Delmopinol - adsorption to and absorption through the oral mucosa.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the surface chemical changes in dynamic interactions of delmopinol on salivary films on oral mucosa in healthy participants after rinsing with an unbuffered water solution of delmopinol, and to examine the oral tissue disposition of delmopinol in rats after local administration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The contact angle technique was used to monitor the interaction of delmopinol with the salivary film coating the upper labial mucosa of 10 healthy participants through a 4 h period. The tissue disposition of 14C-labelled delmopinol was examined in rats by autoradiography. RESULTS: Rinsing with delmopinol increased the polarity of the saliva coated mucosa during the time of observation. The binding of delmopinol was verified in the autoradiograms showing that radioactivity remained in the rat oral mucosa after 24 h. Delmopinol was however not irreversibly bound. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that delmopinol interacts with the salivary film of the upper labial mucosa and affects its polarity. It appears that delmopinol assists in the maintenance of the hydrophilicity of the mucosal pellicle and thereby also reinforcing hydration of the mucosa. The rat autoradiograms, showed that radioactivity remains in the oral mucosa after 24 h, but diffuses through the mucosal membranes into the systemic circulation.

Tolerance measurements on internal- and external-hexagon implants.

PURPOSE: To measure the horizontal machining tolerances of the interface between internal- and external-hexagon implants and analogs with corresponding components after delivery from the manufacturer. These values may be a valuable tool for evaluating increasing misfit caused by fabrication, processing, and wear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven implants and seven analogs with external- and internal-hexagon connections (Biomet 3i) with corresponding prefabricated gold cylinders and gold screws, prefabricated cylindric plastic cylinders, and laboratory screws were studied. One set of components from the external and internal groups was measured manually and digitally. Measurements from the test subjects were compared with identical measurements from the virtual model to obtain threshold values. The virtual model was then used to obtain optimally oriented cuts. RESULTS: The horizontal machining tolerances for castable plastic abutments on external implants were 12 ± 89 µm, and for internal implants they were 86 ± 47 µm. Tolerance measurements on prefabricated gold abutments for external implants were 44 ± 9 µm, and for internal implants they were 58 ± 28 µm. CONCLUSION: The groups with metallic components showed the smallest tolerance at < 50 µm for the external group and < 90 µm for the internal group. The prefabricated plastic cylinder groups ranged from < 100 µm for external and < 130 µm for internal connection.

A systematic review of methods to diagnose oral dryness and salivary gland function.

BACKGROUND: The most advocated clinical method for diagnosing salivary dysfunction is to quantitate unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva (sialometry). Since there is an expected and wide variation in salivary flow rates among individuals, the assessment of dysfunction can be difficult. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the quality of the evidence for the efficacy of diagnostic methods used to identify oral dryness. METHODS: A literature search, with specific indexing terms and a hand search, was conducted for publications that described a method to diagnose oral dryness. The electronic databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were used as data sources. Four reviewers selected publications on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted from the selected publications using a protocol. Original studies were interpreted with the aid of Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) tool. RESULTS: The database searches resulted in 224 titles and abstracts. Of these abstracts, 80 publications were judged to meet the inclusion criteria and read in full. A total of 18 original studies were judged relevant and interpreted for this review. In all studies, the results of the test method were compared to those of a reference method.Based on the interpretation (with the aid of the QUADAS tool) it can be reported that the patient selection criteria were not clearly described and the test or reference methods were not described in sufficient detail for it to be reproduced. None of the included studies reported information on uninterpretable/intermediate results nor data on observer or instrument variation. Seven of the studies presented their results as a percentage of correct diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for the efficacy of clinical methods to assess oral dryness is sparse and it can be stated that improved standards for the reporting of diagnostic accuracy are needed in order to assure the methodological quality of studies. There is need for effective diagnostic criteria and functional tests in order to detect those individuals with oral dryness who may require oral treatment, such as alleviation of discomfort and/or prevention of diseases.

Screening for oral dryness in relation to salivary flow rate addresses the need for functional tests of saliva.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of reported subjective oral dryness in relation to objective sialometric values in a randomly selected group and a dental care-seeking group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire assessing subjective oral dryness was sent out to a randomly selected sample of 200 individuals. The dental care-seeking group was recruited from among patients attending the Department of Oral Diagnostics, Malmö University. A total of 200 patients were asked to participate in the present study. In total, 312 individuals (78%) completed the survey and 157 individuals agreed to participate in the complementary clinical examination that included measures of salivary flow rate. RESULTS: The reported subjective oral dryness was 20% and 28.6% for the randomly selected group and the dental care-seeking group, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the two study populations with regard to percentage of reported subjective oral dryness, and stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates (P > 0.05). In the dental care-seeking group, individuals reporting subjective oral dryness presented 'a small degree of abrasion in the dentine in the incisor region' to a greater extent (P < 0.05). No statistically significant association between subjective oral dryness and unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates was found in either of the studied populations (P > 0.05). Individuals identified with subjective or objective oral dryness presented to a greater extent a history of oral rehabilitation compared to individuals who showed no indication of oral dryness. CONCLUSIONS: No association between sialometric measures and subjective report of oral dryness was found in the present study.

The effects of an interactive software application on the self-assessment ability of dental students.

A randomised controlled trial was designed to test an Internet-based interactive application as a stand-alone support for the development of self-assessment skills among second-year dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malmö, Sweden. Fifty-two students were randomised into an experimental (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26). Both groups went through four identical learning cases in elementary clinical Periodontology during a period of 1 month. The experimental group received the cases with the interactive software, while the control group received them through a static web page. After the end of the learning phase, both groups were assessed blindly by two assessors during the interactive examination methodology. There was a moderate agreement between the two assessors, but both failed to find any significant differences between the two groups with regard to self-assessment skills and overall performance of the students. Students positively received the Internet support, but several attitude differences were observed between the two groups during the study. Time on task and competence with computers were positively correlated to assessment results for both groups. On the basis of these findings, it remains unclear if computer-based applications with automated feedback can constitute an effective remedial support for the improvement of self-assessment skills of students. In addition, for such applications to be successfully accepted, two factors are critical: students must have a clear perception of the benefits deriving from the use of the software and the use of the software should be integrated in the curriculum, replacing some of the existing workload.

1.3 Development of professional competences.

Competency-based education, introduced approximately 10 years ago, has become the preferred method and generally the accepted norm for delivering and assessing the outcomes of undergraduate (European) or predoctoral (North America) dental education in many parts of the world. As a philosophical approach, the competency statements drive national agencies in external programme review and at the institutional level in the definition of curriculum development, student assessment and programme evaluation. It would be presumptuous of this group to prescribe competences for various parts of the world; the application of this approach on a global basis may define what is the absolute minimum knowledge base and behavioural standard expected of a 'dentist' in the health care setting, while respecting local limitations and values. The review of documents and distillation of recommendations is presented as a reference and consideration for dental undergraduate programmes and their administration.

RP59, a marker for osteoblast recruitment, is also detected in primitive mesenchymal cells, erythroid cells, and megakaryocytes.

We recently described a novel protein in bone marrow of rats, RP59, as a marker for cells with the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts. In this work, its expression pattern was further investigated to learn about the origin and biological relevance of RP59 expressing marrow cells. As revealed by in situ hybridization and by immunohistochemistry of yolk sac embryos, RP59 was found in the cells of the primitive ectoderm and primitive streak as well as in blood islands and extraembryonal mesoderm. Later, RP59 occurred in fetal liver cells and in circulating blood. From the time around birth, it was found in bone marrow and spleen cells. In addition, in vitro-formed blood vessels contained RP59-positive cells in the lumen. Endothelial cells and the vast majority of cells outside the blood vessels were not labeled. Concerning more mature hematopoietic cell types, RP59 was observed in megakaryocytes and nucleated erythroblasts, but absent from lymphoid cells. In conclusion, RP59 was induced in early mesoderm. It was maintained in the erythroid and megakaryotic lineages and, as earlier described, in young osteoblasts.