Surgical correction of mandibulofacial deformities secondary to large cervical cystic hygromas

The clinical features of cystic hygroma are presented. The effect on mandibular morphology is described, and surgical correction of the deformities is discussed.     

The Relationship Between Dental Utilization and Preventive Participation Among a Well-elderly Sample

Previous studies have shown that dental utilization by older people is lower than for the general population. This study hypothesizes that an elder's tendency toward participating in preventive health activities may be an important factor in explaining the likelihood of accessing the dentist. Subjects included 1,911 older individuals who enrolled in the UCLA Medicare Screening and Health Promotion Trial. All were interviewed about their utilization of preventive health services and participation in preventive behaviors. A recent dental visit was positively associated with all sociodemographic variables examined except age and sex. It was also related to health status questions and utilization of the preventive health services and health behaviors studied. Logistic regression analysis showed that both summary preventive health behavior and preventive service utilization variables were important factors in explaining a recent dental visit (model chi-square/221.4, P=.001) along with income, not having a removable prosthesis, and perceiving the need for dental care. This study showed that dental utilization is related to older people's participation in other preventive activities. When in contact with older people, health care professionals should consider current oral and general preventive health status and encourage appropriate referral for preventive activities.     

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumour of the jaws

The adenomatoid odontogenic tumour of the jaws is rare. It is important to differentiate it from other odontogenic tumours because of its benign behaviour and this can be reliably done by the histological features.     

Patterns of vertical growth in the face

The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of facial growth development in subjects with skeletal open-bite and skeletal deep-bite faces. Longitudinal data based on lateral cephalometric radiographs of 16 male and 16 female subjects, ages 3 through 18 years, were used. These subjects were selected on the basis of lower face height as a percentage of total face height. Persons exhibiting extreme values were selected to create four groups with eight subjects in each group. Curves of absolute and incremental growth for total anterior face height, upper anterior face height, lower anterior face height, posterior face height, and ramal length were analyzed statistically and graphically. It was established that the anterior dimensions of the face demonstrated typologically divergent patterns of development in open- and deep-bite faces. Further, the posterior dimensions of the face did not discriminate between these two typological groups. The female open-bite subjects were earliest in the timing of the adolescent growth spurt, followed in succession by deep-bite female subjects, open-bite male subjects, and finally the deep-bite male subjects. The clinical implications of these observations pertain to the timing of orthodontic treatment, the length of retention period, and the prediction of adult occlusal status during the mixed dentition.     

Myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle: Review of the literature and report of two additional cases

Myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle is uncommon. The condition is benign and results in reactive heterotopic bone formation, usually producing limitation of opening of the jaws. Radiographic and microscopic examination can confirm the diagnosis. Treatment of myositis ossificans traumatica of the masseter muscle is surgical, with other modalities used when occurring in other muscles of the body     

Smoking and Oral Health: a Population Survey in Finland

Objectives: A survey was conducted to study smokers' oral health behaviors and attitudes, and to determine if smokers were advised by their dentists to quit smoking. Methods : A random sample of 1,200 adults 15 to 64 years of age living in the province of North Karelia, Finland, was selected in each of two study years (1990 and 1991) and surveyed using a mail questionnaire. The 102-item questionnaire solicited information on smoking status, oral health behaviors, missing teeth, perceptions of tobacco's harmful effects on oral health, smoking status and quitting, and advice on smoking cessation provided by dentists. Variations in behaviors and opinions according to smoking status were analyzed. Results : Nonsmokers reported more frequent healthy oral health behaviors than did daily smokers, with the exception that no difference in toothbrushing frequencies existed among women. Daily smoking was associated with increased use of sugar in tea or coffee, and with more frequent alcohol consumption. Daily smoking was correlated with the number of missing teeth in bivariate analyses, but not in multivariate analyses. Fewer daily smokers than nonsmokers considered smoking to have harmful effects on oral health. The majority of daily smokers, however, wanted to quit. Eight percent of daily smokers reported that they had been advised by their dentist to quit. Conclusions : Dentists need to provide patients with counseling on tobacco use because of the desire of many smokers to quit. Counseling of smokers by the oral health team requires special attention and skills, because smokers' health behaviors and attitudes appear to be less favorable to oral health compared to nonsmokers.