The position of the apical foramen of the permanent incisors

The position of the apical foramen in relation to the anatomical root apex is of considerable importance to the dentist, especially when the level of obturation of the root canal is determined through tooth length calculated radiologically. The main objective of this study was to determine in upper permanent incisor teeth, the position of foramen/foramina relative to the anatomical apex.
In 635 permanent upper incisors, the results of this study showed 54.3 per cent with the foramen coincident with the root apex, and 45.7 per cent where the root apex and the foramen were non-coincident. The average distance of the foramen from the root apex in the latter group was 0.35 mm and it ranged from 0.1 to 1.2 mm. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the apical termination of debridement and obturation of root canals.     

Multiple supernumerary teeth and possible implications

A case of an unusual number of supernumerary teeth is reported because patients who present with this symptom may be suffering from Gardner's syndrome or cleidocranial dysostosis.     

Steroid-induced anterior open bite. Case report

A young man presented with an increasing anterior open bite due to severe erosion and eventual collapse of the mandibular condyles. He had been undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, including high dose prednisolone, to treat the rejection of his renal transplant originally, and subsequently in connection with his mitral valve replacement following infective endocarditis. He also suffered severe secondary hyperparathyroid bone disease. A search of the English language literature failed to find a similar case.     

A survey of dental health and attitudes of adults in Queensland with respect to denture wearing

A postal survey was conducted in Queensland to investigate the dental health of adults with respect to denture wearing. The attitudes of the population to continuing attendance for dental care were also surveyed. Results obtained are compared with those for a very similar survey conducted in Victoria in 1977 and show that Queenslanders are exhibiting less edentulousness but have similar attitudes to denture wearing. The survey also indicates that cost is a large factor in determining the time at which dentures are replaced.