Evaluation of Clinical Periodontal Parameters of Abutment Teeth Supporting Distal-Extension Base Removable Partial Dentures: A Cross-sectional Study.

To assess the clinical periodontal status of abutment teeth in regards of different design components of distal-extension removable partial dentures. Subjects (N=100) with acrylic or cobalt-chromium distal-extension removable partial dentures were enrolled and their periodontal parameters plaque and gingival indices [PI, GI], probing depths [PD], clinical attachment loss [CAL] and a mobility index [MI] evaluated. Denture base type, major connector, occlusal rests position, design of direct retainers, retention, stability and denture wearing habits were further evaluated. Acrylic RPDs were associated with higher mean±SE PI [1.70±0.74], GI [1.76±0.55], PD scores [2.47±1.02 mm] and CAL values [4.46±2.11 mm] compared to CO-CR RPDs [p⟨0.05]. For abutments, the PI [1.6±0.83], GI [1.72±0.57], PD [2.32±1.03] and CAL [4.26±2.08] were higher than their non-abutments counterparts [p⟨0.05]. CAL scores were found to be significantly higher for mandibular abutments compared to maxillary ones [P=0.002]. The highest PI [1.83±1.10] and GI [2.00±0.00] scores were associated with lingual bars and horse-shoe connectors, respectively. Full palatal coverage and lingual plates were associated with the highest PD [2.80±0.48] and CAL [4.70±0.37] scores. Acrylic RPDs, type of major connector, wrought wire clasps and distal occlusal rests may be considered as risk factors for periodontal disease progression in distal-extension removable partial denture wearers.

Dental fear among a young adult Saudian population.

AIMS: To assess the prevalence of dental fear and reasons for irregular dental attendance among young adult university students; to describe the gender distribution of the dentally anxious population according to the perceived origins or sources of fear; to identify the time of fear development and preference for anaesthesia or sedation before dental treatment. METHOD: A questionnaire incorporating the Dental Fear Scale (DFS) with items related to sources of dental fear stimuli, together with the preference of anaesthesia or sedation before dental treatment and other characteristics. Approximately 500 questionnaires were distributed among Saudian undergraduate students. RESULTS: 368 questionnaires were completed and presented for statistical analysis. The sight and sensation of anaesthetic needles and the sight, sound and sensation of the drill were rated the most fear-eliciting stimuli. Also, females tended to be more anxious than males. Increased heart rate was the most common reported physiological response to fear resulting from dental treatment. The overall level of fear of dental work among the studied population was found to be about 39%.'Lack of time' and 'no need for treatment' were found to be the main reasons for irregular dental visits. Fear of pain and trauma were the major perceived sources of reported fear reactions and were developed mainly during childhood. About 63% of the subjects preferred to have local anaesthesia before dental treatment to prevent or ameliorate dental fear.

Oral health in Jordan.

This paper reviews the overall picture for oral hygiene, gingival/periodontal disease, dental caries and oral lesions/conditions in Jordanian subjects and its relationship to socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the trends of certain conditions are described. Only approximately one-third of children brushed their teeth regularly, so the amount of plaque was high and gingivitis was pronounced irrespective of socioeconomic status. Public school children had higher overall scores for decayed, missing, or filled teeth and surfaces than the children in the private schools. In general, boys had higher plaque and gingival scores than girls. The occurrences of shallow and deep pockets in these children were low (0.3-5.3%). Although an improvement in oral hygiene, gingival conditions and dental caries has been reported recently in children, the prevalence of these conditions is still high compared to that found in the developed countries. More than one half of the adults brushed their teeth regularly and high proportions of subjects with shallow and deep pockets were found in the 50-60-year-old age group with about 19% and 11% respectively. Fordyce's granules and tori were the most common lesions among the thirty different oral lesions or conditions diagnosed. It may be concluded that motivation and proper oral hygiene should be emphasised. Secondly, implementation of school-based oral health promotion and prevention programmes is urgently needed.

An effective treatment for chronic periodontal abscesses.

In the past, chronic periodontal abscess was treated by conventional gingivectomy, flap access procedures, or by extraction of the affect tooth. A modified technique for the treatment of the chronic periodontal abscess is described. A surgical approach is combined with root conditioning with doxycycline. Application of this technique has resulted in rapid, uneventful healing in which neither further tissue breakdown or recurrence of the abscess has occurred.

Association between cigarette smoking and periodontal health.

The oral hygiene and periodontal status of smokers and nonsmokers were assessed and compared. Northern Jordanian adults, aged between 20 and 60 years, (998 subjects; 45% smokers and 55% nonsmokers) were asked for details of their personal data and smoking habits. Their oral hygiene and periodontal status was determined by using the Plaque Index and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs. Oral hygiene was poor in both smokers and nonsmokers; however, plaque and calculus scores were significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. No significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to gingival bleeding on probing or shallow or deep pocketing.

The effect of frequency of toothbrushing on oral health of 14-16 year olds.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of toothbrushing frequency on dental plaque, caries and periodontal condition in 14-16 year old students. A total of 2083 students selected from 20 schools enrolling 8th and 9th grades were investigated by a questionnaire and a clinical examination. All participants were examined for oral hygiene, dental caries and periodontal condition using Silness & Löe plaque index (Pl.l), decayed, missing and filled teeth/surfaces (DMFT/S) indices and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), respectively. It was revealed that about 49 per cent of males and 89 per cent of the females reported to brush their teeth on a regular basis. Such differences in toothbrushing frequency between the sexes were statistically significant (P = 0.0001). The mean (Pl.l) scores were lower in those who brushed than those who did not brush their teeth, with a significantly lower scores in females than in males (P = 0.0001). There were slight but nonsignificant differences in caries experience (MFT/S) amongst males and females as related to toothbrushing frequency (P = 0.121, 0.208 respectively). While bleeding on probing (43.0 per cent) was most prevalent in students who did not brush. Calculus scores were similar in all groups. The occurrence of shallow and deep pockets in students who brushed or didn't brush their teeth were minimal (6.6-8.4 per cent). The oral health status among those who did not brush or brushed their teeth on regular or irregular basis was found to be poor and slightly varied. Therefore, more emphasis should be placed on proper oral hygiene. Also, implementation of school based oral health promotion and prevention programs is urgently needed.

Dental health of 13-14-year-old Jordanian school children and its relationship with socio-economic status.

The relationship between oral hygiene, dental caries experience, periodontal condition and socio-economic status was assessed in 1375 13-14-year-old school children in Irbid Governate, north Jordan. They were divided into four groups according to their family income: 'very poor', 'poor', 'moderate' and 'rich'. Their oral hygiene, dental caries experience and peridontal status were assessed using the Silness and Loe plaque index (PI), the decayed, missing and filled teeth or surfaces (DMFT/S) system and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), respectively. The mean PI was 1.82 but there was a trend to decrease gradually from the 'very poor' to the 'rich' group There were no significant differences in caries experience between the four groups. The CPITN showed that the 'very poor' group had a slightly lower mean number of healthy mouth sextants than the other groups, but slightly higher scores for bleeding, calculus and pocketing. The results reveal that socioeconomic status, as assessed by family income, seems to have little relationship to dental caries experience or periodontal disease in 13-14-year-old school children, in north Jordan.

Dental anxiety and regularity of dental attendance in younger adults.

Dental anxiety constitutes a major problem for patients and dental care providers alike. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dental anxiety and regularity of dental attendance among young adults. A random sample of 15 course directors (1:50) was asked to participate in the study. Of these, only 10 course-directors agreed to handout the 500 questionnaires. All undergraduate students who participated in this study were asked to complete a questionnaire modified from Dental Fear Survey (DFS) questionnaire and 368 (73.6%) filled forms were returned for statistical analysis. The results showed that only 20.9% were regular dental attendee while the majority (79.1%) were irregular attendee. The reasons given for irregular attendance were 'lack of time' (36%), 'treatment not needed' (34.1%), 'fear from dentist' (13.3%) and 'cost' (16.6%). The sight and sensation of the injection and sight, sound, and sensation of the drill were the most common fear-eliciting stimuli. Increased heart rate was the commonest reported physiological response. Females had higher mean ratings, therefore tended to be more anxious than males. Dental anxiety represented by the mean responses to the items, was found to be higher in irregular dental attendee than regular attendee. In conclusion, this suggests that dental anxiety may affect the seeking of dental care, therefore to be taken into account when training dental care providers.

Periodontal reasons for tooth extraction in an adult population in Jordan.

This survey studies the reasons for periodontal extraction of permanent teeth in an adult Jordanian population. A random sample of 30 general dental practitioners (GDPs) from a list of 300 GDPs (1:10) was contacted. Of these, the 26 dentists who participated in this study were asked to record teeth extracted and give reasons for extraction. Personal and demographic information and clinical details were obtained from 898 patients aged from 20 to 60 years. A total of 1,098 teeth were extracted during the 3-month study period. The results of this study revealed that dental caries (56.4% overall) was the main reason for tooth extraction, especially in 20-39 year olds. Periodontal disease (23.4% overall) was the next most frequent indication for extraction and became the commonest cause of tooth extraction in patients aged 40 years or more. Other reasons for tooth loss accounted for only 20.2% of the series. Advanced periodontal disease represented by pocketing were the dominant pathology when tooth loss occurred as the result of periodontal disease. As far as the type of tooth was concerned, the most frequently extracted teeth were molars followed by premolars, regardless of whether their loss was the result of the caries or the periodontal disease. This study suggests that caries and its consequences are responsible for more tooth loss in patients less than 40 years of age while extraction because of periodontal problems increases with age, and more commonly related to pocketing.