Periodontal and caries experience in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

This study compared the periodontal and caries experience of young patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with a nondiabetic population of the same age. The plaque scores of children with IDDM were statistically higher. The caries experience of a child with closely monitored IDDM and a family history of diabetes was significantly lower than that of a child with IDDM and no such family history, even though the gingival and plaque indexes of both children were the same.

Effect of periodontal therapy on patients maintained for 15 years or longer. A retrospective study.

A retrospective study of tooth loss in 211 patients who were treated for periodontal disease in private practice and maintained for 15 to 34 years on 3- to 6-month recall schedules is reported. The average age of the patients was 42 years, and the average length of time in maintenance was 22 years. On the basis of response to therapy, the patients were classified as Well-Maintained (62%), Downhill (28%) and Extreme Downhill (10%). Seven hundred and seventy-one (771) teeth were lost (13.4%) due to all causes. Molar teeth are the most prone to loss and the mandibular cuspid is the most resistant. The importance of maintenance therapy is emphasized.

The effects of a topically-active non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on ligature-induced periodontal disease in the squirrel monkey.

Prostaglandins are believed to be important mediators of periodontal inflammation and bone resorption. The purpose of the present blind study was to quantify clinically and histologically the effects of a topically applied nonsteroidal prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, namely a substituted oxazolopyridine derivative (SOPD), on ligature-induced periodontal disease in the squirrel monkey. For a period of 14 days, one group of ligated animals received 2 daily topical applications of the SOPD. A group receiving systemically administered indomethacin served as a positive control while a group receiving only topically applied vehicle served as a negative control. Results indicate that throughout the 14-day period of the study, the SOPD significantly inhibited gingival inflammation and loss of attachment as compared to either the placebo or indomethacin groups. Both indomethacin and the SOPD significantly inhibited bone resorption.

The effects of topical steroidal and systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on experimental gingivitis in man.

Retrospective studies in man and prospective studies in animals have indicated that systemically administered anti-inflammatory drugs may decrease plaque-induced inflammation and loss of attachment. The purpose of the present double blind study was to determine the effects of a systemically administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and a topically applied steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on experimentally produced gingivitis. Eighteen dental students were brought to a state of optimal gingival health and then divided into three groups. One group received placebo gel to apply topically and placebo capsules. A second group received placebo gel and capsules containing sulindac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The third group received a topical steroidal gel and placebo capsules. All subjects refrained from home care for 22 days in the maxillary right quadrant. Results of the study indicate that the topical steroidal drug significantly inhibited gingival inflammation while the systemically administered nonsteroidal drug had no apparent effect.

Human lymphocyte antigen haplotype and resistance to periodontitis.

Certain human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes have been correlated with the presence of certain diseases. To date no significant relationship between periodontitis and HLA haplotype has been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C haplotypes in patients resistant to chronic periodontitis and to determine if there is any association between specific HLA genes and periodontal health. Twenty-five healthy individuals who demonstrated a high resistance to periodontal disease (mean age 49.9 years) were matched to 25 subjects with chronic periodontitis and to a periodontally undiagnosed population of 22,000 individuals. Peripheral blood was taken and HLA specificity was determined by the microlymphocytotoxicity test. The results indicated a statistically significant increase in the occurrence of HLA-B5 (P = 0.0059) and a trend in the occurrence of HLA-A28 (P = 0.0565) in those patients resistant to periodontal disease when compared to the matched controls. When compared to the large random control group, a significant correlation was observed for HLA-A28 (P less than 0.01) in blacks and HLA-B5 (P less than 0.01) in whites. It is possible that the HLA-A28 and the HLA-B5 individual may have the ability to resist the progression of chronic periodontitis.

Glycohemoglobin (GHb): a new test for the evaluation of the diabetic patient and its clinical importance.

A new laboratory test, glycohemoglobin determination, can be used to monitor long-term blood glucose levels with a single venipuncture, regardless of whether the patient is in a fasting state. This test is of obvious value in both the diagnosis of the latent diabetic patient and the monitoring of the controlled diabetic patient.