Instrumental monitoring of the birth and development of truffles in a Tuber melanosporum orchard.

Mycorrhizal symbiotic plants, soil suitability, temperature, and humidity are, by general consensus, considered decisive factors in truffle production. However, experimental approaches to define the environmental conditions that stimulate formation of truffle primordia and promote their growth to maturity have been lacking. By analysis of data of many atmospheric and soil parameters collected since 2009 within a Tuber melanosporum orchard, the trends of metabolic activity, detected as CO2 production in the soil, have been identified as the most reliable parameter to indicate the 'birth' of the truffle primordia. They seem to be produced when mycelial activity is intense and undergoes water stress, after which it resumes. About 6-18 days after recovery of metabolic activity, we could collect primordia of T. melanosporum. Many die or develop too early and consequently rot or are eaten by insect larvae. These events occur several times during summer and autumn, those that 'sprout' in late summer or later grow steadily and reach maturity. Using a particular ground-penetrating radar (GPR) setup to discriminate truffles, we could identify individual truffles in the soil after they have enlarged to at least 6 mm in diameter and follow their growth in volume and diameter over time. These two instrumental methods (CO2 sensor and GPR), although yet to be improved, open new important perspectives to better understand truffle biology and manage truffle orchards to support the newly acquired demonstration of the fundamental role of host plants for the nutrient transfer to the ectomycorrhiza-mycelium-fruiting body complex of T. melanosporum.

Inheritance of occlusal topography: a twin study.

AIM: This was to determine the relative contribution of genetic factors on the morphology of occlusal surfaces of mandibular primary first molars by employing the twin study model. METHODS: The occlusal morphology of mandibular primary first molar teeth from dental casts of 9 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 12 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs 4 to 7 years old, were digitized by contact-type three-dimensional (3D) scanner. To compare the similarity of occlusal morphology between twin sets, each twin pair of occlusal surfaces was superimposed to establish the best fit by using computerized least squared techniques. Heritability was computed using a variance component model, adjusted for age and gender. RESULTS: DZ pairs demonstrated a greater degree of occlusal morphology variance. The total amount of difference in surface overlap was 0.0508 mm (0.0018 (inches) for the MZ (n=18) sample and 0.095 mm (0.0034 inches) for the DZ (n=24) sample and were not statistically significant (p=0.2203). The transformed mean differences were not statistically significantly different (p=0.2203). Heritability estimates of occlusal surface areas for right and left mandibular primary first molars were 97.5% and 98.2% (p<0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Occlusal morphology of DZ twin pairs was more variable than that of MZ twin pairs. Heritability estimates revealed that genetic factors strongly influence occlusal morphology of mandibular primary first molars.

Evolution of women's oral health.

The current focus on women's oral health emerged from emphasis on the women's health movement. Provision of high quality oral health care throughout a woman's life span requires the enhancement of multiple factors. Future progress will depend on partnering among various constituencies; education at the predoctoral, postdoctoral, and continuing education levels; expansion of the scope of gender-specific research; and development of innovative modalities for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and utilization of clinical dental services for women.

Oral health issues for women athletes.

More women are participating in sports at all levels. This article presents information for dental professionals to enhance awareness of emerging issues in women's oral health, with specific emphasis on female athletes. These issues include the prevalence, prediction, and prevention of sports-related traumatic orofacial injuries as well as fads and habits such as tongue piercing, smokeless tobacco, eating disorders, and performance-enhancing drugs.

Prediction of sports-related dental traumatic injuries.

Predicting sports-related traumatic injuries is an important concern for dental health professionals. A predictive index has been developed that determines the likelihood of a sports-related traumatic dental injury in children and adolescents. This index can be used to aid in the prevention of injury by understanding who is most likely to be injured and what factors influence the chance of injury. The index has been designed for ease of use by dental health professionals, and has incorporated data collection and tracking features.

Prevention of sports-related traumatic dental injuries.

Many sports-related traumatic dental injuries are preventable with the use of appropriate, properly fitted athletic equipment such as helmets, facemasks, and mouthguards. This article presents information regarding the current generation of athletic mouthguards, and issues a challenge for the development of future independent scientific research that will transform current clinical empiricism into evidence based knowledge in sports dentistry.

Attitudinal factors influencing mouthguard utilization.

From the introduction of a protective mouthpiece in the sport of boxing, the evidence for the importance of this piece of athletic equipment in injury prevention has grown. Yet, despite this knowledge, only five amateur sports and one professional sport have regulations requiring the use of mouthguards. Even in the sports that require their use, compliance is not universal. Attitudes of coaches, officials, parents, and players about wearing mouthguards all influence their usage. Studies of the attitudes of these groups reveal that coaches are perceived as the individuals with the most impact on whether or not players wear mouthguards. There is reluctance among college football officials to enforce mouthguard violations that they believe are inappropriate. Parents see themselves as having responsibility in determining mouthguard use; however, their views about when and for whom mouthguards are necessary reveal a lack of complete understanding of the benefits. Resistance on the part of players stems from the physical characteristics of the mouthguard, interference with breathing and speech, and the effect on the players' image. Education on the effectiveness of properly fitted mouthguards for injury prevention, information on the risk for injury, availability of more comfortable and appealing mouthguards, and development of an approach for expanding regulations are all tools that can lead to the development of more positive attitudes and increased usage.

Sports dentistry in general practice.

The sports dentistry movement in the United States and worldwide is experiencing new momentum. Much of this is generated by general dentists working in conjunction with like-minded specialists as well as with dental hygienists, dental laboratory technicians, and dental assistants. This article explores several issues of relevance to stimulate the interest of general dentists to become involved in private practice and community service activities in sports dentistry.

Lip service.

Questionnaires addressing the attitudes of football officials toward National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mouthguard rules were developed and distributed to officials in the Big East Football Conference, the Southeastern Conference, and to head football coaches at Division 1-A colleges. Response rates, which ranged from 92.45% to 100%, showed that all groups agreed that football officials are less accountable for player compliance than are coaches, trainers and players. However, officials not only observed a lower rate of compliance with NCAA mouthguard regulations than coaches, they also expressed reluctance to enforce NCAA-sanctioned penalties for failure to comply with mouthguard regulations.

Prevalence of selected pediatric conditions in children with Pierre Robin sequence.

Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) is a congenital abnormality characterized by micrognathia and glossoptosis, with or without cleft palate. Patients with PRS may demonstrate various pediatric conditions such as associated syndromes, respiratory distress, feeding difficulties, or middle ear pathology. The purpose of this study was to determine, by means of a retrospective computerized review of patient records, the presence of these pediatric conditions in a sample of 55 confirmed patients with PRS. Five patients (9.1%) exhibited associated syndromes; 20 (36.4%) had respiratory distress requiring no assistance; and 10 (18.2%) exhibited severe respiratory distress requiring tracheotomy. A total of 30 patients (54.5%) had early feeding difficulties requiring mechanical assistance to maintain adequate nutrition, and 50 (90.9%) had multiple episodes of otitis media. Chi-square analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between the presence of respiratory difficulties and the need for feeding assistance (P = 0.012); and a highly significant relationship between the presence of otitis media and subsequent myringotomy tube placement (P < 0.001). Pediatric dentists who treat children with PRS should be aware of these relationships when obtaining medical history before establishing strategies to implement a treatment plan.

Attitudes of college football coaches regarding NCAA mouthguard regulations and player compliance.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of Division 1-A college head football coaches regarding the NCAA mouthguard regulations, current patterns of use by players, and responsibility for enforcement; and to compare the coaches' responses with those of officials studied previously. METHODS: A 15-item questionnaire was mailed to all 106 Division 1-A football coaches to assess their attitudes. Percent frequency distributions of coaches' responses to each item were computed and compared to the officials' responses. RESULTS: Responses were received from 98 coaches (92.45%). While 87 percent of coaches reported having a team dentist, the majority reported that the team trainer was responsible for selecting the type of mouthguard used. Most coaches (53%) reported that all players wore mouthguards, but that quarterbacks were least compliant. Most coaches reported that mouthguard rules were beneficial in determining player compliance and resulted in more frequent use. Seventy-four percent would warn the player of a violation themselves, yet only 26 percent felt the coach had the greatest influence on players wearing mouthguards. Seventy-six percent felt the current enforcement of the rules is appropriate. Coaches opinions varied from those of officials. CONCLUSIONS: Coaches view themselves, the players, or the trainer as most responsible for players wearing mouthguards, not referees. This finding coincides with the officials' opinion that the coaches should be accountable.

Comparative evaluation of college football officials' attitudes toward NCAA mouthguard regulations and player compliance.

A 12-item questionnaire addressing attitudes of football officials toward the 1990 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mouthguard regulation was sent to all officials in the Southeastern Conference (N = 62). The response rate was 95% (59). Twenty-seven per cent of officials reported that all players were in compliance; 74% believed the new rule to be at least somewhat beneficial in determining player compliance, and 20% reported that the rule had resulted in more frequent player use. Twenty-two per cent reported they would ignore a mouthguard violation and none had charged a time-out or called a penalty during the 1991 season. Significant differences in the responses of Big East officials surveyed in a previous study were noted by the authors, when compared to the SEC, but both groups of officials strongly supported the idea that wearing mouthguards should be the responsibility of coaches rather than officials.

Attitudes of college football officials regarding NCAA mouthguard regulations and player compliance.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandates the use of brightly colored, intraoral mouthguards by football players to reduce the frequency and severity of craniofacial and intraoral morbidity and mortality, and to enhance the ability of officials to observe player compliance. The purpose of this 12-question mail survey was to determine the attitudes of on-field game officials regarding current NCAA mouthguard regulations and patterns of utilization by college football players. The sample consisted of all 50 Big East Football Conference officials; a response rate of 100 percent was achieved. Only 42 percent of the officials reported observing all players in compliance, and quarterbacks were identified by others as the least compliant group (52%). The majority (88%) indicated that the 1990 rule for brightly colored mouthguards had been beneficial to them in determining player compliance, and 52 percent reported that this rule had resulted in more frequent use by these athletes. Nearly all officials (96%) indicated that they would issue a warning for noncompliance to the player or coach, rather than charging a timeout for a violation as prescribed by NCAA regulations. The majority (70%) believe current enforcement is appropriate, but expressed the opinion that coaches should be held more accountable for player compliance.

A new technique for the custom fabrication of mouthguards with photopolymerized urethane diacrylate.

The use of protective mouthguards in athletes has proven to be an effective and inexpensive means of preventing traumatic injuries to the teeth and supporting structures. Of the three general types of mouthguards available currently, the custom-fabricated type is considered superior to stock and mouth-formed protectors. A new technique is introduced for the fabrication of custom-made mouthguards with light-curing urethane diacrylate material.

Prevention of craniofacial injuries in football.

The evolution of rules and regulations governing the development and use of protective football equipment for the prevention of craniofacial and intraoral traumatic injuries to football players have reduced substantially the occurrence of these injuries. Protective football equipment such as helmets, facemasks, and intraoral mouthguards have undergone numerous developmental changes to improve their effectiveness in preventing traumatic injuries to the head, face, and mouth of participants in football during practice sessions as well as in game situations. Unfortunately, however, some of these types of injuries do continue to occur. Various regulatory agencies and football governing bodies have established quality performance standards for equipment and have enacted rulings for their proper use. Penalties have been assessed for rule infractions to aid in curtailing the misuse of such equipment, as occurs for example, when the helmet is used to spear tackle an opponent or when the facemask is grasped, pulled, or twisted by an opposing player. Dentists can contribute significantly to the overall well-being of their patients who participate in football by providing information and advice regarding the proper use of protective football equipment to prevent craniofacial and intraoral traumatic football-related injuries, by fabricating properly fitted mouthguards as one aspect of their total practice of dentistry, and by providing high-quality and expeditious emergency and long-term treatment subsequent to football-related intraoral traumatic injuries. In addition, dentists can contribute on a larger scale to the overall well-being of football athletes by participating in community service activities such as mouthguard days, as consultants to football teams, as team dentists, or as advisors to those interested in research and development to improve protective football equipment, and to those responsible for sponsoring more stringent regulations for player safety in football.