The prevalence of substance use among patients at a dental school clinic in Michigan

BackgroundProblematic alcohol use and illicit drug use are associated with a number of physical health consequences, including poor oral health. The authors evaluate the prevalence of problematic alcohol use and illicit drug use in adults who visited a dental school clinic.MethodsThe authors recruited patients from the waiting area of the clinic. During recruitment, 85.9 percent of patients (n = 384) who the authors approached consented to participate in the study.ResultsOverall, 20.6 percent of the participants reported either recent problematic alcohol use or illicit drug use; 7.4 percent of reported problematic alcohol use and 18.6 percent reported illicit drug use. The most common illicit drugs participants reported that they used were marijuana (16.8 percent), amphetamines (2.6 percent) and cocaine (1.1 percent). Participants who reported recent problematic alcohol use or illicit drug use were more likely to identify as white, were younger and did not have a spouse or partner.ConclusionsThere was a high prevalence of illicit drug use and problematic alcohol use among the patients seen at dental school clinic. These rates were higher than those in the general population.Clinical ImplicationsThe findings suggest that dental clinics are appropriate settings in which to identify and provide interventions for adults at risk of experiencing problems due to alcohol or drug use.     

Edentulousness in patients attending a university dental clinic

The purpose of this study was to establish base-line data on the prevalence of edentulism in adult patients seeking care at the College of Dentistry, in the City of Saskatoon. Out of a total of 548 patients, 75 (13.7 per cent) were totally edentulous. However, there were no individuals edentulous only in the mandible. Contrary to most previous surveys, the prevalence of edentulism was higher in the males than in the females in all age groups except in the 50-59 age group. The results from this study may facilitate the evaluation of future trends in edentulism, and prosthodontic treatment needs at the same locale.     

Evaluation of primary teeth affected by dental trauma in patients visiting a university clinic,Part 1: Epidemiology

Clinical Oral Investigations - The retrospective study reported herein was the first of three that investigated dental trauma in primary teeth. This article discusses the study that aimed to reveal...     

Complementary and alternative medicine usage by patients of a dental school clinic

This pilot study investigated the prevalence and specific reasons for usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients of a dental school clinic. Four hundred and two patients completed a 30‐page survey on CAM usage. A higher rate of CAM usage was found in this dental school clinic population than rates previously reported in a general population. More than three‐quarters (76.1%) of the respondents reported using at least one CAM treatment in the past 12 months; 93.3% reported using at least one CAM treatment at some time in their lives. High rates of chiropractic use were found in this population. Tooth pain was the most frequently reported dental condition motivating CAM use. About 10% of dental school clinic patients use topical oral herbal and/or natural products to treat dental conditions, most frequently for preventive/oral health reasons or for tooth pain.     

Glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus upon admission to a dental clinic: considerations for dental management.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of glycemic control in dental patients with diabetes upon admission to a dental school clinic. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred patients (mean age: 57.7 years) of the Oral Diagnosis-Admissions Clinic at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, with diabetes mellitus were chosen as subjects. Fasting blood glucose was measured using a portable blood glucose monitoring device as a part of their initial dental examination. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of the 100 patients were found to be hyperglycemic (> or = 126 mg/dl; 174.8 +/- 40.8 mg/dl; mean +/- SEM); 2 patients were found to be hypoglycemic (< 70 mg/dl). Of the 8 patients with type 1 diabetes in the cohort, 3 (37.5%) were very hyperglycemic, with fasting blood glucose levels > 250 mg/dl. CONCLUSIONS: This is important information for dental practitioners because patients with diabetes may not be under good glycemic control, and dentists may have to take special precautions before, during, and after treatment. This paper reviews the pathogenesis of diabetes, the detection of patients with undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes, and the management of patients with diabetes during dental treatment.     

牙科用Ti-Zr合金铸造收缩性的研究

目的：通过研究Ti-Zr合金铸造收缩率,为临床选择最佳的铸模温度提供参考依据。方法 采用马蹄形试样,对Ti-Zr合金、钝钛及Ti6A14V合金在三种铸模温度下的铸造收缩率进行评价。结果 Ti-Zr合金在三种温度下与纯钛的铸造收缩率无显著差异,而明显低于Ti6A14V合金;室温铸造时,其收缩率明显高于300℃及600℃组,而300℃组与600℃组之间无显著差异。结论 为保证临床义齿铸造精度,铸造Ti-Zr合金时铸模温度应在300℃以上。