Scanning electron microscopic study of surface of human oral mucosa

The surface ultrastructure of the healthy oral mucosa of humans was studied using SEM as follows: dorsum of the tongue (10 specimens), buccal mucosa (5), floor of the mouth (3), hard palate (5), and gingiva (10). One part of each formalin-fixed sample was processed routinely using the system of critical point drying for scanning electron microscopy. The other part of the specimen was embedded in paraffin blocks and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for light microscopy. With SEM at low magnification, the surface structure of the oral mucosa at different areas of the oral cavity was smooth with some desquamating cells. Only the tongue mucosa with its papillae formed a specialized mucosa. The hairs of the filiform papillae were covered by microorganisms, whereas on the oral mucosa there usually was little or no colonization by microorganisms. At high magnification, the surface structure of the superficial epithelial cells was pitted or microplicated. On keratinized epithelium the surface structure was pitted, whereas on non-keratinized epithelium it was microplicated. On cell boundaries some variation could also be seen; in keratinized epithelium these boundaries were overlapping and in non-keratinized epithelium they were tight.     

Subgingival microflora, dental and periodontal conditions in patients with hereditary fructose intolerance

Abstract – Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is a rare autosomally recessive disease which leads to severe hypoglycemia. The fructose-free diet of these patients apparently influences dental health. Half of the patients are free of caries, but there are no reports on their periodontal condition nor on the composition of their subgingival microflora. Therefore 18 patients with HFI were examined for the following parameters: radiographic bone loss, caries rate, gingival bleeding, occurrence of calculus, pocket depths, salivary flow rate, buffer capacity and pH from paraffin wax-stimulated saliva. Salivary S. mutans and lactobacilli were also enumerated. Specific antibody titers from whole saliva and serum to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, Bacteroides gingivalis , and Capnocytophaga ochracea were determined with ELISA. Finally the subgingival plaque was analyzed by culture. Altogether 196 anaerobic or microaerophilic isolates representing 29 different species were obtained from the HFI patients and 164 isolates of 26 species from the controls. The frequency of Actinomyces odontolyticus, Veillonella parvula , and Wolinella recta in the HFI patients was significantly high. The DMF-indices were lower in the study group than in the controls and so was the occurrence of S. mutans and lactobacilli in the saliva. Of the periodontal parameters examined, the only difference found was an increased incidence of gingival bleeding and calculus formation in the HFI patients. The results suggest that in the HFI patients the common gingival bleeding is associated with the more frequent occurrence of Actinomyces odontolyticus, Veillonella parvula , and Wolinella recta .     

Antibacterial activity of dental gels containing combinations of amine fluoride, stannous fluoride, and chlorhexidine against cariogenic bacteria

Abstract – The in vitro susceptibility of Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus and Lactobacillus casei to dental gels containing various combinations of amine fluoride (AmF 297), stannous fluoride (SnF₂), and chlorhexidine (CHX) was studied. The combination of AmF-SnF₂ with a total fluoride content of 1.2% was the most effective against mutans streptococci but not against L. casei. At notably lower total fluoride concentration (0.4%), AmF as such or combined with SnF₂, was significantly less effective against mutans streptococci than CHX or CHX-AmF-SnF₂ combinations. CHX-AmF combination was a slightly more potent inhibitor of streptococcal growth than CHX-NaF. With L. casei the differences between various gels were small but CHX alone seemed to be the most effective. Of the studied agents, CHX seemed to be the most potent individual chemotherapeutic compound whose activity against S. mutans could be enhanced by combining it with AmF. However, clinical experiments are required to test the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of CHX-AmF and AmF-SnF₂ combinations which were most effective in our in vitro experiments.     

Release of cariostatic agents from a new buffering fluoride- and xylitol-containing lozenge to human whole saliva in vivo

summary A new buffering lozenge (sucking tablet) was developed for patients susceptible to dental caries and erosion, in particular for those with reduced salivary secretion. As active ingredients this lozenge comprises of a combination of xylitol, fluoride, calcium, phosphate, zinc and buffering compounds. To test the lozenge's activity in vivo , the release of ingredients was monitored in 19 healthy subjects for 22 min after sucking the lozenge was completed. In subjects with a normal salivary secretion rate the lozenge caused only a slight stimulation of saliva flow, but a significant elevation both in salivary pH and buffer effect was observed. Furthermore, fluoride, calcium and phosphate were effectively released into whole saliva with peak values 2–4 min after use. The same salivary parameters were also quantitated after 1 month's regular use (3 lozenges/day) but no consistent long-term changes were found. Salivary mutans streptococci and total anaerobic microflora did not change significantly during the long-term use. The results show that the buffering fluoride- and xylitol-containing lozenge, which also releases calcium and phosphate, is active in vivo but its serviceability as a remineralizing agent, in particular for elderly patients with reduced salivary flow rate, has to be analysed separately.     

Effects of open heart surgery on oral mucous host defence systems

Background: The immune response is affected by anaesthesia and surgery. This study was carried out on the effects of open heart surgery on the oral mucous host defence system, which is part of the common mucosal immune system.
Methods: Amylase, nonimmunological (lysozyme, myeloperoxidase, hypothiocyanite and thiocyanate) and immunological (IgA, IgG, and IgM) mucous host defence factors as well as oral bacterial flora were determined in the saliva of 18 patients undergoing open heart surgery preoperatively and on the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th postoperative days. To assess the specificity of the changes, the salivary flow rate and total protein content were also determined.
Results: Stimulated salivary flow decreased from 1.8 (1.3–2.2) ml/min (median; 25th and 75th quartiles) to 0.4 (0.3–0.5) ml/ min by the 2nd postoperative day and to 0.4 (0.2–1.0) ml/min by the 3rd postoperative day ( P <0.001). Amylase, lysozyme, myeloperoxidase, total salivary peroxidase and thiocyanate levels increased, whereas hypothiocyanite levels decreased postoperatively ( P < 0.01–0.001). Their total secretion rate, however, was reduced ( P <0.05–0.001) owing to the lowered salivary flow rate. IgG and IgM concentrations were raised on the 2nd, 3rd and 7th postoperative days ( P < 0.05–0.001), and IgA concentrations on the 2nd postoperative day ( P <0.05). The total secretion of IgG and IgM as well as their salivary concentrations in relation to total protein concentrations also increased. The number of salivary anaerobically growing bacteria decreased postoperatively ( P < 0.01), but the number of salivary streptococci remained unaffected.
Conclusions: Open heart surgery decreases the salivary secretion of nonimmunological host defence factors and increases the salivary secretion of IgA, IgG and IgM.     

Oral contraception and smoking: Time trends for a risk behaviour in Finland

The main health risks of modern oral contraceptives (OCs) areassociated with simultaneous smoking. According to current medicalguidelines in Finland, OCs should not be prescribed for smokersaged over 30 years. We report how smoking and OC use were relatedfrom 1975 to 1993. The data were collected from 3 national postalsurveys: a biannual survey of 16 and 18 year old girls since1981 (sample sizes of 462–1,667 and response rates of83–91%), an annual survey of 20–39 year old womensince 1978 (size of 5 year age groups of 205–375 and responserates of 68–91%) and a survey of 20–39 year oldtwins in 1975 and 1981 (size of 5 year age groups of 758–3,366and response rates of 85–90%). Early initiation of OCsbecame more frequent. Half of the 16 year old and one-thirdof 18 year old OC users were smokers in the most recent survey.Adult women aged under 30 years more than doubled their OC useduring the 1980s. Although smoking showed a declining trend,the proportion of women having combined use of OCs and tobaccoincreased (up to 9–13% in the most recent surveys). Womenaged over 30 years increased their OC use in the late 1980s(10–18% in the most recent surveys). The combined useof OCs and tobacco has become more frequent both among adolescentand adult women. The lifetime duration of combined use willprobably increase without more active intervention on smokingin the family planning clinics, even among young women.     

Examination of Infant Brain Maturation Using Ultra Low Field MRI

ABSTRACT. The brains of 42 newborn infants were examined with MRI at 0.02 T field, and regional variations of T1 relaxation time were measured from the images. There were three groups: 1. full term infants (9), 2. preterm infants (10) and 3. SGA (= small for gestational age) infants (20). Relaxation times showed a correlation to myelination of the brain. The brain of SGA infants showed a large variation in their T1 values.     

Oral health of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract — Oral health, the amount of salivary Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli, and the flow rate, pH and buffer capacity of paraffin-stimulated whole saliva were analyzed in 35 adult diabetic patients and their age- and sex-matched non-diabetic, clinically healthy controls. All patients had insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) with a mean (± SD) duration of 14.0 ± 9.1 yr. The prevalence of dental caries was as high in the diabetic group as in the controls but the past caries experience was remarkably lower in those individuals whose diabetes had started at a very early age (= 7 yr). In agreement with the clinical data, the salivary levels of cariogenic microorganisms were of the same order of magnitude in both study groups. However, the relative proportion of S. mutans from the total cultivable aerobic microflora was significantly higher ( P <0.01) in diabetics compared to the controls. The other studied salivary parameters did not differ between the groups. Remarkable individual differences were observed in the correlation between glucose levels of blood and whole saliva among diabetics. In spite of the noncariogenic dietary habits, the adult diabetic patients seem to be at least as susceptible to dental caries as non-diabetics, probably due to the leakage of glucose from blood into the oral cavity.     

Histoquantitative study of inflamed tongue mucosa

Abstract— A quantitative, semiautomatic analysis of hislologic features of the specific inflammatory changes occurring on the dorsum of human tongue was made for 37 tongues. Well-documented hislologic differences belween clinically normal appearing tongue (control), atrophic, geographic and fissured tongue were shown quantitatively. The epithelium of atrophic tongue was thinner compared to the controls. Reduction of the thickness was due to the shortened or totally missing rete pegs. Epithelium of geographic and fissured longue showed irregular rete pegs. In fissured tongue heavy inflammation seemed to shorten the rete pegs. In atrophic tongue the connective tissue was thicker compared to the controls. This could be due to mild, chronic inflammation causing loose connective tissue described in atrophic tongue. Muscle cells of geographic tongue appeared lo be as in the controls, whereas in atrophic and fissured tongue the uppermost muscle cells were small and separated compared to the controls.     

Changes in composition of whole saliva in patients with fissured tongue

Both resting and paraffin-stimulated whole saliva were studied in 25 patients with fissured tongue and in their age and sex-matched healthy controls. The groups did not differ in dental or periodontal health. No significant differences were found between the groups in the salivary secretion rate, pH and buffer capacity, or in the frequency of lactobacilli and yeasts in saliva samples and scrapings from tongue surface. In patients with fissured tongue, unstimulated whole saliva displayed significantly elevated levels of sodium, lysozyme, myeloperoxidase and all immunoglobulins (isotypes A, G and M) when compared with the controls. These changes most likely reflect the inflammation frequently seen in the biopsies of fissured tongue. No differences between the groups existed in the amounts of salivary potassium, calcium, inorganic phosphate, amylase and total protein. Our study shows that in patients with fissured tongue the salivary secretion and composition are normal. However, components from plasma and inflammatory cells are diagnostically elevated in the whole saliva samples of patients with fissured tongue when compared with the healthy controls.