Patterns of Facial Profile Preference in a Large Sample of Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The objective of this study was to explore dental students' facial profile preferences in a large sample of students. Nine hundred and nineteen dental students of four dental schools were involved. As part of a larger study on dentofacial esthetics, six photo series consisting of one unaltered and four altered variants of the same female profile were distributed among the students. The altered features were ones that are esthetically significant according to the literature. The students had to indicate the photo in each series that they preferred. The data were analyzed in a regression model in which preference in the given photo series was the dependent variable and gender, grade of studies, and dental school were the factors. Eight hundred and sixty-one students (93.7%) responded. Gender and dental school were not associated with the observed preferences, but the grade of studies was associated for three of the modified parameters: chin prominence, the sagittal position of the maxillary dental arch, and the simultaneous modification of the prominence of the chin and the nose. This study has confirmed several earlier observations, and new observations have also been made. We have demonstrated that the anteroposterior position of the maxillary incisors may be an important determinant of profile esthetics, even if this position does not influence the situation of the soft tissues and if the forehead cannot be used as a reference. We have also shown that the harmony between the nose and the chin overrides the importance of their individual dimensions.

Late effects of multiagent chemotherapy on salivary secretion in children cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the later oral consequences of chemotherapy on the oral health of children with emphasis on the cariological status and the major and minor salivary gland function. METHOD: Thirty-eight 12-year-old children (mean age 12.3 ± 0.58 years) who underwent chemotherapy were evaluated after 5 years of treatment. Forty age- and sex-matched healthy children with similar socioeconomic backgrounds served as controls. Subjects' cariological status was explained by the number of decayed, filled, missing permanent teeth (DMF-T), and unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva flow rates were measured by the spitting method. Palatal saliva flow rate using a Periotron meter (Oraflow Inc., Plainview, NY) and salivary buffer capacity using CRT buffer (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Lichtenstein) were also investigated. RESULTS: Children who underwent chemotherapy had significantly more decayed teeth than healthy controls (3.97 ± 3.58 vs 0.84 ± 1.75, respectively, p < 0.001). Recipients of chemotherapy had significantly lower stimulated whole saliva flow rate (0.84 ± 0.35 vs 1.13 ± 0.46 ml/min, p < 0.05) compared to the controls. Palatal saliva flow rate was at the same time significantly higher in the test group compared to the controls (1.64 ± 0.87 vs 0.46 ± 0.32 ml/min/cm(2), respectively, p < 0.001). High levels of buffer capacity of the saliva could be detected in a significantly higher prevalence in the patient group compared to the controls (high: 81.6% vs 40%). CONCLUSIONS: According to these results, chemotherapy in children might result in a decreased stimulated whole saliva flow rate, hyposalivation, and, consequently, increased caries risk. Although these processes might be compensated to a limited extend by the increased minor saliva flow rate, resulting in a higher buffer capacity, nutrition and oral hygiene control of children obtaining cancer therapy is essential in the preservation of the oral tissues.

[The objective assessment of the quality of oral health care and development of quality indicators]. / A fogászati ellátás minoségének objektív mérése, minoségi indikátorok fejlesztése.

Public health care administration and decision-makers need appropriate tools and information to assess and monitor oral health needs and improve the performance of the oral health system. The aim of the article is to introduce the available methods of measurement of the quality of service, to give a brief summary considering the role of quality indicators in domestic and international sources and the European indicator project (EGOHID) and to introduce ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System), the method used for clinical examinations. The clinical indicators - that are produced from data gained from the questionnaires and screenings--provide an opportunity to improve and develop quality. Quality indicators are objective measure of the process or outcome of patient care. The 40 indicators were created by the experts of EGOHID program which are described in four categories. Part A is indicators for monitoring the oral health of children and adolescents, Part B is in general population, Part C is indicators for monitoring the oral health systems, Part D concerns indicators for monitoring the oral health quality of life. The purpose of developing public health care and--within it--dental care is the effective use of resources and besides it, reaching the popular level of health gain for which it is a necessary tool when forming and continuously developing the quality approach of providers.