Use of the DNA Checkerboard hybridization method for detection and quantitation of Candida species in oral microbiota

The DNA Checkerboard method enables the simultaneous identification of distinct microorganisms in a large number of samples and employs up to 45 whole genomic DNA probes to gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial species present in subgingival biofilms. Collectively, they account for 55%-60% of the bacteria in subgingival biofilms. In this study, we present the DNA Checkerboard hybridization as an alternative method for the detection and quantitation of Candida species in oral cavities. Our results reveal that DNA Checkerboard is sensitive enough and constitutes a powerful and appropriate method for detecting and quantifying Candida species found in the oral cavity.

Recurrent sores by ill-fitting dentures and intra-oral squamous cell carcinoma in smokers

Objectives: To examine whether denture use and recurrent sores caused by ill-fitting dentures are associated with intra-oral squamous cell carcinoma (IO-SCC) in individuals exposed to tobacco. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study. The study population comprised 124 patients with IO-SCC and the same number of controls (individually paired according to gender and age) recruited from outpatient units of the same hospital. Conditional logistic regression analysis assessed the effect of denture use and recurrent oral sores by ill-fitting dentures, adjusted by covariates on the lifetime exposure to alcohol and tobacco, socioeconomic standings, and dietary patterns. Results: The use of dentures showed no association with IO-SCC [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.40, 95 percent confidence interval 0.51-3.87, P = 0.513] in an assessment controlled by socioeconomic position, lifetime exposure to alcohol and tobacco, and dietary patterns. However, the report of recurrent sores caused by ill-fitting dentures showed significant association with the disease (adjusted OR 4.58, 95 percent confidence interval 1.52-13.76, P = 0.007). Conclusions: The association between recurrent oral sores caused by ill-fitting dentures and squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth in smokers is in agreement with the hypothesis that the chronic physical irritation of oral mucosa contributes to the topical carcinogenic effect of tobacco, which must be taken into careful consideration in the planning of dental services for adults and the elderly.

Impact of socioeconomic and clinical factors on child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL)

Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) has been increasingly assessed; however, few studies appraised the influence of socioeconomic status on COHRQoL in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of COHRQoL with socioeconomic backgrounds and clinical factors. This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 schoolchildren aged 12 years, representative of Santa Maria, a southern city in Brazil. Participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ(11-14)), their parents or guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status, and a dental examination provided information on the prevalence of caries, dental trauma and occlusion. The assessment of association used hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models. Higher impacts on COHRQoL were observed for children presenting with untreated dental caries (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07-1.35) and maxillary overjet (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.02-1.40). Socioeconomic factors also associated with COHRQoL; poorer scores were reported by children whose mothers have not completed primary education (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17-1.44) and those with lower household income (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.02-1.26). Poor socioeconomic standings and poor dental status have a negative impact on COHRQoL; reducing health inequalities may demand dental programmes and policies targeting deprived population.

Oral colonization by Candida species in AIDS pediatric patients

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of factors associated with oral colonization by Candida spp. in pediatric patients with AIDS. The sample comprised of 117 children. Clinical status, medicines in use, and laboratory findings were obtained from hospital records; sociodemographic data were given by relatives. A dental examination assessed the prevalence of dental caries. The prevalence of oral colonization by Candida was 62%. Only seven children presented clinical manifestation of oral candidosis despite their high viral load index and low-for-age CD4 count. Candida colonization was directly associated with frequent use of antibiotics (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.44), sulfa drugs (PR = 1.23), alteration in the oral mucosa (PR = 1.55), and untreated dental caries (PR = 1.93). It was inversely associated with the use of antiretroviral therapies (PR = 0.65). Candida albicans was the most frequently detected species (80%); phenotypic tests did not detect C. dubliniensis strains. This study observed a low prevalence of Candida-related oral lesions in these patients, which is compatible with the hypothesis that antiretroviral medicines may have contributed to reducing oral manifestations from Candida infection. The high prevalence of Candida colonization in HIV+/AIDS children with untreated dental caries reinforces the importance of oral health care in interdisciplinary health units that assist these patients.

Scientific output trends in oral health in Brazil

Objective. To describe dental research trends in Brazil (especially population-based oral health) in the early Twenty-first Century. Methods. The abstracts of studies presented at meetings of the Brazilian Society for Dental Medicine Research (Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontologica) from 2001-2006 were assessed in terms of methodological design (aggregate or population-based and individual-based studies, observational and intervention studies, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies); general type (literature review, studies with human subjects, and laboratory studies); and classification into one of the 19 specialty categories recognized by the Brazilian Federal Dentistry Council. Of the 10 406 abstracts presented in this period, 5 203 (50%) were reviewed. Results. Concerning methodological design, 87.5% of the abstracts referred to individual-based studies, whereas 12.5% were of aggregate studies. Concerning the general category, 41.7% referred to studies with human subjects. The remaining abstracts (58.3%) described in vitro (31.1%) or in vivo (23.6%) laboratory research and literature reviews (3.6%). Concerning the Council`s specialty categories, only five had a frequency higher than 10.0%: esthetic dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, and population-based oral health. Conclusions. Brazil`s scientific output in the field of oral health for the period 2001-2006 was balanced, with increasing interest in the area of population-based oral health.

Oral health in transition: the case of Indigenous peoples from Brazil

The objective of this paper is to summarise epidemiological information about the distribution of dental caries among Indigenous peoples in Brazil. The authors also present a case study of a specific group of Xavante Indians, one of the most numerous of Brazil`s Indigenous peoples, describing how their oral health has deteriorated over recent decades, and showing how an oral health programme is attempting to reverse the present trend of increase in caries. The programme at Etenheritipa Xavante village incorporated three principal components: educational, preventive, and clinical. From the beginning, the programme included epidemiological record keeping for monitoring the level of caries in the population. Transversal studies of the condition of oral health among the Xavante of Etenheritipa were undertaken in 1999, 2004, and 2007. In the period from 2004 to 2007 the DMFS values in the 11-15 age cohort had a significant reduction in caries experience. The mean DMFS score fell from 4.95 in 2004 to 2.39 in 2007 (p<0.01). An increase in the percent of individuals who were free from caries was also noted: in 1999, 20% of adolescents 11-15 had no caries; in 2007, the proportion had risen to 47%. The Xavante case is a prime example of the transition in oral health that is taking place among the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and it highlights the importance of oral health promotion through preventive measures such as access to fluoridation and basic care in reducing the inequality between Indians and non-Indians.