Actitud de los escolares murcianos hacia la salud dental

Construir y validar una escala para medir la actitud de los escolares murcianos hacia la salud dental, conocer sus actitudes e identificar algunas de las variables que influyen en dicha actitud.Se hizo un muestreo aleatorio, por tipo de estudios y situaci??n del centro, y por aulas, siendo el tama??o de la muestra de 4221 alumnos. Se construyo una escala de Likert de cinco opciones para conocer la aptitud de los escolares murcianos hacia la salud dental.Como resultado final, el 6,8 por ciento de los escolares no cepilla nunca o casi nunca, mientras que el 65 por ciento lo hace una vez al d??a por lo menos. El 16,2 por ciento de la poblaci??n escolar nunca ha visitado al dentista y el 13,9 por ciento presenta ansiedad dental. La actitud media ha sido de 3,91 sobre 5, que puede considerarse regular-buena. Los escolares de EGB presentan la mejor actitud, independientemente de sus h??bitos higi??nicos dentales. En definitiva, la variable que m??s influye en la actitud es la ansiedad dental, quedando en un segundo plano la frecuencia del cepillado, la periodicidad de las visitas dentales y el sexo (las mujeres presentan mejor actitud que los hombres). Los aspectos de la salud dental mas necesitados de cambios positivos son el miedo y la preocupaci??n por la salud dental.

Multidisciplinary analysis of clinical cases: a transition towards active learning in dental education

In the past 2009/10 academic year, we took steps towards introduction of active methodologies, from a multidisciplinar approach, into a conventional lecture-based Dental Education program. We consolidated these practices in the current 2010/11 year, already within a new Bologna-adapted scheme. Transition involved (i) critical assessment of the limitations of traditional teaching (ii) identification of specific learning topics allowing for integration of contents, (iii) implementation of student-centred learning activities in old curricular plans (iv) assessment of students' satisfaction and perceived learning outcomes, (v) implementation of these changes in new Bologna-adapted curricula

The intelligibility of cleft palate speech with and without dental prosthesis

This paper discusses a study to investigate the possibility of quantifying and analyzing the speech of cleft palate subjects.

Are there hazardous auditory effects of high-frequency turbines and ultrasonic dental scalers on dental professionals?

The purpose of this pilot study was to survey dentists in the St. Louis area to assess their subjective opinion of commonly used dental handpieces as well as history of noise exposure and use of hearing protection. Selected handpieces were then chosen to measure their output levels and determine if emissions are hazardous to the auditory system.

Dental training system using haptic technology

In the U.K., dental students require to perform training and practice on real human tissues at the very early stage of their courses. Currently, the human tissues, such as decayed teeth, are mounted in a human head like physical model. The problems with these models in teaching are; (1) every student operates on tooth, which are always unique; (2) the process cannot be recorded for examination purposes and (3) same training are not repeatable. The aim of the PHATOM Project is to develop a dental training system using Haptic technology. This paper documents the project background, specification, research and development of the first prototype system. It also discusses the research in the visual display, haptic devices and haptic rendering. This includes stereo vision, motion parallax, volumetric modelling, surface remapping algorithms as well as analysis design of the system. A new volumetric to surface model transformation algorithm is also introduced. This paper includes the future work on the system development and research.

Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study

Published data on the bioavailability of various Mg preparations is too fragmented and scanty to inform proper choice of Mg preparation for. clinical studies. In this study, the relative bioavailability of three preparations of Mg (amino-acid chelate, citrate and oxide) were compared at a daily dose of 300 mg of elemental Mg in 46 healthy individuals. The study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel intervention, of 60 days duration. Urine, blood and saliva samples were taken at baseline, 24 h after the first Mg supplement was taken ('acute' supplementation) and after 60 days of daily Mg consumption ('chronic' supplementation). Results showed that supplementation of the organic forms of Mg (citrate and amino-acid chelate) showed greater absorption (P = 0.033) at 60 days than MgO, as assessed by the 24-h urinary Mg excretion. Mg citrate led to the greatest mean serum Mg concentration compared with other treatments following both acute (P = 0.026) and chronic (P = 0.006) supplementation. Furthermore, although mean erythrocyte Mg concentration showed no differences among groups, chronic Mg citrate supplementation resulted in the greatest (P = 0.027) mean salivary Mg concentration compared with all other treatments. Mg oxide supplementation resulted in no differences compared to placebo. We conclude that a daily supplementation with Mg citrate shows superior bioavailability after 60 days of treatment when compared with other treatments studied.

Actinomyces dentalis sp nov., from a human dental abscess

A previously undescribed filamentous, beaded, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated from pus of a human dental abscess. Based on its cellular morphology end the results of biochemical testing the organism was tentatively identified as a member of the genus Actinomyces, but it did not correspond to any currently recognized species of this genus. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies showed the bacterium represents a distinct subline within the genus Actinomyces, clustering within a group of species that includes Actinomyces bovis, the type species of the genus. Sequence divergence values of >8% with other recognized species within this phylogenetic group clearly demonstrated that the organism represents a hitherto unknown species. Based on biochemical and molecular phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the unidentified organism recovered from a dental abscess be classified as a novel species, Actinomyces dentalis sp. nov. The type strain is R18165(T) (= CCUG 48064(T) = CIP 108337(T)).

Actinomyces oricola sp. nov., from a human dental abscess

A previously undescribed Actinomyces-like bacterium was isolated from a human dental abscess. Based on its cellular morphology and the results of biochemical testing the organism was tentatively identified as a member of the genus Actinomyces, but it did not correspond to any currently recognized species of this genus. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies showed the bacterium represents a hitherto unknown subline within the genus Actinomyces, clustering within a group of species, which includes Actinomyces bovis, the type species of the genus. Based on biochemical and molecular phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown organism recovered from a dental abscess be classified as a new species, Actinomyces oricola sp. nov. The type strain of Actinomyces oricola is R5292(T) (=CCUG 46090(T)=CIP 107639(T)).

Permeation of bioactive constituents from Arnica montana preparations through human skin in-vitro

This study investigated and characterised transdermal permeation of bioactive agents from a topically applied Arnica montana tincture. Permeation experiments conducted over 48 h used polyclimethylsiloxane (silastic) and human epidermal membranes mounted in Franz-type diffusion cells with a methanol-water (50:50 v/v) receptor fluid. A commercially available tincture of A. montana L. derived from dried Spanish flower heads was a donor solution. Further donor solutions prepared from this stock tincture concentrated the tincture constituents 1, 2 and 10 fold and its sesquiterpene lactones 10 fold. Permeants were assayed using a high-performance liquid chromatography method. Five components permeated through silastic membranes providing peaks with relative retention factors to an internal standard (santonin) of 0.28, 1.18, 1.45, 1.98 and 2.76, respectively. No permeant was detected within 12 h of applying the Arnica tincture onto human epidermal membranes. However, after 12 h, the first two of these components were detected. These were,shown by Zimmermann reagent reaction to be sesquiterpene lactones and liquid chromatography/diode array detection/mass spectrometry indicated that these two permeants were 11,13-dihydrohelenalin (DH) analogues (methacrylate and tiglate esters). The same two components were also detected within 3 h of topical application of the 10-fold concentrated tincture and the concentrated sesquiterpene lactone extract.

Design and development of a haptic dental training system - hapTEL

This paper presents a novel design of a virtual dental training system (hapTEL) using haptic technology. The system allows dental students to learn and practice procedures such as dental drilling, caries removal and cavity preparation for tooth restoration. This paper focuses on the hardware design, development and evaluation aspects in relation to the dental training and educational requirements. Detailed discussions on how the system offers dental students a natural operational position are documented. An innovative design of measuring and connecting the dental tools to the haptic device is also shown. Evaluation of the impact on teaching and learning is discussed.

Regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in adult rat heart preparations in vitro.

The regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK kinase (MEK) was studied in freshly isolated adult rat heart preparations. In contrast to the situation in ventricular myocytes cultured from neonatal rat hearts, stimulation of MAPK activity by 1 mumol/L phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was not consistently detectable in crude extracts. After fast protein liquid chromatography, MAPK isoforms p42MAPK and p44MAPK and two peaks of MEK were shown to be activated > 10-fold in perfused hearts or ventricular myocytes exposed to 1 mumol/L PMA for 5 minutes. The identities of MAPK or MEK were confirmed by immunoblotting and, for MAPK, by the "in-gel" myelin basic protein phosphorylation assay. In retrogradely perfused hearts, high coronary perfusion pressure (120 mm Hg for 5 minutes), norepinephrine (50 mumol/L for 5 minutes), or isoproterenol (50 mumol/L for 5 minutes) stimulated MAPK and MEK approximately 2- to 5-fold. In isolated myocytes, endothelin 1 (100 nmol/L for 5 minutes) also stimulated MAPK, but stimulation by norepinephrine or isoproterenol was difficult to detect. Immunoblotting showed that the relative abundances of MAPK and MEK protein in ventricles declined to < 20% of their postpartal abundances after 50 days. This may explain the difficulties encountered in assaying the activity of MAPK in crude extracts from adult hearts. We conclude that potentially hypertrophic agonists and interventions stimulate the MAPK cascade in adult rats and suggest that the MAPK cascade may be an important intracellular signaling pathway in this response.

Protocol for a feasibility study of a self help cognitive behavioural therapy resource for the reduction of dental anxiety in young people

Background Childhood dental anxiety is very common, with 10–20 % of children and young people reporting high levels of dental anxiety. It is distressing and has a negative impact on the quality of life of young people and their parents as well as being associated with poor oral health. Affected individuals may develop a lifelong reliance on general anaesthetic or sedation for necessary dental treatment thus requiring the support of specialist dental services. Children and young people with dental anxiety therefore require additional clinical time and can be costly to treat in the long term. The reduction of dental anxiety through the use of effective psychological techniques is, therefore, of high importance. However, there is a lack of high-quality research investigating the impact of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches when applied to young people’s dental anxiety. Methods/design The first part of the study will develop a profile of dentally anxious young people using a prospective questionnaire sent to a consecutive sample of 100 young people referred to the Paediatric Dentistry Department, Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, in Sheffield. The second part will involve interviewing a purposive sample of 15–20 dental team members on their perceptions of a CBT self-help resource for dental anxiety, their opinions on whether they might use such a resource with patients, and their willingness to recruit participants to a future randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the resource. The third part of the study will investigate the most appropriate outcome measures to include in a trial, the acceptability of the resource, and retention and completion rates of treatment with a sample of 60 dentally anxious young people using the CBT resource. Discussion This study will provide information on the profile of dentally anxious young people who could potentially be helped by a guided self-help CBT resource. It will gain the perceptions of dental care team members of guided self-help CBT for dental anxiety in young people and their willingness to recruit participants to a trial. Acceptability of the resource to participants and retention and completion rates will also be investigated to inform a future RCT.