Dental disease prevalence among methamphetamine and heroin users in an urban setting: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Researchers have reported rampant caries among methamphetamine users. The authors investigated the prevalence of dental disease and associated risk behaviors in methamphetamine users compared with those in heroin users. METHODS: This pilot project was a cross-sectional study of an ongoing cohort of young adult injection-drug users (IDUs) in San Francisco. Participants completed an oral health questionnaire administered by a research assistant, and dentists performed clinical examinations to record the participants' data in terms of scores on the decayed-missing-filled surfaces (DMFS) index, presence of residual roots, scores on an oral hygiene index and whether any salivary hypofunction was observed. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental disease among 58 young adult IDUs was strikingly high compared with that in the U.S. general population; however, the authors found no difference in the level of dental disease between users of methamphetamine and users of heroin. The mean DMFS score and number of decayed surfaces exceeded 28 in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although the authors detected no difference in dental disease between methamphetamine and heroin users, they found a high prevalence of caries and caries-associated behaviors in the sample of young adult IDUs. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Given the high level of dental disease observed in this population of young adult IDUs, one next step may be to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of providing low-intensity preventive measures (such as distribution of chlorhexidine rinses or xylitol gum or application of fluoride varnishes) through outreach workers.

Gingival enlargement in pediatric organ transplant recipients in relation to tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimens.

PURPOSE: Tacrolimus, in contrast to cyclosporine, has not been found to be associated with gingival enlargement (GE) among adult transplant recipients. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of GE in relation to tacrolimus and cyclosporine-based immunosuppressive regimens among pediatric solid-organ transplant recipients, controlling for the use of calcium channel blockers (CCB) and the presence of supragingival plaque. METHODS: A standardized questionnaire was administered and a comprehensive oral examination was performed among pediatric renal and liver transplant recipients who were at least 6 months post-transplant. RESULTS: The prevalence of GE among 133 participants was 26%, with the highest incidence among subjects receiving cyclosporine and CCB (60%) and the lowest among those receiving tacrolimus without CCB (13%). A multivariate model showed that the odds of having GE were 5 times higher among children receiving cyclosporine than in those not receiving this medication, and 4 times higher among boys than girls. Supragingival plaque and the use of CCB, however, were not found to be associated with GE. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that tacrolimus was not associated with gingival enlargement while cyclosporine remains a risk factor for the development of this condition in pediatric renal and liver transplant recipients.

Oral disease burden and utilization of dental care patterns among pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a study among pediatric renal (RTRs) and liver transplant recipients (LTRs) to determine: a) the overall burden of oral disease; and b) the frequency with which this population utilizes dental care services in relation to sociodemographic factors and oral disease burden. METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey, study procedures included the completion of a standardized questionnaire (by parents/guardians), oral mucosal examination, assessment of caries, gingival enlargement, and plaque index. RESULTS: The 142 children (82 RTRs and 60 LTRs) enrolled from April 2002 to November 2005 were predominantly Latino (41 percent) and Caucasian (34 percent). Forty-three percent had at least one carious surface (in either a deciduous or permanent tooth), 19 percent had five or more carious surfaces, and 25 percent had gingival enlargement. We found only one case of oral candidiasis. Even though 72 percent of parents/guardians reported their child had a regular source of dental care, only 49 percent had a dental cleaning and 44 percent had dental radiographs in the past year, reflecting a low prevalence of preventive dental care. Among children with no regular source of dental care, there were statistically significantly higher proportions of Latinos, younger children, and families with an annual household income <$35,000. CONCLUSION: While the prevalence of oral mucosal disease and gingival enlargement was low, the prevalence of children with caries was high, and there was low use of preventive dental care. Strategies to improve this population's utilization of preventive dental care are needed.