Advances in oral health knowledge of Greek navy recruits and their socioeconomic determinants

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate temporal changes on oral health knowledge and attitudes among two populations of young Greek males (age 19–29 years) undergoing their military training. A secondary aim was to identify socioeconomic trends that may have influenced the above. METHODS: A total of 2,764 healthy subjects (1511 in 1985, and 1253 in 1996) answered a standardized questionnaire of oral health issues. Respondents were stratified in 3 groups, according to their educational status (ES); their responses were compared using the chi-square statistic. The evaluation of socioeconomic indicators utilized longitudinal data from the national Household Expenditures Survey. RESULTS: An overall improvement was noted in the majority of "Knowledge" and "Attitudes" variables in 1996, as compared to 1985. Education seems to play an important role in both knowledge and attitudes. These changes may also be partially attributed to a shift in consuming standards from the coverage of main needs to income disposal directed towards the achievement of better quality of life

Methodological issues in epidemiological studies of periodontitis - how can it be improved?

Background: This position paper was commissioned by the European Association of Dental Public Health, which has established six working groups to investigate the current status of six topics related to oral public health. One of these areas is epidemiology of periodontal diseases. Methods: Two theses "A systematic review of definitions of periodontitis and the methods that have been used to identify periodontitis" [1] and "Factors affecting community oral health care needs and provision" [2] formed the starting point for this position paper. Additional relevant and more recent publications were retrieved through a MEDLINE search. Results: The literature reveals a distinct lack of consensus and uniformity in the definition of periodontitis within epidemiological studies. There are also numerous differences in the methods used. The consequence is that data from studies using differing case definitions and differing survey methods are not easily interpretable or comparable. The limitations of the widely used Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) and its more recent derivatives are widely recognized. Against this background, this position paper reviews the current evidence base, outlines existing problems and suggests how epidemiology of periodontal diseases may be improved. Conclusions: The remit of this working group was to review and discuss the existing evidence base of epidemiology of periodontal diseases and to identify future areas of work to further enhance it

Calculus removal from multirooted teeth with and without surgical access: (II). Comparison between external and furcation surfaces and effect of furcation entrance width

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of furcation entrance width on the efficacy of calculus removal from furcation areas as well as to compare this efficacy between external and furcation surfaces after closed root planing, open root planing and use of a rotary diamond for the furcation area. 30 first and second lower molars scheduled for extraction with a calculus index 2 and a degree II or III furcation involvement were divided into 3 groups: 10 molars were scaled and root planed using a closed approach; 10 molars were scaled and root planed using an open approach; 10 molars were scaled and root planed with an open approach and rotary diamond was used for removal of deposits in the furcation area. After extraction, the width of the furcation entrance was measured buccally and lingually 2 mm apical from the bifurcation and furcations were categorized as wide (width >2.4 mm) or narrow (width <2.4 mm). The teeth were assessed in a stereomicroscope and the % of residual calculus on external and furcation surfaces was calculated. The width of the furcation entrance influenced the efficacy in root planing in the open group (p=0.0015). The use of rotary diamond was the most effective method for removing calculus both for narrow and wide furcations. The effectiveness of open root planing in the mesial root was related to the width of the furcation entrance where the % of residual calculus was significantly higher for narrow furcations (p= 0.008). Comparison between external and furcation surfaces showed that the mean values of residual calculus in the closed and open groups were lower for the external than for the furcation surfaces, but the difference was statistically significant only for the closed group (p= 0.013). When open root planing was combined with the use of rotary diamond in the furcation areas, a smaller amount of residual calculus was observed for the furcation than for the external surfaces. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserve

Oral hygiene and gingival health in Greek airforce cadet candidates

A broad epidemiologic investigation on oral hygiene and gingival health in Greece has been undertaken since 1978. Part of our findings are presented in this study. 1291 male airforce cadet candidates aged 17-22 years were interviewed first concerning brushing habits and gingival bleeding and subsequently using the Russel Index. The mean P.I. score of the group was 0.71, ranging from 0 to 2.13. The highest P.I was found in the molars (0.82) followed by the anterior teeth and the premolars (0.75 and 0.63, respectively). Statistically significant correlation was found between P.I. and frequency of brushing (p.I. = 0.92 in never brushing, P.I. = 0.69 in twice or more daily brushing). The effect of brushing techniques and bristle stiffness on the P.I. was statistically not significant. As expected the presence of calculus decreased as the frequency of brushing increased. Finally a strong correlation existed between the P.I. and gingival bleeding