Relationship between genuine and pseudohalitosis and social anxiety disorder.

Halitosis is described as offensive breath caused by various factors such as periodontal diseases, bacterial coating of tongue, systemic disorders and different types of foods. Pseudohalitosis is a situation that patients complain of oral malodor even though they do not have offensive odour. The purpose of this study was to compare the relationships between social anxiety estimations and both pseudohalitosis and genuine halitosis cases. Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and questionnaire regarding halitosis were applied to 100 participants. Halitosis was determined using organoleptic method, gas chromatography and portable sulphur monitor. anova test and 2-tailed Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient were used to determine the differences and relations between groups. With reference to LSAS, 62% of participants had anxiety. Among these patients, 98% had genuine halitosis (P < 0·05). The mean measurements of VSC values were 248·65 ppm in halimeter, 298·02 ppm of H2 S, 95·33 ppm of CH3 SH and 47·00 ppm of (CH3 )2 S in gas chromatography. Halitosis was present in 90% of participants, and it was absent in 10% by organoleptic assessment. There was a significant correlation between organoleptic and halimeter measurements. Moreover, statistically significant relationship was detected between anxiety and halitosis. Genuine halitosis patients exhibit social anxiety, so it can be said that there is a causal relationship between halitosis and anxiety. Comparison of the results of objective measurements (sulphur monitor, gas chromatography, organoleptic method) was statistically significant; therefore, it can be said that these methods can be used in diagnosis of halitosis with high accuracy.

Assessment of HIV/AIDS awareness among 500 patients referred to the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge of and attitudes to AIDS among patients referred to the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry, Turkey. DESIGN: A random sample of 500 patients participated and completed a questionnaire which comprised of six basic questions aimed at assessing the respondent's general knowledge and attitude towards AIDS. The questionnaire also collected demographic information about each patient, including age, gender and level of education. RESULTS: : Out of 500 respondents, 65 (13%) had been tested for HIV. The majority of respondents, 479 (95.8%) were aware that AIDS was a transmissible disease, and of these, 410 (85.6%) knew that semen and blood were modes of transmission. In addition, 451 (90.2%) respondents were in favour of requiring AIDS testing for all patients undergoing dental treatment. Educational level was found to be the main factor affecting the number of correct answers regarding transmission of the disease. CONCLUSION: The study highlighted dental patients' misconceptions, risk perceptions, and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS.

Radiographic evaluation of third molar development in relation to chronological age among Turkish children and youth.

A sharp increase in forensic age estimation of living persons has been observed in recent years. However, ethnic populations residing in different countries have been insufficiently analyzed. According to 2004 data compiled by the Essen-based Turkey Research Center, there are 3.8 million Turkish people living abroad, and 3.2 million of them reside in European Union countries. Despite the high number of Turks living abroad, little is known about third-molar development for forensic application in this population. Hence, it was considered worthwhile to determine the developmental stages of the third molar in a group of Turkish population, to assess chronological age estimation based on the developmental stages, and to compare third molar development according to sex, age and location. Orthopantomograms of 1134 Turkish patients, ages 4-20 years were examined and third-molar developmental stages were evaluated based on Demirjian's classifications. Orthopantomograms were scored by two different observers, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test used to test intra- and inter-observer reliability revealed a strong agreement between both intra- and inter-observer measurements. Linear regression analysis was performed to correlate third-molar development and chronological age, and further statistical analysis was performed to determine the relation between sex, age and location. Results showed a strong linear correlation between age and molar development (males: r(2)=0.57; females: r(2)=0.56). Mineralizations of left and right third molars were compared using Wilcoxon tests, and no statistical differences were found. No significant differences were found in third-molar development between males and females. Mandibular third molar crypt formation was observed in 2.4% of patients at age seven and maxillary third molar crypt formation was observed in 1.3% of patients at age seven. A strong correlation was found between third-molar development and chronological age. Among the Turkish population, third molar crypt formation is observable at as early as 7 years in both the mandible and maxilla. Agenesis can be determined conclusively if no radiolucent bud is present by age 14.

Assessment of buccal marginal alveolar peri-implant and periodontal defects using a cone beam CT system with and without the application of metal artefact reduction mode.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the accuracy of cone beam CT (CBCT) images obtained with and without artefact reduction (AR) in detecting simulated buccal peri-implant and buccal periodontal defects. METHODS: 42 implants inserted into edentulous mandibles, and 38 teeth present in dry mandibles were used. Simulated buccal peri-implant defects (n = 22) and buccal periodontal defects (n = 22) were prepared. 20 implants and 18 teeth without simulated defects were the control group. Images of the mandibles were obtained using a Planmeca ProMax(®) 3D Max CBCT unit (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland). Image reconstructions were prepared without and with low, medium and high AR modes. Images were viewed randomly by six observers twice for the presence of defects. Kappa coefficient was calculated. F2_LD_F1 design for non-parametric analysis of longitudinal data was used. Area under curves (AUCs) were calculated for each observer. Significance level was taken as α = 0.05. RESULTS: Intraobserver kappa ranged from 0.140 to 0.792 for peri-implant and from 0.189 to 1.0 for periodontal defects. All factors were statistically significant (p < 0.001), except for image mode and implant brand. Pairwise interactions were found between periodontal defects and peri-implant defects (p < 0.001), observers (p < 0.001), observer and image mode (p < 0.001), defect model and observer (p < 0.001) and defect model, image mode and observer (p = 0.04). AUC values ranged from 0.39 to 0.52 for peri-implant and from 0.45 to 0.71 for periodontal defects. Higher AUC values were found for periodontal defects than for peri-implant defects. CONCLUSIONS: Buccal peri-implant defects were more difficult to detect than buccal periodontal defects. No difference was found among CBCT images obtained with and without AR modes.

Radiographic detection of artificially created horizontal root fracture using different cone beam CT units with small fields of view.

OBJECTIVES: To compare limited cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) units with different field of views (FOVs) and voxel sizes in detecting artificially created horizontal root fracture (HRF) in extracted human teeth. METHODS: Artificial HRF was created in the horizontal plane in 40 teeth. Another 40 intact teeth served as a control group. 80 teeth were placed in the respective maxillary anterior sockets of a human dry skull in groups. Six image sets were obtained: (1) Accuitomo 170, 40 × 40 mm FOV (0.080 mm(3)); (2) Accuitomo 170, 60 × 60 mm FOV (0.125 mm(3)); (3) Kodak 9000, 50 × 37 mm FOV (0.076 mm(3)); (4) Kodak 9000, 50 × 37 mm FOV (0.100 mm(3)); (5) Vatech Pax-Duo3D 50 × 50 mm FOV (0.080 mm(3)) and (6) Vatech Pax-Duo3D 85 × 85 mm FOV (0.120 mm(3)). Images were evaluated twice by five observers. Kappa values were calculated for observer agreement. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (Az values) were calculated, and the Az values for each image type were compared using t-tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Intraobserver kappa coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.95 for the Accuitomo 170 images, from 0.80 to 0.92 for the Kodak 9000 images and from 0.76 to 0.95 for Vatech PanX-Duo3D. The Az values for different image types and observers ranged from 0.93 to 0.97 for Accuitomo 170 images, from 0.93 to 0.98 for Kodak 9000 images and from 0.93 to 0.97 for the Vatech PanX-Duo3D images. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between the Az values. CONCLUSIONS: Limited CBCT units performed similarly in detecting simulated HRF.

Assessment of bone mineral density in the jaws and its relationship to radiomorphometric indices.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate maxillary, mandibular and femoral neck bone mineral density using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to determine any correlation between the bone mineral density of the jaws and panoramic radiomorphometric indices. METHODS: 49 edentulous patients (18 males and 31 females) aged between 41 and 78 years (mean age 60.2 +/- 11.04) were examined by panoramic radiography. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the jaws and femoral neck was measured with a DXA; bone mineral density was calculated at the anterior, premolar and molar regions of the maxilla and mandible. RESULTS: The mean maxillary molar BMD (0.45 g cm(-2)) was significantly greater than the maxillary anterior and premolar BMD (0.31 g cm(-2), P < 0.05). Furthermore, the mean mandibular anterior and premolar BMD (1.39 g cm(-2) and 1.28 g cm(-2), respectively) was significantly greater than the mean mandibular molar BMD (1.09 g cm(-2), P < 0.01). Although BMD in the maxillary anterior and premolar regions were correlated, BMD in all the mandibular regions were highly correlated. Maxillary and mandibular BMD were not correlated with femoral BMD. In addition, mandibular cortical index (MCI) classification, mental index (MI) or panoramic mandibular index (PMI) values were not significantly correlated with the maxillary and mandibular BMDs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The BMD in this study was highest in the mandibular anterior region and lowest in the maxillary anterior and premolar regions. The BMD of the jaws was not correlated with either femoral BMD or panoramic radiomorphometric indices.