Aspects related to a periodontal home prevention program for disabled patients: a clinical trial.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to highlight the relationship between the level of oral hygiene and the context in which the patient receives dental treatment, demonstrating that home service is essential and effective to decrease the incidence of periodontal diseases. METHODS: The study was initially conducted on a heterogeneous sample of patients including 48 individuals with psycho-motor deficits. The study included 28 males (58.3%) and 20 females (41.7%) aged between 18 and 50 years, coming from two different sites ("Fa.Di.Vi… e oltre" and "Dentistry Unit, Istituto G. Gaslini" in Genoa). The patients were evaluated during the period 2008-2009. After this first pilot study, a clinical trial was conducted within the educational center "Il Granello", with the participation of 20 patients with disabilities. RESULTS: This study demonstrates that home assistance is essential and effective to decrease the incidence of those periodontal diseases induced by bacterial dental plaque accumulation, and associated with aggravating factors like the repeated use of drugs, such as benzodiazepines, phenylhydantoin, and cyclosporin A, that cause gingival hypertrophia. CONCLUSION: This study was proposed to demonstrate that the availability of a dental service within institutions could improve not only the dental-periodontal conditions of the participants, but also decrease the admission of these subjects to hospitals, contributing to the reduction of public expenditure by the Health Care System.

Hipertrofia gengival induzida por anlodipina: [revisão] / Amlodipine induced gingival overgrowth: [review]

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A hipertrofia gengival (HG) é reconhecidamente um grave efeito adverso a medicamentos, frequentemente encontrado em pacientes em uso de imunossupressores, anticonvulsivantes ou anti-hipertensivos. Nesta última classe, se destaca a nifedipina, porém tem sido crescente o númerode casos secundários ao uso da anlodipina. O objetivo deste estudo foi observar na literatura os dados existentes sobre a epidemiologia, características clínicas e histopatológicas, a prevenção e o tratamento da HG associada a este fármaco. CONTEÚDO: A coleta de dados foi realizada através dos Bancos de Dados BIREME, Pubmed e Medline. As palavras pesquisadas foram: aumento gengival, hipertrofia gengival, hiperplasia gengival, amlodipine induced gingival overgrowth, gingival overgrowth induced by calcium channel blockers, drug induced gingival overgrowth. No bando de dados BIREME foram encontrados 24 artigos referentes ao assunto pesquisado, na Pubmed e Medline foram encontrados 47 artigos pertinentes ao contexto enfocado. Do total, foram utilizados 34 artigos na revisão de literatura. CONCLUSÃO: A anlodipina é um fármaco que comprovadamente atua no tecido gengival causando o seu aumento. Sendo assim, a HG induzida por este fármaco tem aspectos clínicos característicos e é uma reação adversa individualizada devido à influência multifatorial. Em razão do atual aumento do uso deste bloqueador de canal de cálcio, a incidência da HG torna-se cada vez mais crescente. Desta forma, por gerar comprometimento funcional e estético ao indivíduo acometido, é de suma importância o conhecimento desta condição pelos profissionais de saúde para que ocorra a correta identificação do quadro e o estabelecimento precoce de uma conduta terapêutica adequada.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gingival hyperplasia(GH) is admittedly a severe adverse effect of medications, frequently found in the immunosupressors, anticonvulsivants or antihypertensives users. Among this last class of medications, nifedipine is featured, but adverse effects due amlodipine using have been increasing. The aim of this study was to examine the existing data on the literature about epidemiology, clinical and histopathological features, prevention and treatment of GH due this medication. CONTENTS: The data collection was performed through BIREME, Pubmed and Medline databases. The words searched were: gingival enlargement, gingival hypertrophy, gingival hyperplasia, amlodipine induced gingival overgrowth, gingival overgrowth induced by calcium channel blockers, drug induced gingival overgrowth. In the BIREME databases were found 24 articles concerningon the topic searched, in Pubmed and Medline were found 47 relevant articles focused on the context. Totally, 34 articles ofthe literature review were used. CONCLUSION: Amlodipine is a drug that acts in the gingival tissue inducing its enlargement. Therefore, GH induced by thisdrug has typical clinical features and is an individualized adverse effect by the multifactorial influence. Due to the current increasein the use of calcium channel blocker, the incidence of GH becomes increasingly common. However, by the functional and esthetic commitment of the affected individual, is of high importance the knowledge about this condition by health professionals aiming the correct identification of this case and the early establishment of an appropriate treatment.

Factors affecting the distribution and prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in complete denture wearers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of the oral lesions related to gender, age, the length of time of denture usage, education level and economic status. METHODS: The 153 patients with old complete dentures (CD) were asked to participate in the investigation. The subjects (76 male and 77 female) were 37-85 years of age with a mean age of 61.8 ± 9.8 years. Education, economic status and age factors were estimated in subgroups. The data obtained were evaluated by one-way anova, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Student's t-test and chi-squared test. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: The patients who had denture stomatitis and traumatic ulcers were statistically significantly older than the ones who did not have these lesions (p<0.05). Based on the length of denture usage, patients who had a flabby ridge, fibrous inflammatory hyperplasia, traumatic ulcers (p<0.01) and denture stomatitis (p<0.05) were using their dentures statistically significantly longer than the ones who had healthy tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The CD wearers should be advised to visit their dentist regularly to prevent oral mucosal lesions due to the changing supporting tissues during the length of denture usage and to improve their quality of life.

Oral lesions in kidney transplant patients.

INTRODUCTION: Oral hygiene in kidney transplant recipients contributes to maintenance of the transplanted organ and its function. Thus, an investigation of oral lesions could be counted as a notable work. These patients have the potential to be involved with lesions developed as a result of the administration of immunosuppressive drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate oral lesions in a group of kidney transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional research on 100 patients with a kidney transplant for at least 3 months. Oral mucosa was assessed clinically for any lesion. Additional data on systemic diseases, transplant duration, and medications were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of the patients had at least 1 oral lesion. The most common lesion was oral candidiasis in 16% of the participants (13 cases of acute pseudomembranous and 3 cases of chronic oral candidiasis). Gingival enlargement was seen in 7% of the kidney transplant recipients, and 2% had a coated tongue. CONCLUSIONS: Elimination of oral fungal lesions in kidney transplant recipients is highly recommended. We hope this study can shed light on this particular aspect of healthcare in kidney transplant recipients.

[The effect of mycophenolate mofetil and azathioprine on gingival enlargement associated with cyclosporin A use in kidney transplant patients]. / Efecto del micofenolato de mofetilo y azatioprina sobre la hiperplasia gingival asociada al uso de Ciclosporina A en pacientes con trasplante renal.

AIM: To assess gingival overgrowth prevalence and severity in a group of kidney transplant (KT) patients, and analyze the effect of immunosuppressor drugs Cyclosporin A (CsA), Tacrolimus (Tac), Sirolimus (Siro), Azathioprine (Aza) and Mofetil Mycophenolate on this complication. METHODS: Gingival overgrowth presence and severity was classified, and the impact of immunosuppressor drugs, age, oral hygiene, verapamil and nifedipine on this condition was analyzed by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: 172 KT pts. were examined; 137 used CsA, 25 Tac, 6 Sirolimus, 107 Aza and 56 MMF. Gingival overgrowth prevalence was 59.1% on CsA, 12.0% on Tac, and 16.7% on Sirolimus. CsA odds ratio (OR) 15.2, age <45 OR 5.6, and poor oral hygiene OR 3.2, increased, and Aza OR 0.05 and MMF OR 0.03, decreased GO prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Aza and MMF effect was a significant protection against GO prevalence in this group of KT patients.

[Risk factors conditioning the incidence and severity of cyclosporine A-induced gingival overgrowth and methods of prevention]. / Fattori condizionanti l'incidenza e la severità dell'ipertrofia gengivale indotta da ciclosporina A e possibilità di prevenzione.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) induced gingival overgrowth is one of the major side-effects conditioning the quality of life of the patient under immunosuppressive therapy. This adverse effect has been first reported in 1983 and affects almost 30% of treated patients. Several papers have been published concerning the cellular/molecular mechanisms by which CsA may induce, at the same time, an immunosuppressive and proliferative action. In this review various factors concerning the patient and his milieu that account for the different prevalence of the severity of gingival overgrowth in clinical studies are analyzed and briefly discussed. In particular, age, sex, pharmacokinetic properties, pharmaceutical preparation, genetic predisposition, association with other drugs and the parodontal conditions before transplantation are considered. In addition, a unique approach to the patients with gingival overgrowth as well as effective methods of prevention and therapy are suggested.

Prevalence and risk of gingival enlargement in patients treated with anticonvulsant drugs.

BACKGROUND: Predictors of gingival enlargement in patients treated with anti-epileptics have not been previously assessed. This study was conducted to determine, with the aid of two indices that score vertical and horizontal overgrowth, the prevalence and risk factors for gingival enlargement in patients treated with phenytoin and other anticonvulsant drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted and data from 59 patients taking antiepileptics were compared with 98 controls. Gingival enlargement was evaluated with two indices to score vertical overgrowth [Gingival overgrowth index (GO] and horizontal overgrowth [Miranda-Brunet index (MB)]. Gingival index, plaque index, and probing depth were also evaluated. RESULTS: The prevalence of gingival enlargement was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) for both indices in the anticonvulsants treated groups than in the control group. Gingival overgrowth was significantly higher for both indices in the phenytoin group than in the non phenytoin group. Among the possible risk factors, only the gingival index showed a significant association with gingival enlargement. For the MB index the risk of gingival enlargement (odds ratio) associated to phenytoin therapy and other anticonvulsants therapy were 52.6 (13.5-205) and 6.6 (1.5-28.2). Gingival index-adjusted odds ratios for the same drugs were 5.7 (1.3-24.7) and 18.1 (2-158), respectively. The concordance between GO and MB indices in the control group and in the phenytoin-group and non phenytoin-group showed a Kappa value of 0.773 and 0.697, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study reports significant differences in the prevalence and severity of gingival overgrowth in two groups of patients, one treated with phenytoin, and another treated with other anticonvulsants. Gingival inflammation is a significant risk factor for gingival enlargement in these patients.