Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aims: The oral impact on daily performance (OIDP) is one of the oral health-related quality of life indices to measure physical, social and mental consequences of the oral health status. This study aimed to evaluate the OIDP index in patients referring to Tehran dental school.

Materials and Methods: Four hundred and ninety nine patients referring to patients' clinic in Dental School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in spring 2011 participated in this study. They were interviewed for demographic factors including age, gender and level of education, and OIDP index questionnaire before receiving any treatment. Statistical analysis was carried out by means of linear regression modeling.

Results: 85.6% of patients confirmed that they had at least one oral impact on daily performance during the last 6 months. The most prevalent performances affected were eating (50.1%) and smiling and showing teeth without shame (12.8%). The mean OIDP score for the population was 5.6 ranging from 0 to 36. Linear regression modeling controlling for age, gender and years of education revealed that older patients and those with lower education had significantly higher OIDP scores.

Conclusion: The effect of oral health on daily performance was clear. The association among age, education and oral impact on daily performance indicates the need for more comprehensive preventive oral health care for adults with lower educational level.

Background and Aims: Various methods are used for treatment of open bite. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Lower Anterior High Pull Headgear (LAHPH) appliance in Class I subjects with moderate open bite and high lower lip line.

Materials and Methods: The study group was composed of 10 subjects with a mean age of 15.8±2.5 years and 3.05 ± 0.07 mm moderate open bite. All the patients rejected orthognathic surgery. The treatment included extraction of upper and lower second premolars followed by leveling, banding, bonding, posterior space closure, and anterior retraction. After these procedures, the open bite was reduced to 2.04±1.17 mm. Afterwards, LAHPH was applied for 18 hours per day for 8±2 months. LAHPH appliance was composed of High Pull Headgear and two hooks mounted on its inner bow. Two elastics (1.8, light, Dentaurum) connected the upper hooks on the inner bow to the lower hooks on the mandibular canines vertically. The forces produced by the prescribed elastics were 10 and 60 g during mouth closing and opening, respectively. Paired T-test was used to evaluate pre-and post-treatment outcomes.

Results: The pre-and post-treatment cephalometric evaluations showed that the LAHPH reduced effectively the open bite of the patients to 0.15±1.7 mm (P<0.001).

Conclusion: This appliance can be used as an acceptable method for closing the open bite in Class I subjects.

Background and Aims: Periodontitis is one of the most common oral diseases with the various incidence rates in different populations. A number of bacteria are considered as the major etiologic agents of periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of periodontopathogen bacteria in patients using both PCR and culture techniques.
Materials and Methods: In this study, one-hundred patients (including 62 females and 38 males with an average age of 49±11.5 years) with adult periodontitis referred to periodontics department of School of Dentistry/Tehran University of Medical Sciences were investigated. The samples were taken and sent immediately to the laboratory for culture and molecular evaluation. The PCR was performed using specific primers and the statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS statistic software and McNemar test.
Results: The results demonstrated that the total detection rate in culture method was 64%. The rate of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) was 28% which was significantly higher than that of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) (6%) and Prevotella intermedia (Pi) (3%). 27% of cases showed mixed bacterial growth. 65% of patients were positive using molecular method. The rate of Aa (30%) was significantly higher than that of Pg (7%) and Pi (5%). The mixed PCR positive rate containing of Aa, Pg and Pi was (23%).
Conclusion: In this study, it was found that most of the bacteria isolated using culture and molecular methods were Aa, Pg and Pi, respectively. Although the detection frequencies of both techniques were similar, the specificity, sensitivity and bacterial detection speed of the PCR technique is obviously higher. Therefore, the use of molecular techniques is strongly recommended. However, both techniques seem to be suitable for microbiological diagnostics.

  Background and Aims: Hepatitis B is an important infection route in dentistry requiring different disinfectants to prevent its transmission. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of chemical disinfectants (FD366, ISORAPID and 5% sodium hypochlorite 2/100) to remove Hepatitis B infections from the dental surfaces.

  Materials and Methods: In this experimental laboratory trial, serum of 10 HBV patients was poured into microtubes, FD366, ISORAPID and hypochlorite disinfectants were added to them. PCR experiments with viral diagnostic kits were used to diagnose the virus genome. Real time PCR was used to evaluate after incubation with the disinfectants. The reductions occurred in the viral load of Hepatitis B were statistically analyzed using Kruskal-wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests .

  Results: No significant antiviral efficacy was noted following the application of FD366 and ISORAPID disinfectants (P=0/07). However, hypochlorite showed the most efficacy to disinfect Hepatitis B and a significant difference was found among them (P<0.0001).

  Conclusion: Under the study limitations, FD366 and ISORAPID disinfectants did not show adequate efficacy to remove Hepatitis B virus. Hypochlorite was the most effective disinfectant.