Tobacco smoking is considered the most frequent addiction both in Poland and all over the world. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemical compounds, 40 of which are carcinogens. Tobacco smoking leads to deterioration of the oral cavity condition, exerts a harmful influence on the oral mucosa and is considered as one of the most important risk factors in the development of oral cancer. The substances contained in tobacco smoke cause tissue anoxia, which negatively affects wound healing and mucosa regeneration. Local application of high temperature results in burns and ulceration in the mucosa. The reduced salivation observed in smokers facilitates the development of caries, fungal infections and periodontitis. Smoking leads to an increased growth of the bacterial flora pathogenic for the periodontium, affects tissue protective mechanisms, causes an increase in dental loss and bone destruction in the alveolar process. Smokers undergoing implant prosthetic treatment face a greater risk of the peri-implant tissue inflammation and implant failure. Moreover, changes in the colour of teeth, mucosa, fillings and implants, as well as halitosis and taste disorders, are observed in smokers. Smoking cessation results in the reversal of most described symptoms. The dentist is often the first person to perceive the problem related to the consequences of smoking. The greatest risk for the oral health posed by smoking is oral cancer. It is thus necessary for dentists to remain alert to the signs of cancer to enable its early diagnosis. The task of the whole dental team is to educate patients on the harmful influence of cigarette smoking on health and life, making them aware of the relationship between smoking and the changes in the oral cavity, and to support them in their struggle with addiction.
Dental erosion is described as an irreversible loss of dental hard tissue resulting from exposure to non-bacterial acids or chelating substances. It may be caused by exogenous or endogenous factors. In the former case, food, drink, as well as the environment might be sources of acids; in the latter, acids flowing into the oral cavity from the stomach and duodenum. Exogenous dental erosive lesions are localized mainly on the labial surfaces of the anterior teeth of the maxilla, while the endogenous ones can be found on the palatal and masticatory surfaces of the maxilla and the masticatory and buccal surfaces of the mandible. Reduced saliva secretion, which occurs in a number of diseases, also influences dental erosion, while erosion-causing factors and aggressive tooth brushing immediately after consuming acidic food increases the range and depth of erosion cavities. The consequence of dental erosion is teeth hypersensitivity, which results from exposure of dental tubules and of the pulp leading to the loss of tooth vitality and decrease in occlusal height. Treatment of exogenous dental erosion consists in changing nutritional and hygienic habits. In the case of endogenous erosion, however, the therapy should address mainly an underlying disease. Worn teeth surfaces should be restored with conservatory or/and prosthetic methods. In the context of an increasing prevalence of dental erosion in the population, it is necessary to develop and implement prophylactic measures, including broadly understood health education on the risk factors, preventive activities, and possibilities of diagnosis and therapy.
Introduction. Evaluation of the oral health among adult Poles carried out in the framework of the "National Monitoring of Oral Health and Its Determinants" study and the research results of clinical centers in Poland indicate that dental caries, periodontal diseases and missing teeth are a major health problem.Aim. The aim of the study was determining the reasons for reporting to the dentist of 35-54-year-old people, the assessment of dental health and prosthetic needs.Material and methods. The study comprised 154 patients aged 35-54 reporting in 2015 to the dental clinic in Lublin, which offers treatment financed by the National Health Fund or for a fee. Gender, age, the place of residence and the reason for the reporting to the dentist were analyzed. The place of residence was a village, a town of less than 200 thousand inhabitants or the city of more than 200 thousand residents. The reason for reporting to the dental clinic was a check-up visit, toothache or loss of filling. Dental condition was assessed by calculating the DMF index. The prosthetic state and needs were evaluated. The results were statistically analyzed.Results. Most patients reporting to the dental examination were women (59.09%) and residents of a big city (70.78%). More than a half of the patients (55.84%) had a check-up appointment, 25.32% appeared due to the loss of filling, and 18.83% -because of a toothache. The frequency of decay in the study group was 100% and the DMF index values ranged from 2.0 to 32.0, assuming an average of 21.18±5.02, and with the age the DMF index values increased. The highest number of decayed and extracted teeth were found in the rural population. Both residents of big cities and patients who reported for regular check-ups had the biggest number of fillings.Conclusion. Dental caries is still a major health problem in Polish population aged 35-44. Poor oral health among the adult population in Poland is due to the low health awareness of society. This requires launching large-scale dental educational campaigns and prevention measures among adult Polish citizens, especially in rural areas.
Standard caries diagnostic methods include a visual tactile method, as well as several radiographic methods. The former is a subjective method, while bitewing radiographs and digital radiographs (radiovisiography) enable detection of caries lesions only after 30% of hard dental tissue mineral substances have been lost. The paper presents methods based on electrical and optical phenomena that allow early caries diagnosis. Strengths and weaknesses of each presented method are discussed, basing this on recent literature review. The methods of caries detection generally used in daily clinical practice, combined with alternative methods, make it possible to significantly increase the effectiveness of dental caries diagnosis.
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