Analysis of Abstracts Presented at the Prosthodontic Research Section of IADR General Sessions 2004-2005: Demographics, Publication Rates, and Factors Contributing to Publication

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe the demographics of abstracts presented at the prosthodontics section of IADR General Sessions from 2004 to 2005, evaluate the publication rate of abstracts, and analyze the relationship between variables in abstracts and publication.Materials and Methods: Prosthodontics research section abstracts from the IADR General Session in 2004 and 2005 were evaluated for: number of authors, presentation type, origin, affiliation, topic, study design, statistics, study outcome, and funding. The publication rate was calculated following a PubMed search. The journal of publication, year of publication, and the length of time before publication were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis; the relationships between presentation type, study design, study outcome, statistics, funding, and publication were analyzed using logistic regression (alpha = 0.05).Results: From 346 abstracts, 37.0% were published. For oral presentations, 40.7% were published; 35.8% of poster presentations were published. The mean duration before publicationwas 26.4months. North America had themost abstracts, and Europe had the most publications. Fixed prosthodontic research had the highest number and proportion for publication. A significant association with publication was noted for neutral study outcomes (p = 0.018), studies with funding (p = 0.035), and abstracts from Europe (p = 0.001).Conclusions: The majority of abstracts from the prosthodontics research section of IADR General Sessions from 2004 and 2005 remain unpublished. A significant association for publication was noted with neutral outcomes, funding, and abstracts from Europe.

Oral cleft prevention program (OCPP)

Background: Oral clefts are one of the most common birth defects with significant medical, psychosocial, and economic ramifications. Oral clefts have a complex etiology with genetic and environmental risk factors. There are suggestive results for decreased risks of cleft occurrence and recurrence with folic acid supplements taken at preconception and during pregnancy with a stronger evidence for higher than lower doses in preventing recurrence. Yet previous studies have suffered from considerable design limitations particularly non-randomization into treatment. There is also well-documented effectiveness for folic acid in preventing neural tube defect occurrence at 0.4 mg and recurrence with 4 mg. Given the substantial burden of clefting on the individual and the family and the supportive data for the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation as well as its low cost, a randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of high versus low dose folic acid for prevention of cleft recurrence is warranted.Methods/design: This study will assess the effect of 4 mg and 0.4 mg doses of folic acid, taken on a daily basis during preconception and up to 3 months of pregnancy by women who are at risk of having a child with nonsyndromic cleft lip with/without palate (NSCL/P), on the recurrence of NSCL/P. The total sample will include about 6,000 women (that either have NSCL/P or that have at least one child with NSCL/P) randomly assigned to the 4 mg and the 0.4 mg folic acid study groups. The study will also compare the recurrence rates of NSCL/P in the total sample of subjects, as well as the two study groups (4mg, 0.4 mg) to that of a historical control group. The study has been approved by IRBs (ethics committees) of all involved sites. Results will be disseminated through publications and presentations at scientific meetings.Discussion: The costs related to oral clefts are high, including long term psychological and socio-economic effects. This study provides an opportunity for huge savings in not only money but the overall quality of life. This may help establish more specific clinical guidelines for oral cleft prevention so that the intervention can be better tailored for at-risk women.

Oral lichen planus: A retrospective study of 110 Brazilian patients

Background. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by multiple clinical presentations and a relatively high prevalence in the population. This retrospective patient record study investigated the profile of OLP in a group of Brazilian patients seen between 1989 and 2009. Findings. The clinical records were analyzed and data such as gender, age, race, clinical presentation of OLP, site affected, presence of symptoms and extraoral manifestations of the disease, smoking habit, and consumption of alcoholic beverages were obtained. Among the 1822 records of patients with oral mucosal lesions, OLP was identified in 6.03%. Of these, 76.36% were females, with a mean age of 54 years, and 85% were whites. The reticular form was the most frequent (81.81%). Extraoral lesions were observed in 32.72% of the patients and painful symptoms were reported by 50.90%. The cheek mucosa was the site most affected (92.72%) and multiple oral lesions were observed in 77.27% of the patients. Among patients with OLP, 18.18% reported a smoking habit and 29.09% the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Conclusions. This retrospective study showed a relatively high prevalence of OLP in the population studied, with a predominance of the disease among middle-aged white women and bilateral involvement of the cheek mucosa. Reticular lesions were the most frequent, followed by the erosive form which is mainly associated with painful symptoms. No relationship with tobacco or alcohol consumption was observed. © 2010 Almeida et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.