[Mast cell numbers in aggressive periodontitis]

Aggressive periodontitis is a destructive disease that leads to a quick and extensive periodontal tissue loss. Mast cells are known to play important roles in allergic reactions, host defense against bacterial infections, local homeostasis, inflammation, and angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between mast cell numbers and aggressive periodontitis. A descriptive analytical and blind study was designed and gingival specimens from 19 moderate to advanced aggressive periodontitis sites [case group] and 18 gingivitis sites [control group] was taken during flap and crown lengthening surgeries. Toluidine blue and Hematoxylin Eosin staining were done for mast cell counting and inflammation assessment, respectively. Inflammatory and mast cells in 5 micron sections were assessed by two trained observers utilizing light microscopy. ANOVAs and T test with an alpha error level less than 5% were used to analyze the data. The mean values of the mast cell numbers were 7.6 +/- 10.8 and 9.8 +/- 13.0 in aggressive periodontitis and gingivitis sites, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among the mast cell counts, clinical attachment loss, or pathologic inflammation [P> 0.05]. The present study indicates that mast cell numbers were not significantly different between aggressive periodontitis and gingivitis. Further studies are required to evaluate dynamic aspects of host defense

Dental implants for growing children

Traumatic tooth loss or congenital missing is frequently encountered in children. Removable prosthesis is often the treatment of choice but it may lead to increased caries, residual alveolar resorption and periodontal problems. The implant benefits in retention, stability, esthetic, and mastication have been proved. The concerns about implants placement for the patients in this age are related to jaw growth. The aim of this paper was to review the growth of the jaws and determination of skeletal maturity and to discuss the indications for placement of implant in a growing child, which are based on not only growth but also the numbers and locations of the missing teeth in each jaw. The literature review was performed through, Science direct, Blackwell Synergy, Embase, Pubmed and Scholar Google for the references published between 1970-2008. Also, the related English references were taken into consideration

[ comparison of chlorhexidine impregnated floss vs. conventional dental floss on gingivitis]

Plaque induced gingivitis is the most prevalent form of periodontal diseases and there are several reports demonstrating low efficiency of mechanical methods to control the dental plaque completely. Chemical method has been found as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control. The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of chlorhexidine when used subgingivally with dental floss versus normal flossing alone. Thirty-seven female dental students with gingivitis and at least 2 sites with probing depth of 2mm and bleeding on probing in each quadrant participated in this split mouth clinical trial study. Following the initial evaluation of Plaque Index [PI], Bleeding Index [BI] and Gingival Index [GI], all patient received oral hygiene instruction, polishing and SRP [Scaling and Root Planning] if needed and their quadrants were affected by chlorhexidine impregnated floss in one side and dental floss in another side randomly. The measurements were repeated at 3 and 6 weeks. Then data were analyzed statistically within each group [Paired T Test] and between the groups [T Test] with an alpha-error level less than 0.05. Both methods presented significant improvement in PI and GI after 3 and 6 weeks and chlorhexidine impregnated floss showed a significantly greater reduction in PI after 3 weeks [1.5 +/- 0.7] and GI after 6 weeks [1.2 +/- 0.4] as compared to dental floss alone [respectively 1.7 +/- 0.65, 1.5 +/- 0.35, P<0.05]. The results indicated that chlorhexidine impregnated floss provided a more significant improvement of clinical outcomes than dental floss alone and recommends long term studies on various samples to validate these results