Total Number Of Teeth Research Articles

Teeth discoloration during orthodontic treatment.

ObjectiveTeeth discoloration is a rare orthodontic complication. The aim of this study was to report the clinical progression of discoloration during orthodontic treatment.MethodsDiscolored teeth, detected during orthodontic treatment between January 2003 and December 2012 by a single dentist using similar techniques and appliances, were analyzed.ResultsThe total number of teeth that showed discoloration was 28. Progression of discoloration was evaluated in only 24 teeth that were observed without any treatment. During the observation period, the discoloration “improved” in 8 of the 24 teeth (33.3%) and was “maintained” in 16 (66.6%). The electric pulp test performed at the time of initial detection of discoloration showed 14.3% positivity, which improved to 21.4% at the final follow-up. None of the initial and final follow-up radiographic findings showed any abnormalities.ConclusionsWhen teeth discoloration is detected during orthodontic treatment, observation as an initial management is recommended over immediate treatments.

Association between chronic oral inflammatory burden and physical fitness in males: a cross-sectional observational study.

To evaluate the association between chronic oral inflammatory burden (OIB) - as the combination of periodontal and endodontic disease load - and physical fitness. One hundred and twelve nonsmoker male police officers who performed a standardized physical fitness test (PFT) were analysed. Participants underwent oral clinical and periapical radiographic examinations. Periodontal disease was assessed by probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (AL). For radiographic analysis, both apical periodontitis (AP) and root canal treatment (RCT) variables were analysed. Endodontic Burden (EB) was calculated merging the total number of teeth with AP and/or RCT per individual. OIB was calculated combining EB and AL. The outcome of physical fitness was dichotomized according to whether the highest PFT score was 'achieved' or 'not-achieved'. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for age, body mass index and frequency of daily exercise. There was no significant association between AP, RCT and EB with physical fitness whereas PD, AL and OIB were significantly associated with low physical fitness (P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that individuals with OIB=EB≥3 and AL≥4mm had a 81% lower chance of reaching the highest PFT score (OR=0.19, 95%CI=0.04-0.87, P=0.03) compared to individuals with EB<3 and and no AL≥4mm. Individuals with unfavourable periodontal parameters but with low EB (OIB=EB<3 & AL≥4mm) showed no significant differences on the chance to reach the highest PFT score compared to participants with favourable periodontal status and low EB (OIB=EB<3 & no AL≥4mm). The OIB - higher levels of EB in periodontal patients - was independently associated with poor physical fitness in males.

Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology of the Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)

Maxillae and/or mandibles from 76 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) were examined macroscopically according to predefined criteria. The museum specimens were acquired between 1932 and 2014. Forty-five specimens (59.2%) were from male animals, 29 (38.2%) from female animals and two (2.6%) from animals of unknown sex, with 58 adults (76.3%) and 18 young adults (23.7%) included in this study. The number of teeth available for examination was 830 (33.6%); 18.5% of teeth were absent artefactually, 3.3% were deemed to be absent due to acquired tooth loss and 44.5% were absent congenitally. The theoretical complete dental formula was confirmed to be I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/3, M 2/2, while the most probable dental formula is I 1/0, C 1/1, P 3/3, M 0/0; none of the specimens in this study possessed a full complement of theoretically possible teeth. The majority of teeth were normal in morphology; only five teeth (0.6% of available teeth) were malformed. Only one tooth had an aberrant number of roots and only one supernumerary tooth was encountered. No persistent deciduous teeth were found in any of the young adult or adult specimens, nor were any specimens affected by enamel hypoplasia. The majority of teeth (85.5%) displayed attrition/abrasion. Of the adult and young adult specimens, 90.8% showed some degree of attrition/abrasion on at least one tooth. Tooth fractures were noted in eight walruses, affecting 10.5% of specimens and 1.3% of the total number of teeth, nearly three-quarters of which were maxillary canine teeth (tusks). Three specimens (3.9%), all adult males, displayed overt periapical disease. The majority (99.2%) of dental alveoli did not have bony changes indicative of periodontitis, with only five specimens (6.6%) affected by periodontitis. Lesions consistent with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) were found in 46 specimens (60.5%) and TMJ-OA was significantly more common in adults than young adults and males than females. Although the clinical significance of dental and TMJ pathology in the walrus remains unknown, the occurrence and severity of these lesions may play an important role in the morbidity and mortality of this species.

Gingival Retraction Methods: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the gingival retraction methods in terms of the amount of gingival retraction achieved and changes observed in various clinical parameters: gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and attachment loss (AL). Data sources included three major databases, PubMed, CINAHL plus (Ebsco), and Cochrane, along with hand search. Search was made using the key terms in different permutations of gingival retraction* AND displacement method* OR technique* OR agents OR material* OR medicament*. The initial search results yielded 145 articles which were narrowed down to 10 articles using a strict eligibility criteria of including clinical trials or experimental studies on gingival retraction methods with the amount of tooth structure gained and assessment of clinical parameters as the outcomes conducted on human permanent teeth only. Gingival retraction was measured in 6/10 studies whereas the clinical parameters were assessed in 5/10 studies. The total number of teeth assessed in the 10 included studies was 400. The most common method used for gingival retraction was chemomechanical. The results were heterogeneous with regards to the outcome variables. No method seemed to be significantly superior to the other in terms of gingival retraction achieved. Clinical parameters were not significantly affected by the gingival retraction method.

Extraction of Maxillary Teeth Using Articaine Without a Palatal Injection: A Comparison Between the Anterior and Posterior Regions of the Maxilla

The injection of a local anesthetic before tooth extraction is always associated with pain, and palatal anesthesia is the most painful type of injection for the patient. The specific aims of the study were to evaluate "pain control" using 4% articaine without palatal injection and to compare adequate anesthesia and pain control in the anterior and posterior regions of the maxilla. This prospective controlled study followed a split-mouth protocol, in which patients served as their own control. Forty-eight patients who needed routine extraction of permanent maxillary anterior and posterior teeth were referred. After an injection of 4% articaine and a 5-minute wait, 1 posterior tooth and 1 anterior tooth were extracted using standard techniques. The patient's perception of pain was assessed using a visual analog scale and a verbal rating scale after each injection and extraction. Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, paired-sample t test, and independent-samples t test to determine whether differences were statistically significant (P < .05). In total, 48 anterior and 48 posterior teeth were extracted from 48 patients. Extraction of maxillary teeth was possible without an additional palatal injection for 87 teeth (90.6%), whereas only 9 teeth (9.4%) needed an additional palatal injection to complete the extraction. Of the total number of patients, 90% reported that the pain caused by tooth extraction in the anterior and posterior regions of the maxilla was mild. None of the patients rated the pain of extraction in the maxilla as severe. There was no difference in pain perception when extracting anterior and posterior teeth. Of the total number of teeth, 90.6% were extracted without the need for palatal injection. In this study, extraction of erupted maxillary teeth using 4% articaine without manipulation of the palatal mucosa obviated palatal infiltration during extraction. Articaine anesthesia provides adequate palatal anesthesia for maxillary teeth extraction in the anterior and posterior regions without the need for a palatal block.

Influence of maintenance care in periodontally susceptible and non-susceptible subjects following implant therapy.

To compare the periodontal and peri-implant conditions of periodontally susceptible and periodontally healthy subjects under maintenance care for a period of at least 3years. Sixty periodontally susceptible patients (PSP) and 56 periodontally non-susceptible subjects (PHS) were treated with dental implants in the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) and were maintained in a regular supportive periodontal care program for a mean of 6years. Full mouth bleeding on probing (BoP), full mouth probing pocket depths (PPD), implant loss, and absence of crestal bone loss were recorded at the time of prosthesis delivery and following a mean follow-up of 6years 2months. Although there were significant differences in the BoP and the percentage of subjects with tooth probing pocket depth ≥5mm between PSP and PHS at the time of implant prosthesis installation (T0 ), there were no significant differences between the two subject groups in the various parameters assessed at the follow-up visit (T1 ) (total number of teeth, percentage of subjects with implant probing pocket depth ≥5mm, percentage of subjects with implant probing pocket depth ≥ 6mm, absence of crestal bone loss, implant loss). Owing to a rigid regular SPT program, implants placed in PSP perform equally well when compared to implants installed in PHS over a mean period of 6-year follow-up.

Saving the 2(nd) Molar from the 3(rd) Is it Really the Guilt of the Tilt?

Clinicians often relate the distal caries in second molars to angulated third molars, which if left undetected can lead to gross decay that may further require removal of the tooth. Due to this fact, many third molars are advised for prophylactic removal to prevent decay in the second molar. But this approach would only be justified when the incidence of decay/loss of second molar due to third molar are reasonably high. We sought to determine incidence of caries experience and also sequel extraction in second molars associated with the third molars. The study was conducted to answer the basic question that whether the incidence of caries and subsequent extraction of second molar due to angulated third molars is high enough to justify the prophylactic removal of third molar or not. This study was conducted on radiographic records of 1187 patients. The effect of tilted third molar on the second molar was measured in relation with three parameters namely level & position of third molar with respect to second molar and the distribution among arches. The results indicated that out of total number of teeth examined only 5.4% of maxillary and 9.6% of mandibular second molars were affected by tilted third molars. Further, only 2.2% of mandibular and 2.9% of maxillary second molars were indicated for extraction. The data was statistically insignificant. It was concluded that distal caries in second molars is not very common. It may be present in some cases of third molar impactions and prophylactic removal of these impacted teeth may not be considered appropriate.

Re-Visiting the Decay, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index with a Mathematical Modeling Concept

Background: The well-established DMFT index has been used for over 75 years as a key for measuring dental caries in dentistry. DMFT is applied to permanent dentition and expressed as the total number of teeth decayed (D), missing (M), or filled (F), tooth (T) in an individual. Objectives: The objective of this study is to build a mathematical model for the existing DMFT index and compare its parameters by suggested new mathematical model. Mathematical Models: Fixed Model: Is a mathematical model for the existing DMFT index and will be considered as fixed model; in which all individuals under screening will have the same probability θ, 0 ≤ θ ≤1 of dental caries. In this fixed model the unit of the screening is the individual, and will be evaluated for caries as a dichotomous (0, 1) variable. Random Model: The new suggested model is a random model that suggests a mouth of an individual as an environment and the tooth is a unit of research. In this random model, only the teeth in one mouth have the same probability θ, 0 ≤ θi ≤ 1 where i =1, 2...,k ; number of screening individuals. Expected Outcome: Mathematically, the fixed model will highlight what the value 1 will hide as information and hence this may explain why the average of DMFT is may be overestimated for any sample studied using fixed model. The random model will yield a cumulative weighed probability on the function of the number of teeth screened per mouth θ, 0 ≤ θ ≤ 1, hence the average DMFT index will be weighed against the number of teeth screened per all subjects. Conclusion: The random model yields an average and more realistic expected value for the population studied. Furthermore, in such model, it is easy to estimate the variance and it is obvious that this model yields the smallest variance.

New species in the Drosophila ananassae subgroup from northern Australia, New Guinea and the South Pacific (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with historical overview

Three new Drosophila species are described in the ananassae subgroup from Australia, New Guinea and Samoa. Drosophila pandora sp.nov. and D. anomalata sp.nov. are morphologically very similar to the circumtropical species D. ananassae and are classified together in the ananassae complex. For 40 years D. pandora has been incorrectly identified as D. ananassae in the Australian tropics. The results of a detailed examination of the morphology of 1649 wild-caught ananassae-like male specimens, sampled from 60 islands from Southeast Asia to French Polynesia and 94 localities of northern Australia and western, central and eastern New Guinea, are reported. Comparisons are made with Afrotropical and Oriental samples to confirm the identity of D. ananassae s.str. Photomicrographs of the male terminalia and sex combs of D. ananassae and D. pandora from geographically distant localities demonstrate the stability of the important diagnostic characters. Males of D. anomalata, known only from three localities in Queensland, Australia, have a unique bobbing behaviour when courting, and they have the lowest total number of teeth in the sex combs. The distinctive male terminalia of related species D. atripex, D. monieri, D. ochrogaster, D. parapallidosa and D. pallidosa are figured for comparison. Among them, a species from Samoa, closely resembling the Fijian endemic species D. phaeopleura, is described here as Drosophila schugi sp.nov.

Dental students' perceptions of undergraduate clinical training in oral and maxillofacial surgery in an integrated curriculum in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose:The aim was to understand dental students’ experiences with oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) teaching, their confidence levels in performing routine dento-alveolar operations, and the relationship between the students’ confidence level and the number of teeth extracted during the clinical practice.Methods:The survey questionnaire was distributed to 32 students at Aljouf University College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia during their fourth and fifth year in 2015. Respondents were asked to rate 19 items, which represent a student’s confidence in performing routine surgical interventions, using a four-point Likert scale (1=very little confidence, 4=very confident). A multivariate regression was computed between average confidence and the variables: weekly hours devoted to studying oral and maxillofacial surgery, college grade point average, and the total number of teeth extracted.Results:The response rate was 100%. Students revealed the highest level of confidence in giving local anesthesia (96.9%), understanding extraction indications (93.8%), and performing simple extractions (90.6%). Less confidence was shown with handling difficult extractions (50.0%), extracting molars with separation (50.0%) or extracting third molars (56.3%). The average confidence in performing surgical procedures was 2.88 (SD=0.55), ranging from 1.79 to 3.89. A given student’s confidence increased with an increase in the total number of teeth extracted (P=0.003).Conclusion:It reveals a significant impact of undergraduate clinical training on students’ confidence in performing oral and maxillofacial surgery clinical procedures: The more clinical experience the students had, the more confidence they reported.

Caries burden and efficacy of a referral pathway in a cohort of preschool refugee children.

This study aimed to assess the early caries experience and the efficacy of a community based dental referral pathway in preschool refugees in Western Australia. Preschool refugee children referred to the Western Australian paediatric hospital Refugee Health Clinic were prospectively screened for caries by a paediatric dentist before being referred to community dental clinics. Dental forms and medical records were audited to assess decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft), medical data and dental services engagement. Poisson regression analysis determined the contribution of count variables to the final model. Among the 105 screened children (54% male, median age 3.2 years, 41% Burmese), community dental clinic engagement was low (46%, n=48). Of the 62% with caries (n=65/105, mean dmft 5.2, SD 4.1), 45% were recommended for specialist dental services and 48% were treated. After adjustment for age, gender and total number of teeth, caries incidence was significantly associated with BMI-for-age Z score (p=0.02). Preschool refugee caries burden was high. The community dental referral pathway was ineffective compared to co-located intersectorial dental screening. Specialist dental service needs are high in this cohort and require a targeted approach.

Prevalence of eight putative periodontal pathogens in atherosclerotic plaque of coronary artery disease patients and comparing them with noncardiac subjects: A case-control study.

The study was aimed to assess the prevalence of periodontal pathogens namely Tannerella forsythia (T.f), Campylobacter rectus (C.r), Eikenella corrodens (E.c), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g), Treponema denticola (T.d), Prevotella nigrescens (P.n) ,Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a), P.g (fi mA gene) and Prevotella intermedia (P.i), in the subgingival and the atheromatous plaque of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and comparing them with the noncardiac subjects thereby indicating the role of periodontal pathogenic bacteria in the progression of atherosclerosis in south Indian population. 51 cardiac and non cardiac subjects within the age group of 40-80 years,who met the eligibility criteria, were selected and categorized as the experimental and control group respectively. Total number of teeth was recorded, and oral hygiene was evaluated using Plaque Index and Oral Hygiene Index (OHI). Periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment level were also assessed as a part of periodontal examination. Subgingival plaque samples were collected with the help of with Gracey's curette in both the groups. In experimental group, biopsy was obtained from the atherosclerotic plaque during Coronary artery bypass grafting CABG procedure. Both, subgingival and the coronary atherosclerotic plaque samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for identification of the periodontal bacteria. Mean, standard deviation and test of significance of quantitative variables such as periodontal parameters were compared between experimental group and control group. Kappa measures of agreement was done to analyze the relationship between the presence/absence of microorganisms in the subgingival and atherosclerotic plaque samples in the experimental group. The mean Plaque Index, Gingival Index, Russel's Periodontal Index, OHI, clinical attachment level, Pocket Depth Index was statistically significant in both the groups. Association of T.f, E.c, C.r, P.g, P.g (fi mA), T.d, P.i, P.n was significantly associated. A.a was absent in the control group, whereas only one patient in the experimental group was positive for the bacteria. Kappa analysis showed the significant association of periodontal bacteria T.f, C.r, P.g, P.g (fi mA), P.i and P.n in subgingival plaque and atherosclerotic plaque of the same patients of the experimental group. It is concluded that CAD subjects had higher prevalence of periodontal pathogens in subgingival biofilms as compared to the non cardiac subjects. Further, the number of bacteria was significantly associated between the subgingival and atherosclerotic plaques of the cardiac patients in south Indian population.

A Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy of Etching by the Total Etch and Self-etch Dentin Bonding Systems in the Primary Teeth: An in vitro Study.

ABSTRACTObjective: Early childhood caries is now affecting the children in dangerous proportions. There is a wide spread loss of the tooth material irrespective of the type of the carious lesion. Restoration of such lesions with a strong permanent bond between the dental tissues and the restorative dental materials would be a highly desirable requisite. Ultramorphological characterizations show that the interfacial morphology and the chemical characterization of the bonding systems appear to be strongly associated with each other and, therefore, observing and understanding the interfacial phenomenon and its quality would be of great importance in the selection of a dental adhesive for its use in pediatric restorative dentistry.Study design: Human primary molars, which were indicated for extraction, for an array of reasons like caries, normal exfoliation, pathological root resorption, over-retained and serial extraction, were collected for the study purpose. Total number of teeth was then equally distributed into two subgroups, each namely A1 (Prime and Bond NT) and A2 (Xeno III).Results: The type of etching pattern that was observed in group A1 (Prime and Bond NT) of Silverstone’s type II compared to the Silverstone’s type III observed in group A2 (Xeno III).Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that the use of an etchant separately followed by the application of the bonding system–Prime and Bond NT–would provide a better quality of adhesion thus improving the quality and longevity of the restoration done within the limits of enamel in primary dentition.How to cite this article: Mithiborwala SH, Chaugule V, Katge F, Poojari M, Pujari P, Pammi T. A Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy of Etching by the Total Etch and Self-etch Dentin Bonding Systems in the Primary Teeth: An in vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2015;8(1):30-36.

Diagnostic Value of Dental Pulp Stones in the Early Diagnosis of Ischemic Heart Diseases

Background: Pulp stones are calcified masses formed in the primary and permanent dentitions. The ischemic cardiovascular disorders (CVD) can be the first health problem of the world. It seems that there is a relationship between pulp stones and cardiovascular diseases to determine the diagnostic value of panoramic dental radiographs as non-invasive test for the early detection of CVD. Methods and Materials: The subjects of the study came from patients presenting to Dental Radiology Department of Dental School in Yazd who aged 30 - 64 years, had 8 natural teeth. They were referred to the Cardiovascular Center of Afshar Hospital in Yazd for cardiovascular evaluation. To set the cut-off point, the ratio of teeth with pulp stones to the total number of teeth for each person was calculated and also ABI for diagnosing IHD via ROC curve was used. Results: Only 3.8% of patients without pulp stone were affected by ischemic heart disease (IHD). About Sixty seven percent (67.3%) of individuals had at least one tooth with pulp stone. In individuals without IHD, 5% of the teeth showed pulp stone while this rate was 45% (9 times) in CVD patients. The number of patients for whom the ratio of teeth with pulp stone to total number of teeth was 0.2 or more, was 138.7 times greater than the other. Conclusion: The dentists, who order panoramic radiographs for the treatment of patients, exactly study those teeth for the presence of pulp stones. The ratio of teeth with pulp stone to total teeth equal 0.2 or more was a good tool for early detection of CVD.

Entamoeba Gingivalis (Gros, 1849) and Trichomonas Tenax (Muller, 1773) Oral Infections in Patients from Baixada Fluminense, Province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This paper describes the patterns of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax oral infection within the Baixada Fluminense, neighborship of Rio de Janeiro city, province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, assessed by the number of persons parasitized with or without periodontites, emphasizing the variables: gender, age, pH of the saliva, smoking habit and the total number of teeth in the mouth. The Baixada Fluminense is composed by 13 municipalities in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region and is characterized by economic, social and educational substandards as well as inadequate sewerage, a result of the abandonment of regional public policy. Amoeba infection was common to all individuals, decreasing with age (r2=0.92, p<0.05) in healthy individuals but increasing with age in people with periodontal disease (r2=0.97, p<0.05). Additionally, there was co-infection by amoeba and flagellate protozoa in 51 individuals, and monoparasitism only by amoeba in the remaining 49 patients, 27 in the control group (without periodontitis) and 22 in the case group (with periodontitis). The prevalence of flagellate infection was 51.0% (51 out of the 100 individuals in both groups), unassociated with either group (χ2=0.2, p>0.05) or among genders (χ2= 1.2, p>0.05). The flagellate infection decreased with age in the control group and increased with age in those who were ill. Periodontitis is an important variable to consider in amoeba and flagellate infections as the risk factor increased 13x in older patients, in spite of the non-significant statistical result (p>0.05). Both infections emerged at neutral pH (5.5-7.0). While the healthy group cases of infection reached the prevalence peak at pH 6.5, the case group did so at 6.0, a insignificant difference. Considering only the T. tenax infection, the dental records of the control group registered low absence of teeth, a striking difference from group members with periodontal disease, each of which missed teeth ranging between one and all. Furthermore, E. gingivalis and T. tenax infections increased when there is tooth absence (E. gingivalis rs= 0.97; T. tenax rs= 0.99, p<0.05), indicating a positive correlation between tooth loss and both infections. Out of the 100 examined patients, eighteen (18%) were active smokers and, among them, eight (44%) were T. tenax positive. Although this represents only 8% of the total sample, all of the smokers belonged to the periodontal disease group.

Dentition, Bone Loss, and the Aging of the Mandible

Facial aging is a dynamic process with impact on both the soft tissues and the bones. Despite a growing body of evidence, controversy still exists regarding absolute characteristics of the aging facial skeleton. The purpose of this study was to investigate various mandibular measurements in different age groups and to delineate the relation of the dentition to these parameters. Ninety Caucasian mandibles were assessed for the following distance landmarks: gonion-gonion, infradentale-gnathion, mental foramen-mandibular crest, mental foramen-inferior mandibular border, gnathion-gonion, condyle-gonion, and gonial angle. The measurements were compared according to age, sex, and dentition. The number of teeth decreased significantly with increasing age in males (P = .002) and females (P < .001). There were no other statistically significant differences between age groups for the rest of the parameters. The infradentale-gnathion distance (P = .005) and the mental foramen-mandibular crest distance (P < .001) was found to increase with total number of teeth. Other parameters did not show a significant relation to dentition. All parameters were significantly larger in the male subgroups with the exception of gnathion-gonion distance and gonial angle. Bilateral mandibular measurements were symmetric except for the gonial angle, which was more obtuse on the right side in males (P = .007) and females (P = .018). Our findings support previous evidence that dentition is the main determinant of the morphology of the mandible. The skeletal characteristics are variable among individuals, and a longitudinal study is required to better understand age-related changes of the mandible.

Prevalence of Caries and Periodontal Disease in Betel Quid Chewers in Relation to Gender

ABSTRACT Aim The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in betel quid chewers in relation to gender and to determine the treatment need and priorities in Betel quid chewers attending Baqai Dental College. Material and Method A cross sectional study conducted among patients selected from the out patient department of Baqai Dental College Karachi. A total of 100 patients aged between 22 to 60 years participated in the study. Patients with consumption of minimum seven betel quid since at least 6 months were included. Informed consent was obtained before the study began and each patient completed a questionnaire. The purpose of which was to access and obtain the information about the betel quid habits. Patients were asked to proceed for an oral examination as soon as they had finished filling the questionnaire. Reliability and validity of data was analyzed by chi square test using SPSS 19.0 version. Result A Total of 100 patients were examined in this survey. The total number of sound teeth in males was 443(84%) and total number of teeth with decay was 85(16%). The total number of sound teeth in females was 207(76%) and total number of teeth with decay was 65(24%). Female subjects showed 61% of pocket 4-5mm, mostly observed in lower right first molar. In males 4-5mm pocket was 80%, Bleeding on probing was 1% in females and 4% in males. Pocket greater than 6mm was 27% in females and 16% in males. Conclusion The present study concluded that effect of dental caries in betel quid chewers is less. A high prevalence rate of periodontal disease was found in betel quid chewers.

Cross-sectional study of correlation between mandibular incisor crowding and third molars in young Brazilians

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate transversally the clinical correlation between lower incisor crowding and mandible third molar. Study Design: Three hundred healthy volunteers (134 male and 166 female), aged 20.4 (±2.4) years-old were submitted to a complete clinical examination and filled up a questionnaire about gender, age, total teeth number and presence or absence of superior and inferior third molar. After a recent panoramic radiography were evaluated. The multiple logistic regression showed that none of the studied factors influenced the mandibular incisor crowding. Results: The proportion of both molars present or both absent was higher than the other conditions (Chi-square, p<.0001). The multiple logistic regression showed that any of the studied factors, influenced (p>.05) the mandibular incisor crowding. Despite the statistical significance, wear orthodontics appliances showed a little correlation (odds ratios < 1.0) in the mandibular incisor crowding. Conclusion: Presence of maxillary and/or mandibular third molars has no relation with the lower incisor crowding. Key words:Malocclusion, third molars, lower incisor crowding, mandible.

Oral health-related quality-of-life in homebound elderly dependent on moderate and substantial supportive care for daily living

Objectives. To describe the oral health-related quality-of-life in homebound elderly dependent on moderate and substantial supportive care for daily living.Materials and methods. A total of 302 selected persons in three counties in Sweden over 65 years of age and in need of daily support from society participated in the study. Half of the participants had moderate needs of support, defined as supportive care of 15–50 h per month and half had substantial needs of supportive care, i.e. 3-times a day with a night overview. An oral examination was performed and structured questions were asked about general health and living conditions, medication, oral care routines and quality-of-life, using the instrument GOHAI (Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Instrument). Results. Cardiovascular disease was common and an average of seven prescription drugs was used. More than half of the participants had dentures. The strongest correlation with GOHAI was the total number of teeth. There was a significant difference between individuals with moderate and substantial needs according to GOHAI, irrespective of gender. More elderly people with substantial needs of support had low GOHAI values. Decayed teeth, DT/T, root remnants and dry mouth were negatively correlated to GOHAI among individuals with substantial needs. Conclusions. This study found that elderly homebound individuals with substantial needs of supportive care had a lower quality-of-life than elderly homebound individuals with moderate needs of supportive care, although both medical and odontological variables were similar in the groups.

Cariously exposed pulps may benefit from vital pulp therapies: A critical summary of Aguilar P, Linsuwanont P. Vital pulp therapy in vital permanent teeth with cariously exposed pulp: a systematic review (published online ahead of print March 5, 2011). J Endod 2011;37(5):581–587. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2010.12.004.

Cariously exposed pulps may benefit from vital pulp therapies: A critical summary of Aguilar P, Linsuwanont P. Vital pulp therapy in vital permanent teeth with cariously exposed pulp: a systematic review (published online ahead of print March 5, 2011). J Endod 2011;37(5):581–587. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2010.12.004.