A new oral care gel to prevent aspiration during oral care.

AIM: Although oral care is important in the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, the different institutions and practitioners employ various oral care methods, some of which are associated with the risk of aspiration. We have developed a new gel with the physical properties needed for waterless oral care. In the present study, we evaluated and investigated the properties and effectiveness of this gel. METHODS: The physical properties of the trial gel and commercial moisturizing gels were compared using a VAS scale. The effects of plaque elimination were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Brushing was carried out by a dental hygienist using the gel and water. The number of throat suctions performed during brushing was also counted, and the difference was evaluated. RESULTS: In the evaluation of physical characteristics, trial Gel B showed a significantly higher rating than the other gels. In plaque elimination, the rate of decrease in a modified PCR was significantly greater with the gel trial. Suctioning was also performed significantly fewer times with the trial gel. CONCLUSIONS: Good results were obtained with the newly developed trial Gel B with regard to the physical properties and the sensory evaluations. Its effectiveness was also confirmed in plaque elimination and in the evaluated risk of aspiration. The use of Gel B may have the potential to decrease the risk of aspiration during oral care and reduce the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia.

Attitudes toward smoking cessation according to smoking status among dentists in the Aichi Dental Association in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of smoking, including heated tobacco products (HTPs), among Japanese dentists was reported to be 16.5%, significantly higher than that among Japanese physicians and United States dentists. However, large-scale studies on smoking cessation implementation based on dentists' smoking status and perceptions since the introduction of HTPs are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate and assess dentists' attitudes toward smoking, including HTP use and smoking cessation, according to smoking status. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire comprising six major items was mailed to 3883 dentists who were members of the Aichi Dental Association in August 2019. The primary outcome was smoking cessation status. The secondary outcome was the impact of smoking on intervention for smoking cessation. This study was reported using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. RESULTS: Among the 1317 (42%) dentists analyzed, men were more positive toward smoking than women. Current and former smokers were more positive about smoking than never smokers/users, regardless of the tobacco product type. Additionally, the current smoker group using conventional cigarettes was less likely to ask for their patients' smoking status than the never smoker group. Furthermore, the current smoker (OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.3-3.1 vs never smoker) and HTP user (OR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.2-3.1 vs never user) groups were less likely to engage in smoking cessation than the never smoker/user groups, regardless of the tobacco product type. CONCLUSIONS: Since the smoking status of dentists affects the implementation of smoking cessation interventions, it is crucial to encourage them to quit using all tobacco products to promote smoking cessation interventions in dental practice. Additionally, providing proper smoking prevention education to dentists is an important task.

Comparison of clinical practice education in dental hygiene schools in eight countries.

OBJECTIVES: The profession of dental hygienist is one of the few in which the primary function of the practitioner is to prevent oral disease and to promote the well-being of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical training conditions in schools of dental hygiene in eight countries (the USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand, South Korea and Japan). METHODS: In 2006, we sent out a questionnaire in which we asked dental hygiene schools about how they educate dental hygiene students. RESULTS: The techniques taught to students in schools in Western industrialised nations, such as the USA, Canada, Denmark, the UK and Sweden, were mainly related to dental preventive measures and dental health guidance. By contrast, training schools in South Korea and Japan placed less emphasis on dental preventive measures and dental health guidance. Dental hygienists in Thailand are trained to perform local anaesthesia and to fill and extract deciduous teeth although the country does not have a specific qualification system. CONCLUSIONS: The contents of clinical training and education in schools of dental hygiene differ greatly among countries.

Temporal association of elevated C-reactive protein and periodontal disease in men.

BACKGROUND: Most studies on the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and periodontal disease have been cross-sectional. In this study, we investigated the temporal association between CRP and periodontal disease by following a large number of subjects for 1 year. METHODS: We studied 11,162 men in Nagoya, Japan, who had an initial dental examination as part of a complete physical examination and then underwent the same examination 1 year later. For the 4,997 men without periodontal disease at baseline, logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between baseline CRP and periodontal disease 1 year later, adjusting for age, body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c level, and smoking status. Similarly, logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between periodontal disease at baseline and CRP 1 year later for the 10,376 men with normal baseline CRP, adjusting for the same confounding factors. RESULTS: Among men without high CRP at baseline, periodontal disease at baseline correlated to CRP 1 year later. The odds ratio was 1.336 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.115 to 1.674). However, in the men without periodontal disease, no significant correlations were seen with baseline CRP or periodontal disease 1 year later. The odds ratio was 1.163 (95% CI: 0.894 to 1.513). CONCLUSION: Periodontal disease increased the risk for high serum CRP levels in men after 1 year of follow-up.

Remineralization of primary tooth enamel from individuals with Down syndrome.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of primary tooth enamel of Down syndrome patients (DSPs). We examined 9 primary teeth of Down syndrome children and 11 primary teeth of normally developed children to investigate the remineralization processes of enamel by transverse microradiography and X ray micro analyzer (XMA). METHODS: Mineral loss, lesion depth, maximum mineral value, minimum mineral value, depth of maximum mineral value, and depth of minimum mineral value were used to analyze transverse microradiography (TMR). In addition, we calculated the percentage of enamel remineralization. RESULTS: All the parameters in the 2 groups showed marked recovery. The results indicated that the Down syndrome group was significantly remineralized the same way as the control group. According to the comparison of mineral content distribution by XMA, the content distribution of magnesium was different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: While recovery through remineralization of primary teeth was similar between Down syndrome children and normally developed children, the mechanism of remineralization process may be different between the 2 groups; consequently, magnesium may be considered as one of the factors affecting recovery.

Effect of strontium in combination with fluoride on enamel remineralization in vitro.

Previous studies showed that strontium (Sr) as well as fluoride (F) can enhance enamel remineralization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Sr in combination with F on enamel remineralization in vitro. Sixty enamel specimens obtained from caries free human premolars were demineralised to produce caries-like lesions. Half of each lesion was covered with nail varnish as an untreated control. The specimens were then randomly divided into F and Sr+F treatment groups. The F group was exposed to remineralizing solutions (1.5mM CaCl(2), 0.9 mM KH(2)PO(4)) containing 1 ppm, 0.1 ppm or 0.05 ppm F. The Sr+F treatment group was exposed to the same solutions including 10 ppm Sr. After 2 weeks, lesion depth, mineral loss and percentage enamel remineralization were determined using transversal microradiography. There was a significant decrease in mineral loss in all groups (p<0.001). Lesion depth was significantly reduced for all groups (p<0.05) with the exception of group F. Remineralization was significantly affected by F concentration (p=0.000). The participation of Sr resulted in a significant enhancement of remineralization (p<0.001) with a synergistic effect of the Sr+F combination (p<0.01). It was concluded that while the remineralizing process was affected by the concentration of F, there was also an interaction between F and Sr when they were used in conjunction.