Temporomandibular joint marking for radionuclide bone scintigraphy.

Anatomical marking of the temporomandibular joint has led to a practical method of delineating and evaluating the temporomandibular joint and glenoid fossa by radionuclide bone scintigraphy.     

Microfibrillar collagen (Avitene) as a hemostatic agent in experimental oral wounds.

In dogs with experimentally created oral wounds, Avitene proved to be superior to Gelfoam or Surgicel as a topical hemostatic agent. No postoperative problems were encountered. All sites healed equally well and there was no discernible histological difference between results with Avitene and with the other agents.     

The microflora of the erupting first permanent molar

The relationship between microflora, eruption status and caries status in the first permanent molar of young children was investigated in 177 children aged 6-7 years. A significantly greater proportion of fully erupted teeth were classified as sound and plaque-free compared to partially erupted teeth. Fully erupted teeth yielded greater numbers and proportions of mutans streptococci compared with significantly greater numbers and proportions of Actinomyces israelii in partially erupted teeth. Logistical regression analysis showed significant associations between white spot lesions in partially erupted teeth and increased numbers of Streptococcus oralis, mutans streptococci and Streptococcus salivarius whereas the presence of Actinomyces naeslundii was associated with health. Significantly greater numbers and proportions of S. oralis and S. salivarius were isolated from partially erupted teeth with white spot lesions whereas Streptococcus mutans was isolated in significantly greater numbers and proportions from fully erupted molars with white spots. This study suggests that organisms other than mutans streptococci are associated with caries development in erupting permanent molar teeth.     

Magnetic versus mechanical expansion with different force thresholds and points of force application

The effects of force magnitude (high versus low) and point of force application (teeth versus direct palatal endosseous pins) on palatal expansion treatment were studied on four juvenile female Macaca fascicularis monkeys. Three subjects received one of the following appliances: (1) conventional type jackscrew maxillary plate bonded to the posterior teeth with a high force magnitude of 2033 g, (2) a similar tooth-borne appliance but with rare earth repulsive magnets having a low force of 258 g, or (3) a specially designed palatal acrylic appliance pinned directly to the palatal shelves also utilizing rare earth repulsive magnets with a low force of 258 g. A fourth animal, the control, received a passive sham appliance bonded to the abutment teeth. Spatial changes of dental markers and facial implants were studied radiographically. In the low force, magnetically induced appliances, treatment was longer (95 days for the palatally pinned appliance and 135 days for the bonded tooth-borne appliance). The force radiated superolaterally, dissipating in the zygomaticofrontal suture, and the overjet significantly increased because of the marked widening of the incisive and transverse sutures. With the conventional jackscrew high-force appliance bonded to the teeth, the treatment lasted 33 days. A diastema developed between the incisors and the force was transmitted superolaterally and then transmedially, thus causing fractures in the nasal complex and other iatrogenic sequelae. The palatally pinned magnetic appliance induced bodily tooth movement, the greatest increase in intermolar distance, and a superior repositioning of the maxillopalatine region. The latter two effects were caused by selective excitation of the transverse suture over the premaxillary suture. Symmetry decreased with remoteness from the point of application. These results suggest reduction of the conventional force by up to eightfold--a level supplied by the rare earth magnets. Extrapolating from these results, the slow palatal expansion regimen for the treatment of Class III malocclusions with maxillary transverse deficiency is preferred at an early age (not more than 6 years). In the event of a suture disorder, the use of direct forces to the palate might be considered.     

Issues in Financing Dental Care for the Elderly

The elderly make up an increasingly larger segment of the patient population in dental practices. This article reviews recent epidemiologic, demographic, and health services research, and concludes that significant segments of the elderly are at high risk for oral disease and/or limited access to dental treatment, and consequently warrant classification as high-risk groups for policy considerations. It then proposes policy options to the dental community and public decision makers. Oral care can be viewed as having three components. Two basic components are the primary care component--which includes diagnostic, preventive restorative, and periodontal care--and the acute care component--i.e., the treatment of oral pain, trauma, and infection. The third, rehabilitative component, has to do with the restoration of oral function, including prosthodontics and cosmetic dentistry. Viewing dental care in this perspective may help link funding for dental primary care services with that for other primary health services, and link restoration of function and improvement of quality of life with similar health services, like hearing, vision, and social services. In addition, approaching dental care policy makers on several levels--i.e., federal, state, and local--will contribute to our ability as a profession, in the decades ahead, to meet the oral health needs of more elders: including the frail, those at high risk for oral disease, and those with limited access to care.     

Rehabilitation of failing dentition with immediate denture prostheses: technique for a predictable esthetic and functional outcome

The goal of this article is to describe the clinical and laboratory procedures used in the fabrication of immediate complete and removable partial denture prostheses. In this type of treatment, achieving optimal esthetic and functional outcomes is complicated because of the absence of the try-in stage. To overcome this limitation, a technique that predictably transfers the information obtained during esthetic dentofacial analysis from the patient to the laboratory in the form of an incisal-occlusal plane guide is described. Stability, support, and retention of the immediate partial denture prosthesis can be improved with the incorporation of cast clasp assemblies, and its fabrication technique is presented in this article.