Oral health status among long-term hospitalized adults: a cross sectional study

Background. Many Long-Term Care (LTC) institutionalized patients are the most frail and functionally dependent among the geriatric population and have significant oral health disparities.They often suffer from dental neglect due to limited access to appropriate professional dental care. These patients have chronic health situations and are treated with medications, which increase their risk of oral diseases. Despite the growth in elderly population in Israel, there is insufficient data regarding their oral health status and treatment needs.Objective. To describe the oral health status of the LTC hospitalized adults in a geriatric and psychiatric hospital in Israel.Methods. Data was recorded from LTC hospitalized adults with a physical and/or mental disabilities in a cross-sectional research design, which included general health anamnesis and clinical oral examination. Variables included gender, medicines, oral hygiene (OH), using dentures, number of caries lesions and residual teeth. Univariate analyses included Pearson χ2 and t-test analyses. Multivariate analyses included logistic and linear regressions while the outcome variables were categorical OH index and number of carious cavitations, number of residual teeth and carious teeth percentage.Results. 153 participants were included in the study with a mean age of 65.03 ± 18.67 years. 31.3% of the patients were edentulous, and only 14% had partial or full dentures. Females had a significantly higher number of caries cavitation than males (P = 0.044). The number of caries cavitation was higher among patients with poor OH (P < 0.001) and when taking Clonazepam (P = 0.018). Number of residual teeth was higher in the fair OH group (P < 0.001). Carious teeth percentage was higher among the poor OH group (P < 0.001)

Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI): Proposed Terminology and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Male Infertility

Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect fertility via a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and DNA, which may impair the sperm’s potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. Adequate evaluation of male reproductive potential should therefore include an assessment of sperm OS. We propose the term Male Oxidative Stress Infertility, or MOSI, as a novel descriptor for infertile men with abnormal semen characteristics and OS, including many patients who were previously classified as having idiopathic male infertility. Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) can be a useful clinical biomarker for the classification of MOSI, as it takes into account the levels of both oxidants and reductants (antioxidants). Current treatment protocols for OS, including the use of antioxidants, are not evidence-based and have the potential for complications and increased healthcare-related expenditures. Utilizing an easy, reproducible, and cost-effective test to measure ORP may provide a more targeted, reliable approach for administering antioxidant therapy while minimizing the risk of antioxidant overdose. With the increasing awareness and understanding of MOSI as a distinct male infertility diagnosis, future research endeavors can facilitate the development of evidence-based treatments that target its underlying cause

Factors Associated with Dental Plaque, Gingivitis, and Caries in a Pediatric Population: A Records-Based Cross-Sectional Study

This retrospective, cross-sectional study evaluated dental records of 1000 healthy children to determine factors associated with plaque, gingivitis, and caries. A logistic model for plaque and gingivitis (mild versus moderate/severe) and caries (yes/no) was carried out separately for each variable using the following potential factors: Age, Gender, Brush Type, Starting Age of Brushing, Brushing Frequency, and Bite Type. Data from 998 children (median age: 4 years, 10 months (range: 2.5&ndash;7 years)) were analyzed. Sixty-four percent were manual toothbrush users; 36% were oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush users. For plaque and gingivitis, but not caries, Brush Type was more impactful than Brushing Frequency. Age influenced the severity of plaque and gingivitis, with increases in the odds of having moderate/severe plaque or gingivitis associated with increasing age. The probability of caries increased until approximately age 5 and then decreased until age 7. Oscillating-rotating brush users were more likely to present with less plaque, gingivitis, and caries, with 6.0, 5.1, and 1.4 times greater odds of having mild (versus moderate/severe) plaque, less severe gingivitis, and being caries-free, respectively, than manual brush users. Similarly, brushing twice daily and starting brushing at an earlier age were associated with better oral health outcomes. Children with anterior bite abnormalities had increased odds of developing moderate/severe plaque and gingivitis than children with normal anterior bites. Gender was not a statistically significant factor associated with plaque, gingivitis, or caries. Children&rsquo;s oral health is influenced by toothbrush type, starting age of brushing, compliance with twice-daily brushing, and bite abnormalities

Tracking research trends and hotspots in sperm DNA fragmentation testing for the evaluation of male infertility: a scientometric analysis

BACKGROUND: This article describes the research trends in sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) over the past 20 years (1999-2018) using a scientometric approach. METHODS: A stepwise approach was adopted to retrieve scientometric data (articles per year, authors, affiliations, journals, countries) from Scopus and analyze the publication pattern of SDF with reference to key areas of research in the field of Andrology. RESULTS: A total of 2121 articles were retrieved related to SDF. Our data revealed an increasing research trend in SDF (n = 33 to n = 173) over the past 20 years (R2 = 0.894). Most productive country in publications was the USA (n = 450), while Agarwal A. (n = 129) being the most productive author. Most of the articles in SDF were primarily focused on lifestyle (n = 157), asthenozoospermia (n = 135) and varicocele (130). Mechanistic studies on SDF were published twice as much as prognostic/diagnostic studies, with significant emphasis on oxidative stress. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was the most widely used technique to evaluate SDF. Publications on SDF related to assisted reproductive techniques also showed a linear increasing trend (R2 = 0.933). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis revealed an increasing trend in SDF publications predominantly investigating lifestyle, asthenozoospermia and varicocele conditions with TUNEL being the most widely used technique. A substantial increase in research is warranted to establish SDF as prognostic/diagnostic parameter to evaluate clinical scenarios and ART outcomes