Periodontal health in adopted children of Asian origin living in Sweden.

In the present study the periodontal condition of a group of adopted 6-17 year-old children of Asian origin living in Sweden was compared with that of age- and sex matched Sweden children. Thirty-one Asian children and 31 Swedish children participated. Data on general health for all the children and on age at arrival for the Asian children was collected by interview. A clinical examination included recording of presence of plaque, supragingival calculus, bleeding on probing, probing depth, and caries. Radiographs were used to determine marginal bone loss (distance between the cemento-enamel junction and the marginal bone level > 2 mm), proximal calculus, and proximal caries. In addition, previously taken and filed radiographs of the primary dentition of the older children and current radiographs of the younger children with primary teeth were analysed to determine the prevalence of bone loss and calculus. The children of Asian origin showed a significantly higher number of surfaces with plaque and bleeding on probing. No significant differences were noted in the number of individuals with probing depths > or = 4 mm, supragingival calculus, or radiographic calculus. Three of the Asian and none of the Swedish children displayed radiographic bone loss. The retrospective analysis of all available radiographs from the primary dentition showed that 9 of 29 (31%) Asian children and 2 of 29 (7%) Swedish children had experienced bone loss in primary teeth.

Oral health in coeliac disease and cow's milk protein intolerance.

The oral health of 24 children and adolescents, 19 with coeliac disease (CD) and 5 with cow's milk protein intolerance (CMPI) were compared with that of 24 randomly selected paired controls. Mineralisation disorders in the form of hypoplasias and/or opacities occurred in 74% of the cases of CD and 68% of their controls. All 5 cases with CMPI had mineralisation disorders, as did 2 of their controls. The disorders usually took the form of opacities, and both these and the hypoplasias were of a mild nature in all the groups. Serious hypoplasias did not occur at all. The caries status was, on average, better in the CD and CMPI groups than in the controls. Recurrent oral lesions occurred with almost the same frequency in the intolerance groups and in the controls. The study, therefore, gave no clear evidence that CD or CMPI involves a significant risk of poorer oral health, provided adequate paediatric and dental care is given.

Folate treatment of diphenylhydantoin-induced gingival hyperplasia.

It has recently been reported that folic acid supplementation reduced DPH-induced gingival hyperplasia in cat and in a pilot study also in man. The present study was performed to further evaluate this therapy in man. Twenty-three children with DPH-treatment for more than 1 yr, and eight children with short-time DPH-treatment were randomly assigned to groups with and without daily supplementation of folic acid (5 mg Folacin) for 1 yr. Although the DPH-levels were in many cases below the lower reference value, the seizure control of the children was good before and during the year of study. The plasma and red cell folate levels were within or above the given reference values in all but one child. There were no significant changes in the size of the gingival hyperplasias after 1 yr of folate supplementation. Nine severely mentally retarded DPH-treated adults were also given supplementation with folic acid. Their serum DPH-levels were above the higher reference values both at the start and during the study. Their plasma and red cell folic acid levels were below the reference value at the start of the study, but as a consequence of the Folacin supplementation these values rose. The size of the gingival hyperplasias was significantly reduced. Seizure control was unchanged. Folate levels should be checked and supplementation with folic acid considered in patients on long-term anticonvulsive multipharmacy therapy.

Hypophosphatasia affecting the permanent dentition.

Reports on dental abnormalities in connection with hypophosphatasia almost exclusively describe changes in primary teeth. A 23-year-old man with hypophosphatasia, first diagnosed at the age of 8 months, is described; histologically and radiographically verified signs of the condition were present in the permanent dentition. The findings included a reduced level of the marginal alveolar bone supporting the upper central incisors, which had to be extracted. The molars displayed large coronal pulp chambers. Histologically, the upper incisors demonstrated abnormal root cementum, with areas of dentin resorption, as well as disturbances of the mineralization of the coronal dentin. The patient also had signs of abnormal root resorption of molars. The potential involvement of permanent teeth puts children with hypophosphatasia at risk of developing oral complications during adolescent and adult life.

An epidemiological study of child health and nutrition in a northern Swedish county. VII. A comparative study of general and dental health, food habits and socio-economic conditions in 4-year-old children.

A study of the general and dental health and the food habits of randomly selected 4-year-old Swedish urban children was performed. The results were compared with the findings of an investigation carried out four years earlier in the same area. In comparison with the earlier study no significant differences were found in haemoglobin values, packed red cell volume, microsedimentation rate and anthropometric measurements. The food habits had altered. A reduction in the frequency of between-meal consumption, particularly of sweets and soft drinks, as well as a reduction of the frequency of meat, fish and egg consumption was found. The children had an increased sandwich and milk consumption. The caries frequency was markedly reduced, which might be explained by the decreased between-meal consumption and an increased consumption of fluoride tablets. The food habits and the caries situation were generally influenced by the parents' socio-economic conditions, especially their educational level.

Glycerol kinase deficiency in two brothers with and without clinical manifestations.

We report two brothers with glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD). The older brother had serious clinical symptoms, mental and growth retardation, abnormal skeleton, spontaneous fractures and premature loss of abnormal teeth. He and his mother had low serum phosphate levels. He had elevated serum and urine glycerol levels and GKD was found in cultured fibroblasts. Prenatal diagnosis was performed in the second pregnancy. Glycerol kinase activity was considered normal in a chorionic villus sample of the foetus. After birth, it was found that the boy had elevated serum and urine glycerol levels. Enzymatic analysis in cultured fibroblasts revealed that this boy also had GKD, in spite of having no expression of the disease. Chromosomal analyses in the parents and both boys were normal. Major rearrangements or deletions were not detected in molecular studies of DNA from the two brothers. The hybridisation pattern was normal and no allelic loss was observed.