It was concluded that moderate levels of dental erosion are common in 14-year-old school children and this may lead to increasing clinical problems. There was significantly more erosion in children from low socioeconomic groups. Possible aetiological factors need to be investigated further.

It was concluded that consumption particularly of soft drinks was high and common in teenage school children in Birmingham, UK. In addition there was a relationship between dental erosion and acidic dietary intake. Further investigation of the erosive potential of these drinks and foods is required.

Summary. There is very little published information on the severity of tooth wear in children. The current investigation involved clinical examination of 101 children and an assessment of their dietary habits. Evidence of tooth wear was found in over 80% of maxillary incisor teeth, and 30% of primary molar teeth had some dentine exposed. There were 21 children who were regarded as having ‘mild’ erosion, 45 ‘moderate’ erosion and 35 ‘severe’ erosion. There were highly statistically significant differences between the three groups in relation to drinking habits; the mean number of carbonated drinks consumed per week by children in the ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ and ‘severe’ erosion groups was 3.9, 5.8 and 13.9 respectively, of fruit drinks 10.3, 16.4 and 18.3, and of all fruit‐based drinks 17.9, 27.1 and 39.0. There were also highly significant differences in those having a fruit‐based drink at bed‐time; 14% in the ‘mild’ erosion group, 32% in the ‘moderate’ and 60% in the ‘severe’ group. Although fresh fruit and yoghurt consumption followed the same trend, this did not reveal statistically significant differences. It is important to identify children who exhibit clinical evidence of erosion so that advice can be given about consumption of acidic dietary constituents. Résumé. Peu d' études ont été publiées sur l'importance des lésions dentaires chez les enfants. Cette étude porte sur l'examen clinique de 101 enfants et sur leurs habitudes alimentaires. Des lésions dentinaires ont été trouvées chez 80% des incisives supérieures et 30% des molaires temporaires avaient des lésions dentaires. Vingt et un enfants avaient des érosions ‘légères’, 45 ‘modérées’ et 35 enfants avaient des érosions ‘sévères’. Il y avait des différences hautement significatives entre les groupes, en rapport avec les boissons habituellement prises; le nombre moyen de boissons sucrées consommées par semaine par les enfants des groupes avec érosions ‘légères’, ‘modérées’ et ‘sévères’ était de 3.9, 5.8 et 13.9 respectivement, de jus de fruits 10.3, 16.4 et 18.3 et de boissons à base de fruits de 17.9, 27.1 et 39.0. Des différences hautement significatives étaient également notées entre ceux qui prenaient une boisson à base de fruits au moment du coucher; 14% dans le groupe à érosions ‘légères’, 32% dans le groupe ‘modérées’ et 60% dans le groupe ‘sévères’. Bien que la comsommation de fruits frais et de yoghourts suivent la même4 tendance, des différences significatives ne sont pas notées. Il est important d'identifier les enfants qui montrent des lésions évidentes du point de vue clinique, de façon à pouvior leur donner des conseils diététiques sur la consommation d' aliments acidogènes. Zusammenfassung. Über die Zahnerosion bei Kinder wurde anhin sehr wenig publiziert. Es wurden 101 Kinder untersucht und ihre Ernähurngsgewohnheiten beurteilt. Der Beweis von Erosionen wurde bei 80% der maxillären Frontzähne und bei 30% der Milchmolaren war das Dentin freigelegt. 21 Kinder hatten eine sogenannte milde Erosion 45 eine mittlere und 35 Kinder eine schlimme E...

Use of a splint-mounted flexible pH electrode has allowed reliable continuous monitoring of pH at the surface of the dentition whilst still enabling subjects to drink normally. pH was monitored at the palatal upper left central incisor and upper right first permanent molar sites after drinking 1% (w/v) citric acid. A maximal decrease in pH to values of 2–3 was observed after 1 min followed by a slower recovery which was above pH 5.5 within 2 min at the former site and in 4–5 min at the latter site. A sharp rise in parotid saliva flow rate was seen at 1 min after drinking the same concentration of citric acid by glass, straw or feeder cup, which returned to resting levels within 6 min although the fall-off of flow rate was slower with the feeder cup. Thus, after dietary acid intake the pH at the surface of the dentition is below the critical pH for enamel dissolution for shorter periods than previously suggested, which is probably a reflection of salivary neutralisation and washing.

The prevalence of dental caries, the levels of oral hygiene and the periodontal treatment requirements were assessed in 3562 handicapped children and 1344 randomly selected normal children attending schools in Birmingham, UK. The effect of different types of handicapping condition on these parameters was also evaluated. This investigation showed that there were few differences in caries prevalence when comparing handicapped children with children attending normal schools. However, the provision of dental care showed significant differences, with the handicapped children receiving less restorative treatment. There were also significantly poorer levels of oral hygiene and a greater prevalence of periodontal disease in the handicapped children attending special schools. The type of handicapping condition had a significant effect on the periodontal problems observed; those children with mental retardation having the poorest levels of oral hygiene and the greatest periodontal treatment requirements.

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1 The in¯uence of 17 b-oestradiol on pressurized isolated rat mesenteric and coronary small arteries was investigated. 2 17 b-oestradiol caused rapid (t 1.0 55 mins) concentration-dependent relaxations of pre-contracted pressurized (50 mmHg) isolated rat mesenteric and coronary arteries. Similar responses were observed in both vessel types. Signi®cant relaxations were only observed at concentrations exceeding 3 mM. 3 The vasodilatory responses in both types of artery were una ected by 10 mM L-nitro arginine (L-NNA) alone or in the presence of 10 mM indomethacin, inhibitors of nitric oxide and prostaglandin synthesis respectively. They were also una ected by the pre-contracting agent used i.e. high K + or U46619 (a thromboxane analogue). 4 Neither the oestrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 (10 mM) nor the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (100 mM) had any e ect on the responses of mesenteric arteries to 17 b-oestradiol. 5 17 a-oestradiol had only a minor e ect on mesenteric arterial diameter over a concentration range similar to the e ective vasodilatory range for 17 b-oestradiol. 6 Membrane impermeant 17 b-oestradiol conjugated to bovine serum albumin (b-oestradiol-17-hemisuccinate-BSA) (E-H-BSA) resulted in a vasodilatation of pressurized arteries. 7 Wortmannin, an inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase, near maximally relaxed pressurized mesenteric arteries although the time course for the response was signi®cantly slower than that for 17 b-oestradiol. 8 These results taken together suggest that the acute e ects of 17 b-oestradiol on isolated pressurized arterial tone may be due to e ects directly on the vascular smooth muscle via nongenomic mechanisms that involve a stereospeci®c interaction at the plasma membrane.