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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Several risk factors contribute to periodontal diseases. Studying twins has helped increase our knowledge on the roles of genetic and environmental factors in periodontal diseases. The objective of this study was the evaluation of periodontal parameters in the twins of Khorasan Province, Iran. METHODS: This study was carried out on 30 pairs of twins between 12-35 years old including 12 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins and 18 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins with the average age of 18 years old. Periodontal parameters studied consisted of: probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP). Analyses were conducted through SPSS software. T-test was used to examine the differences between MZ and DZ twins also between first twin and second twin. Significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The amounts of PPD (P = 0.045) and CAL (P = 0.003) were significantly different between MZ and DZ twins, while no significant difference in BOP (P = 0.474) was observed between the two groups. Studying heritability showed that BOP could be affected by environmental factors (h2 = 0.41), while CAL and PPD were affected by genetic factors (h2 = -0.70 and h2 = -0.61, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study confirms previous studies which had focused on the role of genetic factors in periodontal diseases. It indicates that in twins, PPD and CAL are mostly affected by genetic factors, while BOP is mainly affected by environmental factors.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) results due to a multiple of causes, amongst which stress is one of the most important factors. On the other hand, salivary alpha (α)-amylase (SAA) is a secretory protein that increases in stress conditions. This study evaluated SAA level in subjects with RAS. METHODS: In this case-control (descriptive-analytical) study, unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 27 patients with RAS and 29 healthy controls. SAA activity was determined by spectrophotometric method using commercially available kit according to manufacturer procedure. Data were analyzed using SPSS software with t test (P < 0.05 was considered significant). RESULTS: SAA level in patients with RAS was 80.78 ± 4.69 U/ml and 65.61 ± 27.52 U/ml during recurrence and recovery, respectively (P = 0.005). SAA level in control group was 19.99 ± 4.65 U/ml. There was a significant difference in the SAA level between RAS and control groups. CONCLUSION: SAA level has been increased in patients with aphthous ulcer during recurrence, which may indicate an association between aphthous ulcer and stress.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Alterations in blood pressure (BP) and variability of heart rate (HR) throughout dental procedures were not clearly understood. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of body mass index (BMI) on BP and HR in patients undergoing tooth extraction. METHODS: Based on BMI, 831 patients who underwent single tooth extraction were divided into two groups; group 1: underweight and normal-weight patients, group 2: overweight and obese patients. BP and HR were monitored before local anesthesia and after tooth extraction. For statistical analysis of the data, Number Cruncher Statistical System (NCSS) 2007 program was used. Mann-Whitney U test and Student’s t-test was used for comparing the differences between groups. RESULTS: The initial and final BP measurements of overweight and obese patients were found to be significantly higher than underweight and normal-weight patients (P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of initial and final HR measurements (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overweight and obese patients are more likely to have increased BP; therefore, monitoring of BP and HR during tooth extraction is crucial in this group of patients to prevent possible complications.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recognizing the factors affecting the number of decayed and filled teethhas a major role in oral health. Dental data usually suffer from over-dispersion and excess zero frequencies. The purpose of this study was to use theConway-Maxwell-Poisson (COM-Poisson) model to determine some of the factors affecting the number of decayed and filled teeth. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 1000 people from a cohort study in Shahrekord City, Iran, aged 35-70 years, was selected through systematic sampling. The data were analyzed using the Bayesian approach through Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation by OpenBUGS. Zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP), COM-Poisson model, and zero-inflated Com-Poisson (ZICMP) model were fitted on the data and compared using the deviance information criterion (DIC). RESULTS: The mean numbers of decayed and filled teeth were 0.77 ± 1.63 and 4.37 ± 4.62, respectively. The Com-Poisson and ZICMP showed to be better fit for the number of decayed and filled teeth, respectively. Those people who were younger, male, smokers, diabetics, did not floss, and did not use mouthwash had significantly more number of decayed teeth (P < 0.05). Those people who were younger, female, non-diabetics, non-smokers, employed, literate, had less body mass index (BMI), flossed, and got higher score of quality of life had significantly more number of filled teeth (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: By controlling such factors as education, BMI, flossing, using mouthwash, smoking, diabetes, and quality of life, we could improve the oral health.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study was aimed to investigate the clinical presentations and frequencies of co-morbid factors in patients with myofascial pain or myalgia of masticatory muscles. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the data were obtained from the documents of the patients with myalgia or myofascial pain of the masticatory muscleswho were conceded toKerman Orofacial Pain Clinic, Kerman, Iran. Their clinical presentations and frequencies of possible related comorbid factors were evaluated. The chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and t-test were used for comparing the distribution of variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test were also used for comparisons between groups. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Patients with masticatory muscle myalgia or myofascial painconsisted of 296 individuals, 258 women (87.7%) and 38 men (12.3%) with an average age of 34.00 ± 11.75 years (range: 15-75 years). Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) occurred in 259 (87.5%) patients and 262 (88.5%) subjects had headache. A total of 178 individuals (60.1%) reported pain in three parts of the body and 155 subjects (52.4%) had insomnia. Bruxism, other oral para-functional habits, and poor head and neck postures were found in 156 (52.7%), 167 (56.4%), and 80 (27.0%) subjects, respectively. The frequency of moderate to severe depression and moderate anxiety was 22.0% of our study population. CONCLUSION: This study stated that the frequency of masticatory muscle pain (MMP) was high in patients with TMD, headache, and psychological disorders and accompanied with insomnia, oral parafunction, and bodily pain.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Oral mucosal lesions can affect patient’s quality of life (QOL). In this evaluation, Persian version of Chronic Oral Mucosal Disease Questionnaire (COMDQ) was used to assess participants’ QOL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done during 2015-2016 in School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 95 participants with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), oral recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), and oral lichen planus (OLP) enrolled is this study. The Persian version of COMDQ with 26 questions and 4 domains was used for assessing QOL. The data were analyzed in SPSS software. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), andTukey's test were used to assess scores of QOL. RESULTS: The final QOL scores were 45.95 ± 16.31, 53.38 ± 17.64, and 50.02 ± 17.36 for men, women, and all patients, respectively. Patients with OLP and RAS had good QOL, but patients with PV reported lower level of QOL (moderate). None of the COMDQ domains showed significant correlation with gender except pain and functional limitation and overall QOL score. CONCLUSION: The result of this evaluation revealed a good QOL; considering the type of oral disease, QOL ranged between moderate for patients with PV and good for patients with OLP and RAS.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Providing oral examination for children is one of the primary healthcare providers (PHCPs) assigned tasks. Since children’s oral and dental health needs can be recognized only through a proper oral examination, this study was conducted to illustrate what PHCPs need to know about pediatric oral screening. METHODS: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran, in 2017. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 PHCPs. The sampling began with a purposeful method and continued through the snowball method. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using MAXQDA software. RESULTS: The information that PHCPs need to know about children’s oral and dental examination was categorized in three major themes and nine subthemes: positioning and controlling the child (positioning for each age group and controlling uncooperative children), performing the oral examination (evaluating child’s oral hygiene, identifying teeth series and classes, detecting dental caries, evaluating teeth eruption, and recognizing facial traumas), and working with Integrated Health System (IHS) (answering the IHS' oral health question, using the provided information in IHS, and recording the findings). CONCLUSION: PHCPs who participated in this study could not perform an acceptable oral screening for children and they wanted to know more about how they could carry out a correct one. By providing proper education to meet all the information needs of PHCPs and discarding irrelevant topics, the health system may facilitate the delivery of standard oral and dental health services for children.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) is a rare lesion in the head and neck with a slow, single, and painless growth that consists of fibroblasts and histiocytes. In this study, a BFH case was reported and examined from clinical, microscopic, and immunohistochemical aspects. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old man with a red nodule on the dorsal surface of his tonguewas referred to the oral medicine department. The appearance of this nodule was similar to the adjacent tissue in its surface. According to the same microscopic view of this lesion with other soft tissue tumors, immunohistochemistry test confirmed the diagnosis. It was treated with en-bloc surgical resection. In four follow-ups up to one year, there was no recurrence. Considering the results of these cases and comparing them with other cases, although there is a slim chance of recurrence in one year, follow up is recommended. CONCLUSION: Clinical view of FH is not characteristic and tumors with microscopic spindle-shaped appearance are challenging in diagnosis. IHC is obligatory to reach a prompt diagnosis and due to recurrence, follow-up is recommended.