Effects of topically applied agents on intra-oral wound healing in a rat model: a clinical and histomorphometric study.

OBJECTIVES: Topically applied chlorhexidine and hyaluronan have many studies supporting their use to enhance oral wound healing. Allantoin is widely used topically to promote epithelial proliferation and wound healing, with very little scientific evidence to support such uses. This study investigated and compared the influence of these agents on the healing of intra-oral excisional wounds with large epithelial and connective tissue defects. METHODS: Excisional wounds, 3 mm in diameter, were made at the centre of the palate of 125 Wistar male albino rats. Five animals constituted the baseline group at time 0. The remaining animals were divided into four experimental and one control groups, in which chlorhexidine digluconate gel 0.2% (Perio.Kin®), hyaluronan gel (Gengigel®), allantoin 0.5% in vehicle gel, vehicle gel alone and nothing were applied daily to the wounds. The wound areas were measured photographically and the epithelialization rates were determined histologically at 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days post-surgery. RESULTS: The mean wound area and mean distance between the epithelial margins decreased significantly with time in all experimental and control groups (P < 0.05). A significant rate of wound area reduction was observed following the use of Perio.Kin® and Gengigel® at 7 and 14 days. Perio.Kin® showed a significant rate of wound epithelialization at 7 days. Allantoin did not positively or negatively affect wound healing. CONCLUSIONS: None of the tested agents had a negative effect on the rate of wound healing when applied on an excisional wound with epithelial and connective tissue defect. Positive results were achieved with Perio.Kin® and Gengigel®.

The relationship between oral hygiene and oral colonization with Candida species in healthy adult subjects*.

UNLABELLED: Poor oral hygiene has been frequently suggested as a predisposing factor for oral candidal colonization, but the convincing evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare oral candidal colonization, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in groups of healthy dentate subjects with different levels of oral hygiene as determined by the plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) scores. METHODS: The concentrated oral rinse technique was used to isolate Candida species from 149 healthy dentate subjects. Candida species were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar plates and identified by germ-tube test and the automated Vitek(R) system biochemical yeast card. According to the PI and GI scores, subjects were divided into different groups of oral hygiene level. RESULTS: Candida species were isolated from 86 (57.7%) subjects. The prevalence of candidal carriage increased significantly as a function of age (P = 0.023), but was comparable between males and females (58.7% and 56.7% respectively; P = 0.87). Oral candidal carriage rate and density were not affected by the levels of dental plaque or gingival condition. The prevalence of oral candididal carriage was significantly higher in the subjects who were not using dental floss compared with those who were using dental floss (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Oral hygiene status, as determined by the PI and the GI scores per se, does not affect oral candidal colonization in healthy dentate subjects.

Periodontal status of type 2 diabetics compared with nondiabetics in north Jordan.

The periodontal status of 106 type 2 diabetic patients was assessed and compared with that of 106 age-matched nondiabetics. Patients older than 20 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from the outpatient internal medicine clinics at the 2 main hospitals in Irbid governorate, Jordan. Periodontal disease was more severe in type 2 diabetic patients than in nondiabetics, as indicated by significantly mean higher gingival index, periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level and tooth mobility. There was no significant difference in the mean plaque index between diabetics and nondiabetics. The severity of periodontal disease was significantly higher in patients with diabetes > 5 years than those with duration < 5 years.

Pyostomatitis vegetans in childhood.

UNLABELLED: Pyostomatitis vegetans is an oral eruption, characterized by small pustules, ulcers and erythematous vegetations of the labial and buccal mucosae as well as labial-attached gingivae. Its importance lies in its high correlation with inflammatory bowel disease. It is commonly associated with skin and inflammatory bowel disease and is rare in children. We here report a sister and brother with onset of the disease at the age of 5 and 7 years, respectively. It is the first report of familial pyostomatitis vegetans occurring in the youngest patients hitherto reported. CONCLUSION: The observation of two sibs with pyostomatitis, vegetans pyoderma gangrenosum and inflammatory bowel disease suggest a hereditary disposition to this rare triad.

Low prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among Egyptian females.

Analysis of 4458 patients evaluated by cytology at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kasr El-Einy Hospital, Cairo University, during the years 1981 to 1985 revealed that only 1.07% of these women had abnormal cytology. The prevalence rate for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was remarkably low, corresponding to 3.59/1000 for CIN grade I, 2.28/1000 for CIN II, and 1.16/1000 for CIN III. The mean age for CIN was 44.23 years while that for cervical cancer was 54.32. This low prevalence rate of CIN among Egyptian females, together with the late onset of the disease in comparison with other populations, calls for further study of the epidemiologic characteristics of this low-risk community.