The prevalence of xerostomia in patients with removable prostheses.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of xerostomia among patients attending a dental clinic for provision of dentures and to investigate the oral cleanliness in those patients.

Materials And Methods: Denture-wearing patients who reported dry mouth completed a questionnaire related to xerostomia. Dryness of the mouth was determined by clinical observation.

Evaluation of stain removal and inhibition properties of eight denture cleansers: an in vitro study.

Objectives: To determine the ability of eight denture cleansers to remove and inhibit tea-stain build-up on acrylic resin.

Materials And Methods: In the stain removal study, Perspex(®) (cast heat polymerised resin) specimens previously soaked in saliva were stained using multiple exposures of chlorhexidine and tea solutions. Specimens were exposed for 1 min to one of the eight denture cleansers for five cycles, washed and dried and their optical density read on a uv/vis spectrophotometer at 295 nm.

Energy absorption and hardness of chair-side denture soft lining materials.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hardness and energy absorption properties of four commercially available chairside silicone denture soft lining materials and to compare their properties with those of a heat-polymerized silicone denture liner. The denture lining materials investigated were four auto-polymerising silicone soft liners (GC Reline Soft, Ufigel SC, Elite Soft Relining and Tokuyama Sofreliner S) and a heat-polymerised silicone liner (Molloplast B). The soft liners were processed according to manufacturers' instructions.

Comparative stain removal properties of four commercially available denture cleaning products: an in vitro study.

Objectives: Formulations of commercially available denture cleaners vary widely. Unfortunately, comparative data to suggest which products are the most effective can become invalid as newer products are introduced or formulations are changed. The aim of this in vitro study was to measure the stain removal properties of four currently available denture cleaners.

Two- and three-dimensional accuracy of dental impression materials: effects of storage time and moisture contamination.

Dental impression materials are used to create an inverse replica of the dental hard and soft tissues, and are used in processes such as the fabrication of crowns and bridges. The accuracy and dimensional stability of impression materials are of paramount importance to the accuracy of fit of the resultant prosthesis. Conventional methods for assessing the dimensional stability of impression materials are two-dimensional (2D), and assess shrinkage or expansion between selected fixed points on the impression.

The prevalence of dental, facial and head injuries sustained by schoolboy rugby players. A pilot study.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of dental, orofacial and head injuries and of mouthguard use among schoolboy rugby players.

Materials And Methods: All members of the first and second XV rugby squads at three secondary schools (two in England and one in Australia) were included in the study. All participants answered a questionnaire that sought information regarding dental, orofacial and head injuries.

Lack of evidence about the effectiveness of the different denture cleaning methods.

Data Sources: Relevant studies were sourced by searching the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), Medline, Embase, LILACS and CINAHL. There were no language restrictions.

Study Selection: Randomised controlled trials (RCT) were considered if they compared any mechanical method (eg, brushing or ultrasound) or chemical (eg, enzymes, sodium hypochlorite, oral rinses or peroxide solutions) in adults over the age of 18 years who wore removable partial dentures or complete dentures.

A pilot study of the prevalence of orofacial and head injuries in schoolboy cricketers at eight private schools in England and Australia.

Aims: The aims of this pilot study were to determine the prevalence of head, face and dental injuries sustained by schoolboys while playing cricket and to compare the prevalence of those injuries in England and Australia.

Methods: A questionnaire that determined distribution and prevalence of orofacial injuries sustained when playing cricket was distributed to all players (n=411) who played cricket in four private schools in England and four private schools in Australia. There was a 100% response rate.

The prevalence of orofacial pain and tooth fracture (odontocrexis) associated with SCUBA diving.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of orofacial complications associated with SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving. Main outcome measures were prevalence of orofacial pain and odontocrexis.

Method: Two hundred divers at four dive centres on the north-east coast of Australia were asked to complete a questionnaire that requested information regarding diving experience and facial pain and dental symptoms experienced during diving.

The effectiveness of occlusal splints for sleep bruxism.

Data Sources: Searches were made using the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, LILACS (Latin American & Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), Biblioteca Brasileira de Odontologia, and Dissertations, Theses and Abstracts. Hand searches were made of abstracts of particular importance to this review. Additional reports were identified from the reference lists of retrieved reports and from article reviews about treating sleep bruxism.

Oro-facial injuries and mouthguard use in elite female field hockey players.

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of oro-facial injuries, frequency of mouthguard use and players' attitudes towards the use of mouthguards among elite English female field hockey players. All 140 players of the English Hockey Association female Premiere League were asked to complete a questionnaire. Main outcome measures were prevalence of oro-facial injuries, frequency of wearing of mouthguards and attitudes to mouthguard wearing.

General dentists can provide successful implant overdentures with minimal training.

Design: This randomised controlled trial (RCT) used a 2x2 factorial design.

Intervention: Edentulous people of age >65 years were enrolled in the RCT, which was designed to compare the effects on nutrition of conventional and two-implant mandibular overdentures. They were randomly assigned to groups treated either by an experienced prosthodontist or by a newly-graduated dentist who had undergone minimal training in implant treatment.

Bilateral mandibular condylysis in a patient with systemic sclerosis.

A case of progressive osteolysis of the mandibular condyles in a 55-year-old female patient with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is described. Orofacial involvement and radiological manifestations of SSc are discussed.

Assessment of the oral health related quality of life of patients awaiting initial prosthetic assessment.

The aim of the study was to quantify the impact of oral health problems on the quality of life of patients who were experiencing difficulties with dentures. Two hundred and ten patients who were awaiting an initial specialist assessment appointment were asked to complete the short form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). One hundred and sixty three (78%) questionnaires were completed correctly and were analyzed.

Dental implant treatment for patients with psychiatric disorders.

The literature with respect to whether or not psychiatric disorders represent a contraindication to dental implant treatment is sparse and contradictory. This paper describes three cases in which patients with psychiatric disorders were provided with dental implant retained prostheses. It is concluded that mental health disorders are not necessarily a contraindication to dental implant treatment and dental implant treatment can provide valuable psychological support.

Phantom bite revisited.

The term 'phantom bite' is used to describe an uncommon condition in which patients are preoccupied with their dental occlusion, believing that it is abnormal. The condition is remarkable for the nature of the involved explanations and interpretations that the patients give and for their persistence in trying to find a solution to what appears to be a relatively minor problem. Three clinical cases that illustrate the nature of this condition are presented and problems associated with the management of affected patients are discussed.

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in Ecuadorian Indians.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in indigenous South American Indians. A total of 140 consecutive indigenous Indians (69 Quechua and 71 Colorado) attending a mobile dental health caravan in the Santo Domingo region of Ecuador were examined objectively and subjectively for signs and symptoms of TMD using a method similar to that used in previous studies. There was a prevalence of up to 41% of at least one symptom.

Use of a mandibular advancement device in obstructive sleep apnoea.

The present study investigated the effectiveness of an intra-oral mandibular advancement device in the treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) who could not tolerate or who had failed to comply with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Thirty-five patients diagnosed by sleep study as suffering from OSA, who had either been unable to tolerate or had been non-compliant with CPAP treatment, were included in the study. The subjects completed an Epworth sleep questionnaire.

Surface modification of an experimental silicone rubber maxillofacial material to improve wettability.

Objectives: Good wettability of maxillofacial prosthetic materials is important so that a lubricating layer is formed with supporting tissues thus reducing patient discomfort. The purpose of the study was to surface modify an experimental silicone rubber material in order to improve wettability.

Methods: Samples of experimental silicone rubber were surface modified by first argon plasma treatment followed by chemisorption of ethyleneoxy functional silanes.