Risk indicators for periodontitis in a military treatment population.

The association between the periodontal diagnosis and a variety of subject characteristics was studied in a group of 1,783 patients examined at a large military dental clinic. In order of importance, age greater than 30, smoking, male sex, and Filipino racial background were all found to be statistically significant risk indicators for the presence of moderate or advanced periodontitis. A logistic regression equation serving as a predictive model employing these four variables was presented. The strong association found between smoking and advanced periodontitis is consistent with the hypothesis that smoking has cumulative detrimental effects on periodontal health. While these and other risk indicators are neither causative, diagnostic, nor prognostic, they may be helpful in alerting the clinician to more carefully evaluate other clinical signs or laboratory findings of disease.     

Evaluation of biochemical validation measures in determination of smoking status

This study was designed to evaluate the use of salivary cotinine, salivary thiocyanate, and expired-air carbon monoxide as biochemical validation measures for assessing the smoking status of adults. The participants were 20 known non-smokers plus 216 admitted smokers and 102 proclaimed quitters participating in a clinical trial of approaches to facilitate smoking cessation. Conventional analytical procedures were utilized. By use of data from known non-smokers and admitted smokers, the sensitivity and specificity of the validation measures were as follows: salivary cotinine, 99% and 100%; expired-air carbon monoxide, 96% and 100%; and salivary thiocyanate, 67% and 95%, respectively. The salivary cotinine and expired-air carbon monoxide tests confirmed smoking cessation for 55% and 74%, respectively, of the proclaimed quitters. The length of time since quitting was significantly related to the results observed with the latter measures. Consideration of these observations along with various practical factors suggests that expired-air carbon monoxide assays may be the validation measure of choice for most clinical trials.     

Syndromes with cleft lip and cleft palate.

A series of tables is presented as a diagnostic aid for the clinician when he confronts a patient who has a cleft lip and/or palate, together with associated anomalies. The tables provide a rapid way of sorting through the recognized syndromes with orofacial clefting in search of a possible overall diagnosis. Today, 154 such syndromes are recognized. This is more than twice as many as were known in 1971. Undoubtedly, many new syndromes with orofacial clefting will be delineated in the future.     

Correlates of dentists' attitudes toward continuing education in TEAM.

All dentists in active practice in Rhode Island were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward continuing education in TEAM. A total of 74.6 percent of those surveyed responded to the questionnaire. Only one variable, location in a building with other dental offices, was found to be associated with a perceived need for training in TEAM. Demographic background, practice busyness, practice efficiency, and knowledge and attitude profiles were found to be associated with an interest in attending such continuing education courses.