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Biomedical subjects

A Van Stewart

Publications and source records attributed to A Van Stewart.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

A meta-analysis of mandibular intercanine width in treatment and postretention.

The meta-analysis technique of literature review was applied to a total of 26 previous studies to assess the longitudinal stability of postretention mandibular intercanine width. Weighted averages and standard deviations for the means of 1,233 subjects were compared for linear changes in intercanine transverse dimensions during treatment (T1), immediately after treatment (T2), and after removal of all retention (T3). Net change was defined as the difference between means at T3 and T1. Dimensional changes were also evaluated on the basis of patient pretreatment Angle classification, extraction, and nonextraction treatment modalities of each group. Paired two-tail t-tests were performed between T3 and T1 means on all groups at the a priori level of significance set at a < or = 0.05. Statistically significant differences were observed for the following groups: all patients; nonextraction; extraction; Class I; Class I extraction; Class II extraction; and, Class I Division 1 nonextraction. The findings of this study indicate that regardless of patient diagnostic and treatment modalities, mandibular intercanine width tends to expand during treatment on the order of one to two millimeters, and to contract postretention to approximately the original dimension. While statistically significant differences could be demonstrated within various groups, the magnitudes of the differences were not considered clinically important.

Dental Arch↗
PubMed1998

Review of current tenure policies and their relation to junior dental faculty.

The nature of tenure eligibility requirements for faculty has changed in recent years. The purpose of this study was to review the current tenure policies among U.S. dental schools. A five-page, sixteen-item survey was mailed to fifty-three U.S. dental schools. The survey produced thirty-seven completed questionnaires for a response rate of 70 percent. Among the results of the survey were: a) the most prevalent probationary period was seven years; b) faculty were expected to have a minimum of six to 15 publications to obtain tenure; c) only 39 percent of schools were perceived to offer a financial guarantee along with the award of tenure; and d) 69 percent of the schools offered an alternative track for selected full-time faculty.

Faculty, Dental↗
PubMed1976

High blood pressure detection: a new public health measure for the dental profession.

Detection of high blood pressure can be a major public health service contribution by the dental profession. The pioneer program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, in conjunction with the Bergen County Health Department and the Bergen County Dental Society, is encouraging dentists to participate in the National High Blood Pressure Program. Participants are urged to measure the blood pressures of all their adolescent and adult patients and to refer those with sustained elevated readings to their physicians, preferably by the arrangements of appointments.

Dentists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MRSA: an important consideration for geriatric dentistry practitioners.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause life-threatening disease in older populations. MRSA is readily spread by patient to patient or by health care workers to patient contact. Implications for dental practitioners include the fact that they may be passive vectors for the disease and that dental treatment of patients with active MRSA infections must follow effective infection control practices.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Special considerations for treating dental patients exhibiting the "post-polio syndrome".

A condition called "Post-polio Syndrome" (PPS) is a special type of neuromuscular disturbance that affects some elderly patients who had polio myelitis either as children or as young adults. It has been reported that approximately 1,600,000 polio survivors are alive today. Most will seek dental care, and up to half of the survivors will present with some form of PPS. This paper describes polio, its characteristics, and the long-term consideration of PPS, and discusses the special clinical implications related to this condition. Special emphasis is placed on physical impairments, breathing problems, and difficulty swallowing. Also included are sections discussing such topics as patient scheduling, office design and housekeeping, patient management, oral hygiene, diagnostic procedures, drug and pain management, and general health considerations.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clearance of biofilms from dental unit waterlines through the use of hydroperoxide ion-phase transfer catalysts.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the effectiveness of hydroperoxide ion-phase transfer catalyst (HPI-PTC) cleaners and disinfectants for maintaining dental unit waterlines free of planktonic organisms. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Water samples were taken from 117 sites, which included a variety of dental units and samples from the sink faucets of most operatories. Samples were plated on appropriate bacteriologic media and incubated. The presence or absence of biofilms was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Twenty-two of the dental units were retrofitted with independent water systems; the cleaning procedure involved an overnight application of an HPI-PTC cleaner followed by a 2-minute water rinse. RESULTS: Water from both the air-water syringe and the high-speed handpiece lines from all untreated units contained at least 6 x 10(2) colony-forming units per milliliter of planktonic or free-floating bacteria; the average was 1.4 x 10(5) CFU/mL. An initial 5% solution of HPI-PTC successfully cleared the lines of any apparent biofilm when applied for 3 consecutive days. Thereafter, once weekly use of the cleaner maintained the dental unit water supplies free of significant numbers of planktonic organisms. CONCLUSION: Routine weekly use of an HPI-PTC cleaner controlled dental unit waterline biofilm and reduced, with minimum effort, the microbial contamination level of water used for patient treatment to less than 200 CFU/mL.

Biofilms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Report of practicing dentists' activities which serve older people residing in Kentucky's nursing homes.

This state-wide study of dental consultants to nursing homes provides a "first ever" profile of this small but important field in dentistry. As the number of older people continues to grow, particularly in the 85+ age group (which is most likely to be housed in nursing home facilities), the dental profession needs to understand and appreciate its professional obligations to this group of "special" patients. While the data is not absolutely clear, it does appear that perhaps 50% of all of the nursing homes in Kentucky do not have regular staff dentists working with them. Surprisingly, no dental hygienists seemed to be working with dentists, even though they could be quite useful for several types of clinical services and could be a big help with family and staff education projects. Nursing home consultants are dedicated individuals in the middle of their careers. Although gerontology in general and nursing home care, in particular, is primarily a women's field, women dentists in Kentucky are not yet very active in this aspect of dental practice. The list of problems and frustrations facing dentists seems long and difficult to resolve. In spite of this, the dentists working with nursing homes have continued their relationship for many years. While some dentists support more than one nursing home facility, the majority of the dental consultants do limit their efforts to a single nursing home.

Aged↗