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Biomedical subjects

A I Ismail

Publications and source records attributed to A I Ismail.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Home-based chemically-induced whitening of teeth in adults.

BACKGROUND: During the last decade tooth whitening products have become widely available in the USA for sale over-the-counter or dispensed by dentists for use at home. With the current rapid growth in demand for tooth whitening it is imperative that the dental community base its recommendations to patients on sound scientific evaluations conducted in well-designed and independent studies. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness (versus a placebo or another active product) and side effects of over-the-counter or dentist-dispensed chemically-based tooth whitening products designed for home use. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2005, Issue 3); MEDLINE (January 1966 to September week 2 2005); and EMBASE (1988 to week 39 2005). The tables of content of selected dental journals published since 1995 were searched for additional references. Written requests for additional studies and information were mailed to experts in this area of research. After a final set of studies was identified, the list of references reported in the included reports was reviewed to identify additional studies. Studies published in English and non-English were considered in this review. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials of dentist-dispensed or over-the-counter tooth whitening products with a chemical action (rather than abrasive action), for home use. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Screening of titles and abstracts, data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken independently and in duplicate. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 416 articles were identified, 25 of which met the inclusion criteria and presented data that could be used in the analysis. All included trials measured effectiveness immediately after 2 weeks of product application. Only 13 studies reported outcome data 1 week after the 2-week application period, and of those only six reported outcome data after 1 month or longer. Four of the included trials were assessed as at moderate risk of bias and the remainder at high risk of bias. All trials were sponsored by the manufacturers of tooth whitening products. Six trials compared different whitening products (gel in trays, paint-on films and whitening strips) with placebo/no treatment and all analyses showed the products to be effective, although most comparisons were based on single trials. Nineteen trials compared different whitening products with each other. There was only one meta-analysis which included more than one trial which showed statistically significant differences between the different whitening products. Strips (5.5% to 6.5% hydrogen peroxide(HP)) are more effective than gel in tray at 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) mean difference 1.82 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26 to 3.38). All of these trials were assessed as of high risk of bias. 'Mild' to 'moderate' tooth sensitivity and gingival irritation were the most common side effects. The whitening strips and products with high concentrations of HP caused more users to complain from tooth sensitivity. The protocols for preparation of participants prior to bleaching were inconsistent among the studies. Data on baseline scores of whiteness were not reported by the majority of the studies. The current evidence base on tooth whitening products suffers from methodological and publication biases. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that whitening products work when compared with placebo/no treatment. There are differences in efficacy between the products, mainly due to the levels of active ingredients, hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. All trials were however short term and the majority of the studies were judged to be at high risk of bias and were either sponsored or conducted by the manufacturers. There is a need for pragmatic long-term and independent clinical studies that include participants representing diverse populations. There is also a need to evaluate long-term harms. Several studies reported (where measured) the common side effects of tooth sensitivity and gingival irritation, and people should be informed of this.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Visual and visuo-tactile detection of dental caries.

The objective of this review is to describe and discuss the content validity of a sample of caries detection criteria reported in the literature between January 1, 1966, and May 1, 2000. Using filters to locate randomized or controlled clinical trials on dental caries, fluorides, sealants, and "restorative" care, I identified a total of 171 documents from MEDLINE and the Cochrane Collaboration's Oral Health Group (CC-OHG) special register. These articles met the following inclusion criteria: (1) Data had been collected from samples of patients or populations; and (2) dental caries was assessed clinically, and criteria were either published or described in the paper. From the selected articles, evidence tables were prepared describing each caries detection criterion. Analysis of the content validity of the criteria systems was based on evaluation of the disease process, exclusion of non-caries lesions, subjectivity, use of explorers, and drying of teeth prior to examination. This review included 29 unique criteria systems. Of those, 13 originated from the UK, 3 from the USA, 4 from Denmark, and others from the World Health Organization (WHO), Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Canada. Thirteen of the criteria systems either measured active and inactive early and cavitated lesions or defined separate criteria for smooth and occlusal tooth surfaces. Nine systems measured early as well as cavitated stages of the caries process, and 7 measured cavitation only. Eleven of the criteria systems provided explicit descriptions of the disease process measured or information on how to exclude non-caries from caries lesions. The use of explorers and drying and cleaning of teeth varied widely among the criteria. The majority of the newly developed criteria systems originated from Europe. In conclusion, this review of the content validity of the 29 criteria systems found substantial variability in disease processes measured, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and examination conditions.

Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2002

Patient preferences and the measurement of utilities in the evaluation of dental technologies.

Advances in life sciences that are predicted in the 21st century will present many challenges for health professionals and policy-makers. The major questions will be how to allocate resources to pay for costs of new technologies and who will best benefit from advances in new diagnostic and treatment methods. We review in this paper the concept of utility and how it can be applied and expanded to provide data to help health professionals make decisions that are preferred by patients and the public at large. Utility is a measure of people's well-being or preferences for outcomes. The measurement of utilities of a new diagnostic technology, for example, can be carried out with the use of simple methods that do not incorporate all of the uncertainties and potential outcomes associated with providing the test, or with more complex methods that can incorporate most uncertainties. This review describes and critiques the different measurement methods of utilities.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2001

The impact of universal access to dental care on disparities in caries experience in children.

BACKGROUND: The authors investigated the association between socioeconomic status and the severity of dental caries in 6- and 7-year-old children who had had access to dental care throughout their lives. The children had lived since birth in Nova Scotia, Canada, a province with a universal publicly financed dental care program. METHODS: The authors selected a representative sample of first-grade children using a stratified multistage sampling method of primary schools (n = 1,614). The response rate was 78.8 percent. Two dentists were trained to diagnose dental caries using modified World Health Organization criteria. Intra- and interexaminer reliability was excellent (kappa > or = 0.88). Of the children who were examined (n = 1,271), 955 were lifelong residents of Nova Scotia, Canada, and so were included in this analysis. Data were weighted and adjusted for clustering (design) effects. RESULTS: Only 8.4 percent of the children had visited a dental office before the age of 2 years, and 88.5 percent of the children had their first dental visit between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Children whose parents had completed a university education had a significantly lower mean number of decayed, missing and filled surfaces, or dmfs, in their primary teeth than did children whose parents had a lower education level. A Poisson regression model indicated that parents' high education status, optimal fluoride concentration in schools' water supplies, daily toothbrushing and dental visits for checkup were significantly associated with low dmfs scores. CONCLUSION: Having access to a universal publicly financed dental insurance program since birth did not eliminate the disparities in caries experience. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This analysis of a highly utilized universal dental insurance program suggests that disparities in oral health status cannot be reduced solely by providing universal access to dental care. Focused efforts by professional and governmental organizations should be directed toward understanding the socioeconomic, behavioral and community determinants of oral health disparities.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Dental caries in the second millennium.

This historical review of dental caries diagnosis and management is based on information obtained from reports published between 1839 and 1965 and forty textbooks on caries diagnosis and management published since the nineteenth century. The history of understanding of any disease or condition in humans has passed through two distinct eras. The first, which lasted until the twentieth century and may still be ongoing today, is the "observational" era. The second, which has developed and revolutionized our understanding of the causes and treatments of all diseases, is the "scientific" era. During the observational era, treatments of oral or dental problems were based on neither biological nor scientific principles. Rather, experimentation without validation was, and to a lesser extent during the last fifty years is still, common. In terms of disease management, dental practice is still in the gray years of the "restorative era" and in the midst of the "preventive era" where the emphasis would soon shift towards early detection of biological markers of diseases and prevention of their initiation and progression. This review has found that most contemporary questions on caries diagnosis and management have been debated since the middle of the nineteenth century. There is a need for a comprehensive research program to provide scientifically based information to assist dental practitioners in caries detection, diagnosis, and management.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed1999

Fluoride supplements and fluorosis: a meta-analysis.

This paper presents a systematic review of the dental literature that was carried out to investigate whether the regular use of fluoride supplements in non-fluoridated communities during the period of tooth development increases the risk of dental fluorosis. A MEDLINE search was organized for all documents published, in English, between January 1966 and September 1997 using the following key words: fluorosis, dental, fluoride, fluoride supplement or supplements, drop or drops, and tablet or tablets. Twenty-four studies that assessed the development of dental fluorosis in children who had used fluoride supplements earlier in their life were included in this review. Of the 24 studies, 10 were cross-sectional/case control studies and four were follow-up studies. These studies had data that allowed a quantitative estimation of the risk of developing dental fluorosis in users of fluoride supplements. The other 10 studies were excluded because they either did not present enough data or had other methodological problems. A qualitative review of the studies found a consistent and strong association between the use of fluoride supplements and dental fluorosis. The meta-analyses of the cross-sectional/case-control studies estimated that the odds ratio of dental fluorosis in users of fluoride supplements compared with non-users ranged between 2.4 and 2.6. The meta-analyses of the follow-up studies estimated that the relative risk in long-term users was between 5.5 and 12.2. This review confirmed that in non-fluoridated communities the use of fluoride supplements during the first 6 years of life is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing dental fluorosis.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed1999

A primer on outcomes in dentistry.

Expectations for evidence of "value" on the part of dental care purchasers and growth in the evidence-based dentistry movement are beginning to demonstrate the narrow and incomplete nature of dentistry's knowledge of the outcomes of dental conditions and treatment. In this paper a classification scheme for dental outcomes is described that illustrates the broad range of outcomes information important to patients, health care providers, purchasers, and society. The uses for outcomes information are discussed and suggestions are offered for improving dentistry's knowledge of outcomes through the cooperative involvement of dental research, dental education, and dental practice.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1999

A systematic review of clinical diagnostic criteria of early childhood caries.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews case definitions and clinical diagnostic criteria of early childhood caries (ECC) and severe ECC (S-ECC) in children aged 1 to 5 years old. The acronym S-ECC as used in this paper refers to nursing caries, baby bottle tooth decay, rampant caries, labial caries, maxillary anterior caries, and other terms used to refer to severe dental caries in preschool children. METHODS: A search was carried out for articles published in peer-reviewed journals and indexed in MEDLINE using the following terms: nursing caries, baby bottle tooth decay, early childhood caries, rampant caries in preschool children, labial caries, maxillary anterior caries, and nursing bottle caries. MEDLINE's MeSH terms "dental caries" and "deciduous teeth" were used to search for other relevant studies. Reports were selected if they included children 1 to 5 years of age and described diagnostic criteria or case definitions of S-ECC. Three previous reviews were searched for other relevant reports. One unpublished report was included in this review and data from NHANES III were analyzed to provide information on caries patterns in preschool children in the United States. The first author read all the abstracts from the MEDLINE search and tagged relevant reports for photocopying. He also abstracted all the information from the reports. The first author calibrated the second author, who independently read all included and excluded reports. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: Out of 126 studies, 32 were excluded and 94 (93 published and 1 unpublished) were included in this review. Eighty-one of the 94 published studies were cross-sectional surveys or clinical studies, 7 were case-control clinical studies, 2 studies were controlled clinical trials, and 4 were cohort or field trials. About two-thirds of the included studies did not report on calibration of examiners. Information on reliability of examiners was reported by 19 of the 94 studies. The included studies varied widely in the name used to identify S-ECC, case definitions, and diagnostic criteria. "Cavitation" was the most common criterion used to define dental caries. Several studies measured early or noncavitated carious lesions. Twenty-seven studies used the presence of 1 dmf maxillary incisor to classify a child with S-ECC. Another 23 and 9 studies defined S-ECC by the presence of 2+ or 3+ dmf maxillary incisors, respectively. Dental caries in preschool children clusters in pits and fissures and on smooth tooth surfaces of primary molars and maxillary incisors. CONCLUSIONS: This review found a wide variation in the case definitions and diagnostic criteria used to diagnose ECC or define S-ECC. Dental caries in the maxillary incisors is one of several patterns of dental caries that may occur in primary teeth of preschool children. A consensus is needed on case definitions and diagnostic criteria that can assist researchers to test preventive interventions and study the etiology and epidemiology of ECC.

Bottle Feeding↗
PubMed1998

Prevention of early childhood caries.

This paper reviews the methods used for the prevention of early childhood caries (ECC). The education of mothers or caregivers to promote healthy dietary habits in infants has been the main strategy used for the prevention of ECC. This review found that education has a modest impact on the development of ECC. While education should be promoted especially in high risk communities and population groups (low-income families and native populations), it should not be the only preventive strategy of ECC. Early screening for signs of caries development, starting from the first year of life, could identify infants and toddlers who are at risk of developing ECC and assist in providing information to parents about how to promote oral health and prevent the development of tooth decay. High risk children include those with early signs of ECC, poor oral hygiene, limited exposure to fluorides, and frequent exposure to sugary snacks and drinks. These children should be targeted with a professional preventive program that includes fluoride varnish application, fluoridated dentifrices, fluoride supplements, sealants, diet counseling, and chlorhexidine. Prevention of ECC also requires addressing the social and economic factors that face many families where ECC is endemic.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of dental caries and fluorosis in seven- to 12-year-old children in northern Newfoundland and Forteau, Labrador.

In 1993, a cross-sectional oral health survey of 739 randomly selected seven- to 12-year-old Canadian school children was conducted in Forteau (Labrador), Roddickton (northern Newfoundland), and Flower's Cove (northern Newfoundland) to determine the prevalence of dental caries and fluorosis. Children in grades two through six (n = 838) were selected to participate in the survey, which achieved a response rate of 88.2 per cent. Caries prevalence was estimated using modified World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (non-cavitated carious pits and fissures were coded separately from cavitated carious lesions). Fluorosis was measured using the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). In-school examinations were carried out by three dentists using portable equipment. There was a significantly higher percentage of caries-free children in Forteau (17.6 per cent) than in Roddickton (7.1 per cent) or Flower's Cove (8.3 per cent). Less than 20 per cent of the children surveyed in all regions had fluorosis. When fluorosis was present, it was mostly of the "very mild" type. Children from Forteau had a significantly lower mean number of decayed permanent teeth than children from the two other regions (1.6 in Forteau, versus 2.7 in Roddickton and 3.4 in Flower's Cove). The mean number of sealed teeth was significantly higher in Forteau children (mean = 1.1) compared with children from Roddickton (mean = 0.3) and Flower's Cove (mean = 0.03). In Forteau children, the F/DMFS2 (non-cavitated carious lesions excluded) ratio was 57 per cent, compared to a ratio of 29 per cent in children from Roddickton and 25 per cent in children from Flower's Cove. Similarly, the mean number of non-cavitated carious pits and fissures were higher than cavitated tooth surfaces by a ratio of 1.5 to 1. The risk markers significantly associated with lower DMFS scores were the number of sealants, lower grade level, college or university education of parents, and residence in Forteau. However, dental caries is endemic in the region and there is a clear need for an accessible school- and community-based oral health promotion and treatment program. In conclusion, this survey found that sealants are effective in preventing dental caries.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

Clinical diagnosis of precavitated carious lesions.

During the 20th century, dental caries was usually diagnosed using tactile-visual criteria that detected the presence of cavitation rather than measured the disease process as a continuum that starts from the appearance of microporosity, as a result of demineralization, to the occurrence of cavitation. With increasing understanding of the dental caries process and the role of primary and secondary prevention in arresting it, sensitive and specific diagnostic systems are needed that could enable dentists to detect signs of early demineralization and possible progression of precavitated carious lesions before the occurrence of cavitation. In this review of the literature, published validity studies of diagnosis of precavitated lesions were reviewed. Overall, the current clinical diagnostic systems have low sensitivity and moderate specificity. Good reliability of diagnosing precavitated carious lesions could be obtained for diagnosing pits and fissures but for smooth tooth surfaces the reliability is poor. As our diagnostic capability of precavitated lesions improves, there is a need for a significant change in dental education, dental insurance, and dental practice to reward dentists for promoting oral health and preserving tooth structure. In this paper, a new model for classifying carious lesions based upon the type of intervention strategies is proposed to assist in this new approach of caries management.

Dental Care↗
PubMed1997

Current trends of sugar consumption in developing societies.

This paper reviews recent data on sugar consumption in developing countries that may lead to a potential increase in caries prevalence. A search of the business, dental and nutritional literature was conducted through May 1995. There is evidence that sugar (sucrose) use was increasing in China, India, and Southeast Asia. In South and Central America (except Haiti) sugar use was either equivalent to or higher than that in most developed societies. In the Middle East, average sugar use was higher than that of other developing areas. However, it was either lower than or equivalent to the levels reported by other developed countries. Many central African countries consumed less than 15 kg of sugar/ person/year. Of particular concern is a rise in the consumption of sugar-containing carbonated beverages in a number of developing societies: China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries are currently major growth markets for the soft drink industry. Consumption of high-sugar desserts and snacks may also be increasing in urban centers in some developing countries. To counteract the potential increase in the prevalence of dental caries in some developing countries, preventive and oral health promotion programs should be planned and implemented. We contend that taxation of sugar-containing products as well as efforts to reduce the level of sugar consumption to "safe" levels may be impractical, and in most countries, cannot be supported for political, economic, or health reasons. Instead, we recommend that collaboration be established between public health authorities and manufacturers/distributors of soft drinks and sweets in developing countries to establish a dental health fund that could be used to support caries preventive programs. The fund could be supported through donations from manufacturers based on the principle of the "milli-cent" (1 cent for every 1000 cents of sales). This minimal contribution would provide enough financial support for planning and implementing dental preventive and restorative programs in developing countries.

Africa, Central↗