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Biomedical subjects

H Preber

Publications and source records attributed to H Preber.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Swedish dental hygienists' preferences for workplace improvement and continuing professional development.

UNLABELLED: The present study examined factors for workplace improvement and continuing professional development (CPD) for Swedish dental hygienists. Seventy-one per cent of 577 randomly selected members of Sweden's Dental Hygienist Association responded to a questionnaire. The chi-square test, Spearman's rank correlation, and multiple stepwise logistic regression modelling were used in the statistical analysis. The results showed that dental hygienists having more than 10 sick days annually and with a strong commitment to their work increased the preference for workplace improvements, such as peer recognition of dental hygienists' professional qualifications, clinical process quality, and time for reading research articles and participating in projects. In addition, dental hygienists in the 41-52 age group were associated with workplace improvements. This is in contrast to the factors that decreased preferences for workplace improvements: clear work roles, a 1-year training programme, a male clinic manager, and working in the private sector. Practicing dental hygiene in the public sector and lifestyle factors were the most influential determinants for a strong interest in CPD. CONCLUSION: Workplaces should observe people that are obviously committed to their work, those with many sick days, and those in a specific age group, as they indicate different preferences for workplace improvements. CPD seems to be a lower priority than workplace improvements for Swedish dental hygienists.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Predictors of good general health, well-being, and musculoskeletal disorders in Swedish dental hygienists.

The aim of the present study was to examine how different personal, physical, and psychosocial work-associated factors are related to good general health, well-being, and musculoskeletal disorders in dental hygienists. A questionnaire was mailed to 575 dental hygienists who were randomly sampled from the Swedish Dental Hygienists' Association (86% responded). Data were analyzed with multiple-logistic regression models. The results showed that high clinical-practice fraction, active leisure, and high management support increased the odds for good general health, while work and family overload decreased the odds. Management support and mastery of work increased the odds for well-being, while work and family overload and high work efficiency decreased them. Scaling work increased the odds for general and work-related musculoskeletal disorders in all parts of the upper body and arms but not in the lower back. In the upper body, active leisure decreased the odds for general musculoskeletal disorders, while the odds for work-related musculoskeletal disorders increased from work and family overload and decreased from many weekly working hours. Many years in the profession increased the odds for general finger disorders. In conclusion, the results suggest that active leisure and several psychosocial work factors strongly influence good general health and well-being. Physical tasks influence musculoskeletal disorders more than active leisure and psychosocial work factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Factors that affect health and well-being in dental hygienists; a comparison of Swedish dental practices.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to focus on the health and well-being of dental hygienists as a function of work environment and background. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 471 randomly selected dental hygienists from members of the Swedish Dental Hygienists' Association (SDHA) to collect data on health, demographics, lifestyles, and working conditions in various delivery systems. Seventy-seven percent responded. RESULTS: Small dental practices were associated with better job control, work relations, management support, and development of job skills. In contrast, large practices were associated with higher finance-related and personal job demand, anxiety, collegial pressure, and demands on social job skills. In discriminant analysis, finance-related job demands, physically demanding patients, and colleague cooperation showed significant differences in working condition variables between the delivery systems and dental practices. Dental hygienists' control over their job functions and the clarity of information explained by management had a variance in the applied competencies dimension by 41 percent. Thirty-seven percent of the variance of musculoskeletal problems in the upper-body region were attributed to physical exposure from clinical job tasks, work breaks, and anxiety over role competition with dentists. CONCLUSION: More job control and clearer information from management enables dental hygienists to optimally apply their competencies in the workplace. Physical job exposure, such as demands on manual/motor job skills, should be decreased and work breaks, as well as working relationships, with dentists should be improved to promote health and well-being.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Determinants of work satisfaction among Swedish dental hygienists.

This study examines factors that contribute to work satisfaction among Swedish dental hygienists. A questionnaire was used to collect data on health, demographics, work-history, work characteristics, work satisfaction and social support at work. The questionnaire was mailed to 471 hygienists; 77.3% responded. 70% of the hygienists are highly or very satisfied with their work tasks. Active leisure and working in large cities were significantly related to high work satisfaction. The best linear regression model explained 48% of the variance in work satisfaction. Thirty percent of the variance was explained by work tasks perceived to be skills developing. Skills development in the profession appears low (median = 44%). After controlling work factors, work satisfaction increased with growing skills development for all hygienists, even for those less satisfied with their work. The findings suggest that the opportunities for developing professional skills should increase to improve satisfaction among dental hygienists. Measures should also be taken to improve the work climate, work stimulation, and job variation as well as reduce the collegial pressure at work.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Periodontal healing and periopathogenic microflora in smokers and non-smokers.

The aim of the present study was to monitor the clinical and microbiological effects of non-surgical therapy in smokers and non-smokers. The subject material included 32 patients (age range 32-61 years), 11 men and 21 women with moderate to severe periodontitis. 17 patients were smokers ( > or = 15 cigarettes/day) and 15 non-smokers. All patients were subjected to non-surgical periodontal therapy performed by a dental hygienist. Periodontal variables (plaque index, gingival index and probing depth) were registered and bacterial samples were collected before and 2 months after treatment. The treatment resulted in significant reductions towards very low plaque and gingival indices in smokers and non-smokers alike (p < 0.05). Although probing depth was reduced in both smokers and non-smokers, the probing pocket depth reduction was significantly smaller in smokers than non-smokers (p < 0.05). Microbiologically, the same therapeutical efficacy was attained in both smoking groups, indicating an almost total eradication of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Concerning Prevotella intermedia, out of 14 smokers and 10 non-smokers positive at baseline, 9 and 5, respectively, remained positive after treatment. The results suggest a less favourable clinical outcome of non-surgical therapy in smokers than non-smokers in spite of the fact that the therapy was equally effective with regard to reducing the alleged periopathogens A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and P. intermedia.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Tobacco use as a risk factor.

Tobacco, particularly tobacco smoking, has a substantial influence on periodontal health and disease. It is associated with an increased disease rate in terms of periodontal bone loss, periodontal attachment loss, as well as periodontal pocket formation. In addition, it exerts a masking effect on gingival symptoms of inflammation. Risk assessment based on an increasing body of investigations over the past few years suggests that the tobacco attributable risk is considerable, estimated odds ratios being of the order 2.5 to 6.0 or even greater. Although the mechanisms by which tobacco exerts its influence are obscure, information available to date does not support the view that its action simply relates to other environmental factors such as the dental plaque or some specific microflora. It seems more likely that it primarily has a systemic influence affecting host response or susceptibility. The chief novelty of the present report is that current data suggest that, although the overall disease prevalence is decreasing, the proportion of periodontal disease attributed to tobacco is stable or even increasing. This seems to be analogous to what has been observed for other smoking-associated chronic diseases. This, in turn, indicates that periodontal disease behaves like several other chronic diseases and, further, that tobacco should be considered a major risk factor for chronic periodontal disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effect of low level energy laser irradiation on gingival inflammation.

The effect of low level energy infra-red laser irradiation on gingival inflammation was studied. Gingivitis was induced in ten female dental students by refraining from all oral hygiene measures for 28 days. On days 21 and 24 the marginal gingiva, buccal to one of the lateral mandibular incisors, was exposed to 4 minutes of laser irradiation (total dose = 1J). Serving as a control site the gingiva of the contralateral incisors was exposed to ordinary light. There was no statistical difference between the laser exposed sites and the control sites related to either plaque formation or gingival bleeding. The gingivitis reaction was evaluated with the aid of a stereophotographic method by calculating changes in the number of gingival vessels. It was found that the number of vessels identified increased over time for both laser exposed and control sites. The difference between sites at day 28 was not statistically significant (t = 0.82, P > 0.05). These results suggest that low energy laser irradiation (LLLT) does not influence the inflammatory reaction of the gingiva.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Occurrence of periopathogens in smoker and non-smoker patients.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the interrelationship between cigarette smoking and the occurrence of periopathogens, i.e., Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides intermedius. The study was based on 145 patients with clinically severe periodontitis, 52 men (age range 32-73 years) and 93 women (age range 32-74 years). 83 patients were smokers (> or = 15 cigarettes/day) and 62 non-smokers. Bacterial samples were collected from one site with a probing depth > or = 6 mm for each individual. There were no statistically significant differences in bacterial counts between smokers and non-smokers (p > 0.05). The relative frequencies of smokers and non-smokers positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans were 31% and 31%, for B. gingivalis 42% and 44%, and for B. intermedius 65% and 53%, respectively. The differences between smoking groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The occurrence in different combinations of these bacteria was also determined. There were no statistically significant differences between smoking and combinations of periopathogens (p > 0.05). The results suggest that smoker and non-smoker patients do not differ with regard to occurrence, relative frequency or different combinations of A. actinomycetemcomitans, B. gingivalis and B. intermedius.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Cigarette smoking and periodontal bone loss.

The association between smoking and loss of periodontal bone height was investigated in Swedish dental hygienists. The study group included 210 subjects: 24 to 60 years of age, 30% smokers, 32% former smokers, and 38% non-smokers. The study was based on bite-wing radiographs, where loss of the interproximal bone height was measured as the distance from the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) to the interdental septum (IS). The magnitude of the CEJ-IS distance was read at 12 sites, representing 3 maxillary and 3 mandibular bone septa in each subject. The CEJ-IS distance was significantly greater for smokers when compared to non-smokers, mean +/- SEM 1.71 +/- 0.08 mm and 1.45 +/- 0.04 mm, respectively. The mean +/- SEM for former smokers was 1.55 +/- 0.05 mm. In smokers, the CEJ-IS distance increased with increased smoking exposure. The results, based on adults with good oral hygiene, suggest that loss of periodontal bone is related to smoking. The smoking related bone loss is not correlated with plaque infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A comparative study of plaque removing efficiency using rotary electric and manual toothbrushes.

Plaque removing efficiency was compared between rotary electric and manual toothbrushes. The first part of the study included 19 dental hygiene students randomly assigned to a "rotary" or a "manual" brushing group. The subjects were instructed to brush their teeth three minutes twice a day for three weeks either with rotary electric or with manual brushes. Then for another period of three weeks brushing techniques were reversed. The results showed that the median plaque index for all sites and for buccal and lingual sites was significantly lower in the rotary brushing group (28% vs 39% and 3% vs 6%, p less than 0.05). During the second part of the study 10 of the students refrained from all oral hygiene procedures for four weeks in the anterior mandibular region, i.e. from 33 to 43. They were then randomly assigned to a "rotary" or a "manual" brushing group. Registrations of accumulated plaque were made from photographs at baseline and after 15, 30 and 60 seconds of brushing. ANOVA analysis of the plaque scores showed a significant difference in reduction of plaque in favour of the rotary electric brush (p less than 0.01). The results suggest that the rotary electric toothbrush removes plaque more efficiently than the conventional manual toothbrush.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effect of cigarette smoking on periodontal healing following surgical therapy.

The influence of cigarette smoking on the outcome of surgical therapy was investigated in 54 patients, 24 of whom were smokers. The patients had moderate to severe periodontitis with persisting diseased pockets after non-surgical therapy. The surgical modality used was the modified Widman flap operation and the pockets under scrutiny were those with an initial probing depth of 4-6 mm. Re-examination was made 12 months following the completion of surgery. The probing depth reduction at the 12-month follow-up was 0.76 +/- 0.36 mm (mean +/- SD) in smokers as compared to 1.27 +/- 0.43 mm in non-smokers. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001) and persisted after accounting for plaque. The results suggest that smoking may impair the outcome of surgical therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Influence of cigarette smoking on vascular reaction during experimental gingivitis.

The influence of cigarette smoking on the vascular reaction during plaque induced gingivitis was studied in humans for 28 days. Sixteen healthy dental students, 8 smokers and 8 non-smokers, aged 19-42 yr, volunteered for the experiment. A numerical method was used for the evaluation of the vascular reaction. With the aid of stereophotographs changes in the number of gingival vessels were followed during the experiment. It was found that the number of vessels identified increased over time during the experiment in both smokers and non-smokers. However, in spite of the fact that the plaque accumulation rate was equal, the vascular reaction was less pronounced in smokers. At the end of the experiment after 28 days the intensity of the vascular reaction in smokers was only 50% of that observed in non-smokers. The difference was statistically significant at the P-level of 0.05. One week after termination of the experiment and reinstitution of oral hygiene the number of gingival vessels equaled the pre-experimental values in both groups. The results indicate that the vascular reaction associated with plaque induced gingivitis is suppressed in smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The effect of non-surgical treatment on periodontal pockets in smokers and non-smokers.

Changes in probing pocket depth following non-surgical periodontal treatment were investigated in 75 patients, 40 of whom were heavy smokers. Pockets with an initial probing depth of 4-6 mm were studied. The treatment consisted of patient instruction and motivation and debridement of plaque and calculus by hand instrumentation. The treatment was completed within 5 months and probing depth was recorded prior to and 1 month following the completion of therapy. Plaque index was reduced to a minimum in both smokers (P1I = 0.2) and non-smokers (P1I = 0.1) following treatment. An average reduction in probing pocket depth of 1.1 mm in smokers and 1.2 mm in non-smokers was observed. The reduction attained was less in smokers than in non-smokers for all regions of the dentition investigated. The greatest difference between groups was observed for the maxillary anterior region.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cigarette smoking in patients referred for periodontal treatment.

369 adult patients with moderate to severe periodontitis were compared with a survey sample from the population of Stockholm regarding smoking habits. The results showed that the frequency of daily cigarette smokers was significantly greater in the periodontitis sample. The odds ratio for a smoker to appear among periodontitis patients was more than doubled as compared to the population at large. In addition, the periodontal variables of PlI, GI, probing depth and the patient's experience of gingival bleeding were recorded and compared between smoking and non-smoking patients. PlI was found to be similar in smokers and non-smokers. Signs and symptoms of gingivitis as evidenced by the patients' experience of gingival bleeding and by GI were less pronounced in patients who smoke. Only 25% of smokers reported bleeding gingiva as compared to 51% of non-smokers. No differences were observed regarding probing depth except for lingual pockets of the maxilla where a significantly greater probing depth was observed in smokers. It was concluded that smokers may run an increased risk for periodontitis. Furthermore, gingival inflammatory symptoms seem to be suppressed in patients who smoke.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Effect of non-surgical treatment on gingival bleeding in smokers and non-smokers.

According to previous findings, gingival bleeding seems to be reduced under the influence of cigarette smoking. The present study deals with the effect of non-surgical therapy on gingival bleeding in smokers and non-smokers. The underlying hypothesis was that the therapeutic effect in terms of reduction of gingival bleeding might differ in smokers and non-smokers. Twenty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers, took part in the study. Gingival bleeding was assessed by probing under a standardized pressure (60 g), and measurements were performed before and 1 month after the completion of active treatment. The active treatment included debridement of supra- and sub-gingival deposits by means of hand instrumentation. The treatment caused a reduction in plaque index and gingival bleeding both in smokers and in non-smokers. The plaque reduction was significantly greater in smokers. Nevertheless, the reduction in gingival bleeding was significantly less pronounced than that attained in non-smokers. The findings suggest that the gingival bleeding response to treatment is reduced in smokers. It would seem that in response to a given amount of plaque reduction the changes in gingival bleeding will be less apparent under the influence of smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Occurrence of gingival bleeding in smoker and non-smoker patients.

The objective of the present investigation was to study the influence of cigarette smoking on the occurrence of gingival bleeding. The occurrence of bleeding was evaluated by probing at a standardized pressure of 60 g. The bleeding occurrence of each patient was indicated by the number of sites bleeding on probing as a percentage of the total. Twenty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers, participated in the study. The smoker patients had been regular smokers for at least 15 years, their present tobacco consumption being 20 cigarettes a day or more. The results showed that, although they had a significantly greater plaque index, smokers displayed a significantly lower bleeding occurrence than non-smokers, the average being 27% and 40%, respectively. The present findings suggest that gingival bleeding as measured by probing with a pressure of 60 g is reduced in smokers with periodontitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Cigarette smoking, oral hygiene and periodontal health in Swedish army conscripts.

Possible dissimilarities between smokers and nonsmokers regarding oral hygiene, gingivitis, periodontal pocketing and alveolar bone loss were studied in a sample of 134 army conscripts. Compared to nonsmokers, smokers had a higher plaque index and greater severity of gingivitis, while no differences were found concerning pocket depth and bone loss. It could be demonstrated that the difference regarding gingivitis disappeared when a check was made for plaque values. It still remains to be explained why plaque deposition is more pronounced in smokers.

Adult↗