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Biomedical subjects

G A Van der Weijden

Publications and source records attributed to G A Van der Weijden.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Bone level around endodontically treated teeth in periodontitis patients.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study compared the marginal bone level of teeth with root canal fillings with contra-lateral teeth without. METHODS: Of 286 consecutive patients (> or =35 years), referred to practice for periodontology in the Netherlands, 67 full sets of radiographs contained > or =1 endodontically treated tooth and its contra-lateral tooth without root canal treatment. Bone level at the mesial and distal of these teeth was scored from the CEJ. In multi-rooted teeth, the presence of interradicular radiolucency was assessed. The presence of posts, and periapical radiolucencies was assessed. Analysis for differences between treated teeth and contra-laterals was controlled for tooth surface, presence of a post and tooth type. RESULTS: The mean distance from the root filling to the apex was 2.6 mm. Periapical radiolucencies were found in 14%. The mean bone level was at 4.3 mm for endodontically treated teeth and at 3.7 mm for contra-laterals. Significantly more bone loss (0.6 mm) was found at the endodontically treated teeth. No difference was found between mesial and distal, teeth without and with posts and different tooth types. The presence of interradicular radiolucency was more frequent in endodontically treated teeth (OR 2.1, p(McNemar test)=0.039). CONCLUSION: In periodontitis patients, teeth with endodontic treatment had more bone loss as compared with untreated contralaterals.

Adult↗

Chlorhexidine mouthrinse in combination with an SLS-containing dentifrice and a dentifrice slurry.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to compare the plaque-inhibitory effect of a 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) rinse when preceded by ordinary toothbrushing with a 1.5% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)-containing dentifrice to the effect of the same rinse when used alone, or when preceded by rinsing with an SLS-containing slurry. METHODS: The study was an examiner blinded, randomized three-arm, parallel design. It used a 4-day plaque accumulation model to compare three different oral hygiene regimens, which were performed under supervision. One hundred and twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to one of each group. At the beginning of each test period, they received a thorough dental prophylaxis. The experiment was performed in one randomly assigned (upper or lower) jaw, called the study jaw. The opposite jaw, referred to as the dentifrice jaw, served only to introduce the influence of toothbrushing with a dentifrice on the anti-plaque efficacy of the CHX in the study jaw of the same mouth. At the end of the 4-day test period, plaque and gingival bleeding were scored in the study jaw. In all the regimens, the oral hygiene procedure was finalized by rinsing with a CHX 0.2% solution for 1 min. The study jaw was not brushed during the experiment. Regimen A (positive control) consisted of rinsing with CHX alone. In regimen B, rinsing with CHX was preceded by rinsing with an SLS-containing slurry, while in regimen C rinsing with CHX was preceded by toothbrushing with an SLS-containing dentifrice in the dentifrice jaw. No other oral hygiene measures were allowed. After 4 days of undisturbed plaque accumulation, the amount of plaque and level of gingival health were evaluated. RESULTS: The overall plaque index for regimens A, B and C was 1.17, 1.62, and 1.14, respectively. There was no significant difference in plaque accumulation between the CHX alone regimen (A) and the SLS-dentifrice-CHX regimen (C). Regimen B differed significantly from regimens A and C. The overall bleeding index for regimens A, B and C was 0.24, 0.18, and 0.20, respectively. There was no significant difference between the three regimens. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that the anti-plaque efficacy of a 0.2% CHX rinse was not reduced when preceded by everyday toothbrushing with a SLS-containing dentifrice. However, when preceded by rinsing with an SLS-containing slurry, the anti-plaque efficacy of a 0.2% CHX rinse was reduced.

Adolescent↗

Java project on periodontal diseases. The natural development of periodontitis: risk factors, risk predictors and risk determinants.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors, risk predictors and risk determinants for onset and progression of periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this longitudinal, prospective study all subjects in the age range 15-25 years living in a village of approximately 2000 inhabitants at a tea estate on Western Java, Indonesia, were selected. Baseline examination was carried out in 1987 and follow-up examinations in 1994 and 2002. In 2002, 128 subjects could be retrieved from the original group of 255. Baseline examination included evaluation of plaque, bleeding on probing, calculus, pocket depth, attachment loss and presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, spirochetes and motile microorganisms. RESULTS: The mean attachment loss increased from 0.33 mm in 1987 to 0.72 mm in 1994 and 1.97 mm in 2002. Analysis identified the amount of subgingival calculus and subgingival presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans as risk factors, and age as a risk determinant, for the onset of disease. Regarding disease progression, the number of sites with a probing depth > or = 5 mm and the number of sites with recession were identified as risk predictors and male gender as a risk determinant. CONCLUSION: Screening of these parameters early in life could be helpful in the prevention of onset and progression of periodontal diseases.

Adolescent↗

An oscillating/pulsating electric toothbrush versus a high-frequency electric toothbrush in the treatment of gingivitis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of an oscillating/pulsating power toothbrush (Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000; PC 7000) and a high-frequency power toothbrush (Philips Sonicare Elite; SE) on the reversal of experimental gingivitis. METHODS: The study had a randomised, examiner-blind, split-mouth design. After dental prophylaxis, subjects refrained from brushing mandibular teeth for 21 days to allow development of gingivitis. During a 4-week treatment phase, the right or left side of the mouth was brushed with either the PC 7000 or the SE toothbrush as randomly allocated. Plaque and gingivitis were assessed at baseline (Day 0), after 21 days of no oral hygiene, and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of brushing twice daily. Gingival abrasion was assessed at Day 0 and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of product use. RESULTS: Of 38 enrolled subjects, 35 provided evaluable data. The experimentally induced gingivitis (EIG) phase resulted in higher bleeding and plaque scores as compared to Day 0. During the treatment phase, plaque and bleeding scores were significantly lower with the PC 7000 than the SE toothbrush. After 4 weeks of use, the mean plaque scores changed from 2.78 (Day 21 of EIG phase) to 0.70 for the PC 7000 and from 2.67 (Day 21) to 0.88 for the SE. The mean bleeding scores changed from 1.86 (Day 21) to 1.24 for the PC 7000 and from 1.88 (Day 21) to 1.42 for the SE. No major differences were found between brushes with regard to gingival abrasion. CONCLUSIONS: The oscillating/pulsating power toothbrush (Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000) was more effective than the high-frequency power toothbrush (Philips Sonicare Elite) at plaque removal and improvement of gingival condition, with no greater potential for causing gingival abrasion.

Adult↗

Three different rinsing times and inhibition of plaque accumulation with chlorhexidine.

AIM: This study assessed the plaque inhibiting effect of a 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) solution (Corsodyl) with three different rinsing times following a 72 h non-brushing period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical investigation was a single-blind, randomised study involving 90 volunteer students (40 male and 50 female, mean age 23.2 years). Subjects were randomly allocated to one of three groups for which the protocol only differed with respect to the duration of rinsing. At the start of the trial, all participants received a dental prophylaxis to remove all plaque deposits. Subjects refrained from all mechanical oral hygiene procedures, but rinsed two times per day for the allocated duration with CHX mouth rinse over a period of 72 h. The chlorhexidine preparation was of 0.2% concentration used at a dose of 10 ml for either 15, 30 or 60 s. After 72 h, the Quigley & Hein plaque index (PI) from all volunteers was recorded at six sites per tooth. All participants received a questionnaire to evaluate their perception of rinsing duration. RESULTS: After 72 h, the mean whole-mouth PI was 1.33, 1.18 and 1.24, respectively, for the 15, 30 and 60 s rinsing group. The difference in plaque scores between the three groups was not statistically significant. Results from the questionnaire showed a significant difference between the groups for their perception of rinsing duration. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was observed in the level of plaque after 72 h of non-brushing whether the subjects rinsed for 15, 30 or 60 s with 0.2% chlorhexidine.

Adolescent↗

Brushing with and without dentifrice on gingival abrasion.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate two factors possibly influencing incidence of gingival abrasion during toothbrushing: (1) the abrasiveness of a dentifrice and (2) the possible influence of feedback of oral sensory perception. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this purpose, two separate, single blind, randomized clinical experiments were performed. The two groups of subjects were requested not to brush their teeth 48 h, prior to the experiments. After staining with disclosing solution gingival abrasion sites were recorded as small (< or =5 mm) and large (>5 mm), both before and after brushing. The dentifrice experiment was a split-mouth design, including 36 subjects, brushing their teeth in two randomly selected contra-lateral quadrants, either with or without dentifrice, whereas the remaining two quadrants were brushed, using the alternative choice. The sensory perception feedback experiment was a full-mouth design, including 43 subjects and two separate brushing exercises with use of dentifrice. The first brushing-exercise was performed by a dental hygienist, excluding the feedback of oral sensory perception of the brusher. After a 4 weeks period of familiarization to the manual toothbrush, subjects brushed themselves in the same random order as the hygienist, using a fresh brush, thus including oral sensory perception. RESULTS: In the dentifrice experiment, the increment of small abrasion sites was 5.86 for brushing with and 5.75 without dentifrice. There was no statistically significant difference between brushing with and without dentifrice. Both with and without dentifrice, more small abrasions were found vestibular, (3.78 and 4.22, respectively) as compared with lingual (2.22 and 1.42, respectively) (p=0.027, p<0.001). In the sensory perception feedback experiment, the increment in small gingival abrasion sites was larger for the subjects brushing themselves (8.86) as compared with the professional brushing (2.94, p <0.0001). Subjects caused more abrasion on the vestibular surfaces (6.28) as compared with the lingual (0.60, p=0.0001), where the professional did not show this difference (vestibular: 1.88, lingual: 1.30, p=0. 1388). CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant difference in the incidence of gingival abrasion was found between brushing with dentifrice or without dentifrice. Neither did oral sensory perception seem to affect the incidence of gingival abrasion.

Adolescent↗

Implant therapy in partially edentulous, periodontally compromised patients: a review.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to perform a review using a systematic approach to evaluate the long-term (>/=5 years) success of implants placed in partially edentulous patients with a history of periodontitis as evidenced by loss of supporting bone and implant loss. MATERIAL & METHODS: An electronic search of the National Library of Medicine, Washington DC (Medline-PubMed) was performed using specific search terms to identify studies assessing, in periodontitis patients, the success of implants with regard to bone level outcomes. Search was performed on abstracts registered up to October 2003. RESULTS: The searches identified 877 abstracts. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers (G.A.W. & K.M.B.) to identify publications that met the inclusion criteria. Review of these abstracts resulted in 13 publications for detailed review. These papers were reviewed by the three authors. Finally four papers which met the criteria of eligibility were independently selected by the three reviewers. CONCLUSION: Based on the limited data, it seems justified to conclude that the outcome of implant therapy in periodontitis patients may be different compared to individuals without such a history as evidenced by loss of supporting bone and implant loss.

Alveolar Bone Loss↗

The effect of a dentifrice and mouth rinse combination containing amine fluoride/stannous fluoride on plaque and gingivitis: a 6-month field study.

AIM: To examine the effect of amine fluoride/stannous fluoride (AmF/SnF(2))-containing dentifrice and mouth rinse on plaque formation and gingivitis as compared with habitual oral hygiene procedures with a regular sodium fluoride (NaF) dentifrice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 22 general practices participated in this research project. The participants (N=281) were randomly assigned into two groups: the test group received an AmF/SnF(2) dentifrice-mouth rinse combination and the control group received a NaF-containing dentifrice. The patients were requested to brush twice daily for approximately 2 min. The subjects of the test group had to rinse additionally in the evening for 30 s with 10 ml of the mouth rinse. RESULTS: Both groups started with comparable scores of plaque, bleeding and staining. At 6 months, the plaque scores were 0.95 for the AmF/SnF(2) group and 0.99 for the NaF group (decrease of 16% and 10%, respectively). Bleeding scores, although significantly different from baseline, did not show differences between the two regimes. At the end of the experimental period, the overall staining was more pronounced in the AmF/SnF(2) group (41%) than the NaF group (26%). Both plaque reduction and increase in staining seemed to be correlated to the amount of mouth rinse used in the test group. CONCLUSION: In instruction-resistant patients recruited from dental practices, the combined use of AmF/SnF(2) did not decrease gingivitis at a significant level in comparison with the regular regime of two times daily brushing with an NaF-containing dentifrice. However, the above-mentioned combination resulted in greater plaque reduction than that observed with the use of the conventional dentifrice. When used according to the manufacturer's instructions, this effect on plaque scores was more pronounced.

Adult↗

Sonic-powered toothbrushes and reversal of experimental gingivitis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare two sonic toothbrushes in relation to the reversal of experimental gingivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects refrained from brushing mandibular teeth for 21 days. During a 4-week treatment phase, the right or left side of the mouth was brushed with either the Sonic Complete (SC) or Sonicare Elite (SE) toothbrush as randomly allocated. Plaque and gingivitis were assessed on day 0, after 21 days of no oral hygiene and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of brushing twice daily. RESULTS: Thirty-four subjects provided evaluable data. The experimentally induced gingivitis (EIG) resulted in higher bleeding and plaque scores compared with day 0. The mean plaque scores at day 21 changed from 3.09 to 1.30 for the SC, and from 3.02 to 1.21 for the SE. At the end of the treatment period, there was no significant difference between the two brushes. The mean bleeding scores changed from 1.87 (day 21) to 0.97 for the SC, and from 1.83 to 0.92 for the SE. For the assessments at 1, 2 and 4 weeks post-EIG, both brushes showed a significant decrease in bleeding scores. There were no statistically significant differences between brushes.

Adolescent↗

Effect of a combination of amine/stannous fluoride dentifrice and mouthrinse in periodontal maintenance patients.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of using a dentifrice and mouthrinse containing amine fluoride (AmF) and stannous fluoride (SnF(2)) in a group of periodontal maintenance patients. Efficacy parameters were plaque, gingival inflammation, pocket depth and attachment loss. An additional parameter was development of stain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 80 patients who had been treated for moderate-to-severe periodontitis agreed to participate in this study. Subjects received supportive periodontal therapy at regular intervals of 3-4 months for at least a period of 1 year. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: (1). the test group used an AmF/SnF(2) dentifrice and mouthrinse and (2). the control group used a sodium fluoride (NaF)-containing dentifrice and mouthrinse. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. RESULTS: The mean plaque index score after 3 months in the test group (0.24) was significantly lower than that in control group (0.34) (p<or=0.05), a difference that was maintained throughout the remainder of the study. In terms of bleeding on probing, at no point in time were significant differences between test and control group found. No significant differences were noted between the two groups, nor were there any significant changes in comparison with baseline values with respect to pocket depth and attachment level. At baseline, the mean percentage of sites with no staining was 98% for both the test and control groups. At all further assessments, the staining in both groups was elevated as compared with baseline. Smoking did not affect the outcome of the study. CONCLUSION: The combined use of an AmF/SnF(2) dentifrice and mouthrinse did not affect the parameters of inflammation (bleeding upon marginal probing and probing pocket depth), but it has shown to be more effective in terms of plaque reduction when compared with the use of an NaF dentifrice and mouthrinse in a group of periodontal patients placed under regular maintenance care.

Amines↗

High and low brushing force in relation to efficacy and gingival abrasion.

OBJECTIVES: Does a high brushing force induce more gingival abrasion than a low (regular) brushing force? Furthermore, what is the effect of a low or high force on the efficacy? METHODS: Thirty-five non-dental students were selected. All received an appointment prior to which they abstained from oral hygiene for at least 48 h. At baseline the teeth and surrounding tissues were disclosed using Mira-2-Tone disclosing solution. Next, the examiner (PAV) evaluated the number of sites with gingival abrasion and the amount of dental plaque (Quigley & Hein) at 6 surfaces of each tooth. In the absence of this examiner, the subject's teeth were brushed by a hygienist (MP) using the Braun/Oral-B-D17 oscillating rotating toothbrush. Brushing was performed in two randomly selected contra-lateral quadrants for 60 s with either a low force (+/-1.5 N) or high force (+/-3.5 N) and in the opposing quadrants for 60 s with the alternative force. Visual feedback was given to control force. The brush was moved from the distal tooth to the central incisor perpendicular to the tooth surface with an angle of approximately 10-15 degrees towards the gingival margin. Next, the number of sites with abrasion and the remaining plaque were assessed again. RESULTS: The overall baseline gingival abrasion scores were 3.1 and 3.2 sites for high and low force, respectively, and increased to 5.0 and 5.9 sites respectively after brushing. There was no significant difference with respect to incidence of abrasion. At baseline, 48 h. plaque levels were 2.2. The reduction in plaque scores with the low force was 60% and with the high force 56%. This difference was significant. CONCLUSION: With the oscillating rotating power toothbrush (Braun/Oral-B D17) the use of high force (+/-3.5 N) is less efficacious as compared to a regular low force (+/-1.5 N) while the incidence of gingival abrasion sites was comparable.

Adolescent↗

Soft-tissue wound healing following periodontal surgery and Emdogain application.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine, by clinical means and as patient perception of post-operative events, the effect of Emdogain (enamel matrix derivative (EMD)) on the healing of soft-tissue wounds following periodontal surgery in comparison to flap surgeries without application of EMD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this study, 22 subjects (nine female and 13 male) who were scheduled for periodontal flap surgery were selected. The mean age for all patients was 49.9 (SD 8.7) years (range, 32-67). Six women and five men were assigned to the test group and three women and eight men were assigned to the control group. All subjects were scheduled, after re-evaluation of the periodontal status 8 weeks after initial treatment, to undergo surgery of the soft tissues, because of existing of probing pocket depth (5 mm or more), on at least three teeth. At random, 11 patients were assigned to control treatment and 11 patients were placed in the test group. All underwent one periodontal flap surgery for the purpose of this study. A modified Widman flap was performed. Patients in the test group received an application of EMD underneath the mucoperiostal flaps and onto the exposed root surfaces. Clinical measurements were taken at four different points in time, at the time of surgery, 1, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. All subjects filled out a questionnaire every day for the first 7 days following surgery to evaluate post-operative complaints. RESULTS: Of all parameters evaluated none showed a significant difference between the control and EMD groups, except for gingival swelling at the 1-week assessment, where the EMD group exhibited a higher swelling score. The questionnaire revealed that complaints of oozing of blood from the wound was twice more prevalent 1 day post-surgery in the control (n=6) as in the EMD group (n=3). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the early woundhealing of periodontal flap-surgeries in those sites treated with Emdogain is not different from control sites.

Adult↗

Plaque removal by professional electric toothbrushing compared with professional polishing.

OBJECTIVES: This parallel examiner blind study was designed to compare the results of professional brushing with an electric toothbrush (ETB, Braun Oral-B 3D Excel) to a professional polish session. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this study, 90 non-dental students were selected. All received a single oral prophylaxis where plaque and calculus were removed and the teeth were polished so that all subjects started with equally clean teeth. Approximately 4 weeks later the subjects received a new appointment prior to which they were asked to abstain from oral hygiene procedures for at least 48 h. At baseline the examiner (M.P.) evaluated the amount of dental plaque (Sillness & Löe) at six surfaces of each tooth. Subsequently, in the absence of this examiner, the subject's teeth were brushed or polished by a dental hygienist (Y.I.J.). Three groups were formed; the subjects in Group 1 received 10 min of polishing with a rubber cup/point using dentifrice as abrasive paste, in Group 2 subjects were brushed for 2 min with an ETB and dentifrice by the hygienist and in Group 3 brushing for 10 min was performed with an ETB and dentifrice. Care was taken to call upon the examiner always >10 min after her leaving the room so that she was unaware of the treatment. Electric brushing was carried out carefully following the contour of the teeth and turning the brush head separately in the direction of the mesial and distal aspect of each tooth in each approximal space. After finishing with the brushing/polishing, the examiner re-evaluated the amount of remaining dental plaque. RESULTS: The baseline plaque levels in Groups 1-3 were 1.54, 1.62 and 1.55, respectively. The reduction in plaque scores in Group 1 was 94.8% (+/-4.0), for Group 2 94.2% (+/-4.7) and for Group 3 99.4% (+/-0.5). The results in Group 3 were significantly better than in Groups 1 and 2. Explorative analysis revealed that these differences were due to a higher plaque removal from the approximal surfaces and molars. CONCLUSION: Two minutes of professional brushing with an ETB was as effective as 10 min of professional polishing. Whereas 10 min with an ETB was even more effective.

Dental Devices, Home Care↗

The plaque-removing efficacy of a finger brush (I-Brush).

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to test the effectiveness of a finger toothbrush (I-Brush) in removing plaque compared with a flat-trimmed manual toothbrush. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this study, 37 subjects were selected, without previous experience of the use of the I-Brush. Each subject received a finger brush (I-Brush), a manual toothbrush (Butler GUM 311), two written brushing instructions for both types of brushes, and a brush calendar. Subjects were given a period of 3 weeks to become familiar with the two types of brushes. During this period, the subjects were instructed to use the two types of brushes on alternate days. The brush calendar helped as a reminder and served to ensure compliance. No instructions regarding brushing time or frequency of brushing were given to the subjects, except that they should conform to their usual oral habits. After 3 weeks, all subjects were asked to abstain from oral hygiene procedures for 48 h prior to the experiment. In this experiment, the amount of dental plaque was scored by a trained examiner. The examiner (N.A.M.R.) used the modified Silness & Loe (1964) plaque index at six sites per tooth. After scoring, each subject received a new finger brush and a new manual toothbrush. The subjects brushed according to a split mouth protocol. Two contra-lateral quadrants were chosen randomly and were brushed with one randomly chosen brush and the two opposing contra-lateral quadrants with the alternate brush. The brushing was performed under supervision in front of a mirror. The available time for brushing was 2 min. for the entire dentition. Finally, the remaining plaque was scored again. RESULTS: The overall reduction in plaque was 79% for the manual toothbrush and 62% for the finger brush. The plaque removing efficacy of the finger brush was poorest at the approximal vestibular surfaces (55% plaque reduction) compared with the manual toothbrush (77% plaque reduction). CONCLUSION: The plaque reduction of the finger brush is not an acceptable alternative to the use of a regular manual toothbrush.

Adult↗

Tongue coating and tongue brushing: a literature review.

The present paper reviews the role of the tongue as a habitat for oral microorganisms and the potential need for tongue cleaning as part of daily oral hygiene. In addition tongue coating is described. Many microorganisms have been found colonizing the dorsum of the tongue. Some studies find a positive effect to tongue brushing on bacterial counts on the tongue. On the other hand there are also studies that do not find any differences in bacterial counts before or after tongue brushing. Bacteria colonizing the tongue and periodontal pockets play an important role in the production of volatile sulphur compounds in periodontal health and disease. These compounds can be the cause of oral malodour. The amount of tongue coating in patients complaining of halitosis was significantly greater than in patients without halitosis. Tongue brushing on a regular basis, particular aiming at removing the coating on the dorsum of the tongue, has been found to be fruitful in reducing oral malodour. Studies investigating the role of tongue brushing and plaque accumulation or gingival inflammation show conflicting results. It is clear that the tongue forms the largest niche for microorganims in the oral cavity. However, on the basis of literature, there appears to be no data to justify the necessity to clean the tongue on a regular basis. One exception would be oral malodour.

Bacteria↗

How do data from deepest pocket per quadrant relate to full-mouth scores? Progression of untreated periodontal disease in young Indonesians.

BACKGROUND: When the subgingival presence of periodontal pathogens is studied in groups of patients or populations, mostly a number of the deepest sites is sampled. The mean clinical parameters of these deep sites are also frequently used as a the descriptor of the clinical situation of these subjects. It can be questioned, whether these 4 deep sites are capable of predicting a full-mouth situation. AIM: The purpose of the present retrospective study was to investigate to what extent the experienced progression of periodontitis as measured in the deepest approximal pocket in each quadrant reflects the disease progression at the approximal sites on a full-mouth level. METHODS: A data set of a 7-year longitudinal study of 158 young subjects (69 male, 89 female, 15-25 years of age at baseline) was used. Clinical assessments included plaque index (PI), pocket depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) at baseline (1987) and follow-up (1994). Measurements were made at the approximal surfaces of all teeth. The deepest pocket in each quadrant was determined at follow-up. Changes of the clinical parameters between baseline and follow-up were calculated both as full-mouth mean scores as well as for these 4 deepest sites. A regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between full-mouth score and the 4 test sites. RESULTS: For disease progression between baseline and follow-up, significant correlation coefficients were observed between the 4-site and full-mouth mean changes (PD: 0.80, AL: 0.70, PI: 0.77). Regression coefficients were 0.51 for PD, 0.35 for AL and 0.55 for PI. The precision of the estimate for the full-mouth mean, as predicted by the 4-site mean, is determined by the residual standard deviation. This was for PD 0.31 mm, for AL 0.31 mm and for PI 0.29. Compared to the between-patient standard deviation of the full-mouth means, the residual standard deviations were high. CONCLUSION: In the present population, a reasonable to good correlation between full-mouth and 4-sites data was observed. However, the high residual standard deviation in the regression analysis illustrates the inaccuracy for the 4-sites data when used as a descriptive for changes in the periodontal condition on a full-mouth level. Data evaluating progression of periodontitis based on a limited number of diseased sites should be interpreted cautiously.

Adolescent↗

A systematic review on the clinical efficacy of subgingival debridement in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature and to evaluate, in patients with chronic periodontitis, what the effect is of subgingival debridement (SGD), in terms of bleeding on probing, pocket depth and probing attachment level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search of the Cochrane Oral Health Group specialized register and MEDLINE were performed using specific search terms to identify studies assessing in patients with chronic periodontitis the effect of subgingival debridement with regard to clinical outcomes. This was performed on titles registered up to 2001. The only papers included were those which utilized data based on the patient as unit of observation. RESULTS: The searches identified 702 abstracts. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers (G.A.W. & M.F.T.) to identify publications that met specific inclusion criteria. The agreement between the two reviewers was assessed. The kappa score for agreement was 0.80. Review of these abstracts resulted in 114 publications for detailed review. Finally, 26 papers which met the criteria of eligibility were independently selected by the two reviewers. The kappa score for agreement on this decision was 0.92. Disagreement regarding inclusion of both abstracts and full papers was resolved by discussion between the reviewers. No randomized controlled trials (RCT) could be retrieved that were specifically designed to answer the question formulated at the outset of this systematic review. From the 10 controlled studies, four provide a definitive 'yes' that SGD is effective with regard to clinical outcomes. In the one study where subgingival debridement was not supported by oral hygiene instruction, the paper provided a definitive 'no'. The weighted mean of attachment gain of SGD in pockets initially >or=5 mm was 0.64 mm as compared with 0.37 mm for supragingival plaque control only (SPC). The reduction of pocket depth was 0.59 mm and 1.18 mm for SPC and SGD, respectively. Of the 18 papers that provided only information on the effect of treatment as compared with the baseline values, eight showed SGD to be beneficial with regard to clinical attachment level change while the remaining 10 provided no such an analysis. The weighted mean of this effect was a 0.74-mm gain of attachment as a result of treatment in pockets initially >or= 4 mm. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chronic periodontitis, subgingival debridement (in conjunction with supragingival plaque control) is an effective treatment in reducing probing pocket depth and improving the clinical attachment level. In fact it is more effective than supragingival plaque control alone.

Adult↗

Models for assessing powered toothbrushes.

The continued development of the power toothbrush over the last 25 years has led to some present-day models that demonstrate increased efficacy in plaque removal compared with a manual brush. The wealth of clinical data that supports these claims has a reference to both in vitro and in vivo models. An overview of performance evidence compared with manual toothbrushes must also be considered from a research model view. The issue of power toothbrush safety in relation to soft tissue abrasion will offer an opportunity for the review of the scientific facts behind any fictitious "hype". Specific studies will provide clinical evidence on power toothbrush safety and performance. This paper will consider implications of the evidence for the use of powered toothbrushes in clinical practice and will emphasize the current consensus of clinical opinion in the light of scientific evidence.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗