Evaluation of Bond Strength and Microleakage of a Novel Metal-titanate Antibacterial Agent.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect on both bond strength and microleakage of incorporation of a novel antibacterial nanoparticulate metal-titanate complex (nMT) into a dental adhesive system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty extracted human molars were prepared to determine whether incorporation of nMT into bonding agents can affect shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive strength fatigue. SBS was measured with a universal testing machine, and the peak force at failure was recorded. An electromechanical fatigue machine was used for cyclic loading treatment of specimens. Differences in the SBS values among groups were identified using analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc analyses (α=0.05). Twenty standard Class V cavities were restored to examine microleakage when the primer/bonding resin was modified with 10 wt% nMT. Microleakage at the enamel and dentin margins was calculated as a percentage of the full length of the cavity. Results of the microleakage experiment were analyzed with paired and independent sample t-tests (α=0.05). RESULTS: The mean (± standard deviation) shear bond strength values of before fatigue and after fatigue ranged from 21.9 (2.5) MPa to 23.9 (3.8) MPa and from 17.1 (2.5) MPa to 17.7 (2.5) MPa respectively. No statistically significant differences in failure force were observed among groups (p=0.70). Microleakage under all conditions was significantly greater in the dentin margins than in the enamel margins (p<0.05). There was no evidence that microleakage differed between the experimental groups with modified primer and bonding resin. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating nMT into a dental adhesive system will not compromise the resin composite's tooth bonding and sealing ability.

Randomized clinical trial of interceptive and comprehensive orthodontics.

Focusing public insurance programs on interceptive orthodontics (IO) may increase access for low-income children. This report presents outcomes from a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing IO with comprehensive orthodontics (CO) in Medicaid patients. One hundred seventy pre-adolescents with Medicaid-eligible malocclusions were randomized to IO (n = 86) followed by observation (OBS) or OBS followed by CO (n = 84). One hundred thirty-four completed the trial. Models at pre-treatment (baseline) and following ≤ 2 years of intervention and 2 years of OBS (48 mos) were scored by calibrated examiners using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) and Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON). Overall outcomes and clinically meaningful categorical ICON data on need/acceptability, complexity, and improvement were compared. At baseline, groups were balanced by age, gender, ethnicity, and PAR/ICON scores. Most were minorities. Most (77%) were rated as difficult-to-very difficult. Scores improved significantly for both groups, but CO more than IO (PAR, 18.6 [95%CI 15.1, 22.1] vs.10.1 [95%CI 6.7, 13.4]; ICON, 44.8 [95% CI 39.7, 49.9] vs. 35.2 [95%CI 29.7, 40.6], respectively). On average, IO is effective at reducing malocclusions in Medicaid patients, but less than CO. (ClinicalTrials.gov number CT00067379).

Circulating TNF alpha receptor levels identify older adults who fail to regain weight after acute weight loss.

OBJECTIVE: Some healthy older adults have difficulty regaining weight after acute weight loss, and the reason for this failure to regain weight is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine if elevated leptin or pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are associated with failure to regain weight over two years after an acute weight loss intervention. DESIGN: Two year prospective study after an acute weight loss intervention. SETTING: University of Washington Medical Center from 2001-2006. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen older (≥ 70 years old) men and women. MEASUREMENTS: Body weights, health status questionnaire, body composition data, serum leptin, glucose, insulin, C- reactive protein and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were measured every six months for two years. RESULTS: Five subjects out of 19 failed to regain weight after two years. The subjects who failed to regain weight after 2 years had higher circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor particle 55 (TNFRp55) at baseline and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of follow up compared to subjects who regained weight after 2 years (P = 0.02 ). CONCLUSION: Five out of 19 older subjects had difficulty regaining weight for up to 2 years following an acute weight loss intervention, and their TNFRp55 levels were persistently higher than in subjects who regained weight. Greater TNF α action, as reflected by higher circulating levels of TNFRp55, could be contributing towards inability of some older persons to regain weight after acute weight loss.

Randomized equivalence trial of intensive and semiannual applications of fluoride varnish in the primary dentition.

For children in the primary dentition with high caries prevalence the standard semiannual application of fluoride varnish may not be successful in preventing tooth decay. Oftentimes this population is mobile and does not receive consistent preventive care. This trial tested whether an intensive fluoride 5% sodium varnish regimen (three applications/2 weeks) applied annually has an equivalent effect on caries progression in the primary dentition compared to single applications applied semiannually. This study was a randomized clinical trial with two treatment groups. All participants (n = 600; mean age +/- SD = 55.3 +/- 4.6 months) received three varnish applications (active varnish or placebo) at semiannual visits over 3 years. Once per year the intensive-treatment group received one set of three active treatments and three placebo treatments 6 months later, each time within 2 weeks. The standard group received one active and two placebo treatments every 6 months. Children were assessed clinically at baseline and 12, 24 and 36 months after the initiation of the study. The mean (SD) numbers of newly decayed primary tooth surfaces observed over 3 years were 9.8 (8.6) and 7.4 (7.7) in the intensive and standard groups, respectively. The adjusted rate ratio was 1.13 (95% CI = 0.94-1.37, p = 0.20). In conclusion, the trial failed to demonstrate clear evidence of a difference in efficacy. However, differences of up to 36% greater rates of caries in the intensive group could not be ruled out, thus equivalence of the treatments cannot be concluded.

Racial and ethnic differences in a regular source of dental care and the oral health, behaviors, beliefs and services of low-income mothers.

OBJECTIVE: In a racial/ethnically-diverse sample of low-income mothers of children aged 3-6, we determine: (1) whether a regular source of dental care (RSDC), self-rated oral health, beliefs and behaviors differ by racial/ethnic group; (2) estimate whether a RSDC is associated with oral health, beliefs and behaviors, and whether these associations differ by racial/ethnic group; and (3) examine these relationships for mothers' dental utilization. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. Participants From a population of 108,151 Medicaid children aged 3-6 in Washington state, U.S., 10,909 eligible children were sampled stratified by racial/ethnic group. Eligible mothers completed a mixed-mode survey in the following groups: Black (n=818), Hispanic (n=1310), or White (n=1382). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures were mothers' RSDC, personal characteristics, self-rated dental health, appearance of teeth, dental problems, brushing duration, flossing frequency, use of toothpicks or whiteners, belief that cleaning prevents cavities or loose teeth, and self-reported services at last dental visit. RESULTS: About 38-40% of mothers had a RSDC. For Black, Hispanic and White mothers, having a RSDC was associated consistently with better oral health, greater likelihood of a dental cleaning and less likelihood of tooth extraction. RSDC was not associated generally with oral health beliefs and behaviors. Oral health behaviors differ by racial/ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS: Relationships between RSDC and self-reported oral health, health behaviors, beliefs and dental services are similar for Black, Hispanic and White low-income mothers of young children. Oral health behaviors differ across racial/ethnic groups, which may have implications for mother and child oral health.

Leptin levels recover normally in healthy older adults after acute diet-induced weight loss.

OBJECTIVES: Involuntary weight loss affects 20% of community dwelling older adults. The underlying mechanism for this disorder is unknown. Objective is to determine if failure of older persons to regain weight is associated with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine and leptin levels. DESIGN: Prospective diet intervention study. SETTING: University of Washington Medical Center from 2001-2005. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one younger (18-35 years old) and nineteen older (>or= 70 years old) men and women. INTERVENTION: Each subject was placed for two weeks on a weight-maintaining diet, followed in sequence by 2 weeks of 30% caloric restriction, then 4 weeks of ad libitum food intake. MEASUREMENTS: Plasma leptin levels, fasting serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytokine levels were measured. RESULTS: Leptin levels in the two cohorts decreased after caloric restriction and increased after ad-libitum food consumption resumed. Plasma TNF alpha levels were higher in older subjects compared to younger adults. However, there was no association between changes in TNF alpha levels and changes in AUC leptin. CONCLUSION: Leptin levels in healthy older individuals responded appropriately in a compensatory manner to changes in body weight. These data do not support a cytokine dependent elevation in leptin levels as being responsible for the failure of older adults to regain weight.

Bias induced by self-reported smoking on periodontitis-systemic disease associations.

Non-causal associations between periodontitis and systemic diseases may be spuriously induced by smoking because of its strong relationship to both. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether adjustment for self-reported smoking removes tobacco-related confounding and eliminated such spurious confounding. Using NHANES III data, we evaluated associations between attachment loss and serum cotinine after adjustment by self-reported number of cigarettes smoked. Cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, should not be related to attachment loss, if self-reported smoking captures the effect of tobacco on attachment levels. Adjustment for self-reported cigarette smoking did not completely remove the correlation between attachment loss and serum-cotinine level (r = 0.075, n= 1507, p = 0.003). Simulation studies indicated similar results for time-to-event data. These findings demonstrate the difficulty in distinguishing the effects of periodontitis from those of smoking with respect to a smoking-related outcome. Future studies should report results of analyses on separate subcohorts of never-smokers and smokers.

Pre-existing cardiovascular disease and periodontitis: a follow-up study.

Periodontal infections in individuals with pre-existing heart disease are believed to increase the risk for future coronary heart disease (CHD) events. The goal of this study was to search for an association between periodontitis and CHD events among individuals with pre-existing heart disease, reported in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Dentate adults (n = 636) with a history of pre-existing cardiovascular disease were followed for CHD events. The presence of periodontitis and gingivitis did not increase CHD risk among these at-risk individuals (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97, and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-1.31; and HR, 1.09, and 95% CI, 0.79-1.50, respectively). When limited to individuals with a self-reported prior heart attack, periodontitis was associated with a 34% decreased CHD risk (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.42-1.05). It is concluded that periodontitis or gingivitis does not elevate CHD risk among individuals with a prior heart attack or self-reported pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

Examining the link between coronary heart disease and the elimination of chronic dental infections.

BACKGROUND: While it has been suggested that periodontal disease may be associated with coronary heart disease, or CHD, there are no data to suggest that the elimination of chronic dental infections actually lowers the risk of developing chronic CHD. The goal of this study was to determine whether people with a definitive elimination of all potential dental infections--edentulous people, who are at the optimum endpoint of dental infection elimination from a CHD perspective--lower their CHD risk over time when compared with people who have a specific dental infection, periodontitis. METHODS: The authors examined data from a prospective cohort of 4,027 people who participated in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES I, Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. The primary outcome measure was the first CHD event. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 17 years, there were 1,238 CHD events (538 fatal). The confirmed elimination of chronic dental infections did not lead to a decreased risk of experiencing a CHD event (relative risk, 1.02; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.86-1.21). The CHD risk among people with and without chronic dental infections remained constant over time with respect to each other (test for increasing or decreasing trend over time: not significant, chi2(1) = 0.48; P = .93). CONCLUSIONS: People who had a complete, definitive and long-term elimination of all potential dental infections through extraction of all teeth did not have lower CHD risk when compared with people with diagnosed periodontitis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Until evidence is found to the contrary, the authors suggest that prevention of CHD should not be used as the basis for recommending treatment to eliminate chronic dental infections.

Prevalence of clinical and isolated subclinical cardiovascular disease in older adults with glucose disorders: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent among people with diabetes. However, there is little information regarding the prevalence of subclinical CVD and its relation to clinical CVD in diabetes and in the glucose disorders that precede diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, aged > or = 65 years (n = 5,888), underwent vascular and metabolic testing. Individuals with known disease in the coronary, cerebral, or peripheral circulations were considered to have clinical disease. Those without any clinical disease in whom CVD was detected by ultrasonography, electrocardiography, or ankle arm index in any of the three vascular beds were considered to have isolated subclinical disease. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of the cohort had clinical disease, and approximately 60% of the remainder had isolated subclinical disease. In those with normal glucose status, isolated subclinical disease made up most of the total CVD. With increasing glucose severity, the proportion of total CVD that was clinical disease increased; 75% of men and 66% of women with normal fasting glucose status had either clinical or subclinical CVD. Among those with known diabetes, the prevalence was approximately 88% (odds ratio [OR] 2.46 for men and 4.22 for women, P < 0.0001). There were intermediate prevalences and ORs for those with impaired fasting glucose status and newly diagnosed diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated subclinical CVD is common among older adults. Glucose disorders are associated with an increased prevalence of total CVD and an increased proportion of clinical disease relative to subclinical disease.

Periodontal disease and coronary heart disease risk.

CONTEXT: Research has suggested a relationship between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease (CHD), but data on the association between these 2 common conditions are inconclusive due to the possibility of confounding. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of CHD in persons with periodontitis, gingivitis, or no periodontal disease. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study, conducted in 1982-1984, 1986, 1987, and 1992. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 8032 dentate adults aged 25 to 74 years with no reported history of cardiovascular disease, including 1859 individuals with periodontitis, 2421 with gingivitis, and 3752 with healthy periodontal tissues. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: First occurrence of death from CHD or hospitalization due to CHD, or revascularization procedures, obtained from death certificates and medical records, by baseline periodontal status. RESULTS: During follow-up, 1265 individuals had at least 1 CHD event, including CHD fatality (n = 468) or at least 1 hospitalization with a diagnosis of CHD (n = 1022), including coronary revascularization procedures (n = 155). After adjustment for known cardiovascular risk factors, gingivitis was not associated with CHD (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.26), while periodontitis was associated with a nonsignificant increased risk for CHD event (hazard ratio, 1. 14; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.36). CONCLUSION: This study did not find convincing evidence of a causal association between periodontal disease and CHD risk. JAMA. 2000;284:1406-1410.

Daytime sleepiness predicts mortality and cardiovascular disease in older adults. The Cardiovascular Health Study Research Group.

INTRODUCTION: As part of the baseline examination in the Cardiovascular Health Study, sleep disturbance symptoms including snoring and daytime sleepiness, were assessed as potential risk factors or precipitants of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because of the association of sleep disturbance with poorer health and the possible associations of sleep apnea with CVD, we hypothesized that those with poorer sleep or daytime sleepiness may be at increased risk of mortality or incident CVD. SETTING: Participants (n = 5888) were recruited in 1989, with an additional minority cohort recruited in 1993, in four US communities for a cohort study designed to evaluate risk factors for cardiovascular disease. METHODS: An interview-administered questionnaire regarding health and sleep habits with ongoing ascertainment of total mortality and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, including total CVD morbidity and mortality, incident myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. RESULTS: Daytime sleepiness was the only sleep symptom that was significantly associated with mortality in both men and women. The unadjusted hazard ratio was 2.12 (1.66, 2.72) in women and 1.40 (1.12, 1.73) in men. Men who reported difficulty falling asleep also had an increased mortality rate (HR = 1.43 (1.14, 1.80)) which was not seen in women. The risks were attenuated with adjustment for age but remained significant for daytime sleepiness in women (HR = 1.82 (1.42, 2.34)) and for difficulty falling asleep in men. (HR = 1.29 (1.03, 1.63)). Frequent awakenings, early morning awakening, and snoring were not associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality in these older men and women. Crude event rates were evaluated for total incident cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, incident myocardial infarction, and incident congestive heart failure (CHF). Incident CVD rates were higher in both men and women with daytime sleepiness. The aged adjusted HR was 1.35 (95% CI = 1.03, 1.76) in men and was 1.66 (95% CI = 1.28, 2.16) in women. Incident CVD was not higher in those with any other sleep disturbance including snoring. The risk of CVD events associated with daytime sleepiness was attenuated but remained significant in women after adjustment for age. Incident myocardial infarction (MI) rates were also higher in women with daytime sleepiness but were not significantly higher in men. Incident CHF rates were increased in both men and women with daytime sleepiness. In men, the age adjusted HR was 1.49 (95% CI, 1.12- 1.98) and in women, was 2.21 (95% CI, 1.64-2.98). Women reporting both daytime sleepiness and frequent awakening had a hazard ratio of 2.34 (95% CI, 1.66-3.29) for incident CHF compared with those with daytime sleepiness but without frequent awakening. This interaction was not found in men. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, daytime sleepiness was the only sleep disturbance symptom that was associated with mortality, incident CVD morbidity and mortality, MI, and CHF. These findings were stronger in women than men, i.e., the associations persisted for mortality, CVD, and CHF in women after adjustment for age and other factors. Thus, a report of daytime sleepiness identifies older adults at increased risk for total and cardiovascular mortality, and is an independent risk factor in women.

Cardiovascular disease in older adults with glucose disorders: comparison of American Diabetes Association criteria for diabetes mellitus with WHO criteria.

BACKGROUND: The new fasting American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus rely mainly on fasting blood glucose concentrations and use a lower cut-off value for diagnosis than the WHO criteria. We aimed to assess the sensitivity of these criteria for the detection of cardiovascular disease, the main complication of diabetes mellitus in the elderly. METHODS: We did a cross-sectional and prospective analysis of 4515 participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study, an 8 year longitudinal study designed to identify factors related to the onset and course of cardiovascular disease in adults aged at least 65 years. We calculated the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease for the ADA and WHO criteria. FINDINGS: There was a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease among individuals with impaired glucose or newly diagnosed diabetes by both criteria than among those with normal glucose concentrations. However, because fewer individuals had abnormal glucose states by the fasting ADA criteria (22.3%) than by the WHO criteria (46.8%), the number of cases of cardiovascular disease attributable to abnormal glucose states was a third of that attributable by the WHO criteria (53 vs 159 cases per 10,000). For the two sets of criteria, the relative risk for incident cardiovascular disease (mean follow-up 5.9 years) was higher in individuals with impaired glucose and newly diagnosed diabetes than in those with normal glucose. Individuals classified as normal by the fasting ADA criteria had a higher absolute number of incident events (455 of 581 events) than those classified as normal by the WHO criteria (269 of 581 events). Fasting ADA criteria were therefore less sensitive than the WHO criteria for predicting cardiovascular disease among individuals with abnormal glucose (sensitivity, 28% vs 54%). INTERPRETATION: The new fasting ADA criteria seem to be less predictive than the WHO criteria for the burden of cardiovascular disease associated with abnormal glucose in the elderly.