ABSTRACT
A comprehensive study was undertaken with 12 dental hygiene students to ascertain whether the time of chewing or the degree of relaxation is more important in the oral digestion of complex carbohydrates. In addition, we studied whether the effects of stress and relaxation on salivary alpha-amylase activity was corroborated by physiologic measures. The dental hygiene students chewed an oat cereal for either 20 or 60 s while under two different orders of stress and relaxation conditions: 1) stress/20 s, stress/60 s, relax/20 s, relax/60 s; and 2) relax/20 s, relax/60 s, stress/20 s, stress/60 s. Galvanic skin resistance, pulse rate, and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) were used to physiologically verify the effects of stress and relaxation on amylase activity. Amylase activity was judged by spectrophotometric analysis of maltose produced from a specific dilution of expectorated saliva. Results showed that the physiological measures significantly corroborated the salivary determinations of stress and relaxation and that deep relaxation was significantly more important than thorough chewing in the oral digestion of complex carbohydrates.
Subject(s)
Dietary Carbohydrates/metabolism , Edible Grain , Mastication , Relaxation , Saliva/metabolism , Adult , Amylases/metabolism , Blood Pressure , Female , Heart Rate , Humans , Maltose/metabolism , Phytotherapy , Saliva/enzymology , Stress, Physiological/metabolismABSTRACT
Homogenates were prepared from sections of both clinically normal and clinically inflamed human gingival tissue. After centrifugation, supernatants were quantitated for protein and subjected to anionic and cationic electrophoresis. Samples of gingival blood and venous blood were similarly subjected to electrophoresis. Significant protein pattern differences are reported for the anionic tissue separations, and for the cationic tissue and plasma separations.
Subject(s)
Gingiva/analysis , Gingivitis/metabolism , Proteins/analysis , Blood Proteins/analysis , Electrophoresis, Disc/methods , Humans , gamma-Globulins/analysisABSTRACT
A study was done in an attempt to develop a simple test for the severity of periodontal disease. Gingival fluid collected on filter paper was tested for protein content, and the resulting color was compared to standard color filters. Tissue was excised and prepared for histologic examination. The inflammatory cell infiltrate on each slide was graded on a scale of zero to three. Zero was least and three was the highest number of inflammatory cells. The results indicate that the white cell infiltrate graded 0 or 1 on the histologic inflammatory index has a color index of B 1/8 TO B1 whereas the tissue graded 2 or 3 HII has a range of B2 to B6 on the color scale. This test can give the dental practitioner a general idea of the severity of the inflammation.
Subject(s)
Gingival Crevicular Fluid/analysis , Gingivitis , Periodontitis/diagnosis , Color , Gingival Crevicular Fluid/cytology , Humans , Indicators and Reagents , Leukocytes/pathology , Periodontitis/metabolism , Periodontitis/pathology , Proteins/analysisSubject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Saliva/analysis , Adult , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Humans , Proteins/analysisSubject(s)
Dental Caries/etiology , Relaxation Therapy , Saliva/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/physiopathology , Adult , Autonomic Nervous System/physiology , Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology , Dental Caries/prevention & control , Female , Glycoproteins/analysis , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Male , Parotid Gland/metabolism , Relaxation , Saliva/physiology , Salivary Glands/anatomy & histology , Salivary Glands/innervation , Salivary Proteins and Peptides/analysis , Secretory Rate , alpha-Amylases/analysisABSTRACT
Dentally induced stress and relaxation-induced anxiety reduction recently have been correlated with salivary changes in private patients treated by a solo endodontist. Hypnosis was shown to be more effective than local anesthesia in anxiety reduction. Dental students and clinic patients were employed in this study in an attempt to replicate the previous findings. One additional salivary variable (pH) was examined. Twenty-nine endodontic clinic patients were treated, each by a different dental student. The patients completed dental anxiety questionnaires and had salivary samples taken prior to, and at the conclusion of, their initial endodontic treatments. Pain and anxiety were managed using local anesthesia, hypnosis, or nitrous oxide-oxygen, either alone or in combination. There were significant anxiety-reduction changes by the conclusion of the visits (p less than 0.001) as measured by increased salivary volume, increased salivary translucency, reduced salivary protein, increased salivary pH and reduced questionnaire-determined anxiety level. Hypnosis and nitrous oxide-oxygen were significantly more effective (p less than 0.05) than local anesthesia in anxiety reduction as measured by salivary changes and questionnaires. It can be concluded that saliva is an easily obtained fluid that can be used to determine levels of stress and relaxation.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/physiopathology , Relaxation , Saliva/physiology , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Male , Middle Aged , Root Canal Therapy , Salivary Proteins and Peptides/analysis , Salivation , Stress, Psychological/metabolismABSTRACT
Thirty-four endodontic patients completed dental anxiety questionnaires and had saliva samples taken prior to and at the conclusion of their initial endodontic treatment. Pain and anxiety were managed with local anesthesia, nitrous oxide--oxygen psychosedation, hypnosis, and meditation, either alone or in combination. For most patients, by the conclusion of the treatment, anxiety had decreased, salivary volume had increased, and salivary protein was reduced. Meditation and hypnosis, either alone or in combination with local anesthesia, were most effective in anxiety reduction as measured by questionnaire and/or salivary changes.