PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P F Lugliè

Publications and source records attributed to P F Lugliè.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Oral condition, chemistry of saliva, and salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans in thalassemic patients.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the oral status in a group of patients with thalassemia major (TM). Eighteen TM patients (15 M, three F) and 18 healthy controls randomly matched for age and sex were examined for dental caries using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index and for oral hygiene conditions using the oral hygiene index (OHI)-S. Spontaneous saliva was collected from each subject, and the biochemical composition (calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, urea) was determined. Furthermore, salivary Streptococcus mutans levels were evaluated. Statistical analysis (Student's t-test) were performed for means comparison, while independence among categorical variables was assessed using the chi(2) test. Fisher's exact test was used when expected cell values were less than 5. Dental status (DMFT index) was almost equal in the two groups (10.3 in TM vs 9.4 in controls, P=0.34). The occurrence of plaque (OHI-S 2) was higher in the control group, but no statistically significant association was observed between oral hygiene conditions in the two groups (Fisher's exact test 0.47, P=0.79). Biochemical saliva composition was very similar in the two groups; only the urea concentration was lower in TM, and this difference was statistically significant ( P=0.002). The TM patients had an increased presence of mutans streptococci at detectable levels. Our findings confirm that, although no substantial differences were found between the two observed groups, further investigations are needed to determine the theoretical risk of oral diseases in thalassemic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[In vivo evaluation of carbon fiber posts].

BACKGROUND: The use of carbon fiber posts allows morpho-functional restoration of endodontically treated teeth with an assembly of materials of a modulus of elasticity similar to that of dentin. The study clinically evaluated the percentage of survival of dental elements treated and reconstructed with endocanal carbon fiber posts. METHODS: At the Dentistry Clinic of the University of Sassari 60 dental elements were selected from 46 subjects. The teeth, which had been treated endodontically with success for at least six months, were classified by parameters taken from the international literature and reconstructed using Tech 2000 carbon fiber posts and adhesive resinous systems recommended by the post manufacturer. RESULTS: The success rate was 98.4%. Almost half (49%) of the samples were single-rooted elements, 37.4% of the posts were 1.2 mm in diameter; in 78.3% the opposing contact was with a natural tooth; 100% of the elements had a type A dental structure. CONCLUSIONS: Third generation posts are a valid alternative to metallic posts and improve the prognosis of the treated element. The carbon fiber posts fixed with the composite, forming a single unit with the dental element, thus improving mid-term RESULTS. The technique is easy to use under clinical conditions and can be performed in a single session. So far, the method has provided promising clinical results, as this study demonstrated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Prevention of periodontopathy and oral mucositis during antineoplastic chemotherapy. Clinical study].

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is a common side effect of chemotherapy, with a multifactorial etiology: the direct toxicity of cancer therapy on the normal cells, reduced immunitary defences, presence of bacteria in the oral cavity. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical effectiveness of a preventive protocol of oral mucositis and periodontopathy during antineoplastic chemotherapy. METHODS: The design of the study was a longitudinal evaluation of 30 patients undergoing antineoplastic chemotherapy at the out-patients Department of Oncology of the University of Sassari. The study lasted one year and was carried out at the Dentistry Department of the University of Sassari. The patients were motivated to home oral hygiene, underwent professional oral hygiene and clorexidine rinses were prescribed. Visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were taken from each patient as periodontal indices, and the state of the mucosa was evaluated according to the WHO recommendations (1975). The control group was composed by 33 patients. RESULTS: The values of the bleeding and plaque indices were considerably diminished between the first and the last visit, in nearly all the patients; the incidence of oral mucositis in the treated group was 20%, while in the control group it was 66%. 5-fluoruracil was always involved. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results observed, the conclusion is drawn that the professional and home oral hygiene and the use of clorexidine, can reduce the incidence of oral mucositis as a side effect of antineoplastic chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Mercury determination in human amniotic fluid].

BACKGROUND: One of the components of Ag amalgam is mercury which, owing to its organic derivatives, can pass into the organs and biological fluids. One particularly interesting but worrying aspect of this transition is the possibility that mercury may pass through the placental barrier and reach the fetus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of total mercury in human amniotic fluid and compare it with the number and occlusal extension of fillings using Ag amalgam. METHODS: A group of 56 pregnant women were selected due to undergo amniocentesis. A dental check-up was carried out in each patient to identify the number and extension of amalgam fillings. Mercury levels in the amniotic liquid were assayed using a spectrophotometer with atomic absorption and a FIAS-amalgam technique. RESULTS: Mercury concentrations in the samples examined ranged from a minimum of 0.00 ng/ml to a maximum of 2.55 ng/ml, mean 0.44 +/- 0.53 ng/ml. The correlations between the variables examined were evaluated by calculating the coefficient of linear regression. No direct relationship was found with mercury levels. The data obtained were used to construct a model of logistic regression showing scant statistical significance (p = 0.05) between the number of fillings and mercury levels, whereas the occlusal extension of dental repairs was significantly correlated with metal concentrations (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The authors recommend that silver amalgam should be used with considerable caution during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[In vitro evaluation of mercury leakage from dental amalgam using atomic absorption spectrophotometry].

OBJECTIVE: The use of silver amalgam as a tooth filler is under constant critical review because of its mercury content. After a review of the literature on this subject, in vitro spectrophotometry was used to assay the release of mercury by these amalgams in basal conditions. METHODS: The experiment was conducted in two phases using standard doses of amalgam. In Phase 1 Black Class I cavities were created in extracted teeth that were big enough to take the required dose of amalgam. In some cases the material was inserted in a single operation, while in others the amalgam was introduced in three stages. Some of the cavities were cleansed with cotton buds bathed in ethyl alcohol, while others were not. All the drilled teeth were imbued in a bath of artificial saliva held at a constant temperature. In the second experiment, crushed amalgam was immersed in a similar bath of artificial saliva but otherwise untreated. The saliva was assayed after different time lapses using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and the FIAS technique. RESULTS: The results showed extremely variable but always modest quantities of free mercury in the artificial saliva. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that not all the mercury available in the amalgamation phase is involved in the formation of the crystalline reticulum and that the percentage of mercury bonded is different every time. While the titre of free mercury encountered was always extremely low and hard to predict, it cannot be ignored.

Dental Amalgam↗
PubMed1995

[Intermediate medications in endodontics: a quantitative in-vitro evaluation of 2 phenolic derivatives].

In a series of in vitro experiments with dental elements obtained after an extraction, the persistence in the pulpal chamber of two phenolic compounds largely used as dental medicaments has been evaluated. The substances, p-chlorophenol and eugenol were put in a small piece of cotton inside the dental elements where they were left for 7 days. Spectrophotometric UV determination of p-chlorophenol and eugenol were made after 3 and 7 days. Our results indicate that 25% of the initial amount of p-chlorophenol is found after three days and nearly 1/5 after 7 days. The figures for eugenol are: 1/3 after three days and 1/6 of the initial amount after 7 days. The authors therefore suggest the substances under study be used as dental medicaments with an optimum of three days of interval between two medications, even if a longer interval may be observed due to the good in situ persistence of the two phenols.

Chlorophenols↗
PubMed1990

[A clinical contribution to the conservative surgical therapy of giant follicular cysts of the mandible].

Three clinical cases of mandibular giant follicular cyst were described. Personal experience with an initial conservative approach is described and some interesting conclusions about the short time of bone new generation of maxillary are presented. As soon as possible, the extraction of impacted tooth will be made without the risk of mandibular fracture or vascular-nervous lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[The evaluation of the size variations in alginate subjected to the sterilizing action of glutaraldehyde].

The work takes into consideration the changes of dimension undergone by alginate submitted to the sterilizing action of aldehyde glutarate, after the impression. Trough the use of computerized analyser of images, samples of sterilized alginate have been compared with control samples. The results obtained can give a useful contribution to the prophylaxis of the crossed transmission of infection in the dental field.

Alginates↗
PubMed1989

[Dental caries and socioeconomic development of Sardinian population].

A statistical survey has been carried out on the incidence of caries in the population of Sardinia. It is shown that the DMF index has grown steadily from 2.6 among the young (0-12 year old) to 13.07 in the group aged between 20.1 and 30. The socioeconomic changes of the past thirty years in Sardinia are looked at in an attempt to explain this phenomenon.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[SEM study of morphologyc and incidence of accessory canals in the furcation region of permanent molars].

BACKGROUND: The lateral canals in the molar furcation region could represent a connection, well separated from the apical region, between dental pulp and periodontal tissues and may be used by bacteria or toxins both in an endodontic-periodontal direction and vice versa. A SEM study was carried out on the furcation region of permanent molars to evaluate the morphology and incidence of lateral canals. METHODS: A total of 53 permanent molars were selected. The microinfiltration test was performed on each sample using methylene blue 1% before being sectioned and examined using a Zeiss Opmi 9-FC stereomicroscope and SEM ISI DS 130. RESULTS: Openings of lateral canals were found in the furcation region of 50.94% of the samples examined. The mean diameter of the orifices was 130 mm. The apertures were elliptical and flared. The holes occasionally appeared to be the end of probable single or double canals, but were not always patent. CONCLUSIONS: In the light of these findings, the authors advise disinfecting and filling the dental pulp cavity during root treatment and, in the event of severe periodontal disease, evaluating the vitality of dental elements before surgery, thus ensuring a correct therapeutic approach by not overlooking the possibility of combined lesions.

Adult↗