Prevalence of dental caries among workers in the sweets industry in Israel

The purpose of the present study was to assemble data on the prevalence of dental caries among workers in the sweets industry. Three confectionaries were selected for the study. Most employees consented to be examined and were included in the study. The participants were distributed into two main groups: production line workers (228 participants) and non-production line workers (195 participants). The control group consisted of a group of production line workers from five textile industrial establishments; 812 in all. The results indicate that the mean DMFT values recorded for the sweets industry workers were significantly higher than those recorded for the control group. Significantly higher mean DMFT values recorded in the production line workers, as compared with the non-production line workers, in the confectionary industry were assumed to be attributed to a higher consumption of sweets and closer exposure to sugar dust. Mean DMFT values were found to increase significantly in relation to the duration of exposure to the effect of carbohydrates in both groups of workers in the sweets industry.     

Prosthetic needs and demands for services of a group of elderly people in Israel

Abstract Prosthetic needs and demands for care were investigated in a group of the elderly, residing in Romema, Jerusalem, Israel. Of the population aged 60 and above residing in the neighborhood, 34% (n= 116) were selected at random. These were examined under standardized conditions and prosthetic status and denture requirements were recorded. The findings indicate that the prosthetic status was poor and the treatment needs extensive. In all, over 83% of the study population were edentulous, the majority in both arches. Although 86.3% of the edentulous subjects possessed dentures, over 86% of these subjects needed some form of prosthetic treatment. About 60% needed new full or partial dentures and over 25% had dentures whose fit and retention could be improved by rebasing, relining or minor adjustments.     

Oral hygiene among Israeli kibbutz youth

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assemble up-to-date information regarding oral hygiene status among Israeli kibbutz adolescents 14–17 years of age. The oral hygiene status of 465 teenagers in 10 kibbutzim was determined. The findings indicate a relatively better oral cleanliness as compared with past results reported in Israel for similar age groups. It was suggested that the nature and structure of the kibbutz way of life, family and peers strongly influences kibbutz teenagers' oral hygiene practices.     

Effectiveness of a dental education program on oral cleanliness of schoolchildren in Israel

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a dental health education program providing dental health information and toothbrushing instruction on oral cleanliness. Two methods of instruction, individual and group instruction, are presented in this study. The plaque situation was assessed in a group of 175 children, 11-14 years of age, by the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) method at the beginning of the study and at 1, 2, and 12 months. It was found that immediately after instruction the dental health education program resulted in improved oral hygiene home care for the two experimental groups. However, the improvement noted was achieved regardless of the method of toothbrushing instruction (individual versus group). Moreover, it was demonstrated that maintenance of a satisfactory level of oral hygiene home care was dependent upon review of educational programs and toothbrushing instruction and not related to the method of instruction.     

Prevalence of dental caries and quality of restorations among new immigrants to Israel

The purpose of the present investigation was to gather information on the prevalence of dental caries and the quality of restorations of new immigrants to Israel, and to compare those two categories among immigrants from different regions of origin. New immigrants, residents of four absorption centers in Israel, were included in the study. Altogether, 1,031 immigrants (417 Eastern European, 338 Western European/North American and 276 South American) were examined. The results indicate that new immigrants to Israel from Eastern Europe are affected with more carious teeth (D), are missing more teeth (M), and have received quantitatively less treatment (F) than immigrants from Western Europe/North American and South America. The South America are an intermediate group. A similar distribution was found between the groups by their respective ages. The quality of dental restoration was found to be statistically higher among immigrants from Western European/North American and South American origins with the latter group exhibiting an intermediate level of quality of dental restorations.     

Cultural Attitudes toward Postpartum Depression in Dhaka,Bangladesh

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, yet in many cultures, it remains unaddressed and unacknowledged. Postpartum depression is particularly delicate because of its association with gender and expectations of motherhood. This ethnographic study in Dhaka, Bangladesh sought to understand local perceptions of postpartum depression and cultural influences around mental health care seeking. The results describe the role of culture and stigma in the conceptualization of mental health within both the community and medical spheres. Mental health continues to be unacknowledged and neglected in Bangladeshi communities. We recommend community-based psychosocial programming for new mothers living in slums.     

Effect of renal allograft dysfunction upon cyclosporine trough levels in host blood

Cyclosporine (CsA) dose adjustment after renal transplantation is generally based on serum, plasma, or whole-blood trough level values. In the face of increased levels, the dosage is reduced in order to prevent CsA-induced nephrotoxicity. There is a paucity of data, however, on the kinetics of CsA in association with dysfunction of the transplanted kidney. This study documents dramatic rises in serum cyclosporine trough levels at the time of rejection crises, as well as following periods of nonimmunological allograft oliguria. Decreases in CsA dosage in such patients failed to result in a significant lowering in trough levels. Therapeutic CsA trough levels were generally at the 70-140 ng/ml level; at the time of rejection, the same doses of CsA resulted in a rise of trough levels to 300-500 ng/ml. As the rejection crises resolved and kidney function improved, the CsA serum trough levels returned to their lower levels. These results suggest that the urinary elimination of CsA and its metabolites may be a key determinant of CsA trough levels, and that the status of renal function at the time of testing must be considered in the interpretation of the data. In support of this observation, the CsA concentrations in 4-6 hr post-CsA-administration urine samples ranged from 400 ng/ml to 4500 ng/ml, as measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. The data suggest that rising CsA trough levels in a previously stable recipient may serve as a valuable early warning index of impending allograft dysfunction (rejection, infection, and obstruction). This appears particularly true during the first 30 days after renal transplantation, when the incidence of rejection is the greatest in this patient population.