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Stefano Petti

Publications and source records attributed to Stefano Petti.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Oral cancer knowledge and awareness: primary and secondary effects of an information leaflet.

Information leaflets can be stored and read several times at the patient's own convenience and speed and, therefore, might contribute to increasing the long-term oral cancer knowledge and awareness. This hypothesis was investigated in a sample of adults living in a small central Italian town. The two groups of patients selected (Intervention, 100 subjects; Control, 84 subjects) were all aged 40 years and had never received oral cancer counselling or examination previously. Subjects completed a questionnaire (PRE) containing items regarding oral cancer epidemiology and prevention. Thereafter, the Intervention patients received the oral cancer information leaflet. One year later, patients from both groups were re-contacted and most (97 Intervention, 79 Control subjects, overall participation rate, 95.7%) completed the same questionnaire (POST). The POST questionnaire score, the score increment and the proportion of patients who sought an oral cancer examination during the year follow-up were used as markers of long-term knowledge, knowledge improvement and awareness, respectively. The between group differences in mean PRE score, POST score, score increment and proportion of subjects who had an examination were assessed by conventional statistical tests. The effect of leaflet corrected for confounders also was assessed using multiple regression analyses. No difference in PRE score and awareness was found. However, the mean POST score and the score increment were significantly higher in the Intervention group. The leaflet significantly increased knowledge but not awareness, with statistically significant effects from high educational level and younger age. It is concluded that the information leaflet had a significant effect in raising the long-term oral cancer knowledge in the general public. It also had a secondary effect on disease awareness in the locale.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Detection and quantification of dental unit water line contamination by oral streptococci.

OBJECTIVE: (1) To investigate the prevalence of oral streptococci (OS) and biological indicators of water contamination by oral fluids in water from dental unit water lines (DUWs) by detection and quantification and of saprophytes indigenous to the oral cavity. (2) To test whether measurement of the total cultivable mesophilic flora (TCF), the parameter commonly used to monitor water quality in DUWs, is an effective predictor for OS contamination. DESIGN: Survey of 21 dental units equipped with antiretraction devices. Water samples were collected from air-water syringes, cup fillers, tap water, and before and during the working day. SETTING: Units were from 7 public dental offices selected for convenience from among those in proximity of the microbiological laboratory. METHODS: For detection of OS, samples were plated on an enriched medium, to revitalize the organisms. Colonies were subcultured on a selective medium and biochemically identified (lower detection limit, 1 cfu/mL). For measurement of the TCF, samples were plated on a nutrient-poor medium. Cultures with colony counts greater than 200 cfu/mL were considered to be TCF positive. The sensitivity and specificity of TCF positivity in predicting OS detection was calculated. RESULTS: Prevalence rates for OS contamination and for TCF positivity were, respectively, 34.4% (11 of 32 samples) and 25.0% (8 of 32 samples) for syringes, 27.8% (10 of 36 samples) and 8.3% (3 of 36 samples) for cup fillers, and 0.0% (0 of 7 samples) for tap water. OS contamination levels ranged from 1 to 6 cfu/mL. No statistically significant differences were found between samples obtained before and during the working day. TCF positivity did not predict OS contamination effectively, because of low sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Given the absence of OS in tap water, the reported prevalence of OS contamination suggests that oral fluids are aspirated during dental therapy with relatively high frequency and that DUWs can potentially expose successive patients to bloodborne cross-infections.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2006

Association between different alcoholic beverages and leukoplakia among non- to moderate-drinking adults: a matched case-control study.

While heavy drinking is a risk factor for oral leukoplakia, the effects of moderate drinking and of different alcoholic beverages are unclear and were investigated in this case-control study. 187 leukoplakia patients, aged 40-65 years, who were not heavy drinkers and did not change their drinking/smoking habits over the last decade, were age/gender matched to 187 controls. The effect of regular, moderate, overall alcohol, beer, wine, spirit drinking, adjusted for the effects of heavy smoking and other important co-variables, were assessed using conditional logistic regression analysis. Overall alcohol (OR, 0.22), wine (OR, 0.20), spirits (OR, 2.93) were significantly associated to leukoplakia. A statistically significant interaction wine/heavy smoking was also found. Such different effects could be explained by the ethanol antagonising potential of other drink components, such as polyphenols, abundant in red wine and scarce in spirits. Among heavy smokers, the preventive effect of wine was more than multiplicative.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The hierarchical cluster analysis of oral health attitudes and behaviour using the Hiroshima University--Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) among final year dental students in 17 countries.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe international oral health attitudes/ behaviours among final year dental students. METHODS: Validated translated versions of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire were administered to 1,096 final-year dental students in 17 countries. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted within the data to detect patterns and groupings. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 72%. The cluster analysis identified two main groups among the countries. Group 1 consisted of twelve countries: one Oceanic (Australia), one Middle-Eastern (Israel), seven European (Northern Ireland, England, Finland, Greece, Germany, Italy, and France) and three Asian (Korea, Thailand and Malaysia) countries. Group 2 consisted of five countries: one South American (Brazil), one European (Belgium) and three Asian (China, Indonesia and Japan) countries. The percentages of 'agree' responses in three HU-DBI questionnaire items were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. They include: "I worry about the colour of my teeth."; "I have noticed some white sticky deposits on my teeth."; and "I am bothered by the colour of my gums." CONCLUSION: Grouping the countries into international clusters yielded useful information for dentistry and dental education.

Asia↗
PubMed2006

Analysis of the shift of the transmission pattern for hepatitis C in a community in Central Italy.

Anti-HCV and HCV-RNA prevalence among adults from an isolated Central Italian community were 16.3% and 9.0%; 3.0%, 2.3% among 25-to-49-year-olds, 27.6%, 14.7% among older subjects. 1b genotype prevailed (88.5%). 1a, la/1b, 4 were also isolated. Seropositivity was associated with age > 50 years, public dental health care, glass syringe use, surgical interventions. The transmission pattern seems to be shifting from that typical of Southern Italy (high prevalence, particularly in the elderly, 1b genotype predominant, various routes of transmission involved, cohort effect), to that typical of Europe (lower prevalence, particularly among younger adults, other genotypes involved, association with intravenous drug use and immigrants).

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Oral cancer: the association between nation-based alcohol-drinking profiles and oral cancer mortality.

The unclear association between different nation-based alcohol-drinking profiles and oral cancer mortality was investigated using, as observational units, 20 countries from Europe, Northern America, Far Eastern Asia, with cross-nationally comparable data. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were run with male age-standardised, mortality rate (ASMR) as explanatory variable and annual adult alcohol consumption, adult smoking prevalence, life expectancy, as explanatory. Large between-country differences in ASMR (range, 0.88-6.87 per 100,000) were found, but the mean value was similar to the global estimate (3.31 vs. 3.09 per 100,000). Differences in alcohol consumption (2.06-21.03 annual litres per capita) and in distribution between beverages were reported. Wine was the most prevalent alcoholic beverage in 45% of cases. Significant increases in ASMR for every litre of pure ethanol (0.15 per 100,000; 95 CI, 0.01-0.29) and spirits (0.26 per 100,000; 95 CI, 0.03-0.49), non-significant effects for beer and wine were estimated. The impact of alcohol on oral cancer deaths would be higher than expected and the drinking profile could affect cancer mortality, probably because of the different drinking pattern of spirit drinkers, usually consuming huge alcohol quantities on single occasions, and the different concentrations of ethanol and cancer-preventing compounds such as polyphenols, in the various beverages.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Leukoplakia prevalence estimate lower than expected.

DATA SOURCES: Data were sourced using Medline and Embase. STUDY SELECTION: Initial selection criteria were that study samples should be representative of the underlying adult population and that the leukoplakia diagnostic criteria used by the examiners should have been widely accepted ones. Because most published studies did not comply with these requisites, modified criteria were as follows. First, the sample, even if not representative of the underlying study population, should not have been collected from surgical departments of dental hospitals or clinics, where leukoplakia is usually treated (these studies would overestimate the disease prevalence). Secondly, even if the examiners were not calibrated, the diagnostic criteria used should be consistent with the internationally accepted criteria and must have been reported in the text. Thirdly, to make statistical analysis possible even if leukoplakia prevalence was not reported as a proportion, the overall number of sampled subjects and the number with the condition must be easy to extrapolate with a high level of accuracy. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were pooled using inverse variance weighting and random-effect methods. A sensitivity analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 23 primary studies was included, giving point-prevalence estimates with the inverse variance method of 1.49% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42-1.56] and 2.60% (95% CI, 1.72-2.74) with the random-effects method. The high between-study heterogeneity and the sensitivity analyses suggested that the second estimate was more reliable. Leukoplakia was significantly more prevalent in males (prevalence ratio, 3.22), but no difference was found between geographical areas and between younger and older adults. Using these data, the crude annual oral cancer incidence rate attributable to leukoplakia would be between 6.2 and 29.1 cases per 100 000 people. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled leukoplakia prevalence estimate was lower than expected. The estimated oral cancer incidence rate due to leukoplakia malignant transformation was high, however, and suggested that the global number of oral cancer cases is probably under-reported, particularly in developing countries.

Comment↗
PubMed2005

The role of the dental team in preventing and diagnosing cancer: 5. Alcohol and the role of the dentist in alcohol cessation.

Alcohol use contributes to many health disorders and social problems which may affect both the individual and the community, and is a major risk factor for oral cancer and potentially malignant lesions - leukoplakia and erythroplakia. Counselling by doctors and dentists can increase users' motivation to stop alcohol use but is not often applied in a systematic or frequent manner to people presenting with potentially malignant oral lesions. This paper makes recommendations for interventions by health professionals to encourage and aid cessation of alcohol use as a part of prevention of oral cancer.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2003

Pooled estimate of world leukoplakia prevalence: a systematic review.

This study was aimed at estimating the pooled global leukoplakia prevalence using both well-designed studies, which were too few to be representative of the world situation, and less valuable studies. The inverse variance weighting and the random effect methods were used. The latter is based on the principle that if primary studies are heterogeneous, the between-study variance is higher than zero, and its effect must be taken into account in choosing the weighting scheme. The robustness of the estimates was assessed by means of sensitivity analyses. Including 23 primary studies from all over the world published between 1986 and 2002, the point estimates were 1.49% (inverse variance, 95% confidence interval 1.42%-1.56%) and 2.60% (random effect, 95% confidence interval 1.72%-2.74%). The high between-study heterogeneity and the sensitivity analyses suggested that the second estimate was more reliable. Leukoplakia was significantly more prevalent among males (prevalence ratio 3.22), but no difference was found between geographical areas and between younger and older adults. Using these data, the crude annual oral cancer incidence rate attributable to leukoplakia would be between 6.2 and 29.1 per 100000, thus suggesting that the global number of oral cancer cases is probably underreported.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Oral cancers and the need for secondary prevention programs].

Each year, 250,000 people all over the world develop oral cancer, while 130,000 die for this condition. In Italy, these figures are 6000 and 3000, respectively. The 53% average survival rate in five years is one of the lowest, although it increases to 72-86% if oral cancer is diagnosed at the TNM stage I. However, in more than half the cases this condition is diagnosed at more severe stages. This situation can improve significantly because the oral cavity can be easily checked and the cancer is often predictable by precancerous lesions. Since alcohol and tobacco are responsible for 75% of cases, primary prevention basically relies on their control. Secondary prevention, aimed at the early detection of this condition, is based on the examination of oral mucosae and can be performed by dentists, dental hygienists or the patients themselves. The first step to take is to foster information among the subjects at risk, namely people over 40. The authors suggest that educational programs should be held by health professionals so as to teach patients how to perform selfexamination and address to hospitals in case of suspected cancerous lesions.

English Abstract↗