Tirupati

Dental caries in primary molars can significantly impact children's oral health and overall well-being. This study evaluates the treatment outcomes of the SMART Hall technique compared to conventional stainless steel crown (SSC) restorations for managing occluso-proximal carious lesions in primary molars of children aged 3 to 9 years. It focuses on clinical success, survival rates, treatment times, radiographic outcomes, and patient pain perception over 3- and 6-month follow-up intervals. The SMART Hall technique is a minimally invasive method involving gentle cavity preparation with hand instruments, minimal local anesthesia, and restoration with glass ionomer cement followed by crown placement. The conventional SSC method involves tooth preparation, crown selection, and cementation. Both treatments include postoperative care and follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. This study uses a split-mouth design where each child receives both treatments on different teeth. Participants will undergo clinical and radiographic evaluations to assess restoration success, presence of pain, mobility, abscesses, and radiographic signs such as root resorption or pathology. Pain perception will be measured using a Visual Analogue Scale. The study includes monitoring at 3 and 6 months post-treatment to compare outcomes, treatment duration, and patient cooperation. A total of 50 children will be screened, with 30 enrolled to allow for attrition, and evaluations will be blinded to reduce bias.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of two different default dialysate sodium concentrations, 137 mmol/l and 140 mmol/l, on major cardiovascular events and death in adults receiving maintenance haemodialysis. This pragmatic, cluster-randomised, open-label study takes place in real-world dialysis sites and aims to compare the outcomes associated with these sodium levels over an extended period. The study focuses on patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing regular haemodialysis treatment. Dialysis sites are randomly assigned to use either a default dialysate sodium concentration of 137 mmol/l or 140 mmol/l for at least 90% of dialysis sessions at that site. All other care practices continue as usual based on local standards. The study plans to recruit sites over 5 to 7 years, with individual follow-up lasting roughly 2 to 5 years. Site participation requires consent, while individual patient consent may be waived or offered an opt-out option. Participants will be monitored for major cardiovascular events and death, with the primary outcome measuring the time until the first such event occurs. Data collection methods are implemented across participating dialysis units, focusing only on in-center or satellite dialysis patients where applicable. The study's duration depends on the occurrence of endpoints, with an average follow-up of about 5 years anticipated per participant.