The effects of extracts of chewing sticks (Salvadora persica) on healthy and periodontally involved human dentine: a SEM study.

The popularity and availability of chewing sticks (Salvadora persica) in the Asia, Middle East and Africa make them a commonly used oral hygiene tool in those societies. Salvador persica chewing stick called miswak is frequently used in Saudi Arabia. The antimicrobial effects of miswak has been well documented. The aim of this study is to find our the effect of aqueous extracts of miswak on healthy and periodontally involved human dentine with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in vitro. 25% aqueous extract of freshly prepared miswak solution was used for the study. Twelve human premolars teeth (6 healthy and 6 with periodontal disease) recently extracted for orthodontic and periodontal reasons were used. 24 SEM specimens were prepared and treated with miswak extract with different conditions e.g. soaking and burnishing with miswak extract. Soaking the healthy and periodontally diseased root dentine in miswak extract resulted in partial removal of smear layer and occlusion of dentinal tubules was observed in dentine specimens burnished with miswak solution. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of miswak on etched human dentine at higher concentrations.

Oral hygiene profile of subjects on renal dialysis.

The study was designed to assess the level of oral home-care among subjects on renal dialysis. The study included 90 subjects, 37 (41.1%) male and 53 (58.9%) female, on renal dialysis. The mean age was 45.63 +/- 16.77. Four indices were used; the plaque index (PI); the debris index (DI); the calculus index (CI) and the gingival index (GI). Results showed that all subjects did not have optimal oral hygiene, means of PI, DI, CI and GI., were 2.0444, 1.9556, 1.8944 and 1.8167 respectively. No significant differences were observed between male and female. Frequency of plaque distribution indicated that 69.9% of the individuals had poor oral hygiene. In conclusion, subjects on renal dialysis were at high risk for developing periodontal disease. It is recommended that, subjects on renal dialysis should be regularly examined by dentists for proper care.

A comparative study of propolis and saline application on human dentin. A SEM study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the texture changes of dentinal surfaces after the application of propolis and saline. Twenty-four recently extracted human premolar teeth were obtained from the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King Saud University, College of Dentistry, Riyadh. The teeth were classified as sound, periodontally involved and with recession. Forty-eight, 3 x 3 mm dentin disc specimens were prepared and only 24 specimens were treated with propolis (pH 8.5) and saline (pH 6). They were treated in 4 categories i.e.: (1) no application of any material (control); (2) propolis for 60 seconds; (3) propolis for 120 seconds and (4) saline for 60 seconds. All experimental specimens were burnished with cotton pellet with propolis and saline for the prescribed time. All specimens were prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with sputter technique, (Blomlof and Lindskog, 1995), and examined in the SEM (Jeol, Japan) operated at 25 KV with a tilt angle between 0-30 degrees. The bar was 10 mm and magnification 2000x. There were dentinal tubules occlusion in all three groups of dentin treated with propolis for 120 seconds. The propolis was better than saline in occluding dentinal tubules. It may be suggested that further research is needed for double blind clinical trials of propolis in patients with dentinal hypersensitivity.

Knowledge of dental health and diseases among dental patients, a multicentre study in Saudi Arabia.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of dental patients about dental health and diseases. A questionnaire was developed with three sets of questions, 1-general knowledge of dental conditions, 2-use of alternate methods in prevention and treatment of dental diseases, 3-awareness about personal oral health. Six hundred questionnaires were distributed in 6 cities from 4 different regions (i.e. Makkah, Riyadh, Tabuk, Gizan). 367 respondents (61% response rate) constituted 233 (63.5%) male and 134 (36.5%) female with the age range 11-70 years (mean 30 +/- 11.9). The data were analyzed by SPSS version 9.0 and results presented in frequency distributions. 99% male and 96% female considered their teeth for chewing food, 97% male and 96% female knew that increased carbohydrate intake and poor oral hygiene are related to tooth decay, 89% male and 96% female used toothbrush and paste to prevent dental diseases and 75% male and 66% female were regular user of miswak (chewing sticks.) 67% male and 59% female visit dentist, only in pain. 46% used miswak after their meals, only 14% of the subjects used miswak on their lingual and palatal surfaces of teeth, while 38% of the subjects used clove as remedy for toothache, 25.6% used saline and 10% used lemon for bleaching their teeth. 15% considered honey important for their good oral health. Regarding personal oral health, 35% had pain in gums, 36.8% were with bad breath, 28% had tooth hypersensitivity, and almost 50% used toothbrush twice daily while 42% had bleeding gums. It is important to note that knowledge and awareness about dental health and disease conditions are better in male subjects, dietary habits and oral hygiene methods need to be addressed in future investigations. There is a need to provide more health education to female subjects to improve their oral health.

The effect of propolis on dentinal hypersensitivity and level of satisfaction among patients from a university hospital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Propolis has been used since ancient times in folk medicine for its beneficial effects. It is a mixture of resin, essential oils and waxes mixed with bee glue; also it contains amino acid, minerals, ethanol, vitamin A, B Complex, E, Pollen and highly active ingredient known as Bioflavenoid (Simon Martin 1991). To date, there have been no studies done on desensitizing effect of Propolis in vivo. So, the aims of this study are to evaluate the effect of Propolis in a clinical trial on subjects with dentinal hypersensitivity, and to assess the level of satisfaction among subjects after they have used the Propolis. Twenty six Saudi female subjects at King Saud University, College of Dentistry, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, age ranged from 16-40 yr. (mean = 23 yrs.), were included in the study over a period of four weeks. The Cervical Dentinal Sensitivity (C.D.S.) was assessed by two methods: 1--cold air stimuli. 2--Subjective reporting of pain, with a modified questionnaire (Gillam 1997) and a numerical scale 0-10 (Downie et al 1978). The patients were followed up for four weeks after using Propolis, there were two recalls, and the first recall was after one week and the second recall after four weeks of the base line. The results between the base line findings and after four weeks were statistically significant. Eighty five percent of the subjects were found highly satisfied; the Propolis had significant effect on dentinal hypersensitivity during the study period. Further research is needed with double blind clinical trial on a large sample size.

The antimicrobial effects of extracts of Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Salvadora persica (Arak) chewing sticks.

Chewing sticks (Miswak) is most commonly used int he Middle East and Indian Subcontinent Salvadora persica (Arak) and Azadirachta indica (Neem) are commonly used as oral hygiene tools in different parts of the world, Several studies have demonstrated the anti-plaque anticarious and antibacterial effect of these sticks. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of antimicrobial activity of Neem and Arak chewing stick's aqueous extracts at various concentrations. The microbial inhibition was measured using blood agar and ditch plate method up to 48 hous. The pH of Neem extract was 6.1 and of Arak was 4.9 Data suggested that both chewing stick extracts are effective at 50% concentration on strept mutans and Strept faecalis. Arak extract was more effective at lower concentrations for Strept faecalis. The effect may be due to the difference of their chemical composition and variability in their PH. Further research is needed to extrapolate other plants used for oral hygiene. Chewing sticks are recommended as oral hygiene tools for health promotion in developing countries.

Effect of X-ray beam vertical angulation on radiographic assessment of alveolar crest level.

Periodontal diseases are diagnosed and monitored by various methods. Probing pocket depth measurements and dental radiographs are two of the most commonly used methods. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of x-ray beam vertical angulation on radiographic assessment of alveolar crest level in five human mandibles. A standardized technique was used to take bitewing radiographs with -10 degrees, 0 degree and +10 degrees angulation of X-Ray beam. The range of the mean differences at individual sites was from 1.84 mm (0.58 +/- SD) to 3.70 mm (1.01 +/- SD). It was found that there was a wide range of over or underestimation of the alveolar crest level due to a change in beam angulation. It was concluded that, to monitor patients with periodontal disease or treatment outcomes, it is important to have reproducible images and bitewing film holders should be used to minimize the X-Ray beam angulation error in general dental practice.

Cross infection in the high-touch areas of dental radiology clinics.

Disinfection and sterilization have received considerable attention due to the spread of AIDS and HIV. Several infections hazards to the patient and personnel of dental surgery have been identified from blood, saliva and water of dental unit. The high touch areas of dental x-ray equipment is a potential source of infection. The present study was undertaken to determine the extent of cross-infection present in the dental radiology clinics with and without the use of surface disinfectants. Swabs taken from high touch areas of the x-ray equipment in 15 different sessions with in one month were cultured in three different media. The study revealed, almost all high touch areas in dental radiology clinic had bacterial contamination in the absence of surface disinfection. "Webcol" and "Superficid" disinfectants showed minimum or no contamination. To remove risk of cross-infection, disinfection of high-touch areas of dental x-ray equipment is mandatory.

Periodontal diseases of children and adolescents. An update.

Plaque related periodontal diseases in children and adolescents have long been recognized, but recent studies have highlighted their prevalence and presentation. The aim of this article is to highlight the current classification of periodontal diseases of children and adolescents and to review the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. This will help dental practitioners to diagnose and treat their juvenile and young adult patients suffering from different types of periodontal diseases.

A four-year clinical follow-up of nonvital root resection in maxillary molar teeth.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the success of non-vital root resected maxillary molar teeth over a period of four years. Fourteen root resected maxillary molar teeth were evaluated for mobility and probing depth in the area of root resection. Only one failure was observed over a period of four years follow-up. It was observed that removal of one root neither increase the tooth mobility nor the probing depth in most of the cases. It is concluded that non-vital root resection should be considered before molar extraction, because this treatment can provide good results with long term success, provided appropriate patient selection. This procedure can be practised by general dentists with little effort.

Imaging in periodontology. An update.

Traditional diagnostic procedures for periodontal diseases, such as probing and radiographic assessment, provide information on previous disease experience but not of present site-specific disease activity. Recent advances in computer-based image acquisition and processing techniques has increased the importance of radiography in periodontal diagnosis. The era of digital imaging has commenced in dentistry with definite diagnostic advantages. Significant dose reductions and image quality enhancement are among major advantages. The aim of this paper is to review the the imaging techniques being used in periodontology. There is a bright future of imaging technology on the horizon of dentistry.