Trends in urban violence: a comparison of accident department and police records.

Police crime statistics and crime survey data are known to be poor indicators of levels of violence in society. Longitudinal investigations of assault injury have not been carried out in accident and emergency departments hitherto, but may provide an accurate perspective of trends in violence. The attendance of assault patients at a city centre accident and emergency department was compared with 'wounding against the person' recorded by the police between 1973 and 1990.

A study of the comparative efficacy of four common analgesics in the control of postsurgical dental pain.

Four common oral analgesics were tested in a single-blind trial to determine their relative efficacy in the management of postsurgical pain in 103 patients who had their impacted third molars surgically removed under general anesthesia. The analgesics tested were acetylsalicylic acid (26 patients), ibuprofen (26 patients), a paracetamol/codeine/caffeine combination (Solpadeine) (25 patients), and dihydrocodeine (26 patients). The paracetamol/codeine/caffeine combination, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid preparations produced equally effective analgesia.

Roots of urban violence.

Alcohol consumption and dependence, employment status, social and family history and history of previous violence in 49 patients injured in city-centre violence were compared with that in 49 paired, age and sex matched control individuals in a major accident and emergency department. All control individuals had been in the same locations as the patients at the time of injury. Alcohol consumption was recorded in units and dependence was assessed by means of the CAGE questionnaire.

Simulation of natural enamel caries in vitro with methylcellulose acid gels: effect of addition of calcium and phosphate ions.

A modified acid gel technique for producing caries-like lesions in dental enamel has been developed. The decalcifying medium consists of a 10% (w/v) methylcellulose gel acidified with 0.1 M lactic acid-sodium lactate at pH 4.

Careers of dentists undertaking a medical qualification.

The careers of doubly-qualified dentists have been re-examined, 12 years after the report by Henderson, Liversedge and James (1977). Three groups of medically qualified dentists were analysed. (a) those qualifying before 1960; (b) those qualifying between 1960 and 1975; (c) those qualifying since 1975.

Antimicrobial prophylaxis of infective endocarditis: effect of BSAC recommendations on compliance in general practice.

General dental practitioners in the South West Region of the U.K. were surveyed to assess compliance with the recently published recommendations of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy on the antimicrobial prophylaxis of infective endocarditis.

Clinical evaluation of benzydamine, chlorhexidine, and placebo mouthwashes in the management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Eighteen patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis were given alcoholic benzydamine hydrochloride, aqueous chlorhexidine, or a benzydamine-free placebo mouthwash in random order. Each patient used each preparation for a 3-month period. Ulcer diaries were marked at the same time each week during the 9-month test period.

Sources and patterns of referrals of oral cancer: role of general practitioners.

Referrals of patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas to an oral medicine clinic were assessed with regard to the sources, delays, and pattern of referrals from general medical practitioners and general dental practitioners. Slightly more patients were referred by dental practitioners than by medical practitioners, but general medical practitioners were far more likely to see advanced tumours and to request an urgent second opinion or suggest a diagnosis of malignant disease. The greatest delay overall was caused by the patients in seeking advice from their practitioner, particularly those who attended a general medical practitioner.

A model for the production of artificial caries in the mouth in man.

Sixteen blocks of enamel were sliced from the buccal surfaces of caries-free human premolars and mounted in an appliance worn in the mouth by one individual for 6 months. Eight of the blocks were arranged in pairs with buccal surfaces in contact. The other eight were not in contact but were able to accumulate plaque by being recessed in the appliance.

The histology of sclerotic human root dentine.

Studies by optical microscopy, microradiography and SEM suggested that sclerosis is the result of occlusion of the dentinal tubules by a mineral substance with a refractive index similar to that of the rest of the dentine. Translucence appeared before the majority of the tubules were completely occluded. The deposition of the occluding mineral took place initially in individual tubules or in groups of tubules.

The amount and distribution of sclerotic human root dentine.

In low-power photomicrographs of ground sections of canine teeth, the amount of sclerosis increased with age linearly and was not markedly affected by the function of the tooth or external stimuli encountered during life. The pattern of distribution was similar in all teeth. Sclerosis started in the apical dentine adjacent to the cementum and extended coronally and towards the root canal, with increasing age.

Continuous eruption of some adult human teeth of ancient populations.

It has been argued that the teeth maintain a potential for eruption throughout life and that eruption takes place whenever an opportunity occurs. Thus continuous, active eruption would be expected when the occlusal surfaces of the teeth have been affected by severe attrition. Radiographs of teeth and jaws of adult skulls with marked attrition from the Romano-British, Anglo-Saxon and Mediaeval periods were measured using the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) as a reference structure.