Effect of tongue cleaning methods and oral mutans streptococci level.

INTRODUCTION: Tongue scraping and brushing have been appreciated for hundreds of years but are still appreciated or used by the public. Scientific evidence has validated the need to practice habitual and tongue cleaning as part of daily home oral hygiene procedures. OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the effect of tongue scraping and tongue brushing on oral Mutans streptococci level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 20 healthy subjects aged 14 to 15 years were randomly selected. Flat plastic tongue scraper and Nylon multitufted small headed toothbrush are the two tongue cleaning devise used. Unstimulated salivary samples were obtained at 4 intervals from each individual. Salivary samples were inoculated on Mitis Salivary Agar Plate and Sorbital Broth was used for identification of Mutans streptococci group. RESULTS: Paired and unpaired 't' test were employed. Reduiction in the Mutans streptococci level from 48.4 × 10(4) CFU and 38.3 × 10(4) CFU at baseline in tongue scraping and tongue brushing group respectively to 0.34 × 10(4) and 0.39 × 104 CFU after 7th day. CONCLUSION: Both tongue coating removal methods evaluated were efficient in reducing mutans streptococci level. This implies that physical removal of the coating on the dorsum of the tongue is important and not the method used for the same.

Objective evaluation of cervical vertebral bone age' its reliability in comparison with hand-wrist bone age: by TW3 method.

AIM: The aim of this study was to establish the validity of a new method for evaluating skeletal maturation by assessing the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae seen in the cephalometric radiograph. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study consisted of a sample of 50 patients in the age group of 8 to 14 years of age. Chronologically, they were divided into six groups, based on the age consisting of a minimum of six to a maximum of 10 subjects. All the patients included in the study were females. The selected subjects were clinically examined and then age and date of birth of the patient in years and months was noted. Then lateral cephalograms and hand-wrist radiographs of the patient were taken on the same day with good clarity and contrast. RESULTS: The results suggested that cervical vertebral bone age on cephalometric radiographs calculated with this method is as reliable at estimating bone age as is the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method on hand-wrist radiographs. By determining the cervical vertebral bone age, skeletal maturity can be evaluated in a detailed and objective manner with cephalometric radiographs. CONCLUSION: The ability to accurately appraise skeletal maturity from cervical vertebral maturation, without the need for additional radiographs, has the potential to improve orthodontic diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The technique's simplicity and ease of use should encourage this method as a frst level diagnostic tool to assess skeletal maturation. Clinical signifcance: This study revealed that the timing and sequence of ossifcation of the bones in hand and wrist and cervical vertebrae were able to relate the skeletal development of the various skeletal maturity indicators to a child's development. This method provided a mean with which one can determine the skeletal maturity of a person and thereby determine whether the possibility of potential growth existed.