The impact of some behavioral aspects on periodontal disease in a group of Romanian students - an epidemiological survey.

AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of periodontitis in a young population representative for the North-western part of Romania (Transylvania) and to identify possible risk indicators of periodontitis. METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional epidemiological survey. The subjects were students randomly sampled from three universities in Cluj-Napoca and high school students from the neighboring city of Bistrita. The sample size of the population was calculated. Overall, 623 subjects aged 16-35 years were evaluated, of which 488 were university students and 135 high school students. A structured questionnaire was administrated to collect information on socio-behavioral status and oral hygiene habits. Periodontal data was collected using a full-mouth methodology by trained examiners. A recent introduced case definition was used to pick up periodontitis cases. RESULTS: The older the subject, the more frequent toothbrushing, dental visits, and use of interproximal hygiene devices, but also addiction to tobacco and alcohol consumption. The prevalence of periodontitis was 0.96% (n=6). Half of these subjects (n=3, 0.48%) were considered to have aggressive periodontitis (AP). Low frequency of toothbrush changing was identified to influence the development of periodontitis. Smoking and lower socioeconomic level did not seem to correlate with periodontal disease in the present study. CONCLUSIONS: In order to better understand the prevalence of periodontal diseases and identify periodontitis cases as well as to evaluate the impact of specific behavioral factors on the disease development in individual and population levels, further extensive screenings are obviously required. Periodontal prevention programs focusing on oral health behavior are mandatory.

Degenerative alterations of the cementum-periodontal ligament complex and early tooth loss in a young patient with periodontal disease.

Premature exfoliation of primary or permanent teeth in children or adolescents is extremely rare and it can be a manifestation of an underlying systemic disease. This study aims to present the histological aspects associated with early tooth loss in a case of periodontal disease developed without local inflammation and with minimal periodontal pockets and attachment loss. The maxillary left second premolar was extracted together with a gingival collar attached to the root surface. The histological analysis recorded the resorption of the cementum in multiple areas of the entire root surface with the connective tissue of the desmodontium invading the lacunae defects. The connective tissue rich in cells occupied the periodontal ligamentar space and the resorptive areas. No inflammation was obvious in the periodontal ligament connective tissue. This report may warn clinicians about the possibility of the association of cemental abnormalities with early tooth loss.

Clinical, EEG, electromyographic and polysomnographic studies in restless legs syndrome caused by magnesium deficiency.

The present paper reports biochemical and neurophysiological investigations in ten cases with restless leg syndrome. Other neuropsychiatric affections and factors which could generate the symptomatology of restless legs syndrome were not included. The EEG recordings demonstrated evident reticular neuronal hypersynchrony generated by hyperpnoea (sinusoidal slow waves). The classical EEG investigations pointed out neuromuscular hyperexcitability, but some modifications of the functional parameters of the neuromuscular excitability and conductibility (signs of neuropathy) were also noticed. In all the cases, continuous 8-hour polysomnographic recordings and monitorization on infrared TV screen were performed. Investigations reported: important disorders of sleep organization, agitated sleep with frequent periods of nocturnal awakenings, increase of the durations and percentages of light slow-wave sleep (LSWS) and rapid and frequent changes of various stages of LSWS, a decrease of duration and percentage of DSWS, a decrease of duration and percentage of REM sleep (as in other parasomnias caused by magnesium deficiency) and nocturnal EEG anomalies (long discharges of sinusoidal slow waves, of sharp waves and of sharp slow waves appearing in the LSWS stages with the disappearance in the REM sleep).