The benefits of toothpaste--real or imagined? The effectiveness of toothpaste in the control of plaque, gingivitis, periodontitis, calculus and oral malodour

Toothbrushing with toothpaste is the most widely used method of home dental care for the populations of the Western world. The traditional role of toothpaste is primarily cosmetic, in aiding the cleaning of teeth and producing fresh breath. Today, however, formulations contain ingredients which may also help oral health by way of reducing dental plaque and improving gingival/periodontal health. This article provides a short review on the usefulness of these chemicals when used primarily in toothpastes.     

Mucocele of the glands of Blandin�CNuhn��clinical, pathological, and therapeutical aspects

Purpose

This study aims to review anatomical, clinical, and pathological concepts as well as to discuss the most adequate therapeutic approach to the mucoceles of the glands of Blandin?CNuhn.

Discussion

The glands of Blandin?CNuhn are localized in the ventral part of the tongue, next to the apex in the lingual median plane. Development of a mucocele in this site is rarely seen; besides, as the glands of Blandin?CNuhn are not encapsulated and are directly overlapped to the muscle tissues, their manipulation tends to be different from the other oral mucoceles.

Conclusion

As Blandin?CNuhn mucoceles are uncommon and their clinical appearance could be similar to other lesions, it is important that health professionals know their clinical and histopathological features to avoid having them misdiagnosed.     

Impact of oral health on quality of life among the elderly population of Joaçaba, Santa Catarina, Brazil

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of oral health conditions on the quality of life of elderly people in Joa?aba - SC, in Southern Brazil. A survey based on systematic sampling of clusters was carried out with 183 elderly people that belong to old age groups. The survey was conducted in order to assess the oral conditions of the participants (use of and need for prosthesis) based on the criteria from the World Health Organization publication "Oral Health Surveys, Basic Methods", 4th edition. The oral health impact profile (OHIP) was used to evaluate the impact of oral condition in the quality of life. ABIPEME (Brazilian Association of Market Research Institutes) criterion was used, together with the level of education and the number of people in the household to determine social inequalities. The participants were mostly women (82%) and the OHIP mean was 10.35. No correlation was observed between the OHIP level and formal education or between OHIP and number of residents per household. There was a correlation of 0.240 (p = 0.001) between ABIPEME and OHIP. The OHIP mean for those not using maxillary prosthesis was 12.48 and the mean for those using it was 9.81 (p = 0.399). The mean OHIP for those in need of maxillary prosthesis for those who did not need it was 13.00 and 8.88, respectively (p = 0.014). The same trend was found for the use and need for mandibular prosthesis. The conclusion was that the need for maxillary and mandibular prosthesis impacted the quality of life among the elderly population of Joa?aba.     

Development of swelling following orthognathic surgery at various cooling temperatures by means of hilotherapy–a clinical,prospective, monocentric,single-blinded,randomised study

Purpose

An alternative cooling method in oral and maxillofacial surgery is post-operative cooling with hilotherapy. It has not yet been clarified how the development of pain and swelling progresses post-operatively at different cooling temperatures. The aim of this study was the post-operative comparison of cooling temperatures of 18 °C and 22 °C. The parameters of this trial were swelling and the post-operative development of pain levels. In addition, the need for analgesics and patient satisfaction were documented.

Consumption of bottled water by children in the city of Bauru, State of São paulo, Brazil -- a brief communication

Objectives: To determine the consumption of bottled water by children in the city of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A stratified sample of the 17 areas established by the city plan was used to identify a total of 1,000 homes for visitation. Information was collected using a questionnaire concerning the type of water consumed and population demographics. Results: Overall, around 30 percent of all residences used bottled water. Among all households where bottled water was consumed, about 26 percent had children residing. For those with children and bottled water, 81 percent reported to use bottled water for the preparation of the children's foods and beverages. Conclusions: An important percentage of children consume bottled water in the city of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Considering previous studies showing that fluoride concentrations vary in bottled water, public health measures should be implemented in order to guarantee adequate levels of fluoride in commercialized water.     

Clinical evaluation of the performance and safety of a new dentine substitute, Biodentine, in the restoration of posterior teeth — a prospective study

Objectives

A multicentric randomized, 3-year prospective study was conducted to determine for how long Biodentine, a new biocompatible dentine substitute, can remain as a posterior restoration.

Materials and methods

First, Biodentine was compared to the composite Z100®, to evaluate whether and for how long it could be used as a posterior restoration according to selected United States Public Health Service (USPHS)’ criteria (mean ± SD). Second, when abrasion occurred, Biodentine was evaluated as a dentine substitute combined with Z100®.

Results

A total of 397 cases were included. This interim analysis was conducted on 212 cases that were seen for the 1-year recall. On the day of restoration placement, both materials obtained good scores for material handling, anatomic form (0.12?±?0.33), marginal adaptation (0.01?±?0.10) and interproximal contact (0.11?±?0.39). During the follow-up, both materials scored well in surface roughness (≤1) without secondary decay and post-operative pain. Biodentine kept acceptable surface properties regarding anatomic form score (≤1), marginal adaptation score (≤2) and interproximal contact score (≤1) for up to 6 months after placement. Resistance to marginal discoloration was superior with Biodentine compared to Z100®. When Biodentine was retained as a dentine substitute after pulp vitality control, it was covered systematically with the composite Z100®. This procedure yielded restorations that were clinically sound and symptom free.

Conclusions

Biodentine is able to restore posterior teeth for up to 6 months. When subsequently covered with Z100®, it is a convenient, efficient and well tolerated dentine substitute.

Clinical relevance

Biodentine as a dentine substitute can be used under a composite for posterior restorations.     

Concentrations of interleukin-32, interleukin −10, interleukin −6, and TNF-alfa are higher in saliva of children with early childhood caries

AimTo investigate if the levels of interleukin-32 (IL-32), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the saliva are associated with early childhood caries.MethodsA total of 56 patients aged between 36 and 71 months with dental caries and without caries were included in this study. The patients’ caries status was evaluated according to the dmft and dmfs indices. IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in the saliva samples of the patients were measured by ELISA.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences in the oral hygiene and nutritional habits, plaque index, and gingival index values between the ECC and control groups evaluated in the study (p > 0.05). The ECC group's salivary IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were statistically significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe high levels of IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α detected in the saliva of children with ECC reveal that these cytokines may play a potential role in ECC pathogenesis. Salivary levels of IL-32, IL-10, IL-6, and TNF-α are associated with early childhood caries in children.     

Evaluation of knowledge and experience of dentists of São Paulo State, Brazil about cardiopulmonary resuscitation

This work describes the knowledge and experience of dentists about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A total of 182 dentists from S?o Paulo State, Brazil were interviewed: 59% judged themselves able to define CPR, although only 46% had a correct concept; 54% believed himself to be able to perform CPR, however, none of them referred to have received practical training in CPR; 3% of the interviewed professionals mentioned the occurrence of cadiopulmonary arrest in their dental office. It was concluded that dental surgeons in Brazil should be better trained for medical emergencies that can occur in the dental office.     

Sweets consumption of preschool children—extent, context, and consumption patterns

Objectives

Sweets consumption is one of the risk factors of caries, especially among children. The aim of our study was to explore the extent and context of preschoolers’ sweets consumption and to identify high-risk groups.

Materials and methods

The baseline cross-sectional data used originated from a nutritional intervention study encompassing 879 parental surveys, which were obtained in 52 kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg—the third largest federal state in Germany—between September and March 2009. Our outcome variable “sweets consumption” was operationalized using food-frequency items and analyzed by testing the influence of sociodemographic, educational, cultural, and family context covariates.

Results

Most preschoolers consumed sweets every day—on average 9.7?±?6.2 times per week. Most popular were cookies, gummy bears, and chocolate. Sweets consumption did not correlate significantly with sociodemographic factors like age and sex but rather was associated with cultural and contextual factors such as immigrant background, parental education, specific nutritional knowledge levels, and access arrangements in the home.

Conclusions

The consumption patterns identified are a result of high availability and parental influence (factors such as parents’ knowledge levels, interest in, and habits regarding their child’s nutrition).

Clinical relevance

Dental practitioners should place more emphasis on gathering information from young patients regarding excessive and frequent consumption of sweets and consequently on trying to educate the children and their parents on oral health risks associated with such consumption. Particular attention is to be paid to children of Turkish and Arabic decent, as they have been shown to consume above-average amounts of sweets.