A clinical survey of periodontal conditions in Greece.

The present study used full-mouth clinical assessments of plaque, calculus, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and probing attachment level to evaluate the periodontal conditions in a rural (A) and an urban (B) sample of 25-64 year old Greek adults, comprising 190 and 373 subjects, respectively. 13% of the subjects in sample (A) and 8% in sample (B) were edentulous, while mean values of teeth present in the four age cohorts ranged between 19.8-12.6 and 23.3-18.3, respectively. A poor level of oral hygiene was recorded in both samples with high plaque, calculus and bleeding scores. Deep pocketing was more pronounced in the rural than in the urban sample; between 1.7 and 8.0% of all sites probed showed a PPD of > or = 6 mm and between 20 and 51.2% of the subjects in each age cohort had at least one deep pocket. Corresponding figures for the urban sample was 0.6-4.7% and 15.1-49.2%. However, the prevalence of severe attachment loss was of comparable magnitude in both samples; between 2.8-25.7% of the sites in sample (A) and 2.8-20.6% in sample (B) displayed a PAL of > or = 6 mm, while 32.5-72.1% and 31.8-73.8% of the subjects, respectively, had at least one severely affected site. It was further found that the distribution of advanced disease in the samples was skewed; 14.4% of the subjects in sample (A) and 9.5% in sample (B) accounted for 75% of all deep pockets, while 21.8 and 19.4% of the subjects, respectively, accounted for 75% of all sites with PAL of > or = 6 mm. Multiple regression revealed that male sex and high plaque and bleeding scores had a significant, positive influence to the amount of attachment loss on a subject level.

Comparative study of the efficacy and safety of loratadine syrup and terfenadine suspension in the treatment of chronic allergic skin diseases in a pediatric population.

The safety and efficacy of loratadine (Sch 29851, CAS 79794-75-5) syrup (5 or 10 mg QD) was compared to terfenadine (CAS 50679-08-8) suspension (30 mg b.i.d.) in a randomized, third party blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial. Two hundred thirty-six children ages 6-12 years, with chronic allergic skin disorders were treated for 14 days. The predominant skin condition was atrophic dermatitis (88% of the efficacy population). Evaluation of efficacy was based on investigator and patient assessment of symptoms, overall condition of the disease, and therapeutic response to treatment. After 7 and 14 days of treatment, and in the endpoint analysis (last valid study visit for all patients) the decreases from baseline in mean total sign/symptom scores, and all individual symptoms, did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between treatments. Itching improved 54% in the loratadine group and 58% in the terfenadine group in the endpoint analysis. Forty-five percent of patients treated with loratadine and 46% of terfenadine-treated patients treated had complete or marked relief of their symptoms at endpoint. The efficacy of loratadine increased during the study, suggesting that patients did not develop tolerance to the medication over the 14-day course of therapy. Mild to moderate treatment-related adverse experiences were reported in 7/113 patients (6%) treated with loratadine and 11/119 patients (9%) treated with terfenadine. Single daily doses of 5 mg or 10 mg loratadine syrup were comparable to terfenadine suspension 30 mg twice daily for improving the symptoms of chronic allergic skin disorders in children. Loratadine was safe and well tolerated.

Calculus removal from multirooted teeth with and without surgical access. II. Comparison between external and furcation surfaces and effect of furcation entrance width.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of furcation entrance width on the efficacy of calculus removal from furcation areas as well as to compare this efficacy between external and furcation surfaces after closed root planing, open root planing and use of a rotary diamond for the furcation area. 30 first and second lower molars scheduled for extraction with a calculus index > or = 2 and a degree II or III furcation involvement were divided into 3 groups: 10 molars were scaled and root planed using a closed approach: 10 molars were scaled and root planed using an open approach; 10 molars were scaled and root planed with an open approach and rotary diamond was used for removal of deposits in the furcation area. After extraction, the width of the furcation entrance was measured buccally and lingually 2 mm apical from the bifurcation and furcations were categorized as wide (width > 2.4 mm) or narrow (width < 2.4 mm). The teeth were assessed in a stereomicroscope and the % of residual calculus on external and furcation surfaces was calculated. The width of the furcation entrance influenced the efficacy in root planning in the open group (p = 0.0015). The use of rotary diamond was the most effective method for removing calculus both for narrow and wide furcations. The effectiveness of open root planning in the mesial root was related to the width of the furcation entrance where the % of residual calculus was significantly higher for narrow furcations (p = 0.008).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calculus removal from multirooted teeth with and without surgical access. (I). Efficacy on external and furcation surfaces in relation to probing depth.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the calculus removal from multirooted teeth after closed root planing, open root planing and use of a rotary diamond for the furcation area. The effect of pocket depth on the effectiveness of calculus removal was also examined. 30 first and second lower molars scheduled for extraction, with a calculus index > or = 2 and a degree II or III furcation involvement, were divided into 3 groups: 10 molars were scaled and root planed using a closed approach; 10 molars were scaled and root planed using an open approach; 10 molars were scaled and root planed with an open approach and rotary diamond was used for removal of deposits in the furcation area. After extraction, the teeth were assessed in a stereomicroscope and the % of residual calculus was calculated on external and furcation surfaces. The % of residual calculus on the external surfaces was significantly higher after closed than open root planing (p = 0.002). Pocket depth affected the effectiveness of scaling and root planing, with more residual calculus observed for depths > or = 7 mm for both groups. Differences between the 3 groups in the % of residual calculus on furcation surfaces were statistically significant (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0005). The most effective method was the combination of open root planing and rotary diamond. More calculus was observed in all groups for pocket depths > or = 7 mm but the difference was significant only in the closed group (p = 0.006).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Factors influencing oral hygiene and gingival health in Greek schoolchildren.

397 children aged 12-17 years from different schools were divided into two groups. Group I comprised 192 children from private schools in Athens and Group II comprised 205 children from state schools of an industrial area in Piraeus. They were also subgrouped according to their socioeconomic class. They were interviewed with regard to their oral health habits, frequency of dental visits, etc., and subjected to clinical examination using the criteria and indices described by Silness & Löe and Löe & Silness. Stepwise regression analysis was used in the statistical evaluation of factors related to GI and Pl I. The following factors were found to be statistically significant in relation to GI: socioeconomic class, toothbrushing frequency, sex, and group examined. For Pl I statistically significant factors were found to be: age, group examined, and sex. All other variables were not significantly correlated to GI and Pl I.

Oral hygiene and gingival health in Greek airforce cadet candidates.

A broad epidemiologic investigation on oral hygiene and gingival health in Greece has been undertaken since 1978. Part of our findings are presented in this study. 1291 male airforce cadet candidates aged 17-22 years were interviewed first concerning brushing habits and gingival bleeding and subsequently using the Russell Index. The mean P. I. score of the group was 0.71, ranging from 0 to 2.13. The highest P. I. was found in the molars (0.82) followed by the anterior teeth and the premolars (0.75 and 0.63, respectively). Statistically significant correlation was found between P. I. and frequency of brushing (P. I. = 0.92 in never brushing, P. I. = 0.69 in twice or more daily brushing). The effect of brushing techniques and bristle stiffness on the P. I. was statistically not significant. As expected the presence of calculus decreased as the frequency of brushing increased. Finally a strong correlation existed between the P. I. and gingival bleeding.