[THE INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN SMOKING, ALCOHOL, TOOTH PATHOLOGY AND PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI AMONG ETHNIC GROUPS IN KYRGYZSTAN].

The main aim was to study the ethnic and social characteristics of the prevalence of certain risk factors among Kyrgyz ethnic population infected with Helicobacter pylori without clinical signs of the disease of upper gastrointestinal tract. The study involved 116 healthy individuals (57 and 49 Kyrgyz, Russian) who were tested on H. pylori infection, taking into account risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, low or serious teeth damage. The identified H.pylori infection was independent from ethnic affiliation. Significant relation between absence or high damage of the teeth and H. pylori contamination was revealed in surveyed Kyrgyz group.

Oral health of patients with severe rheumatic heart disease.

In order to determine whether adequate attention is paid to the maintenance of good oral health in patients at risk of developing infective endocarditis, we studied 44 black patients with severe rheumatic heart disease before they had cardiac surgery. Plaque and gingival index scores were calculated and panoramic radiographs were done in all patients. There were 17 males and 27 females (mean age: 30.6 years). The plaque and gingival index scores were classified as poor in 31.8 and 54.6% of patients, respectively. Panoramic radiographic findings included caries in 56.8% of patients, peri-apical pathology in 18.1% and retained roots in 22.7% of patients. This study demonstrates that inadequate attention is paid to the maintenance of good oral health in patients with severe rheumatic heart disease. The oral and dental care of patients at risk of developing infective endocarditis needs to be improved.

Pathological findings in a sample of Mexican pediatric patients. Clinical and radiographic survey.

AIM: The findings of a clinical-radiological review of 467 children attending the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the Facultad de Odontología, UNAM, Mexico, are presented. METHODS: All patients were clinically reviewed, clinical history was taken, and an orthopantomogram obtained by last year dentistry students. Patients and radiographs were then reviewed by the panel and all alterations in teeth, soft tissues and bone were recorded. RESULTS: Clinical and/or radiographic alterations were found in 132 (28.26%) children. The main alterations were developmental (75%) and inflammatory/infectious and traumatic (6.06% each). The most common entities were: supernumeraries (30.77%); hypodontia (29.7%); osteosclerotic lesions and microdontia (4.4% each). CONCLUSION: The data on the frequency of alterations in the pediatric population attending at our institution reinforce the importance of this kind of study in efforts to improve the quality of stomatologic services in the pediatric population.

Racial and ethnic differences in health and health care: lessons from an inner-city patient population actively using heroin and cocaine.

This study describes differences in health care utilization and recorded diagnoses in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 1175 out-of-treatment patients who screened positive for heroin and cocaine use during an outpatient visit to a drop-in clinic at an urban hospital. Blacks averaged more ED visits than Whites and higher average yearly ED charges than Hispanics (1,991 dollars vs. 1,603 dollars). Charges over two years totaled 6,111,660 dollars. Blacks were most likely to be diagnosed with injury, hypertension, cardiac disease, alcohol abuse/dependency, and sexually transmitted disease, and least likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disease. Hispanics were most likely to be diagnosed with HIV, dental disease and drug overdoses, and least likely to be injured. Only 34% of this group of drug users was identified with a diagnosis of drug abuse or dependency.

Dental abnormalities in children preparing for pediatric bone marrow transplantation.

The purpose of our study was to describe the types and frequencies of altered dental development in pediatric patients preparing for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Retrospective review of the medical records and panoramic radiographs of all patients who underwent BMT at St Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1990 and 2000 for whom pre-BMT dental examination and panoramic radiography records were available. All patients were treated on institutional protocols. We recorded patient demographics and radiographic evidence of microdontia, hypodontia, taurodontia, root stunting, caries, enamel pearls, and pulpal calcifications. The 259 patients identified (150 male and 109 female) had a median age of 12.82 years (range, 3.18-25.93 years) at the time of BMT. In total, 203 were Caucasian, 38 were African-American, and 18 were of other races. In all, 150 (57.9%) had abnormal dentition. The most common dental abnormalities were caries (n=84), pulpal calcifications (n = 34), and dental extractions (n = 33). Developmental abnormalities occurred less frequently: taurodontia (n = 8), hypodontia (n = 10), microdontia (n = 11), and root stunting (n = 11). Dental abnormalities are prevalent in children undergoing BMT. Pre-transplant oral hygiene and dental examination should be standard care in order to minimize potential sites of infection.

Dental health and treatment needs among a sample of Bangladeshi medical users aged 40 years and over living in Tower Hamlets, UK.

AIM: To assess the dental health status and treatment needs of Bangladeshi medical care users aged 40 years and over and to explore the relationship of oral disease status, tobacco usage and paan (betel quid) chewing. DESIGN: Multi-centre cross-sectional study. SETTING: General medical practitioners' waiting areas in Tower Hamlets, UK. SUBJECTS: 185 Bangladeshi adults aged 40 years and over. INTERVENTION: A clinical examination and an interview schedule. MEASURES: Dental status, periodontal status, dental plaque, calculus and denture status. Tobacco smoking and paan chewing behaviour. RESULTS: The response rate was 74%. 85% of participants were dentate with an average number of 24 (SD +/- 5.4) standing teeth. The mean DMFT score was 5.38, with missing teeth (3.81) being the major component. The decayed component was 0.43 and the filled was 1.14. 46% of participants were assessed as being free from gingivitis. Significant relationships between chewing paan and aspects of dental and periodontal status were found. Impacts of oral health were reported by 45% of the respondents. The normative need for dental treatment was 96% with a perceived need of 48%. CONCLUSION: There was considerable normative dental need. Whilst caries experience was low, there were high levels of periodontal treatment needs. Paan chewing was related to aspects of dental and periodontal status.

Oral health in preschool children living in Sweden. Part II--A longitudinal study. Findings at three years of age.

Scientific epidemiological studies of dental health in children three years of age are relatively few in Sweden. The aim of this study was to describe the oral health of three-year-old children living in Sweden, with special reference to immigration and failure to attend health examinations. All of 671 children requested to take part in an earlier investigation (Wendt et al. 1991) were invited for a new dental examination at three years of age. A total of 632 children were examined. At the age of three years 71.7 per cent of the children were caries free. Of the children with caries, 33.5 per cent were immigrants and of the total number of immigrants, 50.5 per cent had caries compared to 21.9 per cent of the non-immigrant children. Among those children, who failed to attend the earlier investigations at one or two years of age, 61.5 per cent had caries at the age of three. Compared to studies on dental health in three-year-old children from the 70's and 80's (Hugoson et al. 1986), this study shows that dental health in three-year-old children has not improved significantly during the last decade. Furthermore, this study supports the suggestion that special preventive dental programmes should be developed for immigrant children and that extra attention should be paid to children who fail to attend health examinations and their families.