Comprehensive, School-Based Preventive Dentistry: Program Details and Students' Unmet Dental Needs.

Background: In this paper, we describe the design, program details, and baseline demographics and oral health of participants in ForsythKids, a regional, comprehensive, school-based mobile caries prevention program.

Methods: We solicited all Massachusetts elementary schools with greater than 50% of students receiving free or reduced-price meals. Six schools initially elected to participate, ultimately followed by over 50 schools.

Collaborating and teaching a synchronous, multi-university, virtual course: Health policy and access to dental care.

Purpose: In response to COVID-19, dental educators have been tasked with maintaining the quality of education while reducing cost, increasing efficiency, and leveraging technology.

Methods: This collaborative, multisite virtual health policy course used the Staged Self-Directed Learning Model (SSDL) to lead a diverse group of students studying health policy. Twelve Core sessions were offered with three additional sessions in August or December for a total of 15 total synchronous Zoom sessions that covered policy issues on supply, demand, and need for dental care.

A case-control study of topical and supplemental fluoride use and osteosarcoma risk.

Background: A relationship between fluoride and osteosarcoma has been hypothesized but not validated. To the authors' knowledge, there are no published studies examining topical fluoride or dietary fluoride supplements and osteosarcoma risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between ever or never use of topical and dietary fluoride supplements and osteosarcoma.

Our current geriatric population: demographic and oral health care utilization.

This article describes the rapidly growing geriatric population in the United States. Current and emerging living arrangements include the subgroups of older adults who live at home, retirement villages, assisted living facilities, various levels of nursing homes, and hospice care. The degree of isolation and social connection is discussed and the need for dental care has been summarized from the literature.

The oral health of vulnerable older adults and persons with disabilities.

Demographic trends in the United States show that the number of people with one or more disabilities is going to increase dramatically over the coming decades. This paper describes the types of disabilities that make up this increase and documents growth of this population over the next 40 years. Dental care market forces are defined and analyzed as they will influence the ability of vulnerable elders and people with disabilities to purchase dental care.

Genome-wide association study identifies two susceptibility loci for osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy of adolescents and young adults. To better understand the genetic etiology of osteosarcoma, we performed a multistage genome-wide association study consisting of 941 individuals with osteosarcoma (cases) and 3,291 cancer-free adult controls of European ancestry. Two loci achieved genome-wide significance: a locus in the GRM4 gene at 6p21.

Primary care, the dental profession, and the prevalence of chronic diseases in the United States.

The population of the United States is aging rapidly, and the prevalence of chronic diseases will increase as the population grows and ages. The management of chronic illnesses will become an increasing burden for primary care providers. This article suggests that dentists may need to monitor chronic disease and control the risk factors (ie, provide primary care) for their own dental patients.

A comprehensive candidate gene approach identifies genetic variation associated with osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a bone malignancy which occurs primarily in adolescents. Since it occurs during a period of rapid growth, genes important in bone formation and growth are plausible modifiers of risk. Genes involved in DNA repair and ribosomal function may contribute to OS pathogenesis, because they maintain the integrity of critical cellular processes.

Telomere length and variation in telomere biology genes in individuals with osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone tumor, occurs most frequently in adolescents. Chromosomal aneuploidy is common in osteosarcoma cells, suggesting underlying chromosomal instability. Telomeres, located at chromosome ends, are essential for genomic stability; several studies have suggested that germline telomere length (TL) is associated with cancer risk.

Height at diagnosis and birth-weight as risk factors for osteosarcoma.

Objectives: Osteosarcoma typically occurs during puberty. Studies of the association between height and/or birth-weight and osteosarcoma are conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a large pooled analysis of height and birth-weight in osteosarcoma.

Development of a clinical guideline to predict undiagnosed diabetes in dental patients.

Background: In 2007, 17.9 million people in the United States had diagnosed diabetes, and 5.7 million had undiagnosed diabetes.

Genetic variation at chromosome 8q24 in osteosarcoma cases and controls.

Osteosarcoma is a primary bone malignancy that typically occurs during the pubertal growth spurt. Only a few small association studies have evaluated common germ line variation in individuals with osteosarcoma. The 8q24 chromosomal region contains several loci that are associated with risk of many different cancers.

Do genetic factors explain the association between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease? A prospective study among Swedish twins.

Epidemiologic studies suggest positive associations between poor oral health and cardiovascular disease. The authors undertook a prospective study among 15,273 Swedish twins (1963-2000) to examine whether genetic factors underlying the 2 diseases could explain previous associations. They estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals controlling for individual factors and stratifying on twin pairs to control for familial effects.

Periodontitis and the risk for non-fatal stroke in Korean adults.

Background: The association between periodontal inflammation and non-fatal stroke is still controversial and limited to evidence in Western countries. The aim of this study was to investigate whether periodontitis is independently associated with non-fatal stroke in Korean adults.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 265 non-fatal chronic stroke cases at the National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea, and 214 non-stroke population controls.

Maternal periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objectives: Maternal periodontal diseases have been associated with increased risk of preterm birth and restricted fetal growth among relatively low socioeconomic groups. Whether the association can be generalized to middle-class populations remains uncertain. We evaluated periodontitis in relation to preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA, birth weight below the 10th percentile of birth weight for gestational age) among a group of medically insured women.

The 3' UTR IGF2R-A2/B2 variant is associated with increased tumor growth and advanced stages in non-small cell lung cancer.

Normal function of insulin-like growth factor II receptor (IGF2R) gene has been associated with negative control of tumor growth in vivo and in vitro. Rare alleles at a 3' UTR short tandem repeat polymorphism of IGF2R are known to decrease transcript stability. One such allele (A2/B2) increases significantly the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in Caucasians.

A survey of program directors: trends, challenges, and mentoring in prosthodontics. Part 1.

Purpose: This study consisted of two parts. Part 1, a survey of program directors, was conducted to examine current trends in advanced education in prosthodontics in the United States. Part 2 will report on the survey results distributed to the deans of US dental schools to evaluate their observations of trends in prosthodontics.

Analysis of genes critical for growth regulation identifies Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Receptor variations with possible functional significance as risk factors for osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma, the most common malignant primary bone tumor, typically occurs during the adolescent growth spurt. Germ-line genetic variation in genes critical in growth regulation could confer altered risk of osteosarcoma.

Methods: Fifty-two common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 13 genes were genotyped in a prospective case-control study of osteosarcoma (104 osteosarcoma cases and 74 orthopedic controls).

Germ-line genetic variation of TP53 in osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) has been well described in individuals with germ-line TP53 mutations (Li-Fraumeni Syndrome) but typically occurs sporadically in adolescents and young adults. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the most common germ-line genetic variation, have been associated with risk for other types of cancer. We hypothesized that genetic variation in TP53 could be associated with OS risk based on its critical role in cell growth and effect of somatic mutations in OS tumors.

Risk assessment and management of periodontal disease.

Background: As our understanding of periodontal diseases has increased, it has become clear that certain risk factors are associated with the diseases' incidence, severity and progression. This article focuses on the role of risk assessment and disease management in improving patient outcomes, both in the general population and in specific population groups with an increased risk of developing periodontal disease or with associated comorbidities.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The author reviewed literature related to the efficacy of risk assessment and periodontal disease management in improving clinical outcomes.

A reproducibility study for a fluoride assay in bone.

Osteosarcoma is a rare malignancy of largely unknown etiology. Although there is no consistent evidence for an association between fluoridation and cancer, some concerns remain about osteosarcoma. As part of the design of a collaborative study, bone samples were collected to allow for an evaluation of the association between osteosarcoma risk and individual fluoride exposure measured by levels of fluoride in bone.

Periodontitis and plasma C-reactive protein during pregnancy.

Background: Periodontitis has been associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in non-pregnant adults. We examined the relationship between periodontitis and CRP among women who provided dental radiographs and had blood collected during early pregnancy, excluding smokers and diabetic patients.

Methods: From Project Viva, an ongoing cohort study, we measured plasma CRP in 35 subjects with periodontitis (i.

Risk assessment criteria applied to a screening exam: implications for improving the efficiency of a sealant program.

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the ability of first-grade screening exam findings to predict carious lesions in permanent first molars by fourth grade. The ability to identify high-risk children would be useful in the rational allocation of limited public health resources, such as the application of sealants.

Methods: Screening exams were performed on 204 children in 1st grade and 4th grade.