Clinical evaluation of medications on oral and dental health.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of medications on oral and dental health on a group of dental patients taking drugs regularly. METHODS: The study comprised two groups, the medication group included 328 dental patients regularly taking medication and the control group of 201 dental patients who took no medication. The patients were questioned about occurrence of self-reported oral dryness and were evaluated for the occurrence of any oral mucosal lesions, gingival recession, bleeding and enlargement, alveolar bone resorption, dental caries, any restorations and missing teeth were recorded. Data were statistically analysed with chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between medication and control groups for oral mucosal lesions, gingival recession and enlargement but a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the groups for oral dryness and gingival bleeding. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the groups for dental caries, amalgam, fixed and removable prosthetic restorations and missing teeth. CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant difference for self-reported oral dryness and gingival bleeding and these factors may have been influenced by the increased rate of missing teeth and prosthetic restorations in the medication group.

Clinical evaluation of dose reduction on image quality of panoramic radiographs.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tube current reduction on image quality using medium and regular intensifying screens as well as a digital system for panoramic radiography. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 150 panoramic images of 75 patients were obtained in the study. The initial images were taken at standard exposure settings, and secondary images were exposed with the tube current reduced at different rates. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the two exposures for Group 3 (the rate of dose reduction 25%) while a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was found in Group 4 (the rate of dose reduction 50%) using medium intensifying screens for all observers. No statistically significant difference was found between the two exposures on digital panoramic images. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study a dose reduction of 25% was achieved for medium intensifying screens and for digital panoramic images without any loss of image quality. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A substantial reduction in radiation exposure can be achieved in conventional panoramic radiography using a medium intensifying screen and in digital panoramic radiography without any loss of image quality needed for radiological evaluation of anatomical structures and pathological conditions.