Stimulation of salivary flow with a powered toothbrush in a xerostomic population

The purpose of this study was to determine if using a Sonicare* toothbrush was a beneficial treatment of xerostomia. Sixty‐one subjects with medication‐induced xerostomia were randomly assigned a Sonicare CSC) or manual toothbrush (MTB). Subjects were followed for four visits (one month apart); after two months, the MTB group crossed over to using a SC. At each visit, saliva flow was measured by subjects expectorating for five minutes at four collection periods. For the first sample subjects were asked to spit while brushing for three minutes and for two minutes after brushing. Five‐minute saliva collections were taken at 15‐, 30‐and 45‐minute intervals. Questionnaires were administered at the end of the study period and three years later. Paired analysis on the MTB group that crossed over to SC showed significant increase in salivary flow at all post‐brushing collections (p<0.01). The end‐of‐study questionnaire showed that 96.4% of subjects found the SC comfortable to use, 98.2% had enhanced salivary flow, and 92.7% would use it to increase salivary flow. After three years, subjects rated the cleaning effect of the SC more than 4.5 (where 5=excellent). The Sonicare toothbrush may help in the treatment of xerostomia. The use of a Sonicare resulted in a statistically significant increase irr post‐brushing salivary flow rates in persons with medication‐induced xerostomia.     

Risk Factors for Rural Residential Fires

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: Rural households report high fire-related mortality and injury rates, but few studies have examined the risk factors for fires. This study aims to identify occupant and household characteristics that are associated with residential fires in a rural cohort. METHODS: Of 1,005 households contacted in a single rural county, 691 (68.8%) agreed to participate. One household with missing information on a reported fire was excluded from the analysis. We used logistic regression to examine the independent association of occupant and household characteristics with reported fires, controlling for years lived in the residence. We also examined the association between the occurrence of previous fires and the adoption of safety measures. FINDINGS: A total of 78 (11.3%) households reported a residential fire. Occupant characteristics that were associated with significantly higher odds of reported fires included the presence of an occupant with alcohol problems (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.01-3.28) and being married (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.14-3.91). Rural farm households were associated with significantly higher odds (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.01-2.93) of reporting a fire when compared to residences in towns, after controlling for all other occupant and household characteristics. The presence of a fire extinguisher (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.10-3.64) was the only fire safety measure that had a statistically significant association with reported fire. CONCLUSIONS: Rural farm households report higher incidences of fire when compared to households located in towns. Experiencing a fire is not associated with an increased likelihood of adopting safety measures to prevent injuries once a fire has started.