The relationship between the uptake of alveolar bone inflammation and of cervical lymph nodes on FDG-PET.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the relationships between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of alveolar bone and those of lymph nodes (LNs) around the neck on 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). METHODS: The SUVmax values of alveolar bone and of level IA, level IB, and level IIA LNs of 174 patients, including those with and without active odontogenic inflammation, on PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) performed for a health check were retrospectively evaluated. The upper and lower jaws were divided into four blocks (right maxilla, left maxilla, right mandible, and left mandible). The SUVmax values of each block and of the LNs were calculated. The differences in the SUVmax of each LN level between patients with and without odontogenic inflammation, and the relationship between the SUVmax values of alveolar bone and of the LNs were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Significant differences in SUVmax values of bilateral level IB and IIA LNs were found between patients with and without odontogenic inflammation (Mann-Whitney U test: right level IB, p = 0.008; left level IB, p = 0.006; right level IIA, p < 0.001; left level IIA, p = 0.002), but not in bilateral level IA LNs (Mann-Whitney U test: right level IA, p = 0.432; left level IA, p = 0.549). The inflammatory site with the highest SUVmax in level IB LNs was the ipsilateral mandible (multivariate analysis: right, beta = 0.398, p < 0.001; left, beta = 0.472, p < 0.001), and the highest SUVmax in level IIA LNs was the ipsilateral maxilla (multivariate analysis: right, beta = 0.223, p = 0.002; left, beta = 0.391, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The SUVmax values of level IB and IIA LNs were associated with a tendency toward a higher SUVmax value of alveolar bone on 18F-FDG-PET.

The effects of exposure to O2- and HOCl-nanobubble water on human salivary microbiota.

Nanobubbles of gas remain dissolved in water for longer periods than ordinary bubbles, and exhibit unique physicochemical and biological properties. As a result, nanobubble water (NBW) is finding widespread use many applications, such as cleaning in the industry and purification of lake water. The ozone NBW (O3-NBW), in particular, has been used in clinical dentistry; however, it has several disadvantages, including the instability of ozone, which is spontaneously converted to molecular oxygen (O3 to O2), and its broad range of antibacterial activity, which can disrupt the oral microbiota. Therefore, the use of NBW in dental medicine requires greater evaluation. Here, we examined the effects of oxygen and hypochlorite NBW (O2-NBW and HOCl-NBW, respectively) on the microbiota in human saliva in 16 male patients (35-75 years old; median: 53.5 years) using multiple assays, including next generation sequencing analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed no significant changes in both alpha-diversity and beta-diversity. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) revealed two subclusters in both unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances. Overall, the results revealed that HOCl-NBW exposure of saliva may lead to inhibition or delay in oral biofilm formation while maintaining the balance of the oral microbiome. These results can lead to the development of a novel type of mouthrinse for prevention of oral infectious diseases.

Association of personality traits with dental visit procrastination by Japanese university students.

BACKGROUND: Procrastination is a psychological trait that causes individuals to put off doing things that need to be done. It has recently shown to result in the worsening of symptoms due to delays in seeking medical care. However, it is not clear how perception of dental disease influences dental visits. This study examined the associations of procrastination and personality traits with delayed dental visits for both acute and chronic conditions. METHODS: Of 599 university students queried, the data of 549 subjects (mean age 19.7 years) were analyzed. A general procrastination scale (GPS), the Big Five personality traits, and oral hygiene habits were used for analysis. The participants were asked about illness awareness conditions related to dental disease, perception of pain in the oral region due to acute oral symptoms and chronic symptoms. The participants were asked the number of days until they decided that treatment was required. Based on the bimodal shape of the distribution, those who answered at least eight days for acute or chronic conditions were classified as the procrastination (P) group and the others as the non-procrastination (Non-P) group. RESULTS: Significant differences in GPS scores were found between the groups for both acute and chronic conditions, with significant differences in the Big Five traits of extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism for an acute condition and extraversion, openness, and neuroticism for a chronic condition. There were no significant differences regarding oral hygiene habits between the groups for either condition. Next, using a Bayesian network, the probabilistic causal relations among procrastination, the Big Five traits, and delays in dental visits for both acute and chronic conditions were analyzed. Among the Big Five traits, conscientiousness and neuroticism were directly related to GPS score. Interestingly, agreeableness was directly related to delays in dental visits only for an acute condition and showed a negative effect, while dental student status had a positive effect on delays in dental visits. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that procrastination and dentistry department are factors that directly influence delays in dental visits, while agreeableness, a Big Five trait, has a negative effect on individuals with an acute condition.

The relationship between masticatory performance and intakes of foods and nutrients in Japanese male workers: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have been conducted on the relationship between masticatory performance and nutrient ingestion in the elderly, few large-scale studies have been carried out using relatively young individuals. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to clarify the association between the masticatory performance evaluated by the gummy-jelly test, not by visual examination, and nutrient ingestion state based on the brief self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of 540 male workers. Somatometry, blood pressure measurement, blood test and medical interview were performed as a periodic health check-up. In the dental check-up, an oral examination, gummy-jelly test (glucosensor) and survey of ingested food and nutrients using BDHQ were performed. The participants were classified into two groups with low and normal values of masticatory performance. Participants with a score on the gummy-jelly test below 150 mg/dL or 150 mg/dL or higher were included in the low and normal groups, respectively. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight participants (45.8%) had low masticatory performance, and 292 (53.2%) had normal masticatory performance. The intakes of some minerals and vitamins, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B2 , small fish with bones and non-oily fish, were significantly lower in the low masticatory group than in the normal group. In contrast, the intake of sugar for coffee and tea and that of chicken were significantly higher in the low masticatory group than in the normal group. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that low masticatory performance can affect nutrient intake, which may cause non-communicable diseases.

Periodontal disease and pneumonia mortality in haemodialysis patients: A 7-year cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the association between periodontal disease and pneumonia mortality in haemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 211 patients (mean age, 64.4 years) undergoing haemodialysis at a single medical centre. The patients underwent a baseline clinical dental examination in 2008 and were then followed up until July 2015. Periodontal disease was defined as the presence of clinical attachment loss of ≥4 mm in ≥30% of the probed sites. The primary endpoint, that is death from pneumonia, was determined by reviewing death certificates and was analysed using the competing-risks regression model. RESULTS: At baseline, 92 patients (43.6%) had periodontal disease. The median follow-up period was 84 months (interquartile range, 36-86 months). Of the 68 deaths that occurred, 21 were from pneumonia. The multivariable competing-risks regression model showed that periodontal disease was significantly associated with death from pneumonia (adjusted subhazard ratio, 3.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-10.64), after adjusting for other baseline health characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that periodontal disease is independently associated with pneumonia mortality in haemodialysis patients. Future studies evaluating the potential effect of oral interventions for periodontal health improvement on pneumonia in haemodialysis patients would be of great interest.

Relationships between pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, and social anxiety in young Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: Pathologic subjective halitosis is known as a halitosis complaint without objective confirmation of halitosis by others or by halitometer measurements; it has been reported to be associated with social anxiety disorder. Olfactory reference syndrome is a preoccupation with the false belief that one emits a foul and offensive body odor. Generally, patients with olfactory reference syndrome are concerned with multiple body parts. However, the mouth is known to be the most common source of body odor for those with olfactory reference syndrome, which could imply that the two conditions share similar features. Therefore, we investigated potential causal relationships among pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupations with body part odors. METHODS: A total of 1360 female students (mean age 19.6 ± 1.1 years) answered a self-administered questionnaire regarding pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupation with odors of body parts such as mouth, body, armpits, and feet. The scale for pathologic subjective halitosis followed that developed by Tsunoda et al.; participants were divided into three groups based on their scores (i.e., levels of pathologic subjective halitosis). A Bayesian network was used to analyze causal relationships between pathologic subjective halitosis, olfactory reference syndrome, social anxiety, and preoccupations with body part odors. RESULTS: We found statistically significant differences in the results for olfactory reference syndrome and social anxiety among the various levels of pathologic subjective halitosis (P < 0.001). Residual analyses indicated that students with severe levels of pathologic subjective halitosis showed greater preoccupations with mouth and body odors (P < 0.05). Bayesian network analysis showed that social anxiety directly influenced pathologic subjective halitosis and olfactory reference syndrome. Preoccupations with mouth and body odors also influenced pathologic subjective halitosis. CONCLUSIONS: Social anxiety may be a causal factor of pathologic subjective halitosis and olfactory reference syndrome.

Periodontitis and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Periodontitis is common among dialysis patients. The current cross-sectional study aimed to explore associations between periodontitis and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among hemodialysis patients. Data from 188 dentate patients undergoing hemodialysis between May and July 2008 at a medical center in Kitakyushu city, Japan, were analyzed while applying modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology periodontitis case definitions to categorize the participants into the following three groups: severe, moderate, and no/mild periodontitis, respectively. HRQoL was assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) where a higher score indicates better health status. Associations between periodontitis groups and the eight health domains of SF-36 were evaluated using general linear models that were adjusted for age, sex, underlying cause of dialysis, duration of dialysis, comorbidities, serum biomarkers, body mass index, smoking status, and alcohol use. Among the 188 participants, 18 (9.6%) had severe periodontitis, 100 (53.2%) had moderate periodontitis, and the remaining 70 (37.2%) had no/mild periodontitis. Compared with the participants with no/mild periodontitis, those with severe periodontitis had worse scores in the following five of eight SF-36 health scales: physical functioning, role physical, vitality, social functioning, and mental health (P < 0.05). The findings suggest an independent relationship between severe periodontitis and decreased HRQoL among dialysis patients.

Tooth size in Chinese Oroqen ethnic minority of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The Oroqen are Tungusic hunters of the Amur River basin. We analyzed dental crown measurements from their dental impression models for anthropological characteristics. Sex difference was comparatively larger in the mesiodistal diameters. To examine the Mongoloids' distribution in the Northeast Asia, the data were compared with the results from the previous studies on other Northeast Asian races, using deviation diagrams, cluster analysis, and Multidimensional Scaling from Q-mode correlation coefficients. The Oroqen dentition is classified as Sinodont by the large surface area of their crowns. In the deviation diagram, the Oroqen beared an inverse proportion to the Aleutian Islanders, while showing little difference from the Okhotsk culture people, which suggested a close relation between the two races. The Q-mode correlation coefficients clustered the Oroqen into the Central Asian group with the Buriats and Mongolians. In the analysis of the distances transformed from Q-mode correlation coefficients, the Oroqen was delineated in the neighboring cluster to the Epi-Jomon/Satsumon and the Okhotsk people. It is inferred that the Central Asian group, spreading from Lake Baikal to the Amur basin have gradually mixed with the Baikal group, which later moved into the Amur region from the south. The mixing of the two groups could have been influenced by the geographical features of this area. It would be valuable to gather more data on the groups around the lower Amur region and to evaluate the distribution of the Mongoloids in Eastern Asia.