Association between untreated caries and cariogenic bacteria in adolescents in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: There is a paucity of research focused on salivary bacteria analyzed through real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) among adolescents. The current study determined the quantity of (SM) and (LB) in saliva obtained from Taiwanese adolescents and investigated the association between the oral bacteria and untreated dental caries.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited Taiwanese students aged 10-18.

Real-world effectiveness of national pit and fissure sealants program in Taiwan.

Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of a national population-based pit and fissure sealants (PFS) program in Taiwan.

Methods: Part 1 (effectiveness of national PFS program) involved children who had participated in the PFS program from 2015 to 2019. After propensity score matching, 670,840 children were selected for analysis until the end of 2019.

Quality of dental treatments under intravenous sedation among patients with disability: A self-matching study.

Background/purpose: Patients with disabilities usually have difficulties in communication and mobility, and the quality of the dental treatments are often inferior. This study uses the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database to analyze the quality of dental treatment for patients with disabilities who receive intravenous sedation (IVS).

Materials And Methods: This study selected patients with disabilities who received dental treatment under IVS.

The new X-ray/visible microscopy MAXWELL technique for fast three-dimensional nanoimaging with isotropic resolution.

Microscopy by Achromatic X-rays With Emission of Laminar Light (MAXWELL) is a new X-ray/visible technique with attractive characteristics including isotropic resolution in all directions, large-volume imaging and high throughput. An ultrathin, laminar X-ray beam produced by a Wolter type I mirror irradiates the sample stimulating the emission of visible light by scintillating nanoparticles, captured by an optical system. Three-dimensional (3D) images are obtained by scanning the specimen with respect to the laminar beam.

Effects of oral exercise on tongue pressure in Taiwanese older adults in community day care centers.

Background/purpose: Oral exercise is a training method for swallowing dysfunction in older adults. The study investigated the effect of oral exercise on tongue pressure in older adults in Taiwanese community day care centers over a 3-month period.

Materials And Methods: Participants over age 50 who were able to communicate and participating for the duration of the 12-week period were recruited from five community day care centers.

Association between population-based fluoride varnish application services and dental caries experience among schoolchildren in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: Taiwan government has provided population-based fluoride varnish application services for all preschool children since July 2004. This study investigated the association providing such services on dental caries experiences among schoolchildren.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on schoolchildren aged 8-9 years.

Association between sugary drinks consumption and dental caries incidence among Taiwanese schoolchildren with mixed dentition.

Objectives: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease, and a sugary diet can generate an acidic plaque environment that advances its development. However, the specific effect of sugary drinks on the subsequent oral health of schoolchildren with mixed dentition is unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between the consumption of sugary drinks and 1 year incidence rate of caries in permanent teeth among Taiwanese schoolchildren with mixed dentition.

Revisit incidence of complications after impacted mandibular third molar extraction: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Most of complications after impacted mandibular third molar (iLM3) extraction surgeries are transient and resolved spontaneously within one or two weeks, but some of them are more complicated and required further treatments to alleviate the symptoms. The aim of study is to revisit incidence and predictors of complications after iLM3 surgery by reviewing previous literature and investigating a population-based data. From Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, records of 16,609 patients who had received iLM3 extraction under ambulatory settings were retrieved for analysis.

Batch and dynamic adsorption of lysozyme from chicken egg white on dye-affinity nanofiber membranes modified by ethylene diamine and chitosan.

Adsorption of lysozyme on the dye-affinity nanofiber membranes was investigated in batch and dynamic modes. The membrane matrix was made of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers that were grafted with ethylene diamine (EDA) and/or chitosan (CS) for the coupling of Reactive Blue 49 dye. The physicochemical properties of these dye-immobilized nanofiber membranes (P-EDA-Dye and P-CS-Dye) were characterized microscopically, spectroscopically and thermogravimetrically.

Associations between aging and second molar diseases in patients having adjacent impacted third molar extraction.

Purpose: There is limited evidence available regarding when the best time to extract impacted lower third molars (iLM3). Thus, the current study is aimed to examine the association between the age of patients during the time of extraction of their iLM3 and the sequelae of their adjacent second molar (LM2) in order to find a better time to remove iLM3.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study was conducted with a total of 15,432 patients from ages 16-45 years old who had their first surgical extraction of iLM3.

Can government-supported preventive fluoride varnish application service reduce pulp-involved primary molars?

Objectives: Fluoride varnishes are reported to reduce 37-43% of dental caries; however, it remains unclear whether they can prevent severe decay. The study investigated the association between the government-supported preventive fluoride varnish application service (FVAS) and the risk of undergoing treatments of pulp-involved primary molars.

Methods: Children who were younger than 6 years and did not receive any dental treatment between the first and last services within 2 years were defined as the "preventive-FVAS group.

Risk of subsequent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents with amalgam restorations: A nationwide longitudinal study.

Objectives: Dental amalgam has been used as a common restorative material since the 1800s, but concerns have been raised regarding its purported neuropsychological effects due to the neurotoxicity of mercury. In this study, a nationwide population-based database was employed to investigate the association of dental amalgam restoration with the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: After matching, 88 068 young people with at least one tooth restoration during 2002-2010 and no ADHD history before 2001 were selected and then collected the further information until the end of 2011.

Association of Unfinished Root Canal Treatments with the Risk of Pneumonia Hospitalization.

Introduction: The objective of root canal treatments (RCTs) is to control pulpal diseases and salvage infected teeth by eradicating microorganisms within the root canal system. However, an unfinished RCT can leave a space for bacterial accumulation, which can leak into the oral cavity and then aspirate into the lower respiratory tract and the lungs, causing infection. This study investigated the association of unfinished RCTs with the possible risk of pneumonia hospitalization using a nationwide population-based database.

Dental service use among patients with specific disabilities: A nationwide population-based study.

Background/purpose: The Taiwan National Health Insurance program has allocated a specific fund for dental services to patients with specific disabilities (PSDs); however, the trends and the quality are unknown. In this study, we conducted quantity analyses and quality assessments of dental service use among PSDs using a nationwide population-based database.

Methods: PSDs were identified according to the codes of diagnosis fee.

Unfinished Root Canal Treatments and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.

Introduction: Root canal treatments (RCTs) aim to eradicate pulpal diseases and save the infected teeth by eliminating microorganisms from the root canal system. Starting but not finishing an RCT can perpetuate a dead space for bacterial growth, which can spread to other sites in the body and develop systemic symptoms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between unfinished RCTs and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) using a nationwide population-based database.

The effect of rubber dam usage on the survival rate of teeth receiving initial root canal treatment: a nationwide population-based study.

Introduction: It is well-known that the usage of rubber dams during root canal treatment (RCT) improves infection control and treatment efficacy and protects patients. However, the effect of rubber dam usage on endodontic outcomes remain uncertain. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether rubber dam usage affects the survival rate of initial RCT using a nationwide population-based database.

Dental prosthetic treatment needs of inpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The need to obtain information on the dental prosthetic treatment needs (DPTNs) of inpatients with schizophrenia is unrecognized. This study aims to assess the DPTNs of this population and investigate the association between these needs and related factors.

Methods: The results of an oral health survey involving 1,103 schizophrenic adult inpatients in a long-term care institution in Taiwan were used.

Microcirculatory vasomotor changes are associated with severity of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Systemic microvascular complications are related to the presence of diabetic neuropathy. This study investigated the associations of blood flow oscillations with peripheral neuropathy in 25 controls and 3 diabetic groups including clinical (24), subclinical (27) and without neuropathy (26). Laser Doppler skin perfusion was transformed into three low-frequency subintervals corresponding to endothelial, neurogenic and myogenic vasomotor controls.

Comparison of oral health between inpatients with schizophrenia and disabled people or the general population.

Background/purpose: There is little comparative research evidence to support the claim that there is disparity in dental care between inpatients with schizophrenia and the disabled people or the general population. This study aimed to investigate whether schizophrenia inpatients had poorer dental care and worse oral health than the disabled people and the general population, respectively.

Methods: An oral health survey was conducted in a specific-psychiatric long-term care institution in Taiwan in 2006.

Speech intelligibility, speaking rate, and vowel formant characteristics in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implant.

The effects of the use of cochlear implant (CI) on speech intelligibility, speaking rate, and vowel formant characteristics and the relationships between speech intelligibility, speaking rate, and vowel formant characteristics for children are clinically important. The purposes of this study were to report on the comparisons for speaking rate and vowel space area, and their relationship with speech intelligibility, between 24 Mandarin-speaking children with CI and 24 age-sex-education level matched normal hearing (NH) controls. Participants were audio recorded as they read a designed Mandarin intelligibility test, repeated prolongation of each of the three point vowels /i/, /a/, and /u/ five times, and repeated each of three sentences carrying one point vowel five times.

The relationship between body mass index, the use of second-generation antipsychotics, and dental caries among hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Weight gain is common in schizophrenia due to use of the second-generation antipsychotic medicines (SGAs). Studies have also shown that body mass index (BMI) and the side effect of SGAs, such as anticholinergic activity, are related to the risk of dental caries. This study aims to investigate the relationship between BMI, the use of the SGAs, and the decayed, missing, and filled tooth index (DMFT) among hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.

Arecoline induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity to human endothelial cells.

Betel quid (BQ) chewing is a common oral habit in South Asia and Taiwan. BQ consumption may increase the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), and periodontitis as well as systemic diseases (atherosclerosis, hypertension, etc.).

A miniature patient-mount navigation system for assisting needle placement in CT-guided intervention.

Background: CT-guided intervention is routinely performed in an iterative fashion that often leads to lengthy operation and high X-ray exposure to patients. To streamline the workflow, we develop a patient-mount navigation system for assisting needle placement in CT-guided interventions.

Methods: The system comprises three components, a miniature patient-mount tracking unit, an auto-registered reference-frame unit and an intuitive image-processing unit.