Is the burden of oral diseases higher in urban disadvantaged community compared to the national prevalence?

Background

The urban low income has often been assumed to have the greatest dental treatment needs compared to the general population. However, no studies have been carried out to verify these assumptions. This study was conducted to assess whether there was any difference between the treatment needs of an urban poor population as compared to the general population in order to design an intervention programme for this community.

Methods

A random sampling of living quarters (households) in the selected areas was done. 586 adults over 19 years old living in these households were clinically examined using World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Survey criteria 4th edition (1997).

Results

The overall prevalence of dental caries, periodontal disease, denture wearers and temporomandibular joint problems were 70.5%, 97.1%, 16.7% and 26%, respectively. The majority (80.5%) needed some form of dental treatment. The highest treatment needs were found in the oldest age group while the lowest were in the youngest group (19-29 years) (p = 0.000). The most prevalent periodontal problem was calculus; regardless of gender, ethnicity and age. Significantly more females (20.5%) wore prosthesis than males (11.1%) (p = 0.003). Prosthetic status and need significantly increased with age (p = 0.000). About one in four adults had Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) problems. Overall, it was surprising to note that the oral disease burden related to caries, prosthetic status and treatment need were lower in this population as compared to the national average (NOHSA, 2010). However, their periodontal disease status and treatment needs were higher compared to the national average indicating a poor oral hygiene standard.

Conclusions

The evidence does not show that the overall oral disease burden and treatment needs in this urban disadvantaged adult population as higher than the national average, except for periodontal disease. The older age groups and elderly were identified as the most in need for oral health intervention and promotion. An integrated health intervention programme through a multisectoral common risk factor approach in collaboration with the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and other agencies is needed for the identified target group.

     

Suppression of colorectal cancer cell growth by combined treatment of 6-gingerol and γ-tocotrienol via alteration of multiple signalling pathways

Journal of Natural Medicines - Our previous study reported that combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol with 6-gingerol showed promising anticancer effects by synergistically inhibiting...     

Coincidental diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis: a case report

The aim of this case report was to present a case of multiple calcified tuberculous lymph nodes found on a panoramic radiograph coincidently diagnosed in an endodontic clinic. A detailed discussion on the differential diagnosis of similar such calcification found in the same region is also presented. A 14‐year‐old girl was referred to our department with the complaint of painless swelling in the left side of the lower jaw. Clinical and radiographical examinations were performed, leading to the initial diagnosis of chronic periapical abscess. The patient's medical history was re‐evaluated. Advanced imaging and excisional biopsy were performed in order to confirm the final diagnosis. Regarding the presenting signs and symptoms of bilateral carious mandibular molars, a periapical inflammatory process was considered in the provisional diagnosis. A thorough examination and investigations were suggestive of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (scrofula), and the patient underwent excision of the same. The clinician should consider the possibility of chronic granulomatous inflammatory lesions in the differential diagnosis of radiopaque lesions.     

手把手教初学者学习医学影像学论文写作

青年学者常常在完成资料收集和分析之后对获得的结果充满了激情。然而,在开始写作论文时,这种热情常常锐减。事实也如此,国家级学术会议的论文数远高于最终发表的医学文献数。优秀的研究成果不能发表的原因2大多在于写作新手在开始写作时对写作的认识混乱和畏缩。一般产生畏缩的原因有2个:要么是研究者不知从何着手,要么是不知如何组织文章结构。不过,大部分放射学论文的写作均有规律可寻,在很大程度上是程式化的。本文试图介绍一种可应用于典型放射学论文的逐段写作法。如果初学者能够完成按照本文教授的18段写作,其论文将具有合理的结构,…     

Sports Nutrition and Food Knowledge among Malaysian University Athletes

Sports nutrition and food knowledge can influence athletes’ dietary intake, potentially affecting athletic performance. Limited studies have been conducted to identify sports nutrition and food knowledge among Malaysian university athletes. This study aimed to determine Malaysian university athletes’ knowledge of sports nutrition and food, and their reference sources and preferred sports nutrition education programme. Seventy athletes (52.9% females, mean weight = 61.8 kg; height = 1.66 m) aged 18.5–22.4 years responded to an online survey administered using a Google Form. A score of ≥60% was considered as adequate knowledge. The average overall knowledge score was 58.6%. The highest knowledge score was for sports nutrition, specifically food intake periodicity (84.8%), while the lowest was for general food knowledge on fat (44.6%). An analysis of specific questions revealed a lack of understanding about the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables (only 14.3% answered correctly), the roles of vitamins and minerals in energy production (21.4%), and good sources of unsaturated fat (37.2%). The academician was the primary reference source (81%), while magazines were the least referred to sources (36%). The university athletes preferred sports camps (33%) over the other nutrition education programme options. More initiatives are needed to improve Malaysian university athletes’ understanding and knowledge of sports nutrition and general food.     

Analysis of sequence variations in low-density lipoprotein receptor gene among Malaysian patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Background  

Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder mainly caused by defects in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene. Few and limited analyses of familial hypercholesterolemia have been performed in Malaysia, and the underlying mutations therefore remain largely unknown.     

Robot-assisted catheter manipulation for intracardiac navigation

Objective  Manual navigation of intracardiac steerable catheters is inaccurate, requires dexterity for efficient manipulation of the catheter, and exposes the interventionalist to ionizing radiation. The objective of this research is to develop a system that replaces the interventionalists’s hands in catheter manipulation for accurate and semi-automatic tele-navigation of catheters. Methods  Based on a proposed kinematic model for the distal shaft of the catheter, a system has been developed for assisted navigation of intracardiac catheters. When the distal shaft of the catheter lies inside a cardiac chamber, a robotic apparatus is utilized for automatic steering of the catheter tip to reach designated targets within the chamber. Results  The catheter modeling was validated through the experiments on three swine. The robotic system could navigate the catheter tip to designated targets with a mean distance of 6.53 mm from the target. Conclusion  Preliminary in vivo studies demonstrate the feasible application of the system in catheter navigation and the validity of catheter modeling and control strategies.