Oral hygiene status and vascular aging in schoolchildren and their mothers.

BACKGROUND: Poor oral hygiene, generally manifesting as dental caries, gingivitis, or periodontitis, is a common chronic condition among both children and adults worldwide and has been reportedly associated with hypertension and arterial stiffness mainly in adult patients. However, these associations have not been well-studied in children and adults in the general population. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional study to clarify the associations between oral hygiene indices and high blood pressure (BP)/hypertension and arterial stiffness as assessed by the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in children along with their mothers. The association between maternal oral hygiene and high BP in children was also examined based on the hypothesis that maternal awareness of oral hygiene is related to their children's oral hygiene. METHODS: This study was conducted as an Adjunct Study of the Aichi Regional Sub-Cohort of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Participating children (n = 220, 85-104 months old) and their mothers (n = 217, 29-52 years old) underwent dental/intra-oral examination and BP and CAVI assessment. High BP in children and hypertension in mothers were diagnosed according to corresponding American guidelines. Logistic regression analysis or analysis of covariance was used to examine the associations of poor oral hygiene indices with BP and CAVI. RESULTS: Maternal dental caries ≥1 was associated with their hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-6.61). Maternal dental plaque ≥1/3 was associated with maternal hypertension and children's high BP (aOR, 95% CI: 4.71, 1.33-16.73 and 5.67, 1.22-25.04, respectively). Maximum pocket depth ≥4 mm was associated with children's high BP (aOR: 6.85, 95% CI: 1.24-38.01). No associations were observed between oral hygiene indices and CAVI in children; however, there was a significant association between dental plaque and CAVI in mothers (F = 5.62, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The small sample size, especially the case number, made it necessary to refrain from drawing unambiguous conclusion. The hypothesis that warrants further investigation based on the present study results is that poor oral hygiene is associated with high BP in children and hypertension and arterial stiffness in mothers, and maternal oral hygiene is associated with high BP in children.

Texture Analysis of Food Samples Used for the Evaluation of Masticatory Function.

Introduction Food questionnaire surveys are often used to evaluate masticatory function. In daily clinical practice in Japan, a survey is performed using a list of food groups suitable for the Japanese diet. The foods on the list were categorized into five food groups based on their mastication index. The patient's masticatory function is determined by the food groups that can be eaten. The masticatory index, which indicates chewability, was defined based on the percentage of 110 denture wearers who responded that they could eat food normally. A survey with this list is useful because of its simplicity; however, there is a lack of objective data on the physical properties of food samples. Consequently, to make the results of the food questionnaire survey more objective indicators, we performed a texture analysis of the food samples on the list. Methods We performed a texture analysis of 93 samples from 77 food items on the list. Compression tests were performed using a texture analyzer, and hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, viscosity, and gumminess were calculated by a texture profile analysis. Results Even with the same ingredients, the results differed depending on the presence or absence of food skin, the direction of pressing (vertical or horizontal), cooking methods, and temperature differences. However, the masticatory index was negatively correlated with hardness (-0.4157, p<0.001) and gumminess which is determined as the product of hardness×cohesiveness (-0.4980, p<0.001). Conclusion This study suggests that the masticatory index indicating chewability may be related to the hardness and cohesiveness of food samples. Even for foods with the same hardness, the degree of difficulty in forming a food mass is expected to vary depending on differences in cohesiveness. Moreover, the presence or absence of food skin, the direction of food fibers, cooking methods, and temperature differences change the physical properties of the food. Therefore, the composition and structure of the foods or eating habits of patients should be taken into consideration when conducting a food questionnaire survey.