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Biomedical subjects

D W Legler

Publications and source records attributed to D W Legler.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

The Pew National Dental Education Program at the University of Florida College of Dentistry.

The University of Florida College of Dentistry is located in a dynamic environment. Socially, economically, and demographically, the state of Florida manifests changes reflective of the entire nation, i.e., increasing numbers of elderly and minorities, a fluctuating, diversified economy, and altered cultural values. The explosive growth unique to this state has both positive and negative implications for all aspects of its culture and economy. The college resides in a maturing, research-oriented university facing vigorous competition from other major universities in the state. Within the Health Science Center, the college was occupied during the first decade of its existence with development of an innovative curriculum, and now it must turn its attention to a new emphasis on research and service. A process of strategic planning was conducted at the University of Florida College of Dentistry from January 1986 through June 1987. Four consultant groups representing the college, the university, organized dentistry in Florida, and outside consultants, were guided by a steering committee in a thorough evaluation of the external and internal environment of the institution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Education, Dental

Dental caries prevalence in secondary school students in Iraq.

Caries data from 952 secondary school students in Iraq representing three geographic regions were obtained and analyzed on the basis of sex, geographic, and urban-rural differences. A DMFT of 5.47 and a DFS of 6.17 were recorded for the total sample. Greater caries experience was noted in urban residents, females, and those from the Central region.

Adolescent

Utilization of prepaid dental health care by students in health professional schools.

Utilization of prepaid dental health care was studied, involving health professional students in an open panel program at the University of Alabama Medical Center. Major barriers to treatment were eliminated and optimal conditions for utilization established. Annual utilization ranged from 44-61 per cent during the period extending from 1969-70 to 1975-76. The majority of enrollees treated sought care from the Student Dental Health Plan (SDHP) clinic, rather than from private practitioners. Thirteen per cent of recent graduates presented for treatment at least once each year during their tenure as students, 57 per cent sought care in more than one year, and 24 per cent did not seek care at all. It was concluded that factors other than cost, accessibility, and educational level operate to prevent total utilization of prepaid dental health care in a young adult age group.

Alabama

Productivity and economic implication of a simulated practice using expanded duty dental assistants.

This investigation was concerned with determining the optimum team mix for a dental practice utilizing expanded duty dental assistants (EDDAs). A live, surrogate practice provided the basis for a computer-simulated private practice in which one dentist worked with various combinations of chairside assistants and expanded duty auxiliaries. This "composite dentist" was of average speed as an operator, functioning under conditions of an external quality control mechanism. Results indicated that the optimum team size, from the standpoint of both productivity and economic considerations, involved one dentist, one EDDA, and two assistants, as compared with the control team of one dentist and two assistants. Experimental teams involving two EDDA's, studied both with and without chairside assistants, were counterproductive from a financial standpoint. Various factors influencing team size are discussed, but dentist operator speed emerges as a major determinant of optimum team mix.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Effective immunity to dental caries: protection of gnotobiotic rats by local immunization with Streptococcus mutans.

Gnotobiotic rats injected in the submandibular region with killed, whole Streptococcus mutans cells developed salivary antibodies directed to this microorganism. Increased levels of salivary IgA and inhibition and augmentation of agglutinin titers with anti-rat alpha-antiglobulin suggested that these antibodies were of the immunoglobulin A class. Furthermore, the rats monoinfected and immunized with homologous organisms always had lower mean caries scores than monoinfected, non-immunized rats. This reduction was evident in carious lesions on the buccal surfaces of molars and in those in sulcal areas. These results suggest that local immunization with whole S. mutans cells stimulates a specific salivary IgA response protective against caries resulting from S. mutans infection.

Agglutination Tests