Experimental Candida-induced denture stomatitis in the Wistar rat.

An experimental model of yeast-induced denture stomatitis has been set up in the rat by inoculating Candida albicans on the fitting side of a maxillary acrylic plate retained by an orthodontic band around the incisors. Thirty-eight Wistar rats were used in two series of experiments with an observation period of 2 weeks. In each of the series there were one control and three experimental groups. Control rats were left untreated, while rats of the experimental groups wore either uninoculated or inoculated plates, or had their palatal mucosa smeared with the yeast. For cytologic examination the palate was scraped in Series I and the fitting side of the plate in Series II. After 1 week a generalized simple inflammation had developed in the palate of most animals of the experimental groups. It was most severe and persistent in rats with inoculated plates. Histologic signs of inflammation and hyphal formation were also most pronounced in this group. Hyphae did not invade the epithelium. Except for an initial loss of body weight, which was restored by day 10 or 12, the rats tolerated their plates. The Wistar rat seems to be well suited for experimental studies on denture stomatitis.     

Mental stress-induced physiological changes in the human masseter muscle

The effect of a long mental stress on the hemodynamics of masticatory muscles has not been investigated to date. We hypothesized some hemodynamic and electromyographic changes in jaw-closure muscles related to sympathetic nervous system activity. While healthy adult female volunteers performed a two-hour mental stress task, electromyographic activity of the temporal and masseteric muscles was recorded, and hemodynamic changes of the masseter muscle were measured non-invasively. Autonomic function was assessed by heart rate spectral analysis. Integrated electromyographic activity of the temporalis muscle, but not the masseter muscle, showed an increase that coincided with the increase in sympathetic nervous activity. In the masseter muscle, despite little change in integrated electromyographic activity, notable changes were found in hemodynamic parameters. These results suggest that hemodynamics of jaw muscles is susceptible to mental stress, implying a potential role in the etiology of jaw muscle dysfunction associated with mental stress.     

Use of bar-clip attachments to enhance the retention of a maxillofacial prosthetic obturator: a clinical report

Precision attachments are commonly used in prosthetic dentistry but are still questioned in maxillofacial prosthetics. The aesthetic enhancement and functional rigidity provided by attachments are favourable features to many challenging clinical situations such as class-III defect (Aramany's maxillectomy classification). Surgical reconstruction is the standard treatment for this type of defect repair. However, owing to the need for dental rehabilitation and patient reserve, prosthetic rehabilitation was the modality chosen in this clinical case. The use of bar attachments is described in this paper as providing increased stability and retention of the prosthesis, and improved obturator water and airtightness.     

Evaluation of radiographic predictors to assess the rate of mandibular residual ridge resorption.

Sixty healthy clinical edentulous patients (thirty male and thirty female) were chosen for the study. Panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken of each patient. The amount of bone loss was estimated from the panoramic radiographs as per the formula proposed by Wical and Scoop. The rate of mandibular residual resorbed ridge (RRR) expressed as percentage of bone loss per year was then computed. The correlation between the mandibular RRR and gonial cortical thickness and the percentage of cortical bone at the symphysis was tested. These parameters were also compared between the male and female patients. The rate of mandibular RRR, expressed as percentage of bone loss per year, was found to be indirectly correlated with the cortical thickness at gonion as measured from the panaromic and the lateral cephalometric radiographs. The values of students 't' test for mean differences between the female and the male patients with respect to the rate of mandibular RRR and the cortical thickness at the gonion were found to be statistically significant.     

Adjustment of the occlusal vertical dimension in the bite-raised guinea pig

In humans, the inappropriate occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) causes several orofacial disorders, such as bruxism and pain in the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint. However, it is still unclear how strictly the OVD is adjusted. To answer this question, we studied the temporal change of the OVD in bite-raised young guinea pigs. The OVD was raised by fixation of a bite-raising appliance to the lower incisors, and increased by either 3 or 1.5 mm at the first molars. After the space produced between the upper and lower molars was filled within 10 days due to eruption of the molars, the appliance was removed. In the bite-raised animals, the raised OVD was reduced until it attained that observed in the control animals, after which the OVD increased according to cranial growth. These results show that the OVD is developmentally changed and strictly controlled.     

Exposure of implants using a modified multiple-flap transposition vestibuloplasty

AIM: To introduce a minimally invasive operation to improve the condition of the soft tissues around the implants in an atrophied mandible, at the same time, as uncovering the implants. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A multiple-flap transposition vestibuloplasty was done in 11 patients after the insertion of four implants in the interforaminal region of an atrophied mandible. Improvement in soft tissues and successful exposure of implants and attached gingiva were evaluated during a follow-up period of 55 months. All the patients were operated on local anaesthesia as outpatients. RESULTS: Adequate exposure of implants and an area of attached gingiva 4-9 mm wide were attained. There was no bleeding on probing or local infection. CONCLUSION: The transposition multiple-flap vestibuloplasty is a simple and minimally invasive method of improving the condition of soft tissue after insertion of implants. It does not limit the patients' routine activities and avoids staged operations.     

Prevalence and trends in enamel fluorosis in the United States from the 1930s to the 1980s

BACKGROUND: The National Survey of Dental Caries in U.S. School Children: 1986-1987 conducted by the National Institute of Dental Research, or NIDR, remains the only source of national data about the prevalence of enamel fluorosis. The authors analyze these data and describe changes in the prevalence of enamel fluorosis since the 1930s, as reported by H. Trendley Dean. METHODS: A sample of children comparable to those described in the 1930s was selected from the NIDR data set among children living in households served by public water systems during the child's first eight years of life. The type of water system (that is, natural, optimal and suboptimal) for each household had been recorded in the NIDR data set using data from the 1985 U.S. Fluoridation Census. The NIDR data set included information about the children's history of fluoride exposure obtained from parents. RESULTS: In the 1986-1987 period, the prevalence of enamel fluorosis (ranging from very mild to severe) was 37.8 percent among children living in residences with natural fluoride (0.7 to 4.0 parts per million fluoride ions, or F-), 25.8 percent in the optimal fluoride group (0.7 to 1.2 ppm F- and 15.5 percent in the suboptimal fluoride group (< 0.7 ppm F-). The largest increase in fluorosis prevalence from the 1930s to the 1980s was in the suboptimal fluoride group (6.5 to 15.5 percent). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Exposure to multiple sources of fluoride may explain the increase in enamel fluorosis from the 1930s to the 1980s. The exposure to fluoride from sources such as dietary supplements has decreased since the 1980s because of reductions in the recommended dosage, but these changes occurred too late to have an effect on the study cohort. Evidence of simultaneous use of systemic fluorides indicates the need to reinforce guidelines for the appropriate use of fluorides and promote research on measuring total fluoride exposure.     

A simple model to demonstrate the electronic apex locator

AIM: To describe and evaluate a newly developed model for demonstrating and teaching the use of electronic apex locators. SUMMARY: A phantom model, master jaw model and extracted human teeth were used to construct the demonstration model with alginate impression material as the periapical conductive medium. The model was validated in a series of length determinations with apical foramina enlarged to 0.20, 0.30 and 0.45 mm diameter, and the stability of the model was evaluated up to 45 h after construction. All evaluations were conducted with the Root ZX apex locator with 2.65 and 5.25% NaOCl in the canals. Most length measurements were within 1 mm of actual root length (range: -2.2 to +0.21 mm) and did not change significantly over 45 h for teeth with foramina of 0.3 mm or less. Measurements for teeth with wide (0.45 mm) apices were stable up to 28 h. NaOCl concentration did not significantly affect the readings. KEY LEARNING POINTS: A simple, inexpensive model can be manufactured from plastic dental jaws, natural teeth and alginate impression material to demonstrate electronic working length measurement. The model is stable for many hours and provides consistent results with different concentrations of NaOCl in the canal and various apical diameters. The model is a useful teaching aid but needs further evaluation and refinement before use in research applications.