Evaluation the oral hygiene conditions, oral Candida colonization and salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli density in a group of ß-thalassemic children and adolescence.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the prevalence and distribution of dental caries and oral hygiene conditions in a group of patients with ß-TM are evaluated and the results compared to age-and gender-matched healthy patients. In addition, oral candida colonization and the density of Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) and Lactobacilli in the total saliva are assessed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study involved 59 ß-TM patients between 6-16 years old (mean:11.59±3.22), who applied to the Department of Pedodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Akdeniz University, with ongoing follow-up, treatment and regular blood transfusions. All enrolled patients were diagnosed with ß-TM by the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University. As a control group, age-and gender-matched healthy 50 patients were included to the study. RESULTS: Plaque ( p=0.001), DMFT ( p=0.009) and DMFS ( p=0.039) indices were significantly higher in the ß-TM patients, whereas, the oral hygiene status was significantly lower ( p=0.004). Saliva buffering capacity average was insignificantly but slightly more in ß-TM patients( p=0.131). While S.mutans values were significantly higher in the ß-TM patients ( p=0.002), no significant difference was found in the Lactobacillus ( p=0.131) and Candida values ( p=0.33). CONCLUSIONS: DMFT, DMFS, Plaque and oral hygiene indices and S.mutans values were found significantly different in ß-TM patients than healthy, control group patients, in this study.

Clinical and biochemical effects of erbium, chromium: yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet laser treatment as a complement to periodontal treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effects of erbium, chromium: yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet (Er, Cr: YSGG) laser treatment as a complementary to scaling and root planning (SRP) during the treatment of chronic periodontitis and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-35 (IL-35) levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients with chronic periodontitis were divided into two equal groups at random to receive SRP alone and SRP followed by Er, Cr: YSGG laser treatment, which are control and test groups, respectively. Clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI) were measured for all patients in both groups at baseline and again at the end of the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months following the treatment. Levels of GCF IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-35 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: After periodontal treatment, CAL, PD, BOP, GI, and PI, which are clinical parameters analyzed, decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in both test and control groups. GCF volume, IL-1 ß, IL-6, and IL-35, levels in both groups proved statistically significant reductions compared to the baseline (P < 0.05), but no substantial variations were detected among both groups. CONCLUSION: According to these results, we can suggest that IL-35 may be related to the pathogenesis of periodontitis and that Er, Cr: YSGG laser can be used as an adjunct to SRP in periodontal treatment.