Calculus Index Scores Research Articles

Post-treatment stability, survival time and periodontal health associated with vacuum-formed, bonded and rapid prototype retainers: A prospective clinical study

Background: New technologies have paved the way for newer fabrication techniques, such as rapid prototyping, which has gained popularity in the fabrication of several orthodontic appliances including retainers. Aim: To evaluate the stability, survival time and periodontal health associated with vacuum-formed retainers (VFRs), bonded retainers (BRs) and rapid prototype retainers (RPRs) over a period of 12 months in retention. Study design: Prospective clinical study. Methods: A total of 72 participants completing fixed orthodontic treatment were allocated to the following three groups by the investigators based upon their initial malocclusion, compliant and preferences: VFR; BR; and RPR. The primary outcome was Little’s Irregularity Index (LII). Other stability parameters, including arch length (AL), inter-canine width (ICW) and inter-molar width (IMW), were also assessed immediately after debonding (T0) and 12 months (T2) after debonding. In addition, survival time, and calculus index and gingival index (GI) were assessed. Results: LII showed a significant difference ( P = 0.00) between the groups and was increased in the VFR group (0.18 ± 0.22 mm) compared to the BR (0.03 ± 0.05 mm) and RPR (0.01 ± 0.03 mm) groups but was not clinically significant. The mean survival time of maxillary retainers was longest for the RPR group (220.63 days; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 194.1–247.16) but there was no significant difference between the three groups ( P = 0.43). The mean survival time of mandibular retainers was higher and the same for the VFR and RPR groups (240 days; 95% CI = 240–240) and there was no significant difference between the three groups ( P = 0.38). The calculus index score ( P = 0.00) was statistically significant between the groups, with an increased score for the BR group (0.33 ± 0.27) compared to the VFR (0.07 ± 0.16) and RPR (0.13 ± 0.22) groups. Similarly, the GI score ( P = 0.02) was statistically significant between the groups and was increased in the BR group (0.01 ± 0.19) compared to the VFR (−0.15 ± 0.18) and RPR (−0.06 ± 0.15) groups. The increase in calculus index and GI scores for the BR group were not clinically significant. Conclusion: There were no clinically significant differences between the three retainer groups in terms of stability, periodontal health and time to failure.

Biochemical and Microbiological Aspects of the Oral Cavity of Children and Young People with Neurological Impairment and Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

The components and the salivary flow have a direct influence on the composition of the oral microbiota of children and young people with oropharyngeal dysphagia, and studies have already demonstrated the excessive accumulation of supragingival dental calculus in individuals with enteral nutrition. This study aimed to compare the oral hygiene, biochemical, and microbiological aspects of the oral cavity of children and young people with neurological impairment and oropharyngeal dysphagia. Forty children and young people with neurological impairment and oropharyngeal dysphagia were enrolled and divided into two groups: group I, encompassing 20 participants fed via gastrostomy; and group II, encompassing 20 participants fed via the oral route. Oral hygiene and salivary pH and flow were assessed, and a polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the messenger RNA expressions of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tanerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. In groups I and II, the mean Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified scores were 4 and 2, respectively, showing a significant difference; the mean Calculus Index scores were 2 and 0, respectively, showing a significant difference; and the mean pH was 7.5 and 6.0, respectively, showing a significant difference. Bacterial analysis indicated no association between the two groups. It can be concluded that children and young people who use gastrostomy had a poorer oral hygiene, greater dental calculus deposition, and higher salivary pH. The saliva of patients in both groups contained Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tanerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola.

Evaluation of Effects of Scaling with and without Polishing on Oral Hygiene Clinical Parameters – A Concurrent Parallel Randomized Trial

Introduction: Good oral health is a crucial indicator of overall well-being. Oral hygiene maintenance and care is the practice of keeping the oral cavity clean and disease free. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of scaling and polishing on oral hygiene clinical parameters at different intervals. Materials and Methods: A concurrent parallel randomized trial was carried out among 60 college students in the Namakkal district. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, the scaling followed by the polishing group and the scaling without polishing group. This was a three-point assessment (baseline, 2nd week, and 3rd week) for plaque, gingival, and marginal line calculus index scores. Data were analyzed using parametric tests: independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: A statistically significant difference was found for all three clinical parameters at the final 3rd-week follow-up between the two groups. Between the intervals, both the groups had a significant difference (P < 0.05) for plaque, gingival, and calculus index. Conclusion: Scaling followed by polishing had better results when compared to scaling without polishing. Microlocal irregularities, caused by scaling procedures, might be the cause for further accumulation of debris which can be reduced by polishing procedures.

EFFECTS OF FIXED VS REMOVABLE ORTHODONTIC RETAINERS ON PERIODONTAL HEALTH

Objective: To assess the effects of fixed and removable orthodontic retainers in a mandibular arch on periodontal health. Methodology: This study was carried out at AFID from November 2018 to November 2020. Sixty-four patients, 42 females (65%) and 22 males (34%) with a mean age of 19.46±2.01years were selected and given either vac­uum formed retainer (VFR) or bonded retainer wire (BRW) in mandibular arch and divided into two equal groups. Only the mandibular arch was used to measure two clinical variables (Gingival index and calculus index) at four different time intervals, immediately after de-bonding (T0), at 6 months (T1), at 12 months (T2) and at 24 months(T3) to assess the effects of two retainer groups on Periodontal health. Results: No significant difference was found between gingival index and calculus index scores at T0 among VFR group and BRW group (p>0.05) while statistically significant differences were found in gingival index scores at T1 (p=0.025) and calculus index scores at T1 and T3 (p=0.015, p=0.048 respectively) among the two retainer groups. Conclusion: Fixed bonded retainer wire is capable of causing gingival inflammation and calculus aggregation, indicated by mild increase in gingival and calculus scores, in comparison to vacuum formed retainer. Although no adverse effects were observed on overall periodontal health with both retainers. This does not guarantee future disease progression, so careful monitoring of oral hygiene on follow-up visits should be a prime concern of ortho­dontists.

Comparative clinical efficacy of three toothpastes in the control of supragingival calculus formation.

Objectives:The purpose of this double-blind, parallel clinical study was to assess clinical efficacy in supragingival calculus formation reduction using Abhaibhubejhr Herbal Toothpaste compared to Colgate Total and Colgate Cavity Protection toothpastes.Materials and Methods:A total of 150 subjects participated in the pretest phase. All subjects were given oral soft/hard tissue evaluation, calculus examination using Volpe-Manhold calculus, and whole mouth oral prophylaxis. They received noncalculus control fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush for 1 min two times daily for 8 weeks. After which, subjects were given a test phase oral soft/hard tissue evaluation and calculus examination and were randomized into one of the three toothpaste groups. All subjects in the test phase received a whole mouth oral prophylaxis and were given their assigned toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush for 1 min two times a day for 12 weeks. Thereafter, subjects were assessed for their oral soft/hard tissue and calculus formation.Results:Mean Volpe-Manhold calculus index scores for the Cavity Protection, Abhaibhubejhr, and Total toothpaste groups were 0.78, 0.62, and 0.48, respectively, at the 12-week test phase evaluation. Abhaibhubejhr and Total toothpaste groups show 20.51% and 38.46% significantly less calculus formation than the Cavity Protection toothpaste group (P < 0.05). Total toothpaste group also show 22.58% significantly less calculus formation than the Abhaibhubejhr toothpaste group (P < 0.05).Conclusion:The use of Colgate Total toothpaste over a 12-week period was clinically more effective than either Abhaibhubejhr or Colgate Cavity Protection toothpastes in controlling supragingival calculus formation.

Unique database study linking gingival inflammation and smoking in carcinogenesis.

We investigated statistical association between gingival inflammation and cancer in a group of patients followed up for 26 years with the hypothesis that gingival inflammation affects carcinogenesis. Altogether, 1676 30- to 40-year-old subjects from Stockholm were clinically examined in 1985. In 2011, we compared the baseline oral examination and follow-up data with cancer diagnoses sourced from the Swedish national hospital register databases. Of 1676 individuals, 89 (55 women, 34 men) had got cancer by the year 2011. Women were found to be at higher risk for cancer than men. Smoking (expressed in pack-years) had been more prevalent in the cancer group than in those with no cancer diagnosis. Gingival index, marker of gingival inflammation, was higher in the cancer group than in subjects with no cancer. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding age, education, dental plaque and calculus index scores, or in the number of missing teeth. In multiple logistic regression analysis with cancer as the dependent variable and several independent variables, pack-years of smoking appeared to be a principal independent predictor with odds ratio (OR) 1.32 while gingival inflammation showed OR 1.29. Hence, our present findings showed that together with smoking, gingival inflammation indeed associated with the incidence of cancer in this cohort.

Marginal Bone Level Changes and Prosthetic Maintenance of Mandibular Overdentures Supported by 2 Implants: A 5‐Year Randomized Clinical Trial

Documentation of early loading of mandibular overdentures supported by different implant systems is scarce. This study aimed to compare the biologic and prosthetic outcome of mandibular overdentures supported by unsplinted early-loaded one- and two-stage oral implants after 5 years of function. Twenty-eight consecutive patients were screened following an inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly allocated to treatment groups. Ball-retained mandibular overdentures were fabricated on two unsplinted Straumann (Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland) and Brånemark (Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden) dental implants and subjected to an early-loading protocol. During the 5-year period, prosthetic complications were recorded. At 5-years of function, plaque, peri-implant inflammation, bleeding, and calculus index scores were recorded, and standard periapical radiographs were obtained from each implant for measurement of marginal bone loss. All implants survived during the observation period. The peri-implant inflammation, bleeding, and calculus index scores around Straumann and Brånemark implants were similar (p > .05). The marginal bone loss around Brånemark implants (1.21 +/- 0.1) was higher than Straumann implants (0.73 +/- 0.06) at 5 years of function (p = .002). Kaplan-Meier tests revealed that 1- and 5-year survival of overdentures on Straumann and Brånemark implants were similar (p = .85). Wear of the ball abutment in the Brånemark group was higher than in the Straumann group (p < .05). Complications regarding the retainer and the need for occlusal adjustments were higher in the Straumann group (p < .05). Chi-square test revealed that the frequency of retightening of the retainer was higher in the Straumann group than in the Brånemark group (p < .05). Mandibular overdentures supported by unsplinted early-loaded Straumann and Brånemark implants lead to similar peri-implant soft tissue and prosthetic outcomes, although higher marginal bone loss could be observed around Brånemark implants after 5 years.

Oral cleanliness of 12-13-year-old and 15-year-old school children of Sunsari District, Nepal

The aim of the study was to evaluate the oral cleanliness of school children in the District of Sunsari, Nepal. A multi-stage random sampling oral epidemiological survey was conducted in private and government, urban, rural town and rural village schools in 15 illakas of Sunsari District, Eastern Nepal. A total of 600, 12-13-year-old and 600 15-year-old school children were examined by trained examiners using the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). The average age-group, debris and calculus index scores were combined to obtain the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). The mean OHI-S scores were compared and evaluated using the parametric t-test for two independent samples. The mean OHI-S for urban 12-13-year-old school children was 0.98 compared to 1.34 for school children of rural towns and 1.44 for school children of rural villages and these differences in mean OHI-S were statistically significant (P < 0.005). In the 15-year-old age group, urban school children had a mean OHI-S score of 1.00 compared to 1.37 for rural towns and 1.43 for rural villages. The variance in the mean OHI-S scores were statistically significant (P < 0.005). The overall level of cleanliness in the school children surveyed was good. Children of urban schools had the lowest scores followed by school children from rural towns and then rural villages. When the mean OHI-S scores were compared with the DMFT scores, there was an inverse relationship between oral cleanliness and dental caries. Frequency of sugar consumption and the availability and affordability of fluoridated toothpaste may be important factors in the development of dental caries than oral cleanliness.

Performance of left-handed dental students is improved when working from the left side of the patient

The presented study compared the performance of left-handed dental students on a common task. The left-handed students worked from either the right or left side of the different patients. Forty-two voluntary students from dentistry faculty were included in this study. Right- and left-handed dental students were directed to right-handed chairs to remove dental plaque and calculus in 42 voluntary patients having nearly similar amounts of plaque and calculus. Another group including left-handed dentists using chairs set up for left-handed operation for comparison to the performance of the left-handed dentists in right-sided chairs was also comprised. At the beginning, plaque and calculus index scores measured using Plaque index (PI) and calculus index (CI) by an experienced colleague. To evaluate the post-treatment, the same procedures were used. The obtained results from each student's treatment were evaluated. A statistically significant difference was found between outcomes of the patients treated by the left-handed dental students and the patients treated by the right-handed dental students for PI and remaining calculus index scores ( p<0.001). The mean CI was found to be lowest (best performance) in left-handers working on a left-sided dental chair. The left-handers with the right-sided chair were found to be not as good as those on the left-sided chair. Relevance to industry Right-sided dental chairs are commonly used in dental practice. However, it cannot be stated that all the practitioners are right-handers. Although there is no report in the literature about the decreased performance of left-handed practitioner on right-sided dental chairs, it can not be denied that the overall average performance of left-handed practitioners could be improved by providing the opportunity to work from the left side of the patient.

Oral hygiene levels and behaviour in pre‐clinical and final‐year dental students

The oral hygiene levels and behavior in pre-clinical and final-year dental students attending Birmingham University 1977 were investigated. Gingival inflammation, bacterial plaque and calculus accumulations were clinically recorded. Tooth cleaning habits were assessed by a questionnaire. Oral hygiene habits differed between the two groups and an improvement in oral hygiene levels was evident in the final-year students. Statistically significant differences (P is less than 0.05) were found between the plaque index scored of the pre-clinical and final-year students, and for the gingival and calculus index scores of the male students. Thus in this investigation it was possible to show that improvement in oral hygiene does occur between the pre-clinical and final year of the undergraduate course.