A pilot study into the effect of whisky, wine and beer consumption on tooth surface dissolution.

AIM: To assess the potential of acute alcohol consumption to dissolve tooth surfaces and to evaluate the difference in the dissolution potential of whisky, beer and wine. METHODS: The study sample comprised 36 healthy male volunteers with mean age of 26.27 (SD-1.96) years (range 25-30 years). The study design involved randomly allocating the 36 individuals into three groups of alcohol consumption (whisky, beer, wine) with 12 subjects in each group. Two samples of paraffin stimulated whole saliva were collected, at baseline and immediately after consumption of alcohol. Saliva was subjected to chemical analysis for pH, ionic calcium and inorganic phosphate. RESULTS: There was a significant difference for mean change in salivary pH, calcium and inorganic phosphate between the three alcohol groups. A significant reduction in the mean pH was observed after consumption of any form of alcoholic drink (mean change=-1.34, p=0.0001). Beer consumers had highest reduction in mean pH (1.75) followed by the wine (1.13) and whisky consumers (1.12) (p=0.045 and p=0.087 respectively). Mean calcium (mean change=5.75, p=0.0001) and inorganic phosphate (mean change=8.42, p=0.003) concentration significantly increased in the whole study sample. Mean inorganic phosphate and calcium concentrations increased after consumption of whisky and wine while a drop in their concentrations was observed in beer consumers. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary pH decreased significantly in subjects belonging to all the three groups. In both whisky and wine groups, there was a rise in salivary inorganic phosphate concentration while only whisky was able to dissolve calcium from the tooth surfaces.

Oral health status and treatment need among institutionalised hearing-impaired and blind children and young adults in Udaipur, India. A comparative study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the oral health status and the treatment needs of the institutionalised hearing-impaired and blind children and young adults in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 498 institutionalised hearing-impaired and blind people, aged 4 to 23 years, in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan. The World Health Organization oral health assessment basic methods and form (1997) were used for data collection. Clinical examinations were carried out in the institute's medical room or classroom by single examiner with the aid of a mouth mirror, explorer and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) probe under adequate natural light (Type III examination). The resulting data were entered into statistical software and analysed by applying the chi-square test, ANOVA, t-test and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The total mean DMFT (decayed-missing-filled teeth) and mean dft scores were 1.77 and 0.27 respectively. The largest component of DMFT was the D, with a mean of 1.49. The F component of 0.08 was very low. Mean DMFT/dft was greater among hearing-impaired than among blind subjects. Overall, 159 (32%) were periodontally healthy (CPI=0), 162 (32%) had shallow pockets (CPI=3) and 36 (7%) had deeper pockets (CPI=4). A higher percentage of the blind (87; 43%) than the hearing-impaired (72; 24%) subjects were periodontally healthy (CPI score=0). One-surface fillings were the most commonly provided form of past treatment. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study highlight the lack of dental treatment for this group. Overall oral health status was poorer in the hearing-impaired than in the blind subjects.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards droplet and airborne isolation precautions amongs dental health care professionals in India

Aims and Objective- The purpose of this study is to obtain comprehensive information about the knowledge, attitude and practices in regard to droplet and airborne infection related precautions among facultymember and the undergraduate students in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.Material and Methods- A cross sectional survey was conducted among 311 dental faculty and the undergraduate students under clinical training in Udaipur, Rajasthan. A self-assessment questionnaire composed of queries on three levels, namely knowledge, attitude and practices with respect to airborne and dropletisolation precautions was used. The data was collected and analyzed by using SPSS software.Results- Frequency distribution scores of knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to droplet and airborne isolation precautions were revealed that even the students under training along with the faculty member were quite aware of the precautions and the principles of airborne and droplet isolation. Mean score for knowledge was 9.17±2.07; Mean scores for attitude and practice were 48.65±7.47 and 6.88±3.51 respectively.There were no significant difference in all groups regarding knowledge, attitude and practice. In addition, a positive linear correlation was found between two items of survey including knowledge- attitude, knowledge practice and attitude- practice (P<0.01).Conclusion- The results highlighted that though the professionals had good knowledge and attitude butthe practice levels for the same were low. The study confirms from the findings that the infection control measures among the health care professionals are fairly good and an educational programme on isolation precautions can further enhance these levels and the reby, reducing the risk of infection transmission risks (AU)

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Knowledge, attitude and practice towards droplet and airborne isolation precautions amongs dental health care professionals in India.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to obtain comprehensive information about the knowledge, attitude and practices in regard to droplet and airborne infection related precautions among faculty member and the undergraduate students in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 311 dental faculty and the undergraduate students under clinical training in Udaipur, Rajasthan. A self-assessment questionnaire composed of queries on three levels, namely knowledge, attitude and practices with respect to airborne and droplet isolation precautions was used. The data was collected and analyzed by using SPSS software. RESULTS: Frequency distribution scores of knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to droplet and airborne isolation precautions were revealed that even the students under training along with the faculty member were quite aware of the precautions and the principles of airborne and droplet isolation. Mean score for knowledge was 9.17±2.07; Mean scores for attitude and practice were 48.65±7.47 and 6.88±3.51 respectively. There were no significant difference in all groups regarding knowledge, attitude and practice. In addition, a positive linear correlation was found between two items of survey including knowledge- attitude, knowledge- practice and attitude- practice (P<0.01) CONCLUSION: The results highlighted that though the professionals had good knowledge and attitude but the practice levels for the same were low. The study confirms from the findings that the infection control measures among the health care professionals are fairly good and an educational program on isolation precautions can further enhance these levels and thereby, reducing the risk of infection transmission risks.

Prevalence of dental erosion among asthmatic patients in India / Prevalência de erosão dentária em pacientes asmáticos na India

OBJETIVOS: O presente estudo foi realizado para investigar a associacao entre erosao dentaria e asma e estabelecer relacao com a historia medica, dieta e nivel de erosao dentaria. MATERIAL E METODO: O estudo transversal foi realizado entre 102 asmaticos e nao asmaticos, com idades entre 18 e 65 anos, em Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, em janeiro de 2009. A erosao dentaria foi determinada pelo uso de index de erosao utilizado em trabalho no Reino Unido em 1993. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionarios. Os individuos foram examinados utilizando um procedimento do tipo III, por um unico examinador. A variacao intra examinadores foi testada estatisticamente, com acuracia de 90,3%. O teste qui-quadrado foi aplicado com utilizacao do programa SPSS, versao 11.0. RESULTADOS: Erosao dentaria estava presente em 76.5% de adultos com asma e em 66,7% de pacientes sem asma. 86% das drogas prescritas para asma tinham um pH abaixo de 5,5 %. Ocorreu tambem associacao entre erosao dentaria e consumo de refrigerantes, bebidas carbonatadas e frutas frescas. CONCLUSOES: Ha diferenca significativa na prevalencia de erosao, sendo que adultos com asma tem maior prevalencia do que nos grupos controle. Embora ocorra uma relacao entre niveis de erosao, ha tambem relacao dos niveis de erosao relacionadas com a historia medica e componentes acidos da dieta.

OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate association between tooth erosion and asthma and to find out the relationship between medical history, dietary practices and the level of dental erosion. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 102 asthmatic and non asthmatic patient aged from 18 to 65 years old in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in January 2009. Tooth erosion was assessed using tooth erosion index employed in the childrenfs dental health in UK survey 1993. Data was collected by using self-prepared questionnaire. The subjects were examined using a type III examination procedure by single examiner. Intra examiner variability was tested by weighted kappa statistic which was 90.3%. Chi-square test was applied by using SPSS software (version 11.0). RESULTS: Tooth erosion was present in 76.5% of adults with asthma and in 66.7% asthma free subjects. 86% drugs which were prescribed for asthma had a pH below 5.5. There were also association between dental erosion and consumption of soft drinks, carbonated beverages and fresh fruits. CONCLUSION: There was significant difference in prevalence of erosion, adults with asthma having a higher prevalence than controlled group, although there is relationship between levels of erosion, medical history and acidic dietary components.