Oral Health of Portuguese Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Multiparametric Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a multiparametric evaluation of the oral health of 36 children with type 1 diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: A group of type 1 diabetic children and a sex-age-matched control group were formed. Seven parameters were evaluated: probing depth, bleeding on probing, plaque index (O'Laery index), calculus index (according to Ramfjord), dental caries (using ICDAS), salivary pH and unstimulated salivary flow rate. Statistical analysis was performed and the significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Both groups consisted of 36 children with a mean age of 13 years. With regard to bleeding on probing, plaque index and calculus index, higher values were obtained in the diabetic group and the differences between groups were statistically significant for all three parameters. Concerning dental caries and salivary parameters, there were no significant differences between groups. However, a statistically significant correlation between salivary parameters and metabolic control was found. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that type 1 diabetic children are associated with some risk factors related to periodontal disease and dental caries. The proven relationship between diabetes and oral health complications imposes the need for these patients to be integrated into preventive dental programs from a young age.

Portuguese Dentists' Attitudes Towards Their Role in Addressing Obesity.

PURPOSE: To determine Portuguese dentists' role in addressing obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this pilot study, the original version of the Dentists' Role In Addressing Obesity questionnaire was translated from English into Portuguese and validated to ensure that it was culturally adapted for Portuguese dentists. The questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 400 Portuguese dentists. SPSS Statistics 20 was used to analyse the survey sampling design and assess respondents' attitudes and opinions, outcome expectations and self-efficacy both as ordinal and dichotomised variables. The analysis was a descriptive statistic based on frequencies, without symmetry test. RESULTS: In all, 141 dentists responded. Overall, 22.0% of respondents offered a form of counseling services and 58.9% reported that they were interested in offering obesity-related services. A paucity of trained personnel (58.9%) was cited by the respondents as a major barrier, followed by patients' rejection of weight-loss advice (32.6%) and fears of offending patients (29.1%). 92% of respondents agreed that dentists would be more willing to intervene if obesity were linked to oral disease. CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers must coordinate prevention and interventional efforts for maximum effect. Given the positioning of dentists willing to assist in such an effort, it appears reasonable for experts in obesity intervention in conjunction with dental educators to develop intervention models to be implemented within the scope of the dental practice.

Effect of calcium hydroxide as intracanal medication on the apical sealing ability of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA): an in vitro apexification model / Efeito da medicação intracanal de hidróxido de cálcio na capacidade seladora do mineral trióxido agregado (MTA): um modelo de apicificação in vitro

Objective - To evaluate the effect of calcium hydroxide premedication on the apical seal of White MTA, placed as an apical barrier in permanent teeth with simulated immature apices. Furthermore, we intended to compare potential changes, under the influence of calcium hydroxide, in the apical seal of MTA over time. Methods - Thirty-four single-rooted extracted teeth were prepared in order to simulate a divergent open apex. Two experimental groups of 10 teeth were created: group 1 (G1) and group 2 (G2) with and without calcium hydroxide intracanal medication previous to the placement of MTA apical plug. Two control groups, positive and negative, each with 7 teeth were created. On the 7th and on the 28th day after placement of the MTA apical plug, the apices of the teeth were submersed in a solution of sodium pertechnetate (99mTcO4Na) for 3 hours. The radioactivity was measured using a gamma camera. Results - Results revealed statistically significant differences between the 2 control groups and the 2 experimental groups with respect to the microleakage. Within the experimental groups no statistically significant differences were found; nor between the two observed periods. Conclusion - Based on the results obtained in this study, it was concluded that intracanal medication with calcium hydroxide did not affect the sealing ability of WMTA, placed as an apical plug, neither on the 7th, nor on the 28th day.

Objetivo - Avaliar o efeito do hidróxido de cálcio como medicação intracanal, no selamento apical do MTA branco, colocado como uma barreira apical em dentes permanentes com ápices imaturos simulados. Métodos - Trinta e quatro dentes unirradiculares extraídos foram preparados para simular um ápice aberto divergente. Foram separados em dois grupos experimentais (n=10): G1 e G2 com e sem medicação intracanal de hidróxido de cálcio antes da colocação do tampão apical com o MTA e dois grupos controle, positivos e negativos (n=7 em cada). Em 7 e 28 dias após a colocação do tampão apical de MTA, os ápices dos espécimes foram submersos em uma solução de pertecnetato de sódio (99mTcO4Na) por 3 horas. A radioatividade foi medida usando uma câmara gama. Resultados - Os resultados revelaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos controle e os grupos experimentais com relação a microinfiltração. Não houve diferença entre os grupos experimentais nos dois períodos. Conclusão - Com base nos resultados obtidos neste estudo, concluiu-se que a medicação intracanal com hidróxido de cálcio não influenciou na capacidade seladora do MTA.

Evaluation of dentin formed in autogenous tooth transplantation in the dog: a comparison between one- and two-stage surgical techniques.

This study was designed to compare the thickness of dentin formed associated with autogenous tooth transplantation in dogs, using either one- or two-stage surgical techniques. The study consisted of three Beagles, older than 5 months, in which six incisors and six premolars were transplanted to mechanically prepared recipient sockets. One group was transplanted using a one-stage method to recipient beds prepared immediately before transplantation. The second groups of teeth were transplanted using a two-stage method in which the recipient beds were prepared and left to heal for 7 days before transplantation. Dogs were injected with xylenol orange, calcein and oxytetracycline at 2 days before, 3 and 9 weeks after transplantation, respectively, for vital staining. Clinical examinations were carried out every week, and the animals were euthanized 9 weeks later. The jaws were resected, fixed in formaldehyde and embedded in resin. Undemineralized sections were cut and examined by fluorescent microscopy. The thickness of dentin formed in the third week after transplantation and 9 weeks was evaluated by undertaking histomorphometric analysis and analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test (P = 0.05). All the transplanted teeth in both groups survived, and the dentin was formed. No statistically significant difference was found in the thickness of dentin formed in the third week and formed in the third to ninth week between the treatment groups (P = 0.999 and P = 0.998, respectively). This study demonstrated that there was no difference between the two surgical techniques in terms of the thickness of dentin formed in transplanted teeth.

Limas endodônticas: esterilizar ou descartar

Objetivo: o objetivo desse trabalho foi comparar, qualitativa e quantitativamente, a presença de matéria orgânica em limas endodônticas depois de utilizadas, descontaminadas e esterilizadas. Métodos: foram usadas 30 limas tipo K #30, das quais 5 serviram como grupo controle positivo e 5 como negativo. Instrumentaram-se 10 molares suínos pela técnica Crown-Down, inserindo uma lima por canal num total de 25 limas. As limas do grupo 1 (n=10) foram esterilizadas em autoclave. As limas do grupo 2 (n=10) foram colocadas em banho de ultrassom com solução enzimática e posteriormente esterilizadas em autoclave. As do grupo 3 (n=5) foram utilizadas, mas não foram esterilizadas; e as do grupo 4(n=5) não foram utilizadas nem esterilizadas. As limas experimentais e de controle foram posteriormente coradas com solução de Van Gieson, observadas ao microscópio óptico e atribuído um valor representativo da quantidade de matéria orgânica ainda existente na lima, de acordo com uma escala previamente estabelecida. Essa quantificação foi realizada nos terços apical, médio e cervical da parte ativa de cada lima, e foram elaboradas tabelas comparativas entre os diferentes grupos. Resultados:os resultados demonstraram que ambos os grupos experimentais apresentaram resultados significativamente inferiores aos das limas do grupo controle positivo.Conclusão: comparando-se os grupos experimentais,as limas imersas em banho de ultrassom com solução enzimática apresentaram valores inferiores aos daquelas que não foram submetidas a esse procedimento.