Occupational health complaints and adverse patient reactions as perceived by personnel in public dentistry.

A questionnaire survey on health complaints experienced by personnel in public dentistry was undertaken in 1979 and repeated in 1988/89. The reply rates were about 80% and 83%. In both surveys, about one half of the personnel reported occupation-related health complaints, a majority of which were dermatoses of hands and fingers. The dermatoses were attributed to seasonal air quality problems, or to contact with chemically active substances relevant to hygienic measures, treatment patterns, or other activities connected with the running of a dental clinic. The majority of the dermatoses were probably irritative. Some presumably hypersensitivity reactions occurred after handling of dental materials. Latex gloves, which were in general use only at the time of the last survey, seemed to have prevented some dermatoses formerly attributed to handwashing procedures. However, latex gloves per se had also induced dermatoses. Non-dermatological ailments of a transient nature comprised eye, respiratory, or systemic reactions and were connected with volatiles from X-ray liquids, methylmethacrylate monomer, and disinfectants. Adverse patient reactions occurred at a frequency of about one per 2600 treated patients. The observations comprised skin reactions (head/face), gingival/mucosal ulcerations, and sometimes systemic/urticarial reactions. The reactions were associated with the use of local anesthetics, orthodontic appliances, and other biomaterials. Two reactions were related to contact with the dentists' latex gloves.

Variation in prevalence of radiographic alveolar bone loss in subgroups of 14-year-old schoolchildren in Oslo.

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of radiographic alveolar bone loss, as related to selected background variables in 2767 14-year old schoolchildren. Bone loss was recorded when the distance from the cemento-enamel junction to the alveolar crest exceeded 2 mm. The radiographs were magnified approximately 10 times. 3% of the subjects and 18.5% of the sites were excluded because of indistinct radiographic reference points. Radiographic bone loss was found in 4.5% of the subjects. Horizontal lesions were more prevalent than vertical defects. Most subjects with bone loss had 1 (75%) or 2 (22%) lesions. No subject was diagnosed with juvenile periodontitis kind of lesion. The prevalence of bone loss depended on the variables sex, orthodontic treatment and ethnic background.

Lactobacilli in human dental plaque and saliva.

Lactobacilli were isolated from about 50% of plaques from sound tooth surfaces of human subjects who had ingested fluoride (F) supplements since their births or subjects with negligible systemic fluoride exposure. In about 10% of these plaques, the proportions were 1% or higher of the total flora. Lactobacilli were not always isolated from caries-associated plaques. The mean salivary lactobacillus count of the F-supplement group was comparable to that generally reported for other groups of caries-active subjects with varying caries experience. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of lactobacilli in caries initiation and the anti-caries effect of fluoride supplementation.

Dental fluorosis as related to the concentration of fluoride in teeth and bone.

Rats (N = 58), given a diet low in fluoride, were stomach-fed solutions of NaF and (NH4)3AIF6 in amounts corresponding to 3.3, 8.3, and 16.5 microgram of fluoride per gram of body weight. After five weeks, the incisors were scored for fluorosis and samples of the incisors and mandibles were analyzed for fluoride. Less fluoride was deposited in teeth and bone from AIF6, than from NaF at all dosage levels. Less fluorosis also developed from AIF6, except at the lowest dosage level, which produced very little fluorosis in either group. Both incisor fluoride and fluorosis scores increased with increases in ingestion of fluoride. In a larger group of rats (N = 101) that had been on different fluoride regimens, the fluoride concentrations of the incisors were grouped according to the fluorosis scroes. There was a consistent trend of increase in fluoride with increase in fluorosis scores, but each score had a wide range and overlap in fluoride concentrations.

Lead in enamel and saliva, dental caries and the use of enamel biopsies for measuring past exposure to lead.

Enamel biopsies taken from schoolchildren in a community where exposure to lead was a health hazard were analyzed for lead and fluoride. The children with high enamel lead had significantly higher caries scores than the children with low enamel lead, in spite of the fact that the high lead group also was higher in enamel fluoride. There was no increase in enamel lead with age. The lead in saliva was only a fraction of that in blood. Infants with lead poisoning showed higher saliva lead than a normal infant. The use of the lead in enamel biopsies and in saliva for measuring exposure to lead is discussed.