MC), including bifid canals, were also assessed. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and percentages) were calculated. The Chi-square test was used to assess the association between age groups and the position of the mandibular foramen. One-way analysis of variance was applied to compare the continuous variables such as the vertical distance of the mental foramen across age groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mandibular foramen was predominantly located below the occlusal plane in younger age groups and progressively shifted above the occlusal plane in older age groups, with a statistically significant association ( P < 0.001). The mean vertical distance of the mental foramen increased from 10.76 mm in Group I to 11.59 mm in Group III. A posterior shift in the horizontal position of the mental foramen was observed, from the region of the first premolar in younger subjects to the second premolar region in older subjects. Bifid MCs were identified in 21.66% of cases, most frequently in the 7-12 years age group. No statistically significant differences were observed with respect to gender or side ( P > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The position of the mandibular foramen and mental foramen demonstrates significant age-related variation in the pediatric population. The mandibular foramen shows a progressive superior shift relative to the occlusal plane, while the mental foramen exhibits both vertical and posterior positional changes with growth. CBCT serves as a reliable imaging modality for accurate three-dimensional localization of these anatomical landmarks. These findings highlight the importance of age-specific considerations in anesthetic and surgical procedures, particularly in improving the success of inferior alveolar nerve block in children.</p>","PeriodicalId":101311,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry","volume":"44 4","pages":"417-422"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}