Oral Aspect Research Articles

Justice-oriented assessment in immigrant serving schools: a critical ethnographic case study of the elements of performance assessment

This critical ethnographic case study explores the impact of Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) on high school dynamics and instructional practices, particularly in schools serving immigrant communities. PBATs, considered alternatives to standardized testing, have shown promise in enhancing student engagement, critical thinking, and college readiness. Drawing on interviews and fieldwork at four International High Schools, the study investigates how PBAT adoption influences day-to-day operations, teacher-student interactions, and school culture. Results reveal that PBAT implementation requires early investment in skill development and mentorship, transforming educators into facilitators and students into active learners. Moreover, the oral presentation aspect fosters multilingual proficiency. Despite challenges, PBATs offer a pathway to equitable assessment practices and educational transformation. Framed within a justice-oriented framework, this research highlights the potential of PBATs to create inclusive and empowering learning environments for immigrant and marginalized students.

Effect of Oral and Dental Health on Combat Fitness- A Study Conducted in Military Dental Centre Cumilla

Background: The effect of oral and dental diseases of the deployed troops can seriously impair the operational activity. Combat fitness on oral and dental aspect means keeping soldier’s oral health in such a state so that they can be quickly deployed, as well as military dental personnel staying in such a way that they can be moved in the front with all of their equipment and materials to treat patients. Objective: To figure out the present oral health status of Bangladeshi troops and to correlate it’s possible influence on combat situation. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out in Military Dental Centre Cumilla from 01 March 2020 to 31 March 2022. All uniformed personnel reported to MDC with oral and dental issues were included in this study. Results: A total of 4597 uniformed personnel were evaluated and treated. Among them sainik and lance corporals were highest 2289(50%). Dental caries was mostly diagnosed condition 1410(31%). In case of acute dental condition irreversible pulpitis cases were most in number 420(35%). Dental restoration was mostly performed procedure 1293(48%) and glass ionomer restoration was done 830(64%) in most of the cases. The dental emergency rate was 230 per 1000 soldier per year. Conclusion: Disease non battle injury (DNBI) originating from dental pathologies obviously compromise the performance of high intensity missions. In this study, number of dental emergency rate (considering every dental visit) was found 230 per 1000 soldiers per year which is very similar to other countries. JAFMC Bangladesh, Vol 19, No 2 (December) 2023: 16-20

Music attributes and the perception of orange juice

There has been a recent growth of interest in understanding whether sound (specifically music) in the dining environment can enhance the taste perception of food and drink. Most of the previous research within the music-taste association utilized music soundtracks which were specifically designed to correspond to taste characteristics, for example, sweet taste/sweet music or sour taste/sour music. However, only a few studies have focused on the effect of each music attribute on aroma and taste. Moreover, freshness and thickness, as an oral somatosensory aspect, are concepts that lack the multisensory research of their sensory perception. This study investigated the effect of music on the taste of orange juice in a multisensory and controlled indoor environment laboratory (Sens i-Lab). In this current study, participants tasted orange juice samples while listening to eight music soundtracks and one silent sound. The music soundtracks were designed by combining two levels in each of three sonic attributes: Articulation (Legato, Staccato), Tempo (70 and 120 Bpm), and Pitch (Low, High). Overall, results showed that the variety in music attributes influences the orange juice about aroma, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, freshness, and thickness perceptions. The findings of this research can contribute to the development of multisensory design strategies for interactive design innovation in the context of food service. Moreover, the music stimuli in the dining experience can exalts the sensory perception of food and beverage as a part of creative gastronomic experience.

In Vitro Aging and Fracture Tests on Differently Veneered Partially Stabilized Zirconia Anterior Crowns.

Objectives: To evaluate the fracture resistance of veneered incisor crowns made from highly translucent zirconia frameworks. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six all-ceramic single crowns were based on either a coping with minimum wall thickness or a cutback framework fabricated from highly translucent zirconia (5Y-PSZ). Each one-third of the specimens was finalized with different veneering ceramics using standardizations and glaze firing. Crowns were luted to cobalt-chromium dies with MDP-containing composite cement. Half of the entire sample underwent artificial aging (chewing simulation and thermocycling) before fracture load tests were conducted using a 6 mm steel sphere applied in a 90° angle to the oral aspect of the crowns with 1.3 mm distance to the incisal edge. Besides descriptive presentation of recorded forces at first damage (F1d) and fracture (Fu), Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze data at α = 0.05. Results: Directly after manufacturing, incisor crowns of all test groups showed sufficient mean fracture resistances. After artificial aging, crack formation was observed in a high percentage for fully veneered crowns of all test groups, but only for one veneering ceramics with cutback crowns. Mean test forces of unaged crowns were F1d,mean ≥ 422 N | Fu,mean ≥ 749 N (fully veneered) and F1d,mean ≥ 644 N | Fu,mean ≥ 706 N (cutback) dropped significantly to F1d,mean ≥ 131 N | Fu,mean ≥ 223 N (fully veneered) and F1d,mean ≥ 324 N | Fu,mean ≥ 524 N (cutback) . Conclusions: Within the limitations of this laboratory study, 5Y-PSZ based anterior crowns can be a viable treatment option. Framework design, choice of the veneering ceramics and artificial aging show relevant effects on the fracture resistances. Concerted veneering ceramics should be used and partially veneering of the zirconia frameworks should be favored over full veneers.

Clinical Insights into Orofacial Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive Study

Introduction - Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder which affects around four million people globally. Many of the signs of Parkinson’s disease are found in the head and neck region. The typical “mask-like” facial appearance with infrequent blinking and lack of expression is caused by bradykinesis. Since the oral aspect of this peculiar disease is less explored, the present study aims at understanding the dental and oral risk among the patients of Parkinson’s disease. Objective - To assess the overall dental status and oral health of the patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study was aimed to analyze the impact of Parkinson’s disease on the oral health of the individuals surviving with the disease. Materials and Methods - The study sample included 100 Parkinson’s disease patients. The patients of all age groups and both genders were included. Results - Among 100 Parkinson’s disease patients 82 patients were males and 18 patients were females. Among the oral manifestations dental caries was in 85 patients(85%) , periodontitis was in 76 (76%), Dryness of mouth was in 68 patients(68%), Gingivitis was found in 54 people(54%), Attrition was diagnosed in 28 patients (28%), Hyper salivation, Cervical abrasion and Difficulty in speech was seen in 16 patients (16%), Loss of taste sensation was seen in 9 patients (9%), facial asymmetry and Family history of Parkinson’s disease was seen among 7 patients(7%). An overall, oral manifestation of both hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity was found in Parkinson’s disease patients. Conclusion - The present study was carried out to determine the dental status and oral health of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Dental health education activities should be introduced to increase the awareness and importance of oral health of patients with Parkinson’s disease. KeyWords - Dental status, Oral manifestations, Oral health, Parkinson’s Diseases

Kurra ve müfessirler arasında geç döneme kadar Kur'an kıraatlerinde fluluk: Ebussuud ve tefsiri örneği

A significant topic of the Qur’anic studies is the subject of variant readings. According to Muslim tradition, the Qur’ān can be read at least in seven variant readings. Primary sources of Muslim scholarly tradition on the history of the Qur’ān exhibit, to some degree of variance, two distinct historical tiers: one is on the written form of the Qur’ān; and the other is on the oral features of the Qur’ān. Although the history of the written form of the Qur’ān seems to have culminated with the collection of the caliph ‛Uthmān (r. 26-36/646-656), the oral character of it continued to entertain variances in unspcified numbers. Attempts to limit, systematize, and cononize these variances, despite political backing at times, have failed to find reception with the scholars of Qur’anic readings and the scholars of Qur’anic exegesis well into the late middle ages. The latter, in their exegetical works, have continued to revive, utilize, and assess the readings that had been deemed non-canonical by the former. The Muslim tradition in general purports that the Qur’anic readings have been limited and systematized in non-exegetical settings, and the scholars of Qur’anic readings have allowed for the utilization of non-canonical readings for exegetical purposes. Our study here aims to assess this claim and reexamine if it can be corroborated with historical developments. We hope to demonstrate that not only does this claim stand on shaky grounds, but the exegetical literature well into the late middle ages strove to maintain the liberal ground for the oral aspect of the Qur’ān. We have tackled the issue through the exegetical work of Abū al-Su‛ūd al-‛Īmādī, Irshād al-‛aql al-salīm ilā mazāyā al-Kitāb al-Karīm, with references to earlier exegetical works on which Abū al-Su‛ūd seems to have drawn. We would like to demonstrate that the exegetes contested the Qur’anic readers in the oral features of the Qur’ān and stood their ground in keeping the liberal approach that allowed for some degree of fluidity and which was guided and governed by several different and non-fixed criteria such as tradition, meaning, literary excellence, linguistic reasoning, etc.

Oral health status in patients with inherited epidermolysis bullosa: a comparative multicenter study.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic mucocutaneous disorder characterized by epithelial fragility leading to blister formation on skin and mucous membranes with even minor mechanical trauma. Most EB oral health publications give fragmented information, focusing on only one oral health aspect or one EB type. The aim of this study was to expand the knowledge of the overall oral health status of individuals with dystrophic, junctional, and simplex EB. A comparative multicenter study, including a control group, and based on questionnaires and clinical examinations, was undertaken in three EB expert centers. Most EB (90.2%) participants brushed their teeth at least once a day despite the pain. The prevalence of enamel defects and caries experience did not differ between the 42 EB participants and the 42 age-/sex-matched healthy controls. Gingival inflammation unrelated to dental plaque accumulation was found in EB participants. Blisters, erythema, and erosion/ulceration mainly involved gingiva, buccal mucosa, lips, and palate, with different topographic patterns according to EB type. EB patients whatever the age showed a similar lesion distribution. Simplex and dystrophic EB patients under 12 years old displayed higher lesion severity than junctional EB ones. Only dystrophic type exhibited microstomia and ankyloglossia. Oral health status seemed to benefit from a close collaboration between dental practitioner and dermatologist, and from regular dental examination, starting at a young age and with a focus on prevention. The new appreciation of oral health involvement highlighted by this study is essential for EB patients care, regarding comorbidities and quality of life.

Histomorphometrical and CBCT Evaluation of Tissue Loss Progression Induced by Consecutive, Alternate Ligatures in Experimental Peri-Implantitis in a Dog Model: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Soft and hard tissue breakdown was histologically and radiologically assessed around implants with alternate, consecutively placed ligatures on the same edentulous dog hemimandible. The influence of ligatured implants (LI) on adjacent non-ligatured implants (NLI, as a possible naturally induced peri-implantitis) was also evaluated. Material and Methods: Three months after tooth extraction, five dental implants were placed in the dog hemimandible. Two months after abutment placement, ligatures were placed subsequently two months apart on alternate implants, while both intermediate implants were left without ligatures. Ligatures were kept in place during the entire experiment, and no plaque control measures were taken. Eleven months post-implantation, the animal was sacrificed. Undecalcified ground sections were cut, stained with Masson Goldner and MOVAT Pentachrome and evaluated by light microscopy. Soft and hard tissue loss was assessed using histomorphometric and CBCT parameters. Results: All NLI presented deep false peri-implant pockets on the oral aspect and pronounced vertical bone resorption on the buccal aspect. After 2, 4 and 6 months, during the breakdown period, more than 30% of the bone was lost in LI in all directions, while, despite immediate vicinity, NLI displayed less destruction. Intense inflammation, typical for induced peri-implantitis, was present, with similar intensity in LI as NLI, but in different parts of the lesions. Morphometry confirmed intense soft tissue inflammation, more bone resorption and higher amounts of infiltrated connective tissue in LI when compared with NLI. Conclusion: Within the limits of the present pilot study, the adequacy of the experimental dog model based on ligature-induced peri-implantitis was able to be successfully challenged by non-ligature models of spontaneously occurring peri-implant inflammation, while meeting the requirements for experimental designs with a very small numbers of animals. The influence of implants with severe peri-implantitis on adjacent implants resulted in less than expected tissue loss in the latter accession numbers.

Influence of Speech and Cognitive Load on Balance and Timed up and Go.

The interaction between oral and/or mental cognitive tasks and postural control and mobility remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of speech production and cognitive load levels on static balance and timed up and go (TUG) during dual-task activities. Thirty healthy young subjects (25 ± 4 years old, 17 women) participated in this study. A control situation and two different cognitive arithmetic tasks were tested: counting backward in increments of 3 and 7 under oral (O) and mental (M) conditions during static balance and the TUG. We evaluated the dual-task cost (DTC) and the effect of speech production (SP) and the level of cognitive load (CL) on these variables. There was a significant increase in the centre of pressure oscillation velocity in static balance when the dual task was performed orally compared to the control situation The DTC was more pronounced for the O than for the M. The SP, but not the CL, had a significant effect on oscillation velocity. There was an increase in TUG associated with the cognitive load, but the mental or oral aspect did not seem to have an influence. Mobility is more affected by SP when the cognitive task is complex. This may be particularly important for the choice of the test and understanding postural control disorders.

Selenized liposomes with ameliorative stability that achieve sustained release of emodin but fail in bioavailability

Stability of liposomes plays a crucial role in drug delivery, especially in oral aspect. The structural modification of liposomes has been the orientation of efforts to improve their stability and enable the controllability of payload release. This study reported a selenylation strategy to optimize the liposomal structure in an attempt to enhance the nanocarrier's stability, hence the bioavailability of emodin (EM), an active compound with poor water-solubility. EM-loaded selenized liposomes (EM-Se@LPs) were prepared by thin film dispersion followed by in situ reduction technique. The results showed that EM-Se@LPs were provided with enhancive gastrointestinal stability and exhibited sustained release of drug compared with EM-loaded liposomes (EM-LPs). However, the modified liposomes with Se depositing onto the interior and exterior bilayers did not substantially facilitate absorption of EM. The reinforced structure of liposomes irrelevant to absorption was affirmed to be due to good stability and absorbability of EM itself. Nevertheless, the present work provides an alternative option for stabilization of liposomes instead of conventional methods, which may be promising for oral delivery of physiologically unstable and/or poorly absorbed drugs and systemic drug delivery.

A 3-year prospective randomized clinical trial of alveolar bone crest response and clinical parameters through 1, 2, and 3\xa0years of clinical function of implants placed 4 months after alveolar ridge preservation using two different allogeneic bone-grafting materials

PurposeThe aim of this study was to longitudinally evaluate changes in alveolar bone crest (ABC) levels and differences in resorption rates (RR) between the tested grafting materials following alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) after tooth extraction after 1, 2, and 3 years (T1–T8) of clinical function.MethodsPatients were randomly assigned to two different bone allografts (group 1 maxgraft®, group 2 Puros®) for ARP. Non-restorable teeth were minimal traumatically extracted. Sockets were augmented with the tested materials and covered with a pericardium membrane. After 4 months of healing, 36 implants were placed and sites were clinically and radiographically monitored in the mesial (ABC-M), the distal (ABC-D, T1–T8), the bucco-lingual (ABC-BL), buccal (ABC-B) and oral (ABC-O) aspect (T1–T4).ResultsChanges in (ABC-M), (ABC-D), (ABC-BL), (ABC-B), and (ABC-O) levels showed statistically highly significant differences between T1 and T2 for both bone allografts (p < 0.001). Changes at the ABC-M and ABC-BL levels between T2 and T3 of group 1 showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Both groups achieved and maintained increased ABC levels without statistically significant differences throughout the monitoring periods of 1–3 years (T6–T8) of clinical function. No failures or adverse events were observed.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this study is within its limitations the first study to directly compare ABC-changes and differences in RR of two different allogeneic grafting materials for a period of 3 years after ARP. It was demonstrated to be, despite significant differences in RR, a successful method of preserving increased ABC levels through 1, 2, and 3 years of clinical function.Trial registration DRKS00013010, registered 07/30/2018, http://apps.who.int/trialsearch

Diagnosis and protection of COVID-19 in stomatology

In late 2019, a novel coronavirus of uncertain etiology caused outbreaks in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to other provinces and countries. Some researchers isolated the pathogen, which they named the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV). The common symptoms of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, such as sore throat, high fever, diarrhea, and dyspnea. Besides that, researchers also recorded oral symptoms, including ulcers, herpes, and tongue pain. At the same time, dental practitioners, as a high-risk infection occupation, always contact close patients. It is very important to prevent infection. The review aims to look back at the progress of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with stomatology, to be studied, diagnosed, and prevented from the disease from the oral aspect.

ЧИСЛІВНИК ЯК ЕЛІТНИЙ КОМПОНЕНТ КОМУНІКАЦІЇ У СУЧАСНОМУ ПРОФЕСІЙНОМУ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОМУ ПРОСТОРІ

The article is devoted to the problem of normative and use of numerals in the information space (professional communication, communication in the media and everyday contacts). Attention is drawn to the consistently large number of errors in the functioning of this part of speech, analysed violations of the literary norm in numerals at the phonetic, accentual and morphological levels, provides typical errors and recommendations for their correction and prevention. The relevance of the study of this linguistic pathology is that the numerator occupies one of the first places in the register of non-normative use of linguistic units of modern Ukrainian literary language, although it is semantically limited exact lexical unit that expresses such an important conceptual category as quantitative. Violations related to this part of the language distort the content of the message, leading to significant errors in many areas of professional communication, where accuracy and completeness are paramount. In addition, they can cause negative consequences in the real technological process in production. Such non-normative use does not contribute to the establishment and development of normal communication of communicators at the household level, when there is a need for specific dosed information, and sometimes even becomes a lingual tool of fraudulent spheres. Theoretical postulates on the functioning of numerals do not sufficiently regulate the oral aspect of its use. Although these rules are not complicated and can be easily assimilated by native speakers, the number of errors in this part of the language not only does not decrease, but, conversely, increases exponentially. This, of course, requires the immediate intervention of linguists. The article provides brief recommendations for mastering certain grammatical categories that characterize this part of speech and allow you to easily get rid of negative lingual habits. Particular emphasis is placed on the specifics of the functioning of numerals in professional communication, as they are one of the main applicants in the professional field, including special text. Knowledge of language and literary norms is an important element of the linguistic portrait of a specialist, which is an important tool of competition in the modern world.

ANALISIS ASPEK KELISANAN PADA HIKAYAT PERANG PANDAWA JAYA

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The manuscript studied in this study is the story of the Hikayat Perang Pandawa Jaya. This manuscript is themed on one of the great epics of India, namely Mahabharata. In this study, philological work steps are used to explain the description of the manuscript. In addition, this study will also present an analysis of oral aspects according to Walter J. Ong. Oral aspect analysis is used to determine the oral elements contained in the story of the Hikayat Perang Pandawa Jaya. The results of the analysis show that the Hikayat Perang Pandawa Jaya contains several oral aspects expressed by Walter J. Ong. These include additive, aggregative, close to everyday life, conservative, participatory, and &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;homocentric&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;. The steps of philological work are appropriate when used to study the Hikayat Perang Pandawa Jaya which is a type of old Malay manuscript.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Students’ mathematical communication in teams games tournaments (TGT) learning model on trigonometry topic

This study aims to observe the result of students’ mathematical communication in a Teams Games Tournament (TGT) type cooperative learning model. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method in which the result of the observation and investigation of the students’ mathematical communication will be described. This research subjects were the first semester college students of class A in school year 2019/2020. There were 30 students who were taking the Trigonometry learning material in the Mathematics Education study program of Math and Science Faculty in Universitas Negeri Malang. The learning process was done by applying the TGT type cooperative learning method. The results of this research showed that the learning model had a positive influence on most of the students’ mathematical communication, especially on their oral and written mathematical communication aspects. On the oral aspect, on average, the students had a good communication skill with several indicators as follows: grammatical skills; sociolinguistic skills; and strategical skills. The students were expected to have a mathematical thinking and reasoning skills. Whereas on the written aspect, the indicators were as follows: interpreting mathematical ideas rationally, changing mathematical problems into mathematical models, and expressing mathematical ideas in the form of a description. From the results of this study, it was obtained that most of the students had good written mathematical communication skills. It can be concluded that the TGT learning model had a positive influence on the students’ mathematical communication skills.

Diagnosis and Protection of COVID-19 in Stomatology

In late 2019, a novel coronavirus uncertain etiology caused in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to other provincesandcountries.Someresearchersisolatedthepathogennamedasthe2019novelcoronavirusdisease(2019nCoV). The common symptoms of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, such as sore throat, high fever, diarrhea, and dyspnea. Besides that, researchers also recorded oral symptoms including ulcers, herpes, and tongue pain. At the sametime,dentalpractitionersasahigh-riskinfectionoccupationalwayscontactclosepatients.Itisveryimportant to prevent infection. The review aims to look back at the progress of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with stomatology, to be studied, diagnosed, and prevented from the disease from the oral aspect.

여순사건 경험담의 구술양상과 기억의 역사로서의 의미 －전남 곡성군을 중심으로－

여순사건 경험담의 구술양상과 기억의 역사로서의 의미 －전남 곡성군을 중심으로－

S3595 "Cutting Edge Honjo Masamune Saving Lives" ESD Preferred and Popular for Early Gastric Cancer

INTRODUCTION: Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and complete resection is the only curative treatment. Historically, total or subtotal gastrectomy was the only curative option. However, with the advances in therapeutic endoscopy, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment option for precancerous lesions and early stage gastric cancer. Here we present a case of large gastric mass that was able to be fully resected using ESD, which was found to be rare GC. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 50-year-old female with multiple comorbidities who presented to our Gastrointestinal (GI) clinic for further evaluation of iron deficiency anemia. Her initial endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a 5–6 cm large gastric mass in the greater curvature of the stomach. The mass was hyperechoic, heterogeneous, and extended to the deep mucosal layer on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). No adjacent lymphadenopathy was noted. Endoscopic biopsies of the mass revealed atypical glandular proliferation with extensive acute inflammation. Resection of the lesion by ESD was planned. After the lesion and its borders were carefully evaluated, the entire circumference of the lesion was marked with the Dual Knife (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). A submucosal cushion was created using ORISE gel (Boston Scientific) expanding the submucosa and lifting the lesion away from the muscularis propria layer. The Dual Knife was then used to perform incision at the oral aspect of the lesion. Following this, the submucosa was partially dissected using swift coagulation. The submucosa was then further injected with ORISE gel to expand the submucosal space. Further dissection was performed until the lesion was completely separated from the surrounding gastric mucosa. The lesion was removed en bloc from the patient via Roth net. The resected mass measured 5 × 8 cm. Final histopathology revealed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric adenocarcinoma with lymphoid stroma with negative margins. Metastatic workup was negative, and the tumor was staged as stage 1. No complications were reported. The patient was referred to the Medical and Surgical Oncology clinic and underwent subtotal gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy despite negative margins and against GI recommendation. Notably, all of the surgically resected tissue was negative for malignancy. DISCUSSION: ESD is an effective minimally invasive treatment for premalignant and early stage gastric cancer.

Assessment of oral health conditions presented in photographs - is there a difference between dentists and non-dental professional caregivers?

BackgroundPhotographs can help non-dental professional caregivers to identify problems when inspecting the mouth of care-dependent older individuals. This study evaluated whether the assessment of oral health-related conditions presented in photographs differed between dentists and non-dental professional caregivers.Materials and methodsOne-hundred-and-seventy-nine photographs were taken from long-term care facility residents and from patients at the Department of Dentistry of a University Hospital. The following oral health aspects were depicted: denture hygiene, oral hygiene, teeth, gums, tongue and palate/lips/cheeks. Collection continued until for each oral health aspect a pool of photographs was available that showed conditions from perfect health and hygiene to severe problems. A segmented Visual Analogue Scale was applied to assess the conditions presented in the photographs. Each photograph was assessed by each participant of this study. The benchmark was established by three dentists with academic-clinical expertise in gerodontology, special needs dentistry and periodontology. For each photograph, they provided a collective score after reaching consensus. Photographs were assessed individually by 32 general dentists and by 164 non-dental professional caregivers. Linear mixed effects models and generalized linear mixed effects models were fitted and mean squared errors were computed to quantify differences between both groups.ResultsFor the different oral health aspects, absolute distances from the benchmark scores were 1.13 (95%CI:1.03–1.23) to 1.51 (95%CI:1.39–1.65) times higher for the caregivers than for the dentists. The odds to overestimate the condition were higher for the caregivers than the dentists for oral hygiene (OR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.62–0.84) and teeth (OR = 0.74; 95%CI = 0.61–0.88). The odds to underestimate the condition were higher for the caregivers than the dentists for gums (OR = 1.39; 95%CI:1.22–1.59) and palate/lips/cheeks (OR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.07–1.40). Over all assessments, the variance in caregiver scores was 1.9 (95%CI:1.62–2.23) times higher than that for the dentists.ConclusionSmall but significant differences were found between dentists and non-dental professional caregivers assessing oral health-related conditions presented in photographs. When photographs are used to aid non-dental professional caregivers with the oral health assessment, these visualizations should be complemented with comments to facilitate accurate interpretation.

Age-Associated Role of Lingual and Pharyngeal Glands in Local Immunity in Oral Cavity.

The macroscopic and histological methods were employed to examine the autopsy specimens of salivary lingual glands obtained from 299 patients of both sexes and various age ranging from newborn to longevity. The age-associated alterations of minor lingual and pharyngeal glands were revealed, and the topographical relations between the glands and lymphoid cells were described. The characteristic sparsity of the glands in infancy is caused by nutritional uniformity at this period, when diminished production of secretory IgA results in frequent inflammatory processes in oral and pharyngeal cavities. With age, the glandular orifices widen, and their number increases thereby augmenting local immunity in the oral cavity and in oral aspect of the pharynx. Starting from elderly and senile age, the involutive alterations were observed, which were accompanied by diminished production of secretory immunoglobulin A and related degradation of local and humoral immunity.