Salivary parameters and teeth erosions in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

CONTEXT: In the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a highly prevalent digestive disorder, gastric content may return to the esophagus and reach the mouth, thus leading to a small number of carious lesions and high incidence of dental erosion. Since saliva plays a major role in oral homeostasis, evaluating salivary parameters is necessary in attempting to explain such outcome. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at analyzing salivary parameters (salivary flow, pH and buffering capacity), bacterial count, caries index and dental erosion in patients with GERD. MATERIALS: Sixty patients were studied, and of these, 30 had GERD (group 1), and 30 were controls (group 2). Gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnosis confirmation was achieved by means of endoscopy, manometry and pH metric esophageal monitoring. The above mentioned salivary parameters were evaluated in patients from groups 1 and 2. RESULTS: The number of erosions in patients with GERD (group 1) was larger than in controls (P<0.001). The number of carious teeth was smaller in group 1 than in group 2 (P<0.001). Salivary flow (non-stimulated and stimulated) and pH did not show differences between the 2 groups (P = 0.49; P = 0.80 and P = 0.85, respectively). Salivary buffering capacity in patients with GERD showed lower values in controls (P = 0.018). The number of bacteria (Lactobacilli and Streptococci) was smaller in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease than in controls (P = 0.0067 and P = 0.0017, respectively). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the large number of erosions must be a result of GERD patients reduced salivary buffering capacity. The reduced number of caries of patients in group 1 can be explained by the low prevalence of bacteria (Lactobacilli and Streptococci), observed in the saliva of patients with chronic reflux

Parâmetros bioquímicos e microbiológicos e suas relações com a experiência de cárie em adolescentes sadios Microbiological and biochemical parameters and their relationship with carie in healthy teenagers

OBJETIVOS: verificar a relação da experiência da doença cárie com o grau de ocorrência de Streptococcus mutans, o fluxo salivar e a capacidade tampão da saliva em 111 adolescentes sadios atendidos no Setor de Puericultura do Hospital das Clínicas de Pernambuco MÉTODOS: realizou-se o exame intraoral e o preenchimento de ficha clínica, para determinação do índice CPO-S (Número de superfícies dentárias cariadas, perdidas ou com extração indicada e restauradas). Em seguida coletou-se a saliva para determinação do fluxo salivar e da capacidade tampão. A raspagem dos dentes anteriores foi realizada para quantificação de Streptococcus mutans presente na placa bacteriana. RESULTADOS: a população avaliada foi predominantemente de baixa atividade de cárie, apresentando capacidade tampão da saliva normal e fluxo salivar deficiente. O número de S. mutans da placa bacteriana foi superior a 105 UFC/mg, na maioria da população estudada. CONCLUSÕES: a atividade de cárie foi inversamente proporcional à capacidade tampão e diretamente proporcional a presença de Streptococcus mutans presentes na placa bacteriana. A baixa atividade de cárie na população estudada pode ser atribuída à boa condição do meio bucal promovida pelo número de escovações diárias com dentufícios fluoretados.<br>OBJECTIVES: to establish a relationship between dental caries with the degree of Streptococcus mutans present in the salivary flow and saliva buffer ability in 111 healthy adolescents seen at the Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas de Pernambuco. METHODS: Intraoral examinations were performed and dental records filled to determine DMFS-S (Decayed, missing teeth and filled permanent dental surfaces). Following, saliva was collected to determined salivary flow and buffer ability. Front teeth were scrapped to quantify Streptococcus mutans present in the bacterial plaque. RESULTS: the population assessed had predominantly low caries activities with buffer ability of normal saliva and deficiency of salivary flow. The numbers of S mutans in the bacterial plaque exceeded 105 CFU/mg in the majority of individuals in the population studied. CONCLUSIONS: caries activity was inversely proportional to the buffer capacity and directly proportional to the presence of Streptococus mutans in the bacterial plaque. This low carie activity could be derived from the daily tooth-brushing with fluor dentifrices

Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV: Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe

We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median z ∼ 0.03). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between z ~ 0.6 and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July