Oral hygiene in the control of occlusal caries

In order to be able to objectively evaluate capillary perfusion of venous flaps, we created arterialised venous flaps, venous flow-through flaps, and unilateral pedicled venous island flaps in the epigastric vascular system of Wistar rats and determined their oxygen supply with two different methods. Interstitial pO2 was polarographically measured with a probe placed intracutaneously in the center of the 4 x 2.5 cm flaps and continuously recorded on a connected computer. Moreover, we also noninvasively determined the oxygenation of the intracapillary haemoglobin with a micro-lightguide spectrophotometer. The statistical evaluation showed comparable results for both measurement methods: Arterialised venous flaps had a better oxygen supply with a pO2 of 16 mmHg and an Hb oxygenation of 23% than the other types of venous flaps, but they have a poorer oxygen supply than conventionally perfused flaps (pO2: 24 mmHg, Hb oxygenation: 30%). Venous flow-through flaps (pO2: 9 mmHg, Hb oxygenation: 17%) and unilateral pedicled venous island flaps had a significant better oxygen supply than skin flaps without any vascular connection. The results show that the capillary system in all types of venous flaps is reached by some of the inflowing oxygenated haemoglobin over the entire flap surface to different degrees.     

Oral hygiene as a risk indicator of enamel and dentin caries

Dental researchers have postulated that the risk factors for enamel and dentin caries may not be the same. A review of the literature ascertained that data to support this theory are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the risk indicators of enamel and dentin caries of the permanent dentition in a study group who had limited access to fluorides and made limited use of dental services. METHODS: The study was conducted in Goa, India. Data came from a cross-sectional survey of 1189 seventh grade children, which consisted of a clinical dental examination and a self-administered questionnaire to their parents. The cavitated and non-cavitated criteria were used to score for caries, and the Silness-Loe index for plaque. RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 12.2 years. The percentage of children caries free in the permanent dentition was 22.2%, the mean+/-s for dmfs, enamel and dentin lesions were 4.20+/-5.10, 2.59+/-2.89 and 1.61+/-3.30 respectively, and the mean plaque score was 1.00+/-0.48. Results of regression analyses showed that the risk indicators of prevalence and severity of caries differed depending on lesion type. The only variable that was consistently a risk indicator of presence and severity of both dentin and enamel caries was poor oral hygiene. Mother's highest level of education and presence of fluorosis were also risk indicators of enamel and dentin caries. The presence of decayed primary teeth was a risk indicator of enamel caries; and fluorosis severity, use of fluoride toothpaste at the time of the survey, and toothbrushing frequency were risk indicators of dentin caries. The observed caries-oral hygiene association seen is explored further.     

Parental awareness of dental caries in toddlers

Endodontic endosseous implants stabilize teeth that have crown-root ratios compromised by periodontal disease, trauma, or apical resorption. By increasing the crown-root ratio, the implant improves the prognosis of the tooth, thus increasing its longevity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in vivo, the healing response to a newly introduced titanium endodontic implant. Eight implants were placed in the maxillary incisors and mandibular premolars of two adult beagle dogs after completion of root canal and osseous preparation. Peri-implant tissues were examined radiographically and histologically at 6 months postinsertion. Radiographically, the periapical area and tissue surrounding the implants seemed normal. Histologically, fibrous connective tissue and healthy bone intimately surrounded the implant. Epithelium or chronic inflammatory cells were not observed along the length of the implant. These findings suggest that titanium is a biocompatible metal when used as an endodontic endosseous implant.     

The developmental status and adaptive behavior of homeless and low-income housed infants and toddlers

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the development status of 127 homeless and 91 low-income housed infants and toddlers. METHODS: The Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Vineland Screener were used to gather data. RESULTS: There were no differences between homeless and low-income housed children. However, younger children in both groups performed better than the older children on most summary scores. CONCLUSIONS: Homeless and low-income housed children did not differ in their cognitive and motor skills. However, older children scored lower than younger children on most measures of development status, suggesting that the cumulative effects of poverty may increase with time.     

Blickets and babies: The development of causal reasoning in toddlers and infants.

Previous research has suggested that preschoolers possess a cognitive system that allows them to construct an abstract, coherent representation of causal relations among events. Such a system lets children reason retrospectively when they observe ambiguous data in a rational manner (e.g., D. M. Sobel, J. B. Tenenbaum, & A. Gopnik, 2004). However, there is little evidence that demonstrates whether younger children possess similar inferential abilities. In Experiment 1, the authors extended previous findings with older children to examine 19- and 24-month-olds' causal inferences. Twenty-four-month-olds' inferences were similar to those of preschoolers, but younger children lacked the ability to make retrospective causal inferences, perhaps because of performance limitations. In Experiment 2, the authors designed an eye-tracking paradigm to test younger participants that eliminated various manual search demands. Eight-month-olds' anticipatory eye movements, in response to retrospective data, revealed inferences similar to those of 24-month-olds in Experiment 1 and preschoolers in previous research. These data are discussed in terms of associative reasoning and causal inference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cosleeping (bedsharing) among infants and toddlers

This study was designed to investigate the effect of retaining coronal tooth substance on the performance of post-retained core materials, and to compare the fracture resistance of the system with an intact tooth prepared to similar dimensions. Ten teeth restored with post-retained silver amalgam, and 10 teeth restored with silver-glass cermet, all with a retained single wall of coronal tooth substance, were compared with 10 unrestored teeth prepared to similar dimensions when subjected to a shearing load. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the unrestored teeth and those restored with a silver-glass cermet. Whilst the teeth restored with silver amalgam had a significantly higher fracture resistance (P > 0.01) there was greater tendency to root fracture.     

Sympathy through affective perspective taking and its relation to prosocial behavior in toddlers.

In most research on the early ontogeny of sympathy, young children are presented with an overtly distressed person and their responses are observed. In the current study, the authors asked whether young children could also sympathize with a person to whom something negative had happened but who was expressing no emotion at all. They showed 18- and 25-month-olds an adult either harming another adult by destroying or taking away her possessions (harm condition) or else doing something similar that did not harm her (neutral condition). The “victim” expressed no emotions in either condition. Nevertheless, in the harm as compared with the neutral condition, children showed more concern and subsequent prosocial behavior toward the victim. Moreover, children's concerned looks during the harmful event were positively correlated with their subsequent prosocial behavior. Very young children can sympathize with a victim even in the absence of overt emotional signals, possibly by some form of affective perspective taking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social behavior of infants and toddlers in a day-care environment.

27 infants and toddlers were observed in a day-care setting, each for a maximum of 50 min, to investigate the relation of the children's social experiences to changes in social behavior as a function of age. Standardized tests of developmental status (e.g., Bayley Scales of Infant Development and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale) were administered at intervals. Results show that with age the frequency of teacher–child interaction decreased and peer interaction increased. The increase in peer interaction appeared to be related to the toddlers' greater capacity for reciprocating social behaviors and increased use of vocal behavior in interactions. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic factors in relation to fetal growth in white infants

Over 1,200 white mothers who were delivered consecutively at this medical center were classified in four different socioeconomic classes according to family affluence and occupations of the heat of the household. The frequency of low-birth-weight infants was highest in the lowest socioeconomic class. The high incidence of LBW infants in the lowest socioeconiomic group was not affected by any significant increase in number of mothers with medical problems or medical complications of pregnancy; it was dependent on the large number of mothers who were involved in four specific practices, largely of their own choosing, including low-weight gains, cigarette smoking, use of certain drugs during pregnancy, and refraining from all prenatal care. Mothers in the four socioeconomic classes who were not involved with these four specific practices (smoking, etc.) and whose pregnancies were free of medical problems and complications had uniformly low incidences of LBW infants and the mean birth weights of their infants were uniformly high and not significantly different. Unfavorable outcome of pregnancy with respect to fetal growth in this study appeared to depend less directly on socioeconomic circumstances than on the four specific maternal practices listed above.     

Three-month nutritional supplementation in Indonesian infants and toddlers benefits memory function 8 y later

Does short-term supplementary feeding during infancy and childhood have long-lasting effects? In 1986, 334 children aged 6-60 mo living on rural tea plantations in West Java, Indonesia, participated in a 3-mo randomized trial to test the effects of a dietary supplement providing approximately 1672 kJ (400 kcal) energy/d, with about the same nutrient density as local foods. We returned to the same communities in 1994 and enrolled 231 (125 supplemented, 106 control) of the original subjects in a follow-up study of the long-term effects of supplementation. We assessed these subjects by using several measures: anthropometry, iron status, information processing, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, word fluency, and an arithmetic test. The supplemented group showed no differences from those in the control group. However, when the analysis was limited to subjects who had received the supplement before the age of 18 mo (n = 73), the supplemented children performed better than control children on the Sternberg test of working memory (decision time intercept: probe absent, P = 0.002; probe present, P = 0.053). After considering possible confounders, we concluded that the supplementation during infancy was responsible for the difference. This finding shows that supplementation can have long-lasting effects on a specific domain if the child receives it at the appropriate stage of development.     

Oral hygiene following traumatic brain injury: a programme to promote dental health

In spontaneously beating sinus venosus of the frog Caudiverbera caudiverbera the effects of bekanamycin and dibekacin, two aminoglycoside antibiotics, on action potentials of cardiac primary pacemaker cells were studied by intracellular recording. Bekanamycin and dibekacin induced a concentration-dependent decrease of the amplitude, overshoot and the rate of rise of the action potential. Both also flattened the slow diastolic depolarization leading to a marked decrease in beat rate. At the highest concentration used (1 x 10(-3) M), the aminoglycosides produced a complete inhibition of primary cells action potentials. It was preceded by the appearance of subthreshold oscillations of the membrane potential which were observed for a few minutes until the electrical activity of pacemaker cell ceased. During absence of impulse initiation a stable membrane potential about -40 mV was observed. Aminoglycoside effects, excepting those on SCL, were completely suppressed when external calcium was increased to 3.6 mM. The results support the conclusion that bekanamycin and dibekacin depress the electrical activity of pacemaker cells. It is suggested that this effect is induced by aminoglycosides blockade of the slow calcium current involved in both upstroke and slow diastolic depolarization and through modification of potassium outward current. Bekanamycin at a lower concentration than that needed to induce electrophysiological effects potentiated verapamil 1 x 10(-8) effects on cardiac pacemaker cells.     

Oral feeding in low birth weight infants

To gain a better understanding of the development of sucking behavior in low birth weight infants, the aims of this study were as follows: (1) to assess these infants' oral feeding performance when milk delivery was unrestricted, as routinely administered in nurseries, versus restricted when milk flow occurred only when the infant was sucking; (2) to determine whether the term sucking pattern of suction/ expression was necessary for feeding success; and (3) to identify clinical indicators of successful oral feeding. Infants (26 to 29 weeks of gestation) were evaluated at their first oral feeding and on achieving independent oral feeding. Bottle nipples were adapted to monitor suction and expression. To assess performance during a feeding, proficiency (percent volume transferred during the first 5 minutes of a feeding/total volume ordered), efficiency (volume transferred per unit time), and overall transfer (percent volume transferred) were calculated. Restricted milk flow enhanced all three parameters. Successful oral feeding did not require the term sucking pattern. Infants who demonstrated both a proficiency > or = 30% and efficiency > or = 1.5 ml/min at their first oral feeding were successful with that feeding and attained independent oral feeding at a significantly earlier postmenstrual age than their counterparts with lower proficiency, efficiency, or both. Thus a restricted milk flow facilitates oral feeding in infants younger than 30 weeks of gestation, the term sucking pattern is not necessary for successful oral feeding, and proficiency and efficiency together may be used as reliable indicators of early attainment of independent oral feeding in low birth weight infants.     

School psychologists serving at-risk and handicapped infants, toddlers, and their families.

Discusses early intervention, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (PL 99-457), Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP), multidisciplinary teams, case management, and the school psychologist's role in providing full educational services to at-risk and handicapped infants, toddlers, and their families. It is anticipated that the school psychologist will play a role in home and family problems, emotional and behavior concerns, and academic issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kashin-Beck osteoarthropathy in rural Tibet in relation to selenium and iodine status

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Kashin-Beck disease is a degenerative osteoarticular disorder that is endemic to certain areas of Tibet, where selenium deficiency is also endemic. Because selenium is involved in thyroid hormone metabolism, we studied the relation among the serum selenium concentration, thyroid function, and Kashin-Beck disease in 575 subjects 5 to 15 years of age in 12 villages around Lhasa, Tibet, including 1 control village in which no subject had Kashin-Beck disease. Clinical, radiologic, and biochemical data were collected. RESULTS: Among the 575 subjects, 280 (49 percent) had Kashin-Beck disease, 267 (46 percent) had goiter, and 7 (1 percent) had cretinism. Of the 557 subjects in whom urinary iodine was measured, 66 percent had a urinary iodine concentration of less than 2 microg per deciliter (157 nmol per liter; normal, 5 to 25 microg per deciliter [394 to 1968 nmol per liter]). The mean urinary iodine concentration was lower in subjects with Kashin-Beck disease than in control subjects (1.2 vs. 1.8 microg per deciliter [94 vs. 142 nmol per liter], P<0.001) and hypothyroidism was more frequent (23 percent vs. 4 percent, P=0.01). Severe selenium deficiency was documented in all villages; 38 percent of subjects had serum concentrations of less than 5 ng per milliliter (64 nmol per liter; normal, 60 to 105 ng per milliliter [762 to 1334 nmol per liter]). When age and sex were controlled for in a multivariate analysis, low urinary iodine, high serum thyrotropin, and low serum thyroxine-binding globulin values were associated with an increased risk of Kashin-Beck disease, but a low serum selenium concentration was not. CONCLUSIONS: In areas where severe selenium deficiency is endemic, iodine deficiency is a risk factor for Kashin-Beck disease.     

Prognosis of infants of diabetic mothers in relation to neonatal hypoglycaemia

A prospective follow-up study was conducted to determine whether neonatal hypoglycaemia in infants of diabetic mothers affects subsequent neurological and intellectual performance. 37 such infants (25 hypoglycaemic and 12 non-hypoglycaemic) were examined for physical, neurological and developmental performance at an average age of 4 1/2 years. 11 children were abnormal, with generalised retardation and neurological abnormalities, or delays in particular areas of development; three children were possibly abnormal; and 23 children were normal. Abnormality at follow-up could not be related to neonatal blood glucose level, to the duration of hypoglycaemia or to any other measurement made in the neonatal period, nor to any factor relating to the maternal diabetes. Compared with the normal children, the abnormal group had slightly small head-circumferences at birth relative to their gestational age, but a follow-up there was no difference in head size. At follow-up the children of diabetic mothers tended to be shorter than average. The poor prognosis of the infants in this study was not due to brain damage caused by neonatal hypoglycaemia.     

Oral hygiene and gingivitis in a Swedish adult population 1973, 1983 and 1993

BACKGROUND: Hypertriglyceridaemia is a common metabolic disorder frequently found in patients with coronary heart disease. Numerous studies have revealed an association between the SstI polymorphism in the APOC3 gene and increased plasma apoC3 and triglyceride levels. In addition, two different variants within the promoter region have been recently suggested to be the mutations of the APOC3 gene leading to hypertriglyceridaemia. METHODS: In the present study, we have applied haplotype analysis to investigate whether these promoter polymorphisms are involved in the lipid disorders of patients with distinct types of hypertriglyceridaemia: combined hyperlipidaemia (CHL), familial dysbetalipoproteinaemia (FD) and endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG). RESULTS: The -482 and -455 polymorphisms were significantly more frequent in FD patients (P = 0. 017) and endogenous HTG patients (P < 0.0001) than in CHL patients and a control group. The SstI polymorphism was only significantly more frequent in HTG patients (P < 0.0001). However, we did not find differences in frequencies for these polymorphisms in the APOC3 gene between CHL patients and a control group. Haplotype analysis indicates that the SstI polymorphism arose on the allele containing both promoter polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: The haplotype containing the SstI polymorphism is found five times more frequently among HTG patients (OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.65-16.90), which strongly suggests it is associated with an increased risk for severe hypertriglyceridaemia.