Prevalence of dental caries and tooth wear in a Byzantine population (13th c. A.D.) from northwest Turkey

Dental caries and wear are important conditions to record in archaeological collections. Reconstruction of the life of ancient peoples can be accomplished by studying their dental remains. The aim of the present paper was to determine the frequency, distribution, and characteristics of dental caries, dental wear and related diet in the mediaeval Byzantine population of Iznik in northwest Turkey. The analysed sample consisted of the dental remains of 56 individuals with the total of 280 teeth. The majority (261 or 93.2%) of the teeth belonged to the permanent dentition. The frequency of antemortem tooth loss in the sample was 6.5% and the frequency of caries was 6.8%. The most frequent recorded caries were mesial (3.3%), followed by buccal (3%). The frequency of dental wear was rather high (84.2%) exhibiting presence of dentin clusters mostly. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis of caries attrition competition based on the assumption that a beneficial effect of tooth wear is to avoid development of caries. High wear in the archaeological population can be linked to the fact that the cumulative effects of attrition as a result of the Byzantine diet.     

下颌前方牙列缺失修复前后牙根尖应力分布的光弹实验

目的：探讨前牙以及前牙并前磨牙缺失修复前后对下颌牙根尖应力分布规律的影响。方法：用环氧树脂制作正常[牙合]、前牙缺失、前牙并前磨牙缺失的下颌光弹模型，并在翻制好的模型上进行常规活动义齿修复。2．0kg垂直加载后，在光弹仪上对牙根尖和牙槽嵴中相应观测点的主应力大小和方向进行观测。结果：前牙缺失以及前牙并前磨牙缺失后，余留牙根尖主应力方向偏远中颊侧的程度加大，而且随着缺牙范围由前向后的逐渐增大，这种变化趋势也愈加明显。义齿修复后，整体牙列的根尖主应力方向与正常[牙合]相比没有差异，但在局部义齿修复区域的牙槽嵴相应观测点上，主应力方向与正常相比更偏向近中舌侧。无论是前牙缺失或者前牙并前磨牙缺失，余留牙的承力水平在义齿修复前明显高于正常[牙合]各牙，在义齿修复后承力水平回落至与正常[牙合]无差别的状态。但在义断修复的区域其应力水平仍较正常[牙合]相应位置稍低。结论：前牙或前牙并前磨牙缺失会对下颌余留牙根尖主应力的大小及方向造成显著影响，牙槽嵴对咬合力沿下颌骨向后方的传导特征也会随之发生改变，而活动义曲修复后这种影响可以部分消除。     

The prevalence of caries and tooth loss among participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Background.The Hispanic and Latino population is projected to increase from 16.7 percent to 30.0 percent by 2050. Previous U.S. national surveys had minimal representation of Hispanic and Latino participants other than Mexicans, despite evidence suggesting that Hispanic or Latino country of origin and degree of acculturation influence health outcomes in this population. In this article, the authors describe the prevalence and mean number of cavitated, decayed and filled surfaces, missing teeth and edentulism among Hispanics and Latinos of different national origins.Methods.Investigators in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)—a multicenter epidemiologic study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with funds transferred from six other institutes, including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research—conducted in-person examinations and interviews with more than 16,000 participants aged 18 to 74 years in four U.S. cities between March 2008 and June 2011. The investigators identified missing, filled and decayed teeth according to a modified version of methods used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The authors computed prevalence estimates (weighted percentages), weighted means and standard errors for measures.Results.The prevalence of decayed surfaces ranged from 20.2 percent to 35.5 percent, depending on Hispanic or Latino background, whereas the prevalence of decayed and filled surfaces ranged from 82.7 percent to 87.0 percent, indicating substantial amounts of dental treatment. The prevalence of missing teeth ranged from 49.8 percent to 63.8 percent and differed according to Hispanic or Latino background. Significant differences in the mean number of decayed surfaces, decayed or filled surfaces and missing teeth according to Hispanic and Latino background existed within each of the age groups and between women and men.Conclusions.Oral health status differs according to Hispanic or Latino background, even with adjustment for age, sex and other characteristics.Practical Implications.These data indicate that Hispanics and Latinos in the United States receive restorative dental treatment and that practitioners should consider the association between Hispanic or Latino origin and oral health status. This could mean that dental practices in areas dominated by patients from a single Hispanic or Latino background can anticipate a practice based on a specific pattern of treatment needs.     

Comparison of tooth development stage of the maxillary anterior teeth before and after secondary alveolar bone graft: Unilateral cleft lip and alveolus vs unilateral cleft lip and palate

Objective:To compare the effect of secondary alveolar bone graft (SABG) on the tooth development stage of the maxillary central incisor (MXCI) and maxillary canine (MXC) in terms of the severity of unilateral cleft.Materials and Methods:The subjects consisted of 50 boys with unilateral cleft lip and alveolus (UCLA) or unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (UCLP). The age- and sex-matched subjects were divided into group 1 (UCLA, n = 25; 9.3 ± 0.8 years old) and group 2 (UCLP, n = 25; 9.4 ± 0.6 years old). In panoramic radiographs taken 1 month before (T0) and 1 year after SABG (T1), tooth development stage was evaluated according to the Nolla developmental (ND) stage. A panoramic radiograph taken 3 years after SABG was used as a reference for the final root length of individual tooth.Results:In groups 1 and 2, the ND stage of the MXCI did not exhibit differences between the cleft and non-cleft sides at T0 and T1, respectively. However, although the ND stage of the MXC of group 2 was delayed on the cleft side compared with the non-cleft side at T0 (P < .05), the MXC on the cleft side developed faster than that on the non-cleft side after SABG (P < .01). In terms of tooth development speed, group 2 showed a higher rate of faster developed MXCs on the cleft side compared with the non-cleft side after SABG than group 1 (36.0% vs 8.0%, P < .05).Conclusion:SABG performed at approximately 9 years of age might increase tooth development speed of MXC in patients with UCLP compared with patients with UCLA.     

Changes in the prevalence of residual pockets and tooth loss in treated periodontal patients during a supportive maintenance care program

Abstract. Bleeding on probing and the presence of deep periodontal pockets are considered to be the best site-specific indicators for periodontal disease progression during the maintenance phase of periodontal therapy. A major emphasis of supportive periodontal care (SPC) programs, therefore, has been the control of bleeding pockets. This investigation retrospectively evaluated the changes in the prevalence of bleeding on probing, periodontal pockets, bleeding periodontal pockets and the prevalence of tooth loss in a random sample of 273 periodontal patients participating in a supportive maintenance care program at a University Clinic. During an observation period of 67±46 months (range 5 months to 23 years), the overall incidence of all causes of tooth mortality was 0.23 ±0.49 teeth per patient per year of observation. 56% of subjects, however, did not experience any tooth loss, while less than 10% of patients lost more than 3 teeth. Thus, participation m the SPC program was effective in preventing tooth loss in the majority of patients. During the SPC period, however, a significant increase in the prevalence of periodontal pockets, and of bleeding on probing positive periodontal pockets, in particular, was observed. At completion of active periodontal therapy. 56.4% of patients were free from bleeding pockets. This decreased to a mere 13.6% at the latest SPC evaluation. The observed increases in the number of bleeding pockets was significantly associated with: longer times since completion of active periodontal therapy, more advanced periodontal diagnosis, higher %s of bleeding sites in the dentition, cigarette smoking, lack of inclusion of periodontal surgery in the active treatment phase, tooth loss, and the response to the active phase of periodontal treatment. The data presented in the paper indicate that the observed increase in the prevalence of bleeding pockets and tooth loss was not homogeneously distributed in the studied SPC population. better knowledge of risk indicators may lead to improved and more efficient risk management efforts during periodontal maintenance care.