Background: Periodontal diseases (PD) are common chronic inflammatory diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms colonizing the gingival area and inducing local and systemic elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting in tissue destruction by a destructive inflammatory process. Stress was considered as one of the important risk factors that cause many inflammatory diseases including PD. The purpose of this study wasto determines and compares clinical periodontal parameters (PLI, GI and BOP), stress level and salivary IL-1β level among dental students before, during and after mid-year exam, also to find the correlation among stress, IL-1β and clinical periodontal parameters. Materials and methods: The sample was consisted of 24 dental students; 12 male and 12 female aged (21-23) years, theywere examined in this follow up study at three main periods; first period at least one month before mid-year exam (Period I), second period during mid-year exam (Period II) and third period at least one month after mid-year exam (Period III). DASS-21 was used to measure stress level in all periods. Saliva samples were collected to determine the salivary IL-1β level by ELISA. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded at four sites per tooth. Results: The means of all clinical periodontal parameters were higher in the period II than in the periods I and III with highly significant differencesat (P ≤ 0.01). As well as, the means concentrations of salivary IL-1β were higher in the period II than in the periods I and III with highly significant differencesat (P ≤ 0.01). Also, by using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, stress shows highly significant strong correlation with IL-1β and clinical periodontal parametersat (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusions:The results of this study provided strong evidence of association between examination stress and PD, where dental students during mid-year exam have higher levels of stress, clinical periodontal parameters and salivary IL-1β as compared with before and after mid-year exam periods. J Bagh College Dentistry Vol. 25(4), December 2013 Effect of the examination Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Periodontics 73 J Bagh College Dentistry Vol. 25(4), December 2013 Effect of the examination Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Periodontics 75 J Bagh College Dentistry Vol. 25(4), December 2013 Effect of the examination Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Periodontics 76increased amounts of IL-1β in saliva, so there was strong correlations between themand examination stress was appeared as a possible risk factor for gingivitis. J Bagh College DentistryVol. 25(4), December 2013 Effect of the examination Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Periodontics 77

Background: In spite of advances in dentistry, anxiety about dental treatment and thefear of pain remains public health problem and is a significant impediment todental treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of dentalanxiety in patients who referred to Al-Mustansiriyah dental clinics and Al-ShiekhOmar specialized dental center in Baghdad and their relation to their gender, age,educational level.Materials and methods: The study was done on (800) patients, aged (20-59) years inBaghdad. The survey form was prepared and translated from English to Arabiclanguages by certified translator and were filled by patients themselves withoutany help from dentists. Patients with mental retarded, those who not havingcompleted the survey form and those below 20 years and above 59 years wereexcluded. The survey was divided into 3 parts (socio-demographic information,Modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and Dental fear survey (DFS).Results: The present study showed that females had higher anxiety (13.57, 47.38)than males (8.98, 37.75) for Modified dental anxiety scale and Dental fear surveyrespectively. The anxiety decreased with advance of age (12.31, 11.41, 10.89,10.45 for Modified dental anxiety scale and 43.10, 41.22, 38.69, 37.93 for Dentalfear survey) in groups (1,2,3,4) respectively. The anxiety decreased with advanceof teaching, so the uneducated patients had higher mean of anxiety (14.45, 48.59)while the postgraduate patients had lower anxiety (9.10, 36.30) for Modifieddental anxiety scale and Dental fear survey respectively than others. There washigh significant difference between males and females at P-value (≤ 0.01) for bothModified dental anxiety scale and Dental fear survey scales.Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test showed high significant difference among agegroups and among education level groups at P-value (≤ 0.01) for both Modifieddental anxiety scale and Dental fear survey scales. The higher percentage ofanxiety scales was appeared in minimal anxiety score in males (56%, 48%) inModified dental anxiety scale and Dental fear survey respectively, while lessorpercentage was appeared in very high anxiety score in males (5.1%, 5.5%) inModified dental anxiety scale and Dental fear survey respectively. Pearson'scorrelation coefficient (R) showed that there was a positive relationship betweengender and anxiety scales, with statistically high significant at P-value (≤ 0.01).While, there was inverse relationship between age and anxiety scales, and between education and anxiety scales with statistically high significant at P-value (≤ 0.01)for both relations.Conclusion: The females had higher rate of anxiety than males. The anxietydecreased with advance of age and education level of patients. There was a strong(positive) relationship between gender and anxiety. While, there was inverse(negative) relationship between anxiety with age and education.

No abstract

No abstract

Objectives The nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome regulates the maturation and release of the cytokines as well as the activation of caspase in response to danger signals derived from pathogenic infection, tissue damage, andmetabolic changes that have a role in the pathogenesis of different diseases as periodontitis. Yet, the susceptibility to this illness could be determined by population-based genetic differences. The aim of this study was to determine whether periodontitis in Arab populations from Iraq is correlated with NLRP3 gene polymorphisms and measure clinical periodontal parameters and investigate their association with genetic polymorphisms of the NLRP3. Materials and Methods The study sample consisted of 94 participants ranging from 30 to 55 years old, both males and females who fulfilled the study's criteria. The selected participants were divided into two groups: the periodontitis group (62 subjects) and the healthy control group (32 subjects). The examination of clinical periodontal parameters of all participants was carried out, followed by a collection of venous blood for NLRP3 genetic analysis using the polymerase chain reaction–sequencing technique. Results The genetic analysis of NLRP3 genotypes at four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs10925024, rs4612666, rs34777555, and rs10754557), by Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, identified nonsignificant differences in studied groups. The C-T genotype among periodontitis was significantly different from controls, while the C-C genotype among control was significantly different from periodontitis at NLRP3 rs10925024. Overall, there were 35 SNPs in the periodontitis group and 10 SNPs in the control group for rs10925024 with significant differences versus nonsignificant differences of the other SNPs between the studied groups. Clinical attachment loss and NLRP3 rs10925024 additionally demonstrated a significant positive correlation in the periodontitis subjects. Conclusion The findings suggested that polymorphisms of the NLRP3 gene may have a role and increasing the genetic susceptibility to periodontal disease in Arabs Iraqi patients.

No abstract

No abstract

Background: Oral health education for students is a fundamental role for maintaining and raising perfect oral health and preventing oral diseases in future. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of oral health educational pictures and video on periodontal health and behavior in dentition of 12-years old school children in Baghdad city. Materials and methods: Oral examination was conducted on (128) children of (Al-Yamama) primary school in Baghdad city. They were divided into four equal groups, each one consisting of (32) children. The first oral examination was done in first visit to children (pre-test). The community periodontal index (CPITN) scores were used to evaluate periodontal health status of children. Then, the first and second groups, experimental groups, were received instruction about oral health enhancement with educational program (pictures and video clip) regularly for one month. The third and fourth groups, control groups, were received instruction about oral health enhancement only regularly for one month. The second oral examination was done after one month to children (post-test). Also, questionnaire were given to assess oral health behaviors of children in pre-and post-tests. Results: Clinical examination display that CPITN of experimental groups (1, 2) was lower with healthier gingiva when compared with control groups (3, 4) with statistical significant differences between pre and post-tests (P-value <0.005). The percentages of using tooth brush and paste, frequency of teeth cleaning at day, time taking for cleaning teeth, preferable time of cleaning, brushing technique, tooth brush replacement, cause of tooth brushing and using of dental floss were improved in post-test in all groups in comparison with pre-test especially in the experimental groups (1, 2). Conclusion: Results of this study clearly reflect the proposed positive effect of the educational program in the lowering CPITN indices scores among the participants in the experimental group. Results of this study also provide another clue that combination of instruction about oral health enhancement with educational program (pictures and video clip) that represent new strategies for community oral health education; which could be targeted in order to enhance the effect of the oral health education campaigns directed to primary school children.