Oral health in children with hearing and speech impairment in Banjaluka

Introduction. Children with hearing impairment do not understand speech without specific instructions and cannot meet daily life requirements. Children with hearing and speech impairment have higher DMFT index and poorer oral hygiene than healthy children of the same age. The aim of this study was to determine oral health status and the prevalence of dental caries in children attending The Center for Education and Rehabilitation of Speech and Hearing in Banjaluka. Material and Methods. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study and it included 66 children of both genders, age 3 to 18 years, with deciduous, mixed and permanent dentition. General information about the respondents, their socioeconomic status, dental hygiene habits and frequency of dental visits were obtained using a questionnaire. Dental examination was performed using a dental mirror, regular and proximal probe on the daylight, in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. Oral examination included: number of present teeth, presence of caries, restorations, number of extracted teeth. These data was entered in each patient’s dental record. The DMFT index was used for the assessment of dental status. Results. Results showed that the mean DMFT value in the total sample was 7.79. There was no significant difference in the DMFT index between genders (p=0.19). The significant difference was not found between children who live with parents and those who live in foster families (p=0.15). It was observed that the respondents from rural areas had higher DMFT index (8.68) than respondents from urban areas (5.83). The DMFT index increased with age and school age (p<0.001). Examined patients were most affected with dental caries (6.62%) and least affected with extracted teeth (0.38%). It was revealed that 6% of respondents do not brush their teeth, and 25.8% of respondents had never visited dentist. Conclusion. Children with hearing and speech impairment from Banjaluka have low level of oral health. The DMFT index, as one of the most important parameters of oral health in these children was much higher compared to European countries and other countries in the region

Stanje zuba dece s posebnim potrebama u Banjaluci

Introduction. Dental status in people with special needs is generally non satisfactory. Children with special needs have difficulties in maintaining oral hygiene, they require special conditions for dental care and because of previous negative experience they often show emotional vulnerability. Development of oral and dental diseases in these subjects is the consequence of insufficient knowledge about the causes of these diseases, poor eating habits, low level of oral hygiene and inadequate number of visits to dentist. The aim of this study was to determine dental status and the prevalence of dental caries in children with special needs in the institution 'Zaštiti me' in Banjaluka. Material and Methods. The study included 82 children (53 boys and 29 girls) with mixed and permanent dentition age 5-15 years. They were divided into four groups according to their diagnosis. The first group included children with combined disorders of speech development and hearing, in the second group were children who had neurological disorders without mental retardation, third group included children with mild mental retardation and fourth group comprised children with moderate mental retardation. For each patient the number of teeth, the presence of caries and restorations, the number of extracted teeth, the presence of residual roots and the presence and number of fixed restorations were recorded. Results. Mean DMFT of all teeth was 9.77. Detailed analysis showed the greatest number of decayed teeth (83.83%), and filled teeth (9.52%) whereas the least number was for extracted teeth (6.65%). The highest percentage of children (79.27%) did not have any class I composite filling or one amalgam filling class I (82.92%). Only one child had a fixed restoration. Conclusion. The status of teeth in children with special needs in the institution 'Zaštiti me' in Banjaluka indicated high percentage of carious teeth, small percentage of restorations and extracted teeth, and inadequate oral hygiene.Uvod. Stanje zuba osoba s posebnim potrebama uglavnom nije zadovoljavajuće. Deca s posebnim potrebama imaju poteškoća u održavanju higijene usta i zuba, zahtevaju posebne uslove pri zbrinjavanju u stomatološkim ordinacijama i neretko, zbog prethodnih loših iskustava, pokazuju emotivnu preosetljivost. Značajnu ulogu u nastanku oboljenja usta i zuba kod ovih osoba imaju nedovoljna znanja o uzrocima ovih oboljenja, loše navike u ishrani, nizak nivo oralne higijene i nedovoljan broj poseta stomatologu. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se utvrde stanje zuba dece s posebnim potrebama koja borave u ustanovi 'Zaštiti me' u Banjaluci i prevalencija karijesa kod ovih osoba. Materijal i metode rada. Istraživanjem su obuhvaćena 82 deteta s mešovitom i stalnom denticijom (uzrasta 5-15 godina), od čega 53 dečaka i 29 devojčica. Ispitanici su svrstani u četiri grupe prema dijagnozi. Prvu grupu činila su deca s kombinovanim smetnjama razvoja govora i sluha, drugu deca s neurološkim poremećajima bez mentalne retardacije, treću deca s blagom mentalnom retardacijom, a četvrtu grupu deca s umerenom mentalnom retardacijom. Stomatološkim pregledom su utvrđeni: broj zuba, postojanje karijesa, postojanje ispuna, broj izvađenih zuba, postojanje zaostalih korenova i postojanje i broj fiksnih nadoknada. Ovi podaci upisani su u stomatološke kartone svakog pacijenta. Rezultati. Srednja vrednost indeksa KEP ukupno pregledanih zuba bila je 9,77. Detaljnim analizama je utvrđeno da je bilo najviše zuba zahvaćenih karijesom (83,83%), zatim plombiranih zuba (9,52%), a najmanje ekstrahovanih zuba (6,65%). Najveći procenat dece (79,27%) nije imao nijedan kompozitni ispun prve klase, odnosno jedan amalgamski ispun prve klase (82,92%). Samo je jedno dete imalo fiksnu nadoknadu. Zaključak. Stanje zuba dece s posebnim potrebama u Banjaluci ukazuje na visok procenat karijesnih zuba i mali procenat plombiranih i ekstrahovanih zuba, kao i na neodgovarajuću oralnu higijenu

A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of polyphenols on the outcomes of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is commonly associated with hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation which are well known cardiovascular risk factors. Pomegranate peel polyphenols have a proven hypolipemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, there is a lack of clinical studies that would confirm its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in diabetic patients. The potential of pomegranate peel extract (PoPEx) to counteract inflammation and oxidative stress in T2DM patients was investigated. For this purpose, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study involving adult T2DM patients treated with PoPEx or placebo for eight-weeks was conducted. Methods: Patients were randomly divided into two groups: the first group (n = 30) received capsules containing PoPEx 250 mg twice daily, while the placebo group (n = 30) received placebo capsules twice daily. Plasma concentration of inflammatory factors (interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP)), oxidative stress biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrites (NO2−), superoxide anion radical (O2−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)), homocysteine and lipid profile were analyzed. Results: The PoPEx treatment showed a significant reduction of inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP), oxidative stress biomarkers (TBARS, NO2−, O2−) and homocysteine, while the TAC was increased. Moreover, a significant improvement in lipid profile was observed in the PoPEx group. Additional analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between the decrements of all measured inflammatory markers and TAC in the PoPEx group. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that eight-week-long PoPEx administration had favorable effects on inflammatory status and oxidative stress biomarkers in diabetic patients

Intensive Intervention on Smoking Cessation in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: The Role of Family Physicians

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the role of physicians in the intensive intervention and education regarding the smoking cessation of patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: A randomised prospective study was conducted in family physicians’ clinics in which smokers of both sexes, aged 21–65 years, without cognitive impairments, and who were not addicted to psychoactive substances voluntarily participated. Four weeks preoperatively, 120 smokers were randomised into two equal groups; the intervention group (IG) underwent an intervention for the purpose of smoking cessation and the control group (CG) underwent no intervention. Biochemical tests were performed in order to determine the smoking status of the participants in the phase of randomisation, one week preoperatively, as well as 40, 120, and 180 days and 12 months postoperatively. The examinees of the IG talked to the physician five times and received 140 telephone messages, leaflets, and motivational letters along with the pharmacotherapy, while the participants in the CG received little or no advice on smoking cessation. Results: The results of this study confirmed a significant influence of the intervention and education on the smoking abstinence in the IG compared to the CG (p p Conclusions: It can be concluded that the intensive intervention and education can motivate patients preparing for elective surgery to stop smoking in the short- and long term

Dental status of children with special needs in Banjaluka

Introduction. Dental status in people with special needs is generally non satisfactory. Children with special needs have difficulties in maintaining oral hygiene, they require special conditions for dental care and because of previous negative experience they often show emotional vulnerability. Development of oral and dental diseases in these subjects is the consequence of insufficient knowledge about the causes of these diseases, poor eating habits, low level of oral hygiene and inadequate number of visits to dentist. The aim of this study was to determine dental status and the prevalence of dental caries in children with special needs in the institution “Zaštiti me” in Banjaluka. Material and Methods. The study included 82 children (53 boys and 29 girls) with mixed and permanent dentition age 5-15 years. They were divided into four groups according to their diagnosis. The first group included children with combined disorders of speech development and hearing, in the second group were children who had neurological disorders without mental retardation, third group included children with mild mental retardation and fourth group comprised children with moderate mental retardation. For each patient the number of teeth, the presence of caries and restorations, the number of extracted teeth, the presence of residual roots and the presence and number of fixed restorations were recorded. Results. Mean DMFT of all teeth was 9.77. Detailed analysis showed the greatest number of decayed teeth (83.83%), and filled teeth (9.52%) whereas the least number was for extracted teeth (6.65%). The highest percentage of children (79.27%) did not have any class I composite filling or one amalgam filling class I (82.92%). Only one child had a fixed restoration. Conclusion. The status of teeth in children with special needs in the institution “Zaštiti me” in Banjaluka indicated high percentage of carious teeth, small percentage of restorations and extracted teeth, and inadequate oral hygiene

The Effect of Three-Month Vitamin D Supplementation on the Levels of Homocysteine Metabolism Markers and Inflammatory Cytokines in Sera of Psoriatic Patients

Psoriasis is an autoimmune and inflammatory skin disease. Psoriatic patients express higher levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentration and pro-inflammatory mediators than healthy people; this is frequently associated with vitamin D deficiency. The aim of this clinical study was to investigate the effects of high doses of vitamin D supplementation on the parameters of Hcy metabolism and cytokines in sera of psoriatic patients. This prospective study was conducted on 40 psoriatic patients who had the vitamin D deficiency. All patients received vitamin D 5000 IU/day for three months. Clinical and biochemical measurements were taken at baseline and at follow up (3 months). The results showed that the severity of clinical features, measured by the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score, were considerably improved in patients after vitamin D supplementation. After vitamin D supplementation, most of the patients (n = 25 or 62.5%) had mild clinical form (p 12 serum levels in comparison to the levels that had been measured at the beginning of the study (56.77 ± 14.66 nmol/L and 301.08 ± 95.02 pg/mL vs. 103.85 ± 32.20 nmol/L and 362.81 ± 118.56 pg/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). Moreover, serum levels of Hcy and folate were significantly lower at the end of the study in comparison with the initial levels (12.45 ± 1.92 µmol/L and 8.01 ± 3.88 mg/mL vs. 10.38 ± 1.66 µmol/L and 6.27 ± 2.60 mg/mL, respectively). High doses of vitamin D supplementation led to a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-ɤ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-17) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), whereas the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-5) was up-regulated. In conclusion, supplementation with high doses of vitamin D could be one of the possible preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce systemic inflammation in psoriatic patients

Beneficial Effects of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Metabolic Parameters and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

Background. Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely related pathophysiological processes, both occurring in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition to the standard treatment of T2DM, a potential strategy has been focused on the use of bile acids (BAs) as an additional treatment. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), as the first BA used in humans, improves glucose and lipid metabolism and attenuates oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative effects of UDCA in patients with T2DM. Methods. This prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study included 60 patients with T2DM, randomly allocated to receive UDCA or placebo. Subjects were treated with 500 mg tablets of UDCA or placebo administered three times per day (total dose of 1500 mg/day) for eight weeks. Two study visits, at the beginning (F0) and at the end (F1) of the study, included the interview, anthropometric and clinical measurements, and biochemical analyses. Results. UDCA treatment showed a significant reduction in body mass index (p=0.024) and in diastolic blood pressure (p=0.033), compared to placebo. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in waist circumference in the UDCA group before and after treatment (p<0.05). Although no statistical significance was observed at the two-month follow-up assessment, an average decrease in glucose levels in the UDCA group was observed. After two months of the intervention period, a significant decrease in the activity of liver enzymes was noticed. Furthermore, a significant reduction in prooxidative parameters (TBARS, NO2-, H2O2) and significant elevation in antioxidative parameters such as SOD and GSH were found (p<0.001). Conclusions. The eight-week UDCA administration showed beneficial effects on metabolic and oxidative stress parameters in patients with T2DM. Thus, UDCA could attenuate the progression and complications of diabetes and should be considered as an adjuvant to other diabetes treatment modalities. This trial is registered with NCT05416580

Composition and Potential Health Benefits of Pomegranate: A Review

Background: Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are widely consumed and used as preventive and therapeutic agents since ancient times. Pomegranate is a rich source of a variety of phytochemicals, which are responsible for its strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potential. Objective: The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of chemical structure and potential health benefits of pomegranate. Methods: A comprehensive search of available literature. Results: The review of the literature confirms that juice and extracts obtained from different parts of this plant, including fruit peel, seeds, and leaves exert health benefits in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and anti-tumour effects of pomegranate fruit are of particular scientific and clinical interest. Conclusion: Further investigations are required to clarify the mechanism of action of the bioactive ingredients and to reveal full potential of pomegranate as both preventive and therapeutic agent