Serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines are high in early childhood caries.

It is unknown whether serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines would be high in children with early childhood caries (ECC). This study investigated the association between serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines and severity of caries in preschoolers younger than 72 months. A case-control study was performed with a random sample of 72 children with ECC and 80 caries-free children. The explanatory variables were serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and NGAL) and the outcome was severity of ECC (number of decayed teeth). Thecrudeanalyses were used toestimate the association between each cytokine and ECC. Then, the analyses were adjusted for socioeconomic factors, excess weight and sugar sweetened beverages consumption using Poisson regression models. The estimated coefficients were expressed as Means Ratio (MR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In the crude analyses, the highest tertiles of IL-6 (MR = 1.47, IC = 1.09-2.00, p = 0.012), TNF-α (MR = 1.33, CI = 1.00-1.78, p = 0.040) and NGAL (MR = 2.20, CI = 1.39-3.49, p = 0.001) were associated to ECC. After adjustment, the highest tertiles of IL-6 levels (MR = 1.54, IC = 1.13-2.10, p = 0.005), and NGAL (MR = 1.71, CI = 1.04-2.80, p = 0.032) remained associated to ECC; while TNF-α was no longer associated to ECC (MR = 1.31, CI = 0.98-1.75, p = 0.066). Higher serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines were associated to severity of caries in preschoolers, suggesting that chronic inflammation underlies ECC.

A conventional microwave oven for denture cleaning: a critical review.

INTRODUCTION: Denture cleaning should be quick and easy to perform, especially in long-term care facilities. The lack of proper oral hygiene can put older adults at higher risk from opportunistic oral infections, particularly fungal. As an alternative to regular brushing, the use of a microwave oven has been suggested for cleaning and disinfecting dentures. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of a conventional microwave oven for cleaning and disinfecting complete dentures. METHODS: A brief literature search focused on papers dealing with microwave therapy for denture cleaning through PubMed Central, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Google Scholar, Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process, and Scifinder Scholar. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-seven manuscripts published in English with full text were found, and 28 were accepted and discussed in the light of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of conventional microwave oven for cleaning and disinfecting complete dentures. CONCLUSIONS: There was no standardisation for microwave use for denture cleaning. Manual cleaning still seemed to be the optimal method for controlling fungal infection and denture stomatitis. However, such a daily routine appeared to be underused, particularly in long-term care facilities.

Café discussions on oral sex, oral cancer, and HPV infection: summative report.

Recent emphasis has been placed on the potential links between oral sex, HPV infection, and oral cancer development. Such links were addressed by researchers, clinicians, and the community during two Café Scientifique discussions in October and November 2008, in Vancouver, Canada. The Cafes gathered panels of experts on oral pathology, dentistry, oncology, social work, and community-based research who interacted with an audience of policy makers, health care administrators, sociologists, sexologists, pharmacists, clinical and social researchers, social workers, technicians, and graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. This commentary summarizes the main points discussed during these two events to encourage a worldwide open dialogue about potential risks for oral cancer beyond tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption as such malignancies have high mortality and morbidity, but are yet preventable diseases.

Educaçäo preventiva em odontogeriatria - mais do que uma necessidade, uma realidade / Odontogeriatric preventive education - More than a necessity, it's a reality

As atividades educacionais em saúde bucal desempenham um papel fundamental na melhora da qualidade de vida para qualquer pessoa, em qualquer idade. Como conseqüencia de um grande número de idosos envelhecer cada vez mais com dentes naturais em boca (mesmo quando substituídos por implantes ou prótese fixas), a higiene oral torna-se muito mais exigente. No intuito de melhorar a qualidade de vida desses idosos, uma maior atençäo deverá ser dada na prevençäo das doenças bucais. Como visto na literatura odontológica, atividades preventivas, a exemplo dos programas educacionais, reduzem o risco destas enfermidades. Este artigo objetiva comparar e analisar cinco diferentes atividades preventivas educacionais no campo da odontogeriatria

Diabetes e periodontite: a hora e a vez da Medicina periodontal / Diabetes and periodontal disease: the hour and the time of the periodontal Medicine

Este estudo trata-se de uma revisão da literatura sobre as inter-relações entre doença periodontal e medicina, em especial em relação ao diabetes. Ambas as doenças tratam-se de patologias constantes no processo de envelhecimento, mostrando uma alta incidência no idoso. Como resultado, a baixa na qualidade de vida nesses pacientes é observada, sem falar dos problemas que, indiretamente, passam a ocorrer. A literatura científica tem sugerido uma relação mais do que próxima entre essas duas doenças. Não apenas o diabetes influencia o desenrolar da doença periodontal, a exemplo da dificuldade cicatricial, mas também sofre influência da mesma. Estuda-se a possibilidade de que tal ligação ocorra no que diz respeito ao metabolismo da glicose e, conseqüentemente, no qual essa correlação pode estar ocorrendo é apenas sugestivo e pesquisas são necessárias de maneira a entender melhor tal processo. Mais do que nunca a Medicina encontra-se relacionada à Odontologia, ambas direcionando esforços na busca de um envelhecimento bem sucedido, com melhor qualidade de vida