An evaluation of the clinical analgesia/anesthesia efficacy on acute pain using the high frequency neural modulator in various dental settings

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of high frequency neural modulation as a substitute for traditional local anesthesia in various dental procedures. This double-blinded study was done to evaluate patient comfort and degree of satisfaction as well as manageability of pain control by the operator during the dental procedures. Procedures included restorations, tooth extractions, root planing, pulp extirpation, and temporomandibular joint therapy. In the experimental group, favorable responses ranged from 0.0% to 92.8%, depending on the procedures. An overall favorable rating of 71.8% was given by the experimental group, and an overall favorable response of 8.5% was given by the placebo group.     

Planned change and the future of the dental education system

Dentistry today faces an environment that clearly requires changes in dental education. Future dentists must be prepared to deal with new patterns of dental disease, revised manpower requirements, and new developments in the nature of dental practice. The dental education system can best adapt to this situation by initiating a process of planned change. A well-developed literature in this area provides both a theoretical framework and a practical approach that the dental education system can follow in its planning process. In this paper, the principles of planned change are interpreted in the context of dental schools' characteristic structure, goals, leadership, and communication mechanisms. The traits of successful change and specific strategies for achieving it are offered as a means for the dental education system to build with confidence a productive and healthy future.     

Comparison of effect of SnF2 and NaF mouthrinses on caries incidence, salivary S. mutans and gingivitis in high caries prevalent adults

The effect of SnF2 and NaF mouthrinses were compared in subjects initially selected because of their high caries prevalence and high levels of salivary S. mutans. Subjects rinsed twice a day with either SnF2 or NaF (200 ppm F-). Subjects in both groups continued to be caries active during the course of the study. However, at the first year examination subjects rinsing with SnF2 had less S. mutans/ml saliva, a lower caries incidence and less gingivitis. After 2 yr the S. mutans levels in the SnF2 rinsing group remained significantly less. Both caries incidence and gingivitis were lower in the SnF2 group after 2 yr but the difference was not significant.     

The pathological significance of Langerhans cells in oral cancer

The functional role of Langerhans cells (LCs) in oral cancer was studied, based on a quantitative analysis of LCs in squamous cell carcinomas arising from the tongue. LCs were identified by their positiveness for S100-protein and other cytological characters based on PAP method. LCs increased in number in the cancer region and showed an intimate relationship with lymphocytes in terms of their number and distribution. Moreover, in those cases with many LCs, clusters consisting of LCs and lymphocytes were often found to combine into "hydropic degeneration-like" lesions as seen in allergic disease such as dermal lichen planus. These findings, as well as the review of literature, suggested some immunological role of LCs in oral carcinoma.     

Human papilloma virus (HPV) antigens and local immunologic reactivity in oral squamous cell tumors and hyperplasias

A series of 191 oral mucosal tumors including those with suspected HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) etiology; squamous cell papilloma (SQP), condyloma acuminatum (CA), focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH), as well as those regarded as unrelated to HPV; fibrous hyperplasia (FH), papillary hyperplasia (PH), and true fibroma (TF), were analyzed for HPV structural proteins (by indirect immunoperoxidase IP-PAP technique), for the presence of epithelial dysplasia, and for the cellular composition (B and T lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes, (MPS cells] of their local inflammatory cell infiltrates using ANAE-(acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase) stain. HPV structural proteins were disclosed in 85% of FEH, in 75% of CA, and in 41% of SQP. These three lesions significantly differed from PH and FH with regard to the intensity and cellular composition of the local infiltrates, being most intense and B cell predominated in the latter two. Mild dysplasia was found in 20% of both CA and SQP lesions, the former also showing moderate dysplasia in 12% of cases. The HPV antigen positivity was negatively correlated with dysplasia in CA and SQP, the intensity of the infiltrate showing positive association with dysplasia. The results are discussed in terms of HPV etiology of CA, SQP and FEH, of the host immunologic reactivity against these lesions, as well as of the possible role of HPV in human squamous cell carcinogenesis.     

Clinical evaluation of ceramic inlay made by CAD/CAM for 3 year]

In this study,ceramic inlays made by CAD/CAM system were used to restore posterior tooth defects.After three years of clinical observation on 21 prostheses no secondary caries was found and patients satisfied with their restoration on aspects of color match and resistance to wear etc.Five cases of inlay fracture and of obvious space between inlay margin and Cavowall were found.The main reason was the insufficient thickness of the inlays meanwhile the selection of bonding agent was not appropriate.The clinical successful rate is 76.20%.As CAD/CAM is a sophisticated technique induced into prosthodontic area just in 1980's,it has still some deficiency to be improved and perfected.     

The relationship between life-events and periodontitis A case-control study

Abstract This case-control study (n=100 dental patients, matched for age and sex) investigated the rôle of life-events in periodontitis. Data collected included life events, tobacco use, oral health behaviours and socio-demographics. The results of conditional simple logistic regression analysis showed that periodontitis was associated with the negative impact of life-events (p<0.01), the number of negative life-events (p<0.05), high levels of dental plaque (p<0.01), tobacco smoking (p<0.01) and being unemployed (p<0.05). These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for oral health behaviour and socio-demo-graphic variables, but not tobacco smoking (p>0.05). Marital status became statistically significant after adjusting for the other variables (p<0.05). A model is suggested to explain the pathways through which life events may affect periodontal health. It was concluded that psychosocial factors and oral health risk behaviours cluster together as important determinants of periodontitis.