Comprehensive Approaches in Pediatric Dentistry: Managing Health and Disabilities Across All Specialties

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Dentistry & Oral Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 294

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Dentistry Unit, Management Innovations, Diagnostics and Clinical Pathways, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: pediatric dentistry; orthodontics; conservative dentistry; endodontics; technologies; genetics; forensic science; sedation; oral surgery; caries; hygiene; public health; rare diseases; special needs

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dentistry Unit, Management Innovations, Diagnostics and Clinical Pathways, Bam-Bino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: pediatric dentistry; orthodontics; conservative dentistry; endodontics; technologies; genetics; sedation; oral surgery; caries; hygiene; public health; rare diseases; special needs; public health management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to address the multifaceted aspects of pediatric dental care, encompassing both normative and pathological conditions, as well as various disabilities. With a comprehensive focus on all dental specialties, including conservative dentistry, endodontics, orthodontics, surgery, prophylaxis, sedation, and technological advancements, this issue seeks to provide a holistic overview of the evolving practices in the treatment and management of children within the dental setting. Additionally, dental care often requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving not only the management of oral health in healthy children but also the careful consideration of the unique needs of those with congenital or acquired conditions. This collection will highlight the latest research, clinical innovations, and therapeutic strategies designed to enhance outcomes for young patients, providing a critical resource for dental professionals across specialties.

The Special Issue welcomes all types of manuscripts, including literature reviews, original research articles, and case reports. By featuring contributions from experts across various fields, this collection will offer insights into the integration of advanced technologies and techniques in delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care to children of all ages, with a particular emphasis on optimizing both functional and psychological well-being.

Dr. Alessandra Putrino
Dr. Angela Galeotti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • pediatric dentistry
  • child dental care
  • conservative dentistry
  • endodontics
  • orthodontics
  • oral pediatric surgery
  • dental prophylaxis
  • sedation in pediatrics
  • dental technologies
  • disabilities in children
  • dental management of special needs

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

27 pages, 948 KB  
Review
Tumor–Immune Interactions in Pediatric Oral Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Narrative Review on Immuno-Oncology and Emerging Therapies
by Omar A. El Meligy, Noha M. Elemam, Wael A. Hassan and Iman M. Talaat
Children 2025, 12(9), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091249 - 17 Sep 2025
Abstract
Pediatric oral rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare and aggressive cancer of the head and neck, characterized by a complex and mostly immunosuppressive tumor–immune microenvironment. Unlike adult cancers, pediatric RMS typically exhibits a “cold” immune profile, characterized by minimal T-cell infiltration, a low mutational [...] Read more.
Pediatric oral rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare and aggressive cancer of the head and neck, characterized by a complex and mostly immunosuppressive tumor–immune microenvironment. Unlike adult cancers, pediatric RMS typically exhibits a “cold” immune profile, characterized by minimal T-cell infiltration, a low mutational burden, and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. The tumor’s location in the oral cavity adds difficulty to treatment because of anatomical and functional limitations. Additionally, the presence of fusion oncogenes, such as PAX3:FOXO1, hampers immunogenicity and treatment response by disrupting antigen presentation and reducing immune cell infiltration. Advances in immuno-oncology have introduced new strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapies, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic viruses. However, these approaches face specific challenges in the pediatric population due to developmental immune factors. This narrative review highlights recent findings on the immunobiology of pediatric oral RMS, focusing on tumor–immune interactions and their impact on disease progression and treatment resistance. We reviewed the cellular components of the TIME, the mechanisms of immune evasion, and the expression of immune checkpoints, including PD-L1 and B7-H3. Emerging immunotherapies, including CAR-T, CAR-NK, and CAR-CIK cell therapies; checkpoint inhibitors; oncolytic viruses; and cancer vaccines, are discussed, with an emphasis on their current limitations and potential to transform the pediatric RMS immune landscape. Full article
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