Prevalence of Enamel Markings on Third Molars.

The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of enamel markings in routinely extracted third molars. One hundred donated third molars were examined. All had some marking(s). Caries was almost universal; white snowcapping of cusps and ridges was extremely common; pit and valley defects were very common; spots and bands were very common, most were white; horizontal grooves were common; linear enamel hypoplasia, considered to be a true developmental defect, was rare.

Saliva sampling method affects performance of a salivary α-amylase biosensor.

OBJECTIVES: Prompted by the discordance between a standardized salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) biosensor applied in clinical settings and a reference laboratory analyzer, we examined the impact of the saliva sampling method on the analytic performance of the biosensor. METHODS: Direct mouth readings using the biosensor from 31 normal, healthy volunteers were compared to biosensor and conventional assay readings obtained from saliva samples collected concurrently by passive drool and processed in three different ways (unprocessed, thawed, and thawed and centrifuged). RESULTS: The direct readings from the mouth showed consistently lower sAA values (Ps < 0.01) compared to all other combinations of sample processing and quantification platforms (biosensor vs. conventional assay). Readings obtained from passive drool saliva were strongly correlated with one another, and Bland-Altman plots of agreement indicated a smaller discrepancy between conventional and biosensor readings obtained with passive drool when compared to the direct mouth readings. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the analytical performance of the sAA biosensor is influenced significantly by the saliva sampling method. In contrast to the relatively imprecise direct mouth measurements, biosensor sAA levels established indirectly from passive drool saliva samples provide more accurate estimation of sAA levels, even after intermediary processing steps (e.g., freezing, thawing, centrifugation).

Utility of a salivary biosensor for objective assessment of surgery-related stress.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical utility of a salivary α-amylase (sAA) biosensor for assessing oral surgery-related stress responses and the differential effect of the personality trait of pain catastrophizing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in 76 healthy subjects who underwent elective removal of their third molars. Along with subjects' self-reports of anxiety and pain, biosensor-facilitated measurements of sAA levels were obtained at multiple time points during the preoperative consult, surgery, and postsurgical follow-up visits. In addition, subjects completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale at baseline. Mixed-effect regression models examined changes in sAA levels and self-report ratings within and across visits and the contribution of pain catastrophizing. RESULTS: The sAA levels were lower during surgery and postsurgical follow-up compared with the consult visit (P < .01). The sAA levels decreased during the surgery visit (P < .05) and did not change during the consult or follow-up visits. Individuals who reported greater helplessness to pain manifested higher sAA levels during the surgery visit (P < .05). Self-reported anxiety ratings were highest during the surgery visit, and pain ratings were highest during the follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: The sAA levels did not show the predicted increases during the surgery visit compared with the consult and postsurgical follow-up visits or increases during the surgery visit. However, individuals who reported responding to pain with helplessness had higher sAA levels in anticipation of surgery, providing proof of concept for the value of point-of-care assessments of surgery-induced stresses and the differential effect of personality traits.