Periodontal disease in a patient with Prader-Willi syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Prader-Willi syndrome is a complex genetic disease caused by lack of expression of paternally inherited genes on chromosome 15q11-q13. The prevalence of Prader-Willi syndrome is estimated to be one in 10,000 to 25,000. However, descriptions of the oral and dental phenotype are rare.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe the clinical presentation and periodontal findings in a 20-year-old Japanese man with previously diagnosed Prader-Willi syndrome. Clinical and radiographic findings confirmed the diagnosis of periodontitis. The most striking oral findings were anterior open bite, and crowding and attrition of the lower first molars. Periodontal treatment consisted of tooth-brushing instruction and scaling. Home care involved recommended use of adjunctive chlorhexidine gel for tooth brushing twice a week and chlorhexidine mouthwash twice daily. Gingival swelling improved, but further treatment will be required and our patient's oral hygiene remains poor. The present treatment of tooth-brushing instruction and scaling every three weeks therefore only represents a temporary solution.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rather than being a direct result of genetic defects, periodontal diseases in Prader-Willi syndrome may largely result from a loss of cuspid guidance leading to traumatic occlusion, which in turn leads to the development of periodontal diseases and dental plaque because of poor oral hygiene. These could be avoided by early interventions to improve occlusion and regular follow-up to monitor oral hygiene. This report emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up of oral health care by dental practitioners, especially pediatric dentists, to prevent periodontal disease and dental caries in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, who appear to have problems maintaining their own oral health.</p

What makes hephaestus lame?

Hephaestus (or Hephaistos) is an Olympian Greek god, the divine smith, famed for inventions, who taught men glorious crafts. The fixed epithet for Hephaestus, used from the eighth century B.C. by Homer, Hesiod, and other ancient authors until the fifth century A.D., is &quot;Αμφιγυήεις,&quot; i.e., with both feet crooked. He is also called &quot;κυλλοποδί ων,&quot; i.e., clubfooted. His body and his gait were described by Homer: &quot;He spake, and from the anvil rose, a huge, panting bulk, halting the while, but beneath him his slender legs moved nimbly . . . and with a sponge wiped his face and his two hands withal, and his mighty neck and shaggy breast, . . . and grasped a stout staff, and went forth halting; but there moved swiftly to support their lord handmaidens wrought of gold in the semblance of living maids.&quot; His anomaly was congenital, as we learn from Hephaestus himself (&quot;I was born misshapen&quot;) and from his mother Hera (&quot;But my son Hephaestus whom I bare was weakly among all the blessed gods and shrivelled of foot.&quot;). Vase paintings of the sixth century B.C. depict Hephaestus&apos; lameness, but his lameness is not emphasized in the fifth century and thereafter. It is most likely that bilateral congenital clubfeet made Hephaestus lame. Two sons of Hephaestus, Palaemonius and Periphetes, were also reported as having deformed feet. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Chimeric creatures in Greek mythology and reflections in science

&quot;The Chimaera&quot; in Homer&apos;s Iliad, &quot;was of divine stock, not of men, in the forepart a lion, in the hinder a serpent, and in the midst a goat, ... Bellerophon slew her, trusting in the signs of the gods.&quot; In Hesiod&apos;s Theogony it is emphasized that &quot;Chimaera ... had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion, another of a goat, and another of a snake...&quot;. In addition to this interspecies animal chimera, human/animal chimeras are referred to in Greek mythology, preeminent among them the Centaurs and the Minotaur. The Centaurs, as horse/men, first appear in Geometric and early Archaic art, but in the literature not until early in the fifth century B.C. The bullheaded-man Minotaur, who is not certainly attested in the literary evidence until circa 500 B.C., first appears in art about 650 B.C. Attempts, in the fourth century B.C. and thereafter, to rationalize their mythical appearance were in vain; their chimeric nature retained its fascinating and archetypal form over the centuries. Early in the 1980s, experimental sheep/goat chimeras were produced removing the reproductive barrier between these two animal species. Late in the 1990s, legal, political, ethical, and moral fights loomed over a patent bid on human/animal chimeras. Chimeric technology is recently developed; however, the concept of chimerism has existed in literary and artistic form in ancient mythology. This is yet another example where art and literature precede scientific research and development. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Descent, lineage, and pedigree of the Trojans in Homer&apos;s Iliad

Homer&apos;s Iliad, is an epic poem that describes the last 70 days of the Trojan War, which was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans. Here, the descent, lineage, and the pedigree of the Trojans are presented. In the Illiad, they are said to have originated from Zeus. Beginning with him, the Trojan pedigree comprised 17 men in 8 generations with Dardanus, founder of Dardania in the second generation; Tros, King of the Trojans in the fourth generation; and the two heroes Hector and Aeneas in the eighth generation. In the seventh generation, Priam, as King of the Trojans, had a huge family, including 50 sons: 19 children with his wife Hecabe, other sons with many different wives, and some daughters as well. Hector, the first born, became leader of the Trojans. Hector&apos;s brother, Paris, in abducting Helen of Sparta, the wife of King Menelaus, caused the Trojan War to break out. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc

The cyclopes in Odysseus&apos; Apologos.

In Homer&apos;s Odyssey, Odysseus narrates the lifestyle and behavior of the Cyclopes. They were no larger than life-sized figures and lived in a land rich in natural products but cultivated nothing. They dwelled in caves, and their sociopolitical system was based on the family unit. There were no interfamilial congregations, institutions, or laws. They had no ships, nor were there any craftsmen who might build ships to visit the cities of other men. Perhaps the land of the Cyclopes described in Homer&apos;s Odyssey may have represented a place somewhat like the hospitals or islands which were used to isolate patients with leprosy. Otherwise, we can follow Thucydides&apos; opinion: let it suffice, as the story has been told by poets, and each man has formed his own opinion about them. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Changes in the Interradicular Periodontium of Rats Correlated with Age

Tissue changes in the interradicular periodontium of multirooted teeth as correlated with age were studied in 58 male rats. Cementum thickness in the interradicular region increased considerably, as did the periodontal membrane, with advance in age. Alveolar process height decreased. This study supported the observation that tissue changes at the interradicular region occur throughout life, and are the result of “microtraumatism” because of occlusal stress. © 1972, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved

Glossodynia: Personality characteristics and psychopathology

Background.Glossodynia or burning mouth syndrome has been suggested to be a multifunctional disorder. Etiologic factors that have been reported include hematologic or vitamin deficiencies, denture factors, the climacteric, infections or endocrinological disorders. On the other hand psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression and phobias have been reported to play a significant role at the beginning of this nosological entity. It seems therefore that there are two main categories of glossodynia, one with a detectable organic etiology and another with a psychologic origin. The purpose of this study was to provide further information concerning the personality characteristics and the incidence of psychopathology in patients suffering from glossodynia without an organic etiology.Methods.Twenty-five patients suffering from glossodynia and 25 control subjects, matched for sex and age, participated in the study. Patients and controls were assessed concerning their psychosomatic morbidity. Both groups were given psychometric instruments (SRSD, STAI, EPQ, HDHQ, SSPS) for the assessment of personality characteristics and psychopathological symptoms.Results.Patients were significantly differentiated from controls with respect to all factors of HDHQ; they exhibited more hostility, either introverted or extroverted, than control subjects. The patients also had significantly higher values in the N (neuroticism) and the L (lie) factors of the EPQ. Concerning the other psychometric measurements there were no significant differences. Patients also had significantly higher rates of psychosomatic morbidity than controls.Conclusions.Our findings indicate that hostility – especially introverted hostility – neuroticism and possibly depression are important components of the psychological profile of patients suffering from glossodynia. © 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel