[The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of saliva during and after pregnancy]. / Características fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas de la saliva durante y después del embarazo.

OBJECTIVES: Identify the changes in some physiological and microbiological parameters in the saliva from a group of women during and after their pregnancies. METHODS: Stimulated whole saliva was collected from a cohort of 35 women during their pregnancy and afterwards to determine each sample's physicochemical (secretion rate, pH and buffer capacity) and microbiological characteristics (acidogenic bacteria count). RESULTS: The pH and buffer capacity of saliva during pregnancy were lower than after pregnancy. There were no statistically significant changes regarding S. mutans and Lactobacillus spp. count, but a tendency towards increased values during pregnancy was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Changes occurring in the saliva of pregnant women can lead to an increase of risk of suffering disease affecting one's oral health, such as caries, gingivitis and periodontal disease; this could be prevented by appropriate diagnosis and dental follow-up, including education regarding pregnant women's oral health.

Características fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas de la saliva durante y después del embarazo / The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of saliva during and after pregnancy

Objetivo Identificar las variaciones producidas en algunos parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos de la saliva en un grupo de mujeres durante y después de la gestación. Materiales y Métodos Se recolectó saliva total estimulada en una cohorte de 35 mujeres embarazadas y después del parto. A cada muestra le fueron determinadas características fisicoquímicas (tasa de secreción, pH y capacidad amortiguadora) y microbiológicas (recuentos de bacterias acidogénicas). Resultados El pH y la capacidad amortiguadora de la saliva durante el embarazo fueron más bajos que en el posparto, mientras que la tasa de secreción salival fue más alta en el embarazo. Los recuentos de S. mutans y Lactobacillus spp. no presentaron cambios significativos estadísticamente, pero se observa una tendencia al aumento en los recuentos durante la gestación. Conclusión Los cambios ocurridos en la saliva de las gestantes pueden llevar a un aumento del riesgo de aparición de enfermedades bucales como caries, gingivitis y enfermedad periodontal, los cuales podrían disminuirse, mediante un adecuado diagnóstico y seguimiento odontológico, que incluya educación en salud oral a la gestante.

Objectives Identify the changes in some physiological and microbiological parameters in the saliva from a group of women during and after their pregnancies. Methods Stimulated whole saliva was collected from a cohort of 35 women during their pregnancy and afterwards to determine each sample's physicochemical (secretion rate, pH and buffer capacity) and microbiological characteristics (acidogenic bacteria count). Results The pH and buffer capacity of saliva during pregnancy were lower than after pregnancy. There were no statistically significant changes regarding S. mutans and Lactobacillus spp. count, but a tendency towards increased values during pregnancy was noted. Conclusions Changes occurring in the saliva of pregnant women can lead to an increase of risk of suffering disease affecting one's oral health, such as caries, gingivitis and periodontal disease; this could be prevented by appropriate diagnosis and dental follow-up, including education regarding pregnant women's oral health.

Evaluation of a 3D stereophotogrammetric technique to measure the stone casts of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: To assess a three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric method for palatal cast digitization of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate. DESIGN: As part of a collaboration between the University of Milan (Italy) and the University CES of Medellin (Colombia), 96 palatal cast models obtained from neonatal patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were obtained and digitized using a three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric imaging system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Three-dimensional measurements (cleft width, depth, length) were made separately for the longer and shorter cleft segments on the digital dental cast surface between landmarks, previously marked. Seven linear measurements were computed. Systematic and random errors between operators' tracings, and accuracy on geometric objects of known size were calculated. In addition, mean measurements from three-dimensional stereophotographs were compared statistically with those from direct anthropometry. RESULTS: The three-dimensional method presented good accuracy error (<0.9%) on measuring geometric objects. No systematic errors between operators' measurements were found (p > .05). Statistically significant differences (p < 5%) were noted for different methods (caliper versus stereophotogrammetry) for almost all distances analyzed, with mean absolute difference values ranging between 0.22 and 3.41 mm. Therefore, rates for the technical error of measurement and relative error magnitude were scored as moderate for Ag-Am and poor for Ag-Pg and Am-Pm distances. Generally, caliper values were larger than three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric values. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric systems have some advantages over direct anthropometry, and therefore the method could be sufficiently precise and accurate on palatal cast digitization with unilateral cleft lip and palate. This would be useful for clinical analyses in maxillofacial, plastic, and aesthetic surgery.