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Biomedical subjects

A R Pack

Publications and source records attributed to A R Pack.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effects of extended systemic and topical folate supplementation on gingivitis of pregnancy.

A former double-blind study evaluated the effect of a 14-day period of systemic and topical folate supplementation on gingival inflammation during pregnancy (Pack & Thomson 1980). The current experiment was similar to the earlier one except that supplementation was for 28 days during the eighth month only. Thirty women during their 32nd week of pregnancy were randomly divided into three equal groups. Control Group A received placebo mouthwash (MW) and placebo tablets; Group B received placebo MW and one 5 mg folate tablet daily; Group C received placebo tablets and rinsed with folate MW twice daily for 1 min. At the beginning and end of the experimental period, oral status was determined using a plaque index (PlI) and a gingival index (GI). Each subject furnished a 1-week diet record which was analysed for dietary folate. No differences in parameters existed between groups at the commencement of the study except for folate levels which were lower in Group B. Results confirmed the findings of the former experiment. Group C showed highly significant improvement in GI despite no significant changes in PlI (0.001 less than P less than 0.01), whilst in Group B, changes in gingival health were not statistically significant (0.05 less than P less than 0.10). No significant changes were demonstrated in Group A. Folate levels increased significantly in Groups B and C. Dietary folate was similar in all groups.

Administration, Oral↗

Effects of topical and systemic folic acid supplementation on gingivitis in pregnancy.

A double-blind study evaluated the effects of systemic and topical folate on gingival inflammation during the fourth and eighth months of pregnancy. Thirty women were randomly divided into three groups. Group A received placebo mouthwash and tablets; Group B; placebo mouthwash and 5 mg folate tablets; Group C: folate mouthwash and placebo tablets. Supplementation lasted for 14 days during months 4 and 8. Subjects took one tablet daily and rinsed twice daily for 1 min with the mouthwash. At the start and finish of each 14-day period, fasting serum and red cell folate levels were estimated and oral status assessed by a plaque index (P1I), a gingival index (GI), and gingival exudate flow meter (GEF). Subjects completed 1-week diet sheets which were analysed for dietary folate. All groups were similar in each parameter at the start. Correlation was demonstrated between GI and P1I, and between GI and GEF. GI tended to increase throughout pregnancy in all groups except Group C, when in the eighth month there was a highly significant improvement (0.001 less than P 0.01) despite no significant change in P1I. Although dietary intake of folate was significantly higher during the eighth month in Group C as compared with Groups A and B, (0.001 less than P less than 0.01), the folate mouthwash produced highly significantly improvement in gingival health in pregnancy.

Administration, Oral↗