Longitudinal stability of serum immunoglobulin G responses to periodontal bacteria.

Background: The value of seroepidemiology in the study of periodontal infections has not been adequately explored. This study examined serum immunoglobulin (IgG) responses to periodontal bacteria in patients with periodontitis and periodontitis-free individuals over a 30-month period.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients with chronic periodontitis and 42 control subjects with no deep periodontal pockets and no or minimal attachment loss (30-72 years old, 43% men) were included.

Diagnosing bulimia nervosa with parotid gland swelling.

Background: The authors describe bulimia nervosa, or BN, and its effect on the parotid gland. The associated asymptomatic bilaterally enlarged parotid glands often present a diagnostic dilemma.

Case Description: The authors present a case of a 22-year-old woman with BN who had bilateral parotid gland swelling, serum electrolyte alteration and no dental stigmata.

Oral disease burden in Northern Manhattan patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: We explored the association between diabetes mellitus and oral disease in a low-socioeconomic-status urban population.

Methods: Dental records of 150 adults with diabetes and 150 nondiabetic controls from the dental clinic at Columbia University in Northern Manhattan matched by age and gender were studied.

Results: There was a 50% increase in alveolar bone loss in diabetic patients compared with nondiabetic controls.

In vitro effects of dentin matrix protein-1 on hydroxyapatite formation provide insights into in vivo functions.

Dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP1) is a mineralized tissue matrix protein synthesized by osteoblasts, hypertrophic chondrocytes, and ameloblasts as well as odontoblasts. DMP1 is believed to have multiple in vivo functions, acting both as a signaling molecule and a regulator of biomineralization. Using a cell-free system in vitro, we evaluated the action of DMP1 in the regulation of hydroxylapatite (HA) formation and crystal growth.

Implementing a community-based oral health care program: lessons learned.

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to report key findings of a process evaluation that may be useful to other institutions seeking to implement a community-based oral health care program primarily targeting children in dentally underserved communities. By partnering with community-based organizations, public schools, and community health care providers, the Columbia University School of Oral and Dental Surgery (SDOS) established the Community DentCare Network (DentCare) in the Harlem and Washington Heights/Inwood neighborhoods of northern Manhattan. These low-income neighborhoods are characterized by poor oral health and have been designated by the federal government as health professions shortage areas.

Serum electrolytes in bulimic patients with parotid swellings.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether electrolyte levels can be used to diagnose bulimia nervosa (BN).

Study Design: Four patients with bilateral parotid swellings and BN or suspected BN were examined. Their serum electrolyte levels were retrospectively reviewed.

Dental caries experience in northern Manhattan adolescents.

Objective: The study sought to document dental caries among adolescents residing in northern Manhattan, New York, by race, sex, and community.

Methods: Clinical and demographic data were collected from children aged 12-17 years at five school-based dental clinics in northern Manhattan. Data on dental caries were collected by calibrated examiners using the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research criteria for oral examinations.

Cultural competency: dentistry and medicine learning from one another.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care is serving as a catalyst for the medical profession to re-examine the manner in which its institutions and training programs relate to cultural competence. This report found that racial and ethnic disparities exist in health care and that a lack of access to care does not fully explain why such disparities exist. The IOM study found bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and clinical uncertainty as possible contributing causes.

Creating an environment for diversity in dental schools: one school's approach.

Recent reports have indicated the need to improve the diversity in the dental profession's workforce. The enrollment of underrepresented minority students in the nation's dental schools must increase to accomplish this goal. A complex change process within the dental schools is required to prepare schools to enroll a more diverse student body.

Epidemiology of periodontal diseases: an update.

This article provides a brief review of findings from epidemiological studies of periodontal disease that have been generated over the past five years. In line with the conclusions of the 1996 World Workshop in Periodontics, the recent data support the concept that early onset periodontitis appears to be rather infrequent, while advanced adult periodontitis, leading to severe loss of supporting periodontal tissues and tooth loss, does not exceed a prevalence of 10-15% in most populations. However, a number of important issues remain unresolved.

Periodontal microbiota and clinical periodontal status in a rural sample in southern Thailand.

We sought to determine (i) the association of subgingival bacterial profiles to clinical periodontal status in a population with limited access to dental care in Thailand, and (ii) the external validity of our earlier findings from a similar study in rural China. We examined 356 subjects, 30-39 yr old and 50-59 yr old, with respect to clinical periodontal status and subgingival plaque at maximally 14 sites per subject. Checkerboard hybridizations were used to analyse a total of 4343 samples.

Alveolar ridge augmentation using titanium micromesh: an experimental study in dogs.

Purpose: Augmentation of the alveolar ridge before implant placement is frequently performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount and quality of bone formation under Micro Titanium Augmentation Mesh (M-TAM) when used alone for guided tissue regeneration or in combination with a porous hydroxyapatite (HA) bone graft substitute.

Materials And Methods: Nine adult female dogs underwent extraction of premolars and molars and had a knife-edge ridge created.

Thinking about things not thought of: why it is important to volunteer and thank those who do.

The director of the dental ethics program at Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery reflects on 9-11. Thinking about the sacrifices of volunteers on the Dental ID Team and the ethics program underscores how dependent our society is on the quiet efforts of a few who volunteer on numerous fronts to support and protect many of the values we hold dear. We, as a society, need to be more cognizant of the importance of these efforts and to give thanks, even where none is expected.

Current concepts and future trends for periodontal disease and periodontal therapy, Part 2: Classification, diagnosis, and nonsurgical and surgical therapy.

As noted in both this and the previous review, our understanding of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the periodontal diseases is continuously evolving. Periodontology in the year 2001 is different than what it was 20 years ago, and the specialty will be different 20 years in the future. Assessment of patients will be more specific, and the development of risk profiles will allow identification of individuals who require greater or lesser amounts of care.