Predictors of student success in an entry-level baccalaureate dental hygiene program.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the utility of various predictors used by the Old Dominion University Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene baccalaureate degree dental hygiene program in selecting dental hygiene students who are most likely to graduate and be successful in passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). The following factors were examined: grade point average (GPA); science GPA; final grade in various prerequisite courses; final grade in first-year dental hygiene courses; academic setting where prerequisite courses were completed; multiple attempts to achieve a passing course grade; and admissions criteria points (ACP).

Alveolar bone loss and reported medical status among a sample of patients at a Saudi dental school.

Purpose: Periodontitis is a common chronic disease globally. It is a major cause of tooth loss among adults, and recently has been suggested as a possible risk factorfor some systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In Saudi Arabia, research on periodontitis prevalence, as well as its relation to systemic diseases, is lacking.

Increased intake of dairy products is related to lower periodontitis prevalence.

Background: An inverse association between calcium intake and periodontitis prevalence was recently reported. Dairy products are rich sources of calcium and other important nutrients. To date, it appears that the relationship between the intake of dairy products and periodontitis has not been investigated.

Periodontitis and cardiovascular disease: a review of shared risk factors and new findings supporting a causality hypothesis.

Periodontitis is a common chronic disease worldwide. It is a major cause of tooth loss among adults and recently has been suggested to increase the risk for developing several systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Populations are not equally affected by periodontal disease because there are several environmental and host factors modulating susceptibility.

Poor overall diet quality as a possible contributor to calculus formation.

Purpose: An association between diet and calculus deposits was suggested by animal studies. The objective of the present analysis was to examine whether or not there is an association between overall diet quality, as measured by the healthy eating index, and extent of dental calculus deposits using a subset of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data.

Materials And Methods: NHANES III participants 18-years of age or older who had data on dental calculus and diet quality were selected (n = 12405).

Predictability of connective tissue grafts for root coverage: clinical perspectives and a review of the literature.

Several techniques using subepithelial connective tissue for root coverage have recently been described in the periodontal literature. The predictability of such procedures, however, varies among the different reports. The factors responsible for these differences are not fully understood.

Increased physical activity reduces prevalence of periodontitis.

Objectives: Physical activity has been shown to have a protective relationship with several chronic diseases. Recently, physical activity was also found to reduce the risk of periodontitis in a study in male health professionals. However, the relationship between physical activity and periodontitis in a diverse group of individuals is not thoroughly examined.

Periodontitis and three health-enhancing behaviors: maintaining normal weight, engaging in recommended level of exercise, and consuming a high-quality diet.

Background: Maintaining normal weight, engaging in the recommended level of exercise, and eating healthy food are known to improve general health. The impact of these behaviors on periodontal health is not well documented. This study is aimed at examining whether the increased number of these behaviors is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of periodontitis in a United States population.

Alveolar bone loss in obese subjects.

Background: Obesity was found to be significantly associated with periodontal disease prevalence as measured by probing depth and clinical attachment loss. The aim of this study was to examine if obesity correlates with chronic periodontitis as diagnosed by radiographic alveolar bone loss.

Method: Four hundred subjects > or =18 years old were included; 200 with body mass index (BMI) > or =30 kg/m2 (obese) and 200 with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (non-obese).

Diet and periodontitis.

The importance of diet in maintaining optimum body health is well recognized. An unhealthy diet has been implicated as a risk factor for several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers. The relationship between diet and periodontitis is not clear.

Effect of connective tissue graft orientation on root coverage and gingival augmentation.

The present study was undertaken to assess the width of keratinized tissue and root coverage achieved when orienting the superficial surface of a connective tissue graft toward either the gingival flap or the root surface. Sixteen pairs of bilateral gingival recessions (Miller Class I and II) in 13 subjects were divided into two groups. In each subject, one side received a connective tissue graft with its superficial surface facing the gingival flap, while the contralateral side received a connective tissue graft with its superficial surface facing the root surface.

Obesity and periodontal disease in young, middle-aged, and older adults.

Background: The growing prevalence of increased body weight and obesity in the United States has raised significant public health concerns. Obesity has been implicated as a risk factor for several chronic health conditions, as well as being associated with increased mortality. Recently, an association between obesity and periodontal disease was found in a Japanese population.

DDT and its metabolites in breast milk from two regions in Saudi Arabia.

A cross sectional study was designed to measure DDT residues and its metabolites in breast milk samples collected randomly from Saudi lactating mothers living in Al-Ehssa region; which was under leishmania control until 1995, and compare them to samples from mothers living in Riyadh region where no spraying activities was involved. p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDT residues were measured in 878 breast milk samples by Gas Chromatography/Electron Capture Detector (GC/ECD) and confirmed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer Detector (GC/MSD). Variation in the DDT and its metabolites levels were investigated with respect to regional distribution.

Healthcare risk waste in Saudi Arabia. Rate of generation.

Objective: To assess the amount of healthcare risk waste generated by health establishments in Saudi Arabia

Methods: A healthcare waste management questionnaire was applied in 27 hospitals, and 16 primary health centres and clinics. The total quantity of healthcare risk waste collected in 24 hours in each of these establishments was weighed. Calculations were carried out to get hospitals rate of healthcare risk waste generation and primary healthcare centres risk waste generation.

Antibiotic prescribing by pediatricians for respiratory tract infection in children.

To examine antimicrobial prescribing rates for viral respiratory tract infections by primary care pediatricians in the greater Toronto area, charts were reviewed for the week of 17-21 February 1997 at 61 pediatricians' offices. Antibiotics were considered appropriate if the diagnosis was compatible with bacterial infection. A total of 3,585 patient visits were reviewed.

Attitudes of saudi media towards world health events.

Introduction: Mass media are very important in health education programmes. Health promoters rely on them to play a crucial role in their campaign.

Aim: The aim of the study was to study the patterns of contribution of the Saudi daily newspapers on two international health occasion during the year 1416H (World AIDS Day 1995 and World Health Day 1996).

Comparison of adhesion formation and tensile strength after three laparoscopic herniorrhaphy techniques.

Several techniques for laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy have been described in the literature: laparoscopic extraperitoneal mesh repair (EXTRA), transabdominal preperitoneal mesh repair (TAPP), and intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair (IPOM). To evaluate the incidence of adhesion formation and the tensile properties of these techniques, young male pigs underwent mesh placement using the above techniques. The animals had follow-up for 6 weeks, and no trocar site adhesions were observed.

Leishmania major: in vitro ultrastructural study of the paraxial rod of promastigotes.

The flagellum of Leishmania major promastigotes has an intraflagellar structure known as the paraxial rod (PAR) which extends from a point halfway in the flagellar pocket to the tip of the flagellum, lying opposite the axonemal microtubule doublets 4-7. An expansion of the axonemal plasma membrane envelops the PAR and may provide desmosomal attachment at the orifice of the flagellar pocket. The complex organization of the 4-6 nm thick filaments in the PAR was studied by us in cross, oblique, longitudinal and tangential sections by electron microscope.