Impressions, Winter 1998

Magazine for alumni and friends of the Boston University Dental School

Outlook: Fall 1998

Alumni publication of the Boston University School of Dental Medicine

Impressions

Magazine for alumni and friends of the Boston University dental school

The Evolution of Dental Materials over the Past Century: Silver and Gold to Tooth Color and Beyond.

The field of dental materials has undergone more of a revolution than an evolution over the past 100 y. The development of new products, especially in the past half century, has occurred at a staggering pace, and their introduction to the market has been equally impressive. The movement has mostly come in the area of improved esthetics, marked by the gradual replacement of dental amalgam with dental composite and all-metal and porcelain-fused-to-metal indirect restorations with reinforced dental ceramics, all made possible by the rapid improvements in dental adhesive materials. This article covers the time course of dental materials development over the past century in which the Journal of Dental Research has been published. While there have been advances in nearly all materials used in the field, this article focuses on several areas, including dental amalgam, dental composites and light curing, dental adhesives and dental cements, ceramics, and new functional repair materials. A few short statements on future advances will be included at the end

Exposure to the Dental Environment and Prevalence of Respiratory Illness in Dental Student Populations

Objective: To determine if the prevalence of respiratory disease among dental students and dental residents varies with their exposure to the clinical dental environment. Methods: A detailed questionnaire was administered to 817 students at 3 dental schools. The questionnaire sought information concerning demographic characteristics, school year, exposure to the dental environment and dental procedures, and history of respiratory disease. The data obtained were subjected to bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Respondents reported experiencing the following respiratory conditions during the previous year: asthma (26 cases), bronchitis (11 cases), chronic lung disease (6 cases), pneumonia (5 cases) and streptococcal pharyngitis (50 cases). Bivariate statistical analyses indicated no significant associations between the prevalence of any of the respiratory conditions and year in dental school, except for asthma, for which there was a significantly higher prevalence at 1 school compared to the other 2 schools. When all cases of respiratory disease were combined as a composite variable and subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for age, sex, race, dental school, smoking history and alcohol consumption, no statistically significant association was observed between respiratory condition and year in dental school or exposure to the dental environment as a dental patient. Conclusion: No association was found between the prevalence of respiratory disease and a student\u27s year in dental school or previous exposure to the dental environment as a patient. These results suggest that exposure to the dental environment does not increase the risk for respiratory infection in healthy dental health care workers

Oral Health and Dental Anxiety in a German Practice-based Sample

Objective Does dental anxiety have an effect on dental and periodontal health? Methods Survey data was collected from n = 200 adults (53 % females, average age 49 years) in a cross-sectional study. Dental anxiety was measured with the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS, score 1–5, the greater the score, the greater the anxiety). Clinical parameters including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (SLI), and bleeding on probing (BoP) as well as the DMFT index were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results Rating of dental anxiety was higher in women than in men (65 vs 35 %). Subjects with higher MDAS values visited the dentist less frequently (p = 0.001) and had more decay (DT 6.7 ± 4.2 vs 1.7 ± 2.4; p \u3c 0.001) but fewer filled teeth than subjects with lower ratings of dental anxiety (FT 7.1 ± 4.5 vs 9.8 ± 5.7; p = 0.042). There were no differences in PD or CAL between subjects with or without dental anxiety, while patients with higher MDAS value showed significantly more BoP (50 ± 19 vs 34 ± 20 %; p = 0.002) than patients with low MDAS scores (no or low dental anxiety). Conclusions Patients with higher ratings of dental anxiety had significantly more caries experience and gingivitis. Therefore, dental anxiety is associated with negative effect on dental and periodontal health. Clinical relevance Identifying patients with high dental anxiety and helping to manage this anxiety has important implications to improve oral health in adults. The MDAS appears to be an easy and efficient tool that can be used to identify patients with dental anxiety in dental practices

Hmong Adults Self-Rated Oral Health: A Pilot Study

Since 1975, the Hmong refugee population in the U.S. has increased over 200%. However, little is known about their dental needs or self-rated oral health (SROH). The study aims were to: (1) describe the SROH, self-rated general health (SRGH), and use of dental/physician services; and (2) identify the factors associated with SROH among Hmong adults. A cross-sectional study design with locating sampling methodology was used. Oral health questionnaire was administered to assess SROH and SRGH, past dental and physician visits, and language preference. One hundred twenty adults aged 18–50+ were recruited and 118 had useable information. Of these, 49% rated their oral health as poor/fair and 30% rated their general health as poor/fair. Thirty-nine percent reported that they did not have a regular source of dental care, 46% rated their access to dental care as poor/fair, 43% visited a dentist and 66% visited a physician within the past 12 months. Bivariate analyses demonstrated that access to dental care, past dental visits, age and SRGH were significantly associated with SROH (P \u3c 0.05). Multivariate analyses demonstrated a strong association between access to dental care and good/excellent SROH. About half of Hmong adults rated their oral health and access to dental care as poor. Dental insurance, access to dental care, past preventive dental/physician visits and SRGH were associated with SROH

Diagnosis of dental problems in pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Dental problems are very common in pet rabbits. To establish a correct diagnosis of rabbit dental pathology, a general knowledge of normal dental anatomy and physiology is necessary. The specific anatomy and the most common pathologies of rabbit dentition are reviewed. Techniques for diagnosing dental abnormalities - such as clinical examination, radiography and computed tomography (CT) - are summarized. Finally two clinical cases of rabbits with dental pathologies are described

Dental Dam Utilization by Dentists in an Intramural Faculty Practice

Objectives: From casual observation of our colleagues, only a few individuals use the dental dam for operative procedures in their faculty practice. The purpose of this study was to obtain faculty perceptions of the dental dam, quantify its utilization in their intramural faculty practice, and determine the factors that influence dental dam usage.Materials and Methods: A survey containing 11 questions was sent to 19 faculty members who teach full time and maintain an intramural dental practice involving operative dentistry. Thirty electronic dental health records of the 19 providers were reviewed to gather the following information from restorative procedures they completed: isolation methods, tooth location and involved surfaces, and dental restorative material.Results: Overall, dental dam was utilized for 30% of all restorative procedures and was used less than 20% of the time for placement of class II and class III composite resins. Dental dam utilization rate by general dentists was 37% and 17.6% for prosthodontists. Those general dentists with prior history of military dental practice had a utilization rate of 78.6% and nonmilitary dentists only 7.6%. Eight faculty members responded to the questionnaire for a 42% return rate. Those who practiced dentistry in the military strongly agreed that the dental dam is the standard of care, improves their quality of restorative work, and should be documented in the dental record.Conclusions: There were significantly different dental dam utilization rates between general dentists and prosthodontists and between dentists with prior military experience and those without

The Effect of Body Position and Mattress Type on Interface Pressure in Quadriplegic Adults-a Pilot Study

Dental morbidity is a chronic problem that affects a child\u27s ability to attend school, to learn, and to enjoy good health. Of all childhood diseases, oral disease ranks as one of the highest and is considered one of the most common and the least treated. The prevalence of dental caries is high among children and adolescents in school populations. This study explored the prevalence of dental caries in a California Central Coast middle school during the 2002-03 school year (N=526). Findings indicated that severe dental caries existed in both boys and girls and in students of various ethnic groups. Approximately 5.7% of adolescents were shown to have visible and severe dental caries with significant ethnic variation. Twice as many Hispanic teens had visible dental caries as the white and other non-white teens. School nurses should routinely screen for dental disease in all school grades and provide resources and referrals for dental treatment