Effect of fluoridated toothpicks and dental flosses on enamel and dentine and on plaque composition in situ

The aim was to evaluate the effect of two toothpicks and two dental flosses on demineralized enamel and dentine and on plaque composition, using an in situ model with simulated approximal spaces within dentures. Fifteen subjects with full dentures were recruited and 14 completed the study. It consisted of two crossover periods, the first comparing a birch toothpick with AmF and a birch toothpick with NaF, and the second comparing a dental floss with AmF + NaF and a dental floss without F. Between these four periods, there was a control period without any approximal cleaning. In small, rectangular sample holders, one enamel and one dentine specimen were embedded, forming a triangular, approximal-like space. Two sample holders were mounted in the premolar-molar region of the upper or lower dentures. The subjects used the toothpicks or dental flosses 3 times/day for 4 weeks. The results showed that all toothpicks and dental flosses inhibited further demineralization compared to the control period ( p <0.001). The dental flosses were somewhat more effective in this respect than the toothpicks, especially in dentine. There were relatively small numerical differences between AmF and NaF toothpicks, but in favour of NaF regarding mineral gain ( p <0.05). The fluoridated floss gave somewhat less lesion depth in dentine than the non-fluoridated floss ( p <0.01). Toothpicks and flosses resulted in lower counts of microorganisms in plaque compared to the control period ( p <0.001); the AmF toothpick gave a more pronounced reduction than the NaF toothpick ( p <0.001). Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Are standardized caries risk assessment models effective in assessing actual caries status and future caries increment? A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Assessing caries risk is an essential element in the planning of preventive and therapeutic strategies. Different caries risk assessment (CRA) models have been proposed for the identification of individuals running a risk of future caries. This systematic review was designed to evaluate whether standardized caries risk assessment (CRA) models are able to evaluate the risk according to the actual caries status and/or the future caries increment. METHODS: Randomized clinical trials, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, comparative studies, validation studies and evaluation studies, reporting caries risk assessment using standardized models (Cariogram, CAMBRA, PreViser, NUS-CRA and CAT) in patients of any age related to caries data recorded by DMFT/S or ICDAS indices, were included. PubMed, Scopus and Embase were searched from 2000 to 2016. A search string was developed. All the papers meeting the inclusion criteria were subjected to a quality assessment. RESULTS: One thousand three-undred ninety-two papers were identified and 32 were included. In all but one, the Cariogram was used both as sole model or in conjunction with other models. All the papers on children (n\u2009=\u200916) and adults (n\u2009=\u200912) found a statistically significant association between the risk levels and the actual caries status and/or the future caries increment. Nineteen papers, all using the Cariogram except one, were classified as being of good quality. Three of four papers comprising children and adults found a positive association. For seven of the included papers, Cariogram sensibility and specificity were calculated; sensibility ranged from low (41.0) to fairly low (75.0), while specificity was higher, ranging from 65.8 to 88.0. Wide 95% confidence intervals for both parameters were found, indicating that the reliability of the model differed in different caries risk levels. CONCLUSIONS: The scientific evidence relating to standardized CRA models is still limited; even if Cariogram was tested in children and adults in few studies of good quality, no sufficient evidence is available to affirm the method is effective in caries assessment and prediction. New options of diagnosis, prognosis and therapy are now available to dentists but the validity of standardized CRA models still remains limited

Effects of mushroom and chicory extracts on the shape, physiology and proteome of the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans

open16siDental caries is an infectious disease which results from the acidic demineralisation of the tooth enamel and dentine as a consequence of the dental plaque (a microbial biofilm) accumulation. Research showed that several foods contain some components with antibacterial and antiplaque activity. Previous studies indicated antimicrobial and antiplaque activities in a low-molecular-mass (LMM) fraction of extracts from either an edible mushroom (Lentinus edodes) or from Italian red chicory (Cichorium intybus).Signoretto, Caterina; Marchi, Anna; Bertoncelli, Anna; Burlacchini, Gloria; Milli, Alberto; Tessarolo, Francesco; Caola, Iole; Papetti, Adele; Pruzzo, Carla; Zaura, Egija; Lingström, Peter; Ofek, Itzhak; Spratt, David A; Pratten, Jonathan; Wilson, Michael; Canepari, PietroSignoretto, Caterina; Marchi, Anna; Bertoncelli, Anna; Burlacchini, Gloria; Milli, Alberto; Tessarolo, Francesco; Caola, Iole; Papetti, Adele; Pruzzo, Carla; Zaura, Egija; Lingström, Peter; Ofek, Itzhak; Spratt, David A; Pratten, Jonathan; Wilson, Michael; Canepari, Pietr

Tobacco and dental caries : a systematic review

Abstract Objective. Despite the abundance of evidence linking tobacco consumption to many oral conditions, no systematic review of the relationship with dental caries is available. The main aim of this systematic review was, therefore, to evaluate the effect of tobacco smoking on dental caries in adult smokers. Materials and methods. According to the PRISMA checklist, observational studies published from January 1991 to June 2011 were reviewed. The quality of evidence for each finding was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Results. Five studies, four related to dental caries and one on oral bacteria activity, were finally included in a qualitative analysis; they were all cross-sectional studies. As a result, the overall quality of evidence was poor, with two articles given a score of very low and three a score of low according to GRADE. Conclusions. Tobacco smoking was found to be associated with an increased risk of dental caries. However, the overall poor quality of studies produced no validation for such an association. Further, more extensive research on this topic and prospective studies are needed

Effect of Frequent Consumption of Starchy Food Items on Enamel and Dentin Demineralization and on Plaque pH in situ

The aim of this cross-over study was to determine the cariogenic potential of starchy food items as between-meal snacks. This was done by measuring demineralization of human enamel and dentin as well as the pH of dental plaque in situ. Eight volunteers with complete dentures carried two enamel and two dentin specimens, mounted in the molar regions of their mandibular prostheses. There were three test periods, each lasting for 21 days, followed in a randomized order: (1) consumption of starchy food products, 12-15 times a day, in addition to the normal diet (starch period); (2) consumption of sucrose products, 12-15 times a day, in addition to the normal diet (sucrose period); and (3) no addition of test products to the normal diet (control period). Both the starch and the sucrose diets increased the demineralization of enamel and dentin compared with the control period. However, only the sucrose period resulted in significant demineralization of dentin compared with the control period. The plaque pH, followed during 60 min alter a one-minute mouthrinse with 10% sucrose, was lower at all time points after both the starch and the sucrose periods compared with the control period

The strip method and the microelectrode technique in assessing dental plaque pH

BACKGROUND: The pH strip method has been proposed for use in a clinical setting for the evaluation of dental plaque pH. The aim of this in-vivo study was to compare the reliability of the pH-indicator strip method to the microelectrode technique in plaque pH measurement. METHODS: 136 subjects (7-9 years) were enrolled and, for each subject, measurements of plaque pH were made at two interproximal sites; a total of 272 sites were analyzed. Plaque pH was assessed in triplicate using pH-indicator strips (pH range: 4.0-7.0) and an iridium microelectrode with a diameter of 0.1 mm. The caries status of 544 proximal surfaces between two primary molars, in proximity at the plaque pH sites, was assessed. All measurements were performed before and 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes after a mouth rinse with water solution of sucrose (10%). One-way ANOVA was performed to analyze statistically significant differences between the two techniques. Instrument reliability was measured by assessing the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Comparable, not statistically significant pH values (P values range from 0.98 to 1.00) were obtained by the two methods for AUC5 , AUC62, maximum pH fall and minimum pH. High intraclass coefficients were recorded (Pearson's r 0.96, Yule's Q 0.99), implying an almost perfect association when the measurements were grouped as a carious lesion being present or not on the surface near the site of measurement