Impact of 24-month fluoride tablet program on children with disabilities in a non-fluoridated country.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the caries preventive effects of a school-based fluoride tablet program in children with disabilities. Two hundred and seventeen children with disabilities were divided into two groups: the intervention group (IG) ingested 1.0mg fluoride tablet daily while the control group (CG) ingested a placebo. The initial oral examinations were conducted prior to fluoride intake and 24-month follow-up examinations were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fluoride tablet ingestion. The results from this study demonstrated significant reductions in the DMFT index (the sum of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth), 0.63, as well as the DMFS index (the sum of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces of the permanent dentition), 1.25, when compared with the CG. A statistically significant reduction in the DMFT index and DMFS index (30.42% and 36.84%, respectively) suggested an anti-cariogenic benefit to fluoride tablet administration. Greater caries reduction occurred on mesio-distal and bucco-lingual surfaces (53.27% and 52.57%, respectively). Fluoride tablets should be considered as a caries preventive strategy in school-based caries prevention programs for children with disabilities in fluoride deficient areas.

The impact of dietary and tooth-brushing habits to dental caries of special school children with disability.

The daily oral activities may severely influence oral health of children with disabilities. In this survey, we analyzed the impact of dietary and tooth-brushing habits to dental caries in special school children with disabilities. This cross-sectional survey investigated 535 special school children with disabilities aged 6-12 years, 60.93% males, 39.07% females from 10 special schools in Taiwan. Oral examinations were carried out by dentists with a Kappa score of their inter-examiner agreement exceeding 0.8. Data on demographics, diet, and tooth-brushing habits of children with disabilities were collected using a standardized questionnaire completed by parents/caregivers. More than three quarters of the participants were combined with severe or profound disability. Children with profound severity in disability had a higher percentage (67.37%) in teeth-brushing by parents/caregivers compared to those children with mild/moderate severity in disability which had a higher percentage (81.60%) in teeth-brushing by themselves. Children whose teeth were brushed by parents/caregivers had a better dental health, and lower caries prevalence. The main risk factors related to decayed teeth of children with disabilities are frequency of sweets intake, ability to brush teeth and with plaque or not. The dental health education, prevention program and periodical oral check-up to children with disabilities and their parents/caregivers should be reinforced. Brushing skill should be taught to children according to their type, severity and individual characteristics of disability.

Effects of aging and dietary antler supplementation on the calcium-regulating hormones and bone status in ovariectomized SAMP8 mice.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aging and long-term dietary antler supplementation on the calcium-regulating hormones and bone status in ovariectomized (Ovx) SAMP8 mice. The female SAMP8 mice were divided into four groups (in each group n = 6), Ovx or sham operated at the age of 2 months, and fed with 0.2% antler containing diet or control diet from the age of 2.5 months. The samples were collected at the age of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months, respectively, for physicochemical analyses, biochemical analyses, and the determination of hormones by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that plasma calcium (Ca) concentrations were maintained in a narrow range in all groups throughout the whole experimental period. With aging and/or ovariectomy, plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)2-D3) levels increased, and plasma phosphorus (P) and calcitonin (CT) levels decreased, and the femoral bone densities and Ca contents increased during the earlier stage, and then decreased gradually in all groups. Plasma PTH and 1,25-(OH)2-D3 levels in the Ovx mice were significantly higher than those in the intact mice, and plasma P concentrations, plasma CT levels, femoral bone densities, and femoral Ca contents in the Ovx mice were significantly lower than those in the intact mice. In addition, the decreases of plasma P levels, plasma CT levels, femoral bone densities, and femoral Ca contents, and the increases of plasma PTH levels were moderated by antler administration in both Ovx and intact mice. However, there was no effect of the dietary antler supplementation on the plasma 1,25-(OH)2-D3 levels in the female mice. It is concluded that prolonged dietary antler supplementation has important positive effects on bone loss with age and/ or ovarian function deficiency.