Variation in periodontal referral in 2 regions in theUK

This study investigated the periodontal referral patterns of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Northern Ireland (NI) and North West England (NWE). A questionnaire dealing with periodontal referral was sent to all 520 GDPs registered in NI and to 274 GDPs in NWE. A usable return was made by 355 (68%) in NI and 189 (70%) in NWE. The NI dentists made significantly more periodontal referrals (median 5, range 0-80) in the year preceding the survey than those in NWE (median 2, range 0-50), p<0.001. Distance was the only factor significantly related to the referral rate in both regions with those who practised more than 25 miles from a specialist referring significantly fewer patients in both regions. In NI, there was a trend towards increased periodontal referral by GDPs who had attended more postgraduate courses; however, in NWE, this was not the case. The GDPs in NWE were significantly less likely than those in NI to refer patients with medical conditions. It is concluded that there is considerable variation in periodontal referral both within and between the 2 regions studied. It is further concluded that in many cases, non-disease factors, such as the accessibility of the specialist service, have powerful effects on the decisions made by dentists and patients in these regions (NI and NWE) in relation to periodontal referral. Much of the variance in referral in North West England, as in Northern Ireland, remains unexplained.     

Changes in cyclooxygenase metabolities in experimental periodontitis in Macaca mulatta

The four principal metabolites of cyclooxygenase (CO) were examined during the progression of experimental periodontitis in the rhesus monkey Macaca mulatta. Thirty-two monkeys were divided in four disease-matched groups. Three groups were treated with flurbiprofen, a potent CO inhibitor, at either 0.027, 0.27 or 7.1 mg/kg/day delivered systemically by a subcutaneously-implanted osmotic mini-pump. We have previously described the findings indicating that flurbiprofen treatment significantly retarded clinical attachment loss (ALOSS), redness and radiographic bone loss (BLOSS). This investigation focuses on the changes in CO metabolites which occur during disease progression of ligature-induced periodontitis and on the dose-response relationship of flurbiprofen, as it relates to disease inhibition and the suppression of ARA metabolites within the crevicular fluid (CF). In untreated animals there was a statistically significant 3-fold increase in CF levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) at 3 months, as compared to baseline, which positively correlated with increases in redness, bleeding, ALOSS and BLOSS. CF-PGE2 and TxB2 levels reached a 6-fold peak at 6 months and returned to baseline by 12 months. Flurbiprofen (Fb) prevented the 3-month rise in TxB2, but did not affect the increase in PGE2. At 6 months, Fb administration caused a dose-dependent inhibition of both PGE2 and TxB2. Probit analysis of the dose-response data revealed that the concentration of Fb which caused a 50% inhibition of CF-TxB2 level (the IC50 value for TxB2 synthesis) was approximately two logs lower than the IC50 value for PGE2 synthesis, i.e. TxA2-IC50 = 0.013 vs. PGE2-IC50 = 1.35 mg flurbiprofen/kg/d. The slopes of the PGE2 and TxB2 inhibition curves were identical, consistent with a similar mechanism or singular enzyme for the site of action of Fb inhibition of CO activity. However, the kinetics and sensitivity of Fb inhibition were significantly different for the CO activity responsible for TxB2 and PGE2 synthesis, perhaps due to different compartmentalization of CO within different cell types.     

云南省五岁儿童乳牙龋病调查分析

目的：了解云南省５岁儿童乳牙龋齿患病情况。方法：随机抽取云南省三个城市三个农村的２１３２名５岁常住儿童,采用第二次全国口腔健康流行病学调查标准调查龋齿患病情况。结果：云南省５岁儿童乳牙患龋率为７５．７５％,龋均为４．４４,充填率仅为６．５７％,仅占构成比的４．３９％。结论：云南省５岁儿童乳牙龋齿患病率高,充填率低。儿童龋病防治应注重两个方面：１．加强对家长和教师的幼儿口腔卫生保健知识及方法的宣传。     

Mast cells in masseter muscle in experimental bruxism in man

Three human subjects performed tooth grinding for 25 min, and after 20 h biopsies of the right and left masseter muscles were examined for their contents of mast cells. In comparison with specimens from a control group of three subjects, there was an increase of degranulating mast cells in muscles that had performed bruxism.     

Age-related changes in anthropometric measurements in the craniofacial regions and in height in Down's syndrome

This cross-sectional study analyzed age-related changes in normal and abnormal measurements of the head and face in three age categories in 115 Down's syndrome patients 1 to 36 years old. The frequency of normal measurements significantly surpassed that of abnormal ones in each category. Clinically, the key task was to ascertain differences between the youngest and oldest patients. In age group 1 (1 to 5 years), normal measurements in three of the six craniofacial regions were significantly more frequent than abnormal ones. In age group 2 (6 to 15 years) the percentage of normal measurements significantly increased, influenced by higher growth rates in the period of maturation, which coincided with this category. In age group 3 (16 to 36 years) the percentage of normal measurements significantly increased in the head and ear but decreased in the other regions, significantly in the orbits. The frequency of both optimal and severely abnormal measurements changed significantly from age group 1 to 3 in only five measurements each, with no consistency in the direction of results. Abnormal measurements qualified as stigmata and were recorded in 40% (10 of 25) in five regions: three in the face; two in each of the head, orbits, and ears; and one in the nose. Marked epicanthi covering the endocanthion decreased from 35.0% in age group 1 to 8.7% in group 3. In age group 1, the frequency of normal body height (20.7%) in both sexes was significantly less than subnormal (70.3%) but significantly decreased in age group 2. Mean height in group 3 was enough to rule out short stature as a stigmata of Down's syndrome. The study was limited by small numbers, particularly in the variations of normal and abnormal, but the trend toward normality after maturation suggests that reconstructive surgery should be delayed until this time.     

Experience in using moradol in osteoplastic operations in oral surgery

Osteoplastic operations on the jaws were carried out in 19 patients aged 14-64 under moradol anesthesia. The mean length of the operation was 3 hours. The authors come to a conclusion that moradol in a dose of 0.3 mg/kg b. w. ensures adequate anesthesia, with a high level of analgesia persisting in the immediate postoperative period.     

Dental trauma in adults in Switzerland

Abstract –  Most epidemiologic studies of dental trauma are restricted to children and sports. The goal of the present study was to collect information on dental trauma in as many Swiss adults as possible. For that purpose data of the largest insurance company of Switzerland (SUVA) were evaluated and compared for the years 1992 and 2002. In these 2 years 23 000 dental injuries were reported to all insurance companies in Switzerland. Most often the upper central incisors were injured. However, in 20% posterior teeth were also affected. In 1992 most of the dental trauma was experienced by 30–39 year olds, in 2002 by 40–49 year olds. Regardless of the year, most of the injuries occurred at home; more than one-fifth of the injuries were sports related. Most common injuries were crown fractures without pulp involvement. In less than 10% of all cases more complicated injuries like avulsions or crown-root fractures occurred. Most traumatic injuries were treated by direct fillings and custom-made crowns; more involved treatments were required less often. Comparison of the years 1992 and 2002 showed that the numbers of and causes for injuries had hardly changed in these 10 years. However, the choice of therapy was related to the general development of dental medicine, which became especially apparent in the fields of adhesive dentistry and implantology.     

Gingival sulcular leukocytes in periodontitis and in experimental gingivitis in humans

Leukocytes may play an important defensive role against plaque microorganisms in the periodontium. The aim of the present study was to characterize some functional and morphological aspects of sulcular leukocytes in periodontitis and in experimental gingivitis in humans. In a cross-sectional study, cells were collected from periodontal pockets or from gingivitis (control) sites of patients with periodontitis. In a longitudinal study, cells were obtained from experimental or from control sites during a split-mouth experimental gingivitis. Leukocytes were examined for cell numbers, viability, phagocytic function, and morphology.
The cell numbers in periodontal pockets were higher than in control sites but the cell viability had a tendency to decrease. A significant decrease was also observed in the percent of leukocytes capable of phagocytizing Candida albicans in vitro in periodontitis sites compared to gingivitis sites. In the experimental gingivitis, the cell numbers showed a significant increase from day 0 to day 21 of the non-brushing period in the experimental sites when compared to the control sites. However, the cell viability did not vary significantly between the experimental and the control sites during the experimental period. No significant variations were observed in the leukocyte in vitro phagocytic function during the same period. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes collected from the sulcus presenting different clinical situations showed various degrees of phagocytosis, loss of lysosomes, and cell lysis, but no correlation could be established between these observations and the clinical status.     

Fluorosis in relation to fluoride levels in water in central Nigeria

Abstract– Objectives : This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of dental fluorosis in relation to fluoride levels in water among children aged 12–15 years in the states of Plateau and Bauchi, Nigeria. Methods : Children ( N =203) were examined using WHO criteria. The children were from two schools and permanent residents of the communities in which the schools are located (Tilden Fulani and Kanadap). Intra-examiner reliability for determining fluorosis scores was 80%. Results : Fluoride levels in the water ranged from 0.0–0.4 mg/L. Prevalence of dental fluorosis in the sample was 51%. Forty-one percent had very mild fluorosis, 7% had mild fluorosis and 3% had moderate to severe fluorosis. The lowest DMFT was observed in the school where the fluoride level of the water ranged between 0.0 and 0.4 mg/L, and in the group with very mild fluorosis. Conclusion : Fluoride levels in water for central Nigeria were appropriate for oral health. In the areas where the children were permanent residents, factors other than the fluoride levels of the water contributed to the severity of dental fluorosis.     

Trends in socioeconomic disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden

Celeste RK, Nadanovsky P, Fritzell J. Trends in socioeconomic disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2011; 39: 204–212. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objectives: To describe the dynamics of trends in socioeconomic disparities in oral health in Brazil and Sweden among adults, to assess whether trends follow expected patterns according to the inverse equity hypothesis. Methods: In Sweden, we obtained nationally representative data for the years 1968, 1974, 1981, 1991 and 2000, and in Brazil, for 16 state capitals in 1986 and in 2002. Trends in the prevalence of ‘edentulism’ and of ‘teeth in good conditions’ were described in two groups aged 35–44 with lower and higher economic standards, respectively. Results: There was an annual decline in disparities in ‘edentulism’ of 0.4 percentage points (pp) (95% CI = 0.2–0.7) in Brazil and 0.7pp (95% CI = 0.5–0.9) in Sweden, as a result of improvements in both income groups. Concerning ‘teeth in good conditions’, in Brazil, there was improvement only in the higher income group and absolute disparities have increased (0.5pp annually), while in Sweden, there was a nonsignificant decrease (0.3pp annually) with improvements in both groups. Since 1991 in Sweden and in 2002 in Brazil, our measures of socioeconomic disparities in ‘edentulism’ were not statistically significant. Trends did not differ by sex or dental visit. Conclusions: Despite improvements in both income groups and a decrease in disparities in ‘edentulism’, the poorer group in Brazil has seen no improvement in ‘teeth in good conditions’ and disparities have increased. It appears that Brazil and Sweden reflect different stages of trend for ‘teeth in good conditions’ and the same stages for ‘edentulism’, represented by the inverse equity hypothesis.     

Dental erosion in deciduous teeth--an in vivo and in vitro study

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to report on severe dental erosion and its associated etiological factors in deciduous teeth of Saudi children (n=16, X macro=6.5 years, R=5--8) in vivo, and to confirm (or reject) the clinical diagnosis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Another aim was to study progression of erosion in vitro using extracted healthy deciduous and permanent teeth. METHOD: For the in vivo study, a questionnaire and clinical examination was completed, medical history obtained and exfoliated eroded teeth (n=8) examined by SEM. For the in vitro study, enamel specimens were prepared from Saudi (n=21) and Finnish (n=19) deciduous teeth as well as Finnish permanent teeth (n=20), immersed in 2% citric acid for 5--30 min, microhardness measurements performed, and the specimens studied by SEM. RESULTS: The in vivo investigation showed that high intake of acidic drinks and fruits, upper respiratory tract problems and frequent medications may constitute possible etiological and/or aggravating factors for severe dental erosion in Saudi children. Deciduous tooth enamel was softer than permanent tooth enamel. SEM showed no clear differences in the ultrastructure of the enamel specimens amongst the three groups. The clinical diagnosis of severe dental erosion in those cases studied was reliable as verified by SEM. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of dental erosion in children is likely to be associated with a number of general health and dietary factors but is also aggravated by the relatively more rapid progression of erosion in the deciduous teeth.     

Trends in endodontic claims in Italy

According to the scant data available in the literature, endodontic claims are common among dental professional liability cases and the second most common type of claim. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of endodontic claims in Italy and the most frequently disputed errors, and the discussion below includes consideration of ethical and medico‐legal aspects thereof. We retrospectively analysed 120 technical reports written on cases of professional malpractice in endodontics in the last 5 years. The complainant patients were males in 22.5% of the cases, while females made up the remaining 77.5%. In the dentist sample, male operators were more often involved in litigation cases (80%) than female operators. The most frequently claimed technical errors were: lack of a complete filling of root canal/s (71.7%), the perforation of tooth structure (12.7%), extrusion of sealing materials beyond the apex of the tooth (9.6%) and the fracture of an endodontic instrument (5.9%). In 1.7% of cases it was found that the expert did not make any errors performing the endodontic therapy. In only very few cases (2.7%) no therapy was considered necessary, while the most common therapeutic solution involved in endodontic misconduct was tooth extraction (53.0%). In many cases the dentist preferred to extract the endodontically undertreated tooth and substitute it prosthetically rather than trying to re‐treat it. The discrepancy between the total number of cases examined and those that eventually go to court leads us to believe that the majority of endodontic malpractice cases are resolved in out‐of‐court settlements.     

Advances in local anesthesia in dentistry

Local pain management is the most critical aspect of patient care in dentistry. The improvements in agents and techniques for local anesthesia are probably the most significant advances that have occurred in dental science. This article provides an update on the most recently introduced local anesthetic agents along with new technologies used to deliver local anesthetics. Safety devices are also discussed, along with an innovative method for reducing the annoying numbness of the lip and tongue following local anesthesia.     

Human Herpesviridae in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis in children in Nigeria

Herpesviruses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of human periodontitis. The present study investigated whether herpeasviruses are present in the lesions of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. Sixty-two Nigerian children, aged 3–14 years, were studied. Twenty-two children had acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis and were also malnourished, 20 exhibited no acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis but were malnourished, and 20 were free of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis and in a good nutritional state. Polymerase chain reaction methods were used to determine the presence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus type 1 and type 2 (EBV-1, EBV-2), herpes simplex virus (HSV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), human papilloma virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in crevicular fluid specimens collected by paper points. Of the 22 acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients, 15 (68%) revealed viral infection and 8 (36%) viral coinfection. Thirteen (59%) acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients demonstrated HCMV, 6 (27%) EBV-1, 5 (23%) HSV and 1 (5%) HHV-6. Only 2 (10%) subjects from each group not affected by acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis showed viral presence, and no control subject revealed viral coinfection. These findings suggest that HCMV and possibly other herpesviruses contribute to the onset and/or progression of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis in malnourished Nigerian children.     

Changes in caries prevalence in Japan

In Japan, the mean DMFT at 12 years of age increased from 2.8 in 1957 to 5.9 in 1975. From the 1981 survey (DMFT=5.43), conversely, the mean DMFT decreased and reached 3.64 in 1993. The increase in caries prevalence can, without doubt, be explained by an increment of sugar consumption, since the intake of sugar increased after World War II and exceeded 18.25 kg/year (50 g/day) in 1965 and reached a maximum value (29.3 kg/year) in 1973 in Japan. On the other hand, the reason why the DMFT has decreased since 1981 is not clear. In many industrialized countries, a caries reduction has been achieved with acceptable fluoride exposure, although sugar consumption was still at a high level. However, fluoride usage was still limited during the last 2 decades in Japan. There is no community where fluoridated drinking water has been supplied since 1972. Fluoride tablet use was also discontinued for children in the 1970s. Fluoride mouthrinsing programs were available for only 19r of school children in 1992. Moreover, the market share of fluoridated dentifrices stayed at 10% until 1986 and became 30% only in 1988. An excellent correlation (r=0.91; P 0.01) is observed between the DMFT in 12-year-olds and per capita sugar consumption per year between 1957 and 1987 in Japan.     

Localization of SOST/sclerostin in cementocytes in vivo and in mineralizing periodontal ligament cells in vitro

Jäger A, Götz W, Lossdörfer S, Rath‐Deschner B. Localization of SOST/sclerostin in cementocytes in vivo and in mineralizing periodontal ligament cells in vitro. J Periodont Res 2009; doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0765.2009.01227.x. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S Background and Objective: Cementum and bone are rather similar hard tissues, and osteocytes and cementocytes, together with their canalicular network, share many morphological and cell biological characteristics. However, there is no clear evidence that cementocytes have a function in tissue homeostasis of cementum comparable to that of osteocytes in bone. Recent studies have established an important role for the secreted glycoprotein sclerostin, the product of the SOST gene, as an osteocyte‐derived signal to control bone remodelling. In this study, we investigated the expression of sclerostin in cementocytes in vivo as well as the expression of SOST and sclerostin in periodontal ligament cell cultures following induction of mineralization. Material and Method: Immunolocalization of sclerostin was performed in decalcified histological sections of mouse and human teeth and alveolar bone. Additionally, periodontal ligament cells from human donors were cultured in osteogenic conditions, namely in the presence of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid and β‐glycerophosphate, for up to 3 wk. The induction of calcified nodules was visualized by von Kossa stain. SOST mRNA was detected by real‐time PCR, and the presence of sclerostin was verified using immunohistochemistry and western blots. Results: Expression of sclerostin was demonstrated in osteocytes of mouse and human alveolar bone. Distinct immunolocalization in the cementocytes was shown. In periodontal ligament cultures, following mineralization treatment, increasing levels of SOST mRNA as well as of sclerostin protein could be verified. Conclusion: The identification of SOST/sclerostin in cementocytes and mineralizing periodontal ligament cells adds to our understanding of the biology of the periodontium, but the functional meaning of these findings can only be unravelled after additional in vitro and in vivo studies.