Alveolar bone loss in relation to toll-like receptor 4 and 9 genotypes and Porphyromonas gingivalis carriage

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Retained dental roots of adults : A nationwide population study with panoramic radiographs

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence and nature of retained dental roots and their associations with demographics in the Finnish adult population. From the cross-sectional nationwide Health 2000 Survey of the Finnish population aged 30 years and older, 6005 participants with clinical oral examination and panoramic radiographs were included. Occurrence and characteristics of all retained dental roots were examined. Statistical analyses included chi(2), Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, and SAS-SUDAAN calculations. The mean age of the 6005 participants (46% men and 54% women) was 53 (SD 14.6) years. At least one retained dental root was observed in 13% (n = 754) of the participants. The 1350 retained roots included 461 (34%) roots retained entirely in bone and 889 (66%) partly in bone. The most common location of a retained dental root was the third molar region. Occurrence of retained roots partly in bone was associated with male sex and lower education. Occurrence of retained third molar roots entirely in bone was associated with female sex, younger age, higher education, and living in a city. Among all retained dental roots, the preponderance of third molars emphasized the demanding nature of extracting the third molar in women.Peer reviewe

Intensity of artefacts in cone beam CT examinations caused by titanium and glass fibre-reinforced composite implants

Objectives:The aim was to compare titanium and glass fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) orbital floor implants using cone beam CT (CBCT). FRC implants are nonmetallic and these implants have not been analysed in CBCT images before. The purpose of this study is to compare the artefact formation of the titanium and the FRC orbital floor implants in CBCT images.Methods:One commercially pure titanium and one S-glass FRC with bioactive glass particles implant were imaged with CBCT using the same imaging values (80 kV, 1 mA, FOV 60 × 60 mm). CBCT images were analysed in axial slices from three areas to determine the magnitude of the artefacts in the vicinity of the implants. Quantified results based on the gray values of images were analysed using analysis-of-variance.Results:Compared to the reference the gray values of the titanium implant are more negative in every region of interest in all slices (p Conclusions:The titanium implant caused artefacts in all of the analysed CBCT slices. Compared to the reference the gray values of the FRC implant changed only slightly and this feature enables to use wider imaging options postoperatively

Toll-like receptor-1, -2, and -6 genotypes in relation to salivary human beta-defensin-1, -2, -3 and human neutrophilic peptide-1

Aim: To examine whether functional gene polymorphisms of toll-like receptor (TLR)1, TLR2, and TLR6 are related to the salivary concentrations of human beta-defensins (hBDs)-1, -2, -3, and human neutrophilic peptide (HNP)-1.Materials and methods: Polymorphisms of TLR1 (rs5743618), TLR2 (rs5743708), and TLR6 (rs5743810) were genotyped by PCR-based pyrosequencing from the salivary samples of 230 adults. Salivary hBD-1, -2, -3, and HNP-1 concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. General and periodontal health examinations, including panoramic radiography, were available for all participants.Results: The genotype frequencies for wild types and variant types were as follows: 66.5% and 33.5% for TLR1, 95.5% and 4.5% for TLR2, and 25.1% and 74.9% for TLR6, respectively. The TLR2 heterozygote variant group exhibited higher salivary hBD-2 concentrations than the TLR2 wild-type group (p = .038). On the contrary, elevated hBD-2 concentrations were detected in the TLR6 wild-type group compared with the TLR6 heterozygote and homozygote variant group (p = .028). The associations between TLR6 genotypes and salivary hBD-2 concentrations remained significant after adjusting them for periodontal status, age, and smoking.Conclusion: hBD-2 concentrations in saliva are related to TLR2 and TLR6 polymorphisms, but only the TLR6 genotype seems to exhibit an independent association with the salivary hBD-2 concentrations.</p

Twelve unidentified skeletons as remains of an epidemic or famine in Northern Finland

Skeletal remains of 12 individuals were found in a grave in a tar-burning pit. There were no coffins or other belongings to help with identification or reveal the cause of death. Methods: Forensic osteological and odontological methods were used to establish sex, age and height. Histological and chemical tests, including the determination of C-14 content, were applied to dating the skeletal remains. Results: Out of 12 skeletons, 8 were adults; 5 females, 2 males and 1 probable female. Four skeletons belonged to children (ages 1-12 years). The bones had been in the grave for more than 100 years as concluded from the deterioration of the distal parts, embrittling of the surface to 1 mm depth. C-14 results gave the radiocarbon years 95 +/- 65 Bp (before present, i.e., 1950). The calibrated years correspond to two time periods, 1670–1780 AD and 1798–1944 AD, as a possible period of death. Conclusions: Starvation and illnesses are the most plausible explanations for the deaths. Historical studies show that during the 17th and 19th centuries, there were famines in Finland accompanied by severe infections (severe famines in the years 1866–1868 and 1696– 1697), forcing a lot of people to leave their homes.</p

The effect of impaired dentin formation on dental caries:an experimental study in the molars of growing rats

Abstract The effects of dietary sucrose and systemic glucocorticoid treatment on the response of the pulpodentinal complex to dental caries were examined in an experimental rat model. The possible role of dentinal caries on dentin formation was also examined. After 5-6 weeks of a dietary and/or medication period, the areas of dentin formation and dentinal caries were quantified in the molars of growing animals. Also the number and severity of caries lesions were estimated. The 43% sucrose diet significantly reduced dentin formation and increased dentinal caries progression. Although glucocorticoid medication alone reduced dentin formation, without dietary sucrose it did not have an effect on caries. In combination of these two, glucocorticoids further increased the progression of dentinal caries, however without significant increase in the number of caries lesions. The cariogenic bacterial inoculation of rats fed a sucrose or control diet increased the progression of dentinal caries. The relationship between cariogenic bacteria and caries was not strong, but there was a stronger relationship between the total amount of dietary sucrose and dentinal caries. In addition to the overall reduction of dentin formation there was no difference in the amount of dentin formed between intact and carious fissures in the sucrose diet group. On the contrary, rats receiving the control diet positively responded to the dentinal caries by increasing dentin formation to prevent pulpal exposure. Whereas the high sucrose diet impaired both the deposition and mineralization of the dentin matrix, glucocorticoids affected matrix formation only. These results indicate that the functional alterations in the pulpo-dentinal complex might contribute to dentinal caries progression in a cariogenic environment, irrespective of the causative mechanism

Prevalence of third molars determined by panoramic radiographs in a population-based survey of adult Finns

Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of third molars in panoramic radiographs in a population-based study of adults aged >= 30 years. Methods Out of a sample of 8028 inhabitants of Finland, selected with two-staged stratified cluster-sampling method for the Health 2000 Survey, 5989 participated in clinical oral examination and panoramic radiography. Mean age was 52.5 years (SD 14.6; range 30-97 years). The following variables were included in the analysis: participant characteristics, clinical number of all teeth, and radiographic prevalence and characteristics of third molars. Statistics included chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Kruskal-Wallis tests and SAS-SUDAAN calculations. Results A total of 5912 third molars in 47.8% of the study population were recorded from panoramic radiographs. At least one impacted third molar was found in 21.9% of the study population. More than half (57.3%) of the remaining third molars were located in the mandible. A preponderance of participants with all third molars missing were observed in the oldest age group, women, those with lower education and those living in the countryside. Third molars or remnants thereof were observed radiographically in 3.9% of clinically edentulous study population. Conclusions The panoramic radiographs disclosed many remaining third molars in adult Finns aged >= 30 years. One-third of the third molars located impacted which may cause unexpected need for care.Peer reviewe