The importance of patients' oral health and nurses'role in assessing and maintaining it.

Oral hygiene is undervalued in terms of its effects on patient health and nutrition. Effective oral care reduces infection and promotes health. This article explores the evidence for appropriate assessment of oral health and provides guidance for effective oral care.

Temporary implant-supported prosthesis for immediate loading according to a chair-side concept: technical note and results from 37 consecutive cases.

BACKGROUND: During the last years, focus has been paid to implant treatment using immediate function protocols, and different approaches to provide patients with temporary constructions have been presented. Most of these techniques involve dental technicians producing the temporary construction, for example, rebuilding existing dentures, acrylic bridges, etc. PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of a chair-side technique of a cost-effective temporary prosthesis. Fixture survival rate and risk of temporary bridge failure were analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven partially or totally edentate patients (18 female and 19 male; mean age: 66.7 years) treated with chair-side manufactured temporary restorations (QuickBridge, BIOMET 3i, Palm Beach, Fl, USA) for immediate loading have been evaluated. The prostheses extended from two unit bridges supported by two implants to full-arch construction supported by six implants. The temporary prostheses were monitored from the day of surgery and delivery to the time of replacement with a permanent prosthetic construction 3 to 6 months later. RESULTS: No implants were lost during the observation time. One (3%) temporary prosthesis fractured and additional two (6%) loosened during the follow-up time. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that the tested chair-side concept for manufacturing of temporary prosthesis for immediate loading of dental implants is a viable approach.

Prosthodontics, care utilization and oral health-related quality of life.

The main aim of this thesis was to study the impact of oral health and oral prostheses on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in an adult Swedish population. Additional aims were to study social inequalities in oral health, attitudes towards the cost for dental care and dental care utilization. The study base was 1294 responses to a questionnaire from a random sample of 1974 persons aged 50-75 years, all of whom were resident in the County of Skine, Sweden. There was an association between impaired dental conditions and poor social conditions. Low dental care utilization covaried with impaired dental conditions and with stating a perceived need to obtain dental care but with no possibility to obtain it because of a cost barrier. In factor analysis, three factors captured 22 variables that aimed to measure OHRQOL. The constituent variables were summed into three index variables interpreted as oral health impact on everyday activities, on a psychological dimension and on oral function. The three variables were set as dependent variables in regression models with the independent variables social attributes, individual attributes, dentures, number of teeth and dental care attitudes. The models were run in three steps taking into account the interaction between the type of denture and the number of remaining teeth. The number of remaining teeth was more important than the type of denture when explaining OHRQOL. The type of replacement, in terms of fixed or removable denture, was less important for those with few or no remaining teeth, than for all others. OHRQOL was also explained by general health in relation to age peers as well as by varying attitudes towards dental care costs. Statistically significant interactions were observed between the number of remaining teeth and the type of denture when explaining OHRQOL. As a whole the thesis shows that social and dental conditions and cost for dental care play a great role for dental care utilization as well as for OHRQOL. Prosthodontics has an important role, where type of replacement interacts with tooth loss in its effect on QOL.

The ageing UK population--considerations for the restorative dentist.

The scope of gerodontology and more specifically that of restorative dentistry (which in the UK includes the disciplines of endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and operative dentistry) within gerodontology, is expanding. This is true for several reasons. Firstly, the population, in both the UK and most of the western world is generally living longer. Secondly, more elderly patients are retaining their natural teeth longer into old age--thereby necessitating ongoing restorative dentistry input for their maintenance. In addition, many patients' expectations are increasing with regards to restorative dentistry. Natural teeth that were erstwhile considered as automatic candidates for extraction may now be regarded differently, especially if they are considered a 'strategic' tooth within the arch. The aim of this paper is to give a perspective as to how some of the more common restorative dentistry issues that beset the elderly population are addressed in the UK. This paper will focus on operative dentistry and prosthodontic aspects of restorative dentistry for elderly patients.

Impression procedures and construction of a sectional denture for a patient with microstomia: a clinical report.

This article describes a modified impression procedure and a method of fabricating a 2-piece collapsible denture for a patient with limited oral opening as a result of the resection of a precancerous lesion on the maxillary lip. Fabricating the denture in 2 pieces (a smaller anterior piece and a larger, hinged, collapsible posterior piece) enabled the patient to place and remove the denture.

Managing complications of radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients: Part III. Provision of dentures.

Head and neck cancer is becoming a more recognizable pathology to the general population and dentists. The modes of treatment include surgery and/or radiation therapy. Pretreatment dental assessment should be provided for these patients before they undergo radiation therapy. There are occasions, however, whereby head and neck cancer patients are not prepared optimally and, as a result, they succumb to complicated oral adverse effects after radiation therapy. The management of radiation-induced caries, a sequelae of xerostomia has been reviewed in Part II of this series. In this article, the management of difficulty with dentures, another sequelae of xerostomia following radiation therapy is reviewed.

Update on oral candidosis.

Oral candidosis, commonly known as oral thrush, is usually caused by the yeast fungus Candida albicans (Wenzel and Pfaller, 1991). It affects the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, mainly the surface of the tongue, palate, cheeks and lips, and is the same organism that causes vaginal yeast infections.

[Analysis of the oxide film of Ni-Cr porcelain alloy].

OBJECTIVE: In order to find out the causes of cervical gray line of PFM crown, the features of oxide film of Ni-Cr alloy were investigated. METHODS: 1. The phases were analyzed using x-ray radiation shield. 2. Compositions of oxide film and base metal were measured using electronic scanning microscope. 3. The thickness of oxide film and the variations of Ni, Cr, O in oxide film were evaluated using Auger electron spectroscope. RESULTS: 1. There were not only NiCr2O4 but also Cr2O3, SiO2, and gamma phase solid solution in the surface. 2. The weight contents of Cr and Si were higher while Ni was lower in oxide film than in the base. 3. Oxide film became much thicker(400 nm: 16 nm) after the temperature cycling. CONCLUSION: The medium-thicked oxide film was formed after baking, and it was not a complete film.