The Cariogram risk profile showed strong correlations to the caries experience of Sardinian schoolchildren and that efforts to reduce caries risk are necessary.

A randomized clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effect of daily high-dose xylitol chewing gum on plaque pH and salivary mutans streptococci (MS) in a sample of schoolchildren at high risk of caries. The study was performed on 204 subjects (acceptance rate 88.3%). Inclusion criteria were: >1 and <4 carious lesions, and a salivary MS concentration >10⁵ CFU/ml. Subjects were randomly assigned to the xylitol or control group. Study design included one examination at baseline (t₀), one after 3 months of chewing (t₁), one after 6 months of chewing (t₂) and the last 3 months after the end of chewing period (t₃). Plaque pH was assessed using the MicroTouch technique, following a sucrose challenge. The area under the curve (AUC_5.7 and AUC_6.2) was recorded. Whole saliva was collected in sterile vials and MS CFU/ml were counted. Data were analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA. The main result was that plaque acidogenicity was reduced in both groups. The differences between treatments were statistically significant both for plaque pH and MS concentration; the interaction term for treatment and time was statistically significant (p < 0.01). At t₂, the xylitol group children with a salivary MS concentration >10⁵ and those with ≤10⁵ showed significantly lower AUC_5.7 and AUC_6.2 values than the control group. These results suggest that the long-term use of high-dose non-sucrose chewing gums had beneficial effects on plaque pH, and that this effect was statistically greater when using xylitol chewing gums, both on plaque pH and MS salivary concentration.

The effect of magnolia bark extract (MBE) on different variables related to caries and gingivitis administered daily through a sugar-free chewing gum was evaluated. The study was performed with healthy adult volunteers at high risk for caries as a randomized double-blind interventional study. 120 subjects with a salivary mutans streptococci (MS) concentration ≧10⁵ CFU/ml and presence of bleeding on probing >25% were enrolled and divided into three groups: magnolia, xylitol and control. The study design included examinations at baseline, after 7 days, after 30 days of gum use and 7 days after the end of gum use. Plaque pH was assessed using the strip method following a sucrose challenge. Area under the curve (AUC_5.7 and AUC_6.2) was recorded. Whole saliva was collected and the number of salivary MS (CFU/ml) was counted. Bleeding on probing was recorded as a proxy of dental plaque. Data were analyzed using ANOVA repeated measures. Magnolia gum significantly reduced plaque acidogenicity, MS salivary concentration and gingival bleeding compared to xylitol and control gums. Subjects from the magnolia and xylitol groups showed both MS concentration (p = 0.01 and 0.06, respectively) and AUC_5.7 (p = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively) to be significantly lower compared to baseline. Thirty-day use of a chewing gum containing MBE showed beneficial effects on oral health, including reduction of salivary MS, plaque acidogenicity and bleeding on probing.

Background: During the past decades, the prevalence of caries disease in the population of Western industrialized countries has decreased markedly. In children also, a reduction of dental caries experience has been reported by many authors. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the trend of dental caries prevalence in 12-year-old children living in the city of Sassari, (Italy), by five cross-sectional studies conducted in

ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to assess the role of microsurgical reconstruction of the jaws in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis, and biological complications after an observation period of at least 12 months. Material and methodsAn electronic MEDLINE search supplemented by manual searching was conducted to identify studies reporting data of at least 12 months observation on the microsurgical reconstruction of the jaws in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis. ResultsFour studies resulted eligible for the analysis yielded. Three out of five studies were free of complications, with a success rate of 100% as no recurrence of osteonecrosis was registered. ConclusionsMicrosurgical reconstruction of the jaws represents a valid treatment modality in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis at 3rd stage of the disease.