Patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life after treatment with traditional and simplified protocols for complete denture construction.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this randomised controlled clinical trial study was to compare the effectiveness of a traditional and a simplified protocol for construction of conventional CD. BACKGROUND: The replacement of conventional dentures can result in potential functional and aesthetic benefits to the patient. Previous studies suggest that simplified procedures for complete dentures (CD) construction achieve results similar to the traditional methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients were randomly divided into two equal groups, traditional protocol (T group) and simplified protocol (S group). Treatment outcomes were assessed before the insertion of the new dentures and 30 days and 6 months after the last adjustment. It included measurements of quality of life related to oral conditions measured by the Brazilian version of OHIP-Edentulous scale and patients' satisfaction with the upper and lower dentures using a visual analogue scale (VAS), which combines the patient's perception in relation to overall satisfaction with the comfort, stability, ability to chew, ability to talk and aesthetics. RESULTS: The results showed significant reduction in negative impacts of oral conditions on quality of life and improved satisfaction with the upper and lower dentures (p < 0.001) at the 30-day and 6-month follow-up. Quality of life improvement occurred in all dimensions of the OHIP-Edentulous (p < 0.001). Despite the significant reduction in quality of life impacts and significant increase in patients' satisfaction with the dentures, there were no differences between the traditional and simplified protocols (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the simplified protocol results in patent's perception of treatment outcomes similar to the traditional protocol.

Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity after 1 and 2 doses of zoster vaccine in healthy adults ≥60 years of age.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and severity of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia increase with age, associated with age-related decrease in immunity to varicella-zoster virus (VZV). One dose of zoster vaccine (ZV) has demonstrated substantial protection against HZ; this study examined impact of a second dose of ZV. METHODS: Randomized, double-blind, multicenter study with 210 subjects ≥60 years old compared immunity and safety profiles after one and two doses of ZV, separated by 6 weeks, vs. placebo. Immunogenicity was evaluated using VZV interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay and VZV glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent antibody (gpELISA) assay. Adverse experiences (AEs) were recorded on a standardized Vaccination Report Card. RESULTS: No serious vaccine-related AEs occurred. VZV IFN-γ ELISPOT geometric mean count (GMC) of spot-forming cells per 10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells increased in the ZV group from 16.9 prevaccination to 49.5 and 32.8 at 2 and 6 weeks postdose 1, respectively. Two weeks, 6 weeks and 6 months postdose 2, GMC was 44.3, 42.9, and 36.5, respectively. GMC in the placebo group did not change during the study. The peak ELISPOT response occurred ∼2 weeks after each ZV dose. The gpELISA geometric mean titers (GMTs) in the ZV group were higher than in the placebo group at 6 weeks after each dose. Correlation between the IFN-γ ELISPOT and gpELISA assays was poor. CONCLUSIONS: ZV was generally well-tolerated and immunogenic in adults ≥60 years old. A second dose of ZV was generally safe, but did not boost VZV-specific immunity beyond levels achieved postdose 1.

Effect of anterior teeth display during smiling on the self-perceived impacts of malocclusion in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the anterior teeth display during smiling (ATDDS) on the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of malocclusion in adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 301 adolescents (mean age 16.1 years, SD 1.8 years; 58.1% female). Two instruments were used for data collection: (1) the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and (2) the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ). In addition, ATDDS was assessed in posing smiling, and adolescents' satisfaction with their dental appearance was investigated. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between independent variables (ATDDS, DAI scores, and satisfaction with dental appearance) and total PIDAQ score (R(2)  =  0.37) and dental self-confidence (R(2)  =  0.37), psychological impact (R(2)  =  0.30), esthetic concern (R(2)  =  0.20), and social impact (R(2)  =  0.15). CONCLUSION: The excessive anterior teeth display during smiling may potentially influence the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of malocclusion in adolescents depending on the severity level of malocclusion and the self-reported satisfaction with dental appearance.