Remineralisation effect of 1,500 ppm fluoride-containing toothpaste in enamel early caries lesion / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: We compared the effects of a 1,500 ppm fluoride-containing toothpaste and a 1,000 ppm fluoride-containing toothpaste, which were revised up to the recent revision, and evaluated their effects on the tooth surface after adding bamboo salt to the preparations. METHODS: Experimental early artificial caries specimens were subjected to one of four treatments (n=12 per treatment group): 1,500 ppm NaF, 2% bamboo salt+1,000 ppm NaF, 1,000 ppm NaF, and control treatment. The specimens were exposed to the experimental toothpaste, artificial saliva, and demineralized solution. The treated specimens were analyzed using Vickers surface hardness testing, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. RESULTS: The toothpaste with a high fluoride concentration (1,500 ppm NaF) showed more remineralization than did the toothpaste with a low fluoride concentration (1,000 ppm NaF). The 2% bamboo salt+1,000 ppm NaF group showed remineralization similar to the 1,500 ppm NaF group and higher surface microhardness than the 1,000 ppm NaF group. CONCLUSIONS: Toothpastes containing 1,500 ppm NaF have a higher preventive effect against dental caries than do toothpastes containing 1,000 ppm NaF. The addition of bamboo salt to fluoride-containing dentifrices improves their effectiveness in preventing dental caries.

Efficacy of dentifrices containing policresulen in controlling dental plaque and gingivitis formation / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: This clinical study aimed to investigate if dentifrices containing policresulen would help to control dental plaque and gingivitis. METHODS: Seventy-eight eligible adults participated in this double-blind and randomized clinical study after an initial oral examination, calculus removal, and tooth prophylaxis. Two weeks after the procedure, the participants were assigned to three groups using the following dentifrices: (1) a dentifrice containing 0.22% NaF (control group); (2) a dentifrice containing 0.22% NaF and 100 ppm policresulen (policresulen group); and (3) a dentifrice containing 0.22% NaF, 100 ppm policresulen, and 1.00% bamboo salt (policresulen/bamboo group). The participants used only the provided dentifrice (for 1 min, twice a day, over 8 weeks) when brushing their teeth and followed their normal brushing habits. Dental plaque accumulation and gingivitis measurements were conducted using the Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein plaque index (PI), the Loe and Silness gingival index (GI), and the percent bleeding on probing (%BOP) to obtain baseline data and 4- and 8-week data after grouping. RESULTS: A total of 73 participants aged 35.92+/-11.46 years (mean+/-SD) completed the study. The results after 8 weeks demonstrated statistically significant group-by-time interactions for PI, GI, and %BOP (P<0.001). The PI observed in the control groups increased over time up to 6%, while that observed in the dentifrice groups containing policresulen decreased by 5% (P<0.001). For GI and %BOP, the control group exhibited significantly higher values after 8 weeks, while the policresulen and the policresulen/bamboo groups revealed similar index values as the baseline after 4 and 8 weeks. The changes in all indices were significantly different between the control and the two experimental groups. There were no significant differences in the results obtained from the policresulen/bamboo group and the results obtained from the policresulen group. CONCLUSIONS: Use of dentifrices containing policresulen over 8 weeks demonstrated anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis efficacy compared to a control dentifrice.

Effect of Seaweed Extract on Hair Growth Promotion in Experimental Study of C57BL/6 Mice

BACKGROUND: Recently, substances from seaweeds have been widely used in hair growth solutions, and have been proven to be effective. Seaweeds have been documented to possess hair growth activity; however, no report on the effect of seaweed on hair regeneration has been issued to date. In this study, we investigated which exact substance of hair tonic made by JW-bio and our institute shows effects on hair growth by studying the mechanisms of candidate substances. METHODS: The study was conducted to investigate the hair restoring effect of domestic natural substances; we categorized the candidate substances as seaweed, cereal, and herbal medicine. Five experimental groups were included in the study as follows: a saline group, a 50% ethanol group, seaweed group, a cereal group, and a herbal medicine group. RESULTS: Three extracts (seaweed, cereal, and herbal medicine) were administered to C57BL/6 mice for two weeks after depilation. Depilated areas were found to be completely covered with fully grown hair, and the hair re-growth score was highest in the seaweed group. Using a hair analysis system, hair characteristics were measured in all groups on days 10 and 14 after depilation. The width and length of hair follicles were largest in the seaweed group. Groups treated with seaweed showed significantly increased gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1. Groups treated with all the three extracts showed decreased expression of transforming growth factor-beta1. CONCLUSION: Findings from our study suggest that seaweeds possess hair-growth effects and may be useful for the treatment of alopecia in the future.

Postoperative Contralateral Blepharoptosis in Patients with Unilateral Blepharoptosis and Negative Hering's Law Dependence Test

BACKGROUND: Correction of unilateral blepharoptosis is unexpectedly difficult because healthy eye is often affected by Hering's law. METHODS: We measured changes of marginal reflex distance (MRD1) on the unaffected eyelids between preoperative and 3-month postoperative photographs after ptosis correction. This study analyzed 134 unilateral blepharoptosis patients with ptosis correction from February 2002 to February 2011. Fifty patients among them were negative in Hering's law dependence test. From the preoperative and postoperative photographs the MRD1 of unaffected upper eyelids were measured and adjusted with the average pupil diameter of Koreans. Mean age was 34.4 and male was 30 and female was 20. Average follow-up periods were 14 months. RESULTS: Thirteenth unaffected eyes (26%) showed decreased MRD1, and 3 patients (6%) showed decreased MRD1 value over 1.0 mm. Then 3 patients needed additional operations for correction of preoperatively unaffected but ptotic eyelids. CONCLUSION: There were no meaningful data statistically in the value of MRD1 in every unaffected eye of the patients and in the difference between preoperative and postoperative MRD1 of groups divided according to severity, causes, and types of operation.

Clinical Application of Fat Tissue Wraparound Splint after Facial Nerve Repair

Facial deformity after nerve injury changes ones' social life. We experienced a few patients with healthy early recovery of muscle contraction after the operation with soft tissue wraparound splint. Under general anesthesia, exploration to find as many injured nerve stumps with x 2.5 loopes was undertaken at first. Interfascicular repair was done with minimal tension by 10-0 nylon under a microscope, and the suture site was sealed by approximating the surrounding fat flaps. This conjoined adipose tissue flap was a splint as a wraparound environment to reduce the tension in the coaptation site, and to increase the relative concentration of releasing neurotrophic factors by surrounding it. A 45-year-old man fell down in a drunken state and had deep laceration by broken flowerpot fragments with facial muscle weakness on the right cheek. His injured mandibular branches of the facial nerve were found. A 31-year-old female suffered from motionlessnesss of frontalis muscle after a traffic accident. She had four frontal branches injured. The man had his cheek with motion after seven days, and the woman two months after the operation. The nerve conduction test of the woman showed normalized values. Facial nerve repair surrounded by adipose tissue wraparound splint can make the recovery time relatively short.

Acquired Simulated Brown Syndrome Combined with Blepharoptosis after Upper Blepharoplasty

PURPOSE: Brown syndrome is motility disorder of the eyeball which shows limited elevation in adduction and occurs very rarely after eye surgery. The authors have experienced a case of strabismus-like Brown syndrome combined with blepharoptosis and report this case with the review of literatures. METHODS: A 28-year-old female suffered from hypotropia in the primary gaze and severe blepharoptosis with diplopia of the right eye after upper blepharoplasty. Rotation showed an inability to elevate the adducted right eye. She underwent extraocular muscle surgery about the 7 mm tucking of the right superior rectus muscle and 6 mm recession of right inferior rectus muscle. Intraoperatively, injury of the superior rectus muscle and foreign body were observed. Seven months after the extraocular surgery, the patient underwent frontalis muscle transfer on the right upper eyelid for the correction of blepharoptosis. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the patient was orthophoric in the primary gaze, and she had improvements in the correction of blepharoptosis and eyeball movement. CONCLUSION: Repeated eyelid surgeries increase the risk of ocular motility disorder. Careful approach is essential for the proper treatment and successful outcome in secondary surgeries.

Suppressive effect of Curcuma xanthorrhiza oil on plaque and gingivitis / 대한치주과학회지

To find out the suppressive effect of natural extract Curcuma xanthorrhiza on IL-1beta and MMP-2 derived from periodontal ligament cells through in vitro study and to confirm its effect on plaque and gingivitis through clinical study, Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste was used and following results were produced. 1. In vitro study, type IV collagenase MMP-2 production was inhibited dose-dependently in the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza compared to the control group. 2. In vitro study, the production of IL-1beta which is one of the inflammatory mediators associated with periodontitis was inhibited dose-dependently in the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza. 3. On the third week, the plaque index of the groups treated with or without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpastes were both increased significantly compared to the baseline(p<0.05). 4. On the third week, the gingival index of the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste was not significantly different from baseline. However, the group treated without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed a significant increase of gingival index at shielded area(p<0.05). 5. The gingival index of the group without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed a significant increase in the sites without tooth brushing when compared to sites with tooth brushing(p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference for the group with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste in sites either with or without tooth brushing. 6. The Bleeding on probing for the group without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed no significant difference even when tooth brushing was done. However, for the group with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste, bleeding on probing was significantly reduced compared to baseline when tooth brushing was done(p<0.05).