No abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the reliability and clinical value for prediction of caries activity of determining the number of lactobacilli in saliva, the salivary secretion rate and the presence of yeasts in the saliva. For this purpose one entire age group of pupils (115 14-year-olds) attending one of the compulsory 9-year comprehensive schools in Orebro was selected for longitudinal examination. Over a period of 64 weeks three clinical recordings were made and seven salivary samples were collected. The correlations between caries activity, caries frequency (DFS), lactobacillus counts, yeasts in saliva, salivary secretion rate and gingivitis were examined. The results showed that in spite of a well-organized dental health service, including adequate preventive measures, a pronounced variation in caries activity remained and thus a means of predicting the onset of caries would be a valuable asset. Statistically significant correlations were found between caries activity on the one hand and caries frequency and lactobacillus counts on the other. The lactobacillus count was found to be a suitable measure in predicting caries activity. It was concluded that the lactobacillus count should be used for caries prediction in healthy, properly treated patients. It is important that there are no areas of microbial retention on the teeth such as open carious lesions, poorly executed restorations, dentures or orthodontic bands. In such situations, the lactobacillus count seems to reflect the frequency of ingested fermentable carbohydrates and thus, indirectly, the risk of initiating carious lesions.

The prevalence of MIH (13.9%) in the study population of 16-year-olds from Northern Norway is consistent with previous Scandinavian reports. The distribution pattern shows that one participant in four with MIH had at least one affected canine. Further studies are needed to describe the localisation of defects on the enamel surface and to relate these findings to enamel thickness and the duration of amelogenesis.

The aim of the present study was to bring forward data of acceptance of dental treatment for 3-16-yr-old children in a population with good dental health and annual dental care, and to evaluate the influence on acceptance of age, sex, residential area, and previous experience and present need of dental treatment. The material consisted of 2773 children. Direct ratings of behavior were made at each of 10 different treatment steps passed during dental appointments. The majority of children needed no more than one dental visit and 79% showed positive acceptance at all steps of treatment passed during dental visits. Eight percent of all children sometimes reacted in such a way that treatment could not be carried out without restraint or undue delay. Dental fear was diagnosed in 3% of all children.

The use of implants could considerably enhance future therapeutic options for the severely dentally compromised patients with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome.

Lately, it has been questioned whether localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) is restricted to the permanent dentition, or if it sometimes might have a prepubertal onset, involving the primary dentition. To clarify this question, 17 patients with LJP, together with 17 non-LJP matched controls, were retrospectively examined for radiographic signs of alveolar bone destruction in their primary dentitions. All LJP subjects but one showed localized marginal bone loss, whereas no bone loss was observed among the controls. The results suggest that at least some cases of LJP start in the primary dentition prior to the involvement of the permanent teeth.

Dental health care is largely based on primary care. It is therefore logical to train students in external dental clinics in addition to university facilities. Consequently, the new dental curriculum at The University of Tromsø in Northern Norway has implemented outreach teaching and training as an extensive part of their curriculum. The overall opinion is that the external training has been very valuable both regarding volume and diversity of treatment experiences and has contributed substantially to the clinical maturity of the students. Educating the tutors is considered to be an essential part of the programme.

Periodontal health in relation to systemic retinoid medication was evaluated retrospectively in patients with Papillon-Lefèvre Syndrome (PLS). The material consisted of 18 children/young adults ranging from 8 to 28 years of age, all with a confirmed diagnosis of PLS. 9 participants, comprising a medication group, had been on long-term (range 1.5-9 years) retinoid medication for their cutaneous lesions. The remaining 9 served as controls. Regardless of whether or not retinoid medication was received, every patient experienced an early and devastating periodontitis, with atypical edematous and erythematous gingiva, suppuration from deep gingival pockets and premature loss of teeth. No correlation could be found between the severity of skin involvement and the severity of periodontal involvement. An improvement with age could be seen for the cutaneous lesions but not for the periodontal condition. Systemic medication with retinoids had a favorable therapeutic effect on cutaneous lesions, and no severe complication/side effect could be seen after several years of continuous use. However, from the results of this study it can be concluded that, at least in a situation with poor compliance of daily oral home-care, no positive effect on the periodontal health in patients with PLS could be seen by the retinoid medication.