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Biomedical subjects

B A Burt

Publications and source records attributed to B A Burt.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Relation between ascorbic acid intake and periodontal disease in the United States.

Only a weak association between periodontal disease and ascorbic acid deficiency has been shown in the analysis of nutritional and periodontal health data collected from a representative sample of the US population. Intake of ascorbic acid in amounts larger than those recommended by the dietary standards does not seem to be associated with better periodontal health. The results of this study also suggest that dental practitioners are better advised to concentrate on plaque control rather than vitamin C supplements to prevent and control periodontal disease in their patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The prevention connection: linking dental health education and prevention.

Education and prevention are inextricably linked. In what proportion these two entities should be represented in any prevention/education programme is a question now to be faced. The proportions are likely to be different in programmes which aim to prevent the two major diseases which challenge dentistry. Dental caries, already declining sharply in economically developed countries, is largely preventable at the community level with relatively little need for individually based dental health education. Here, the concept of education must be broadened to go beyond the 'motivation' of the individual patient: it is best directed at community decision-makers rather than at individuals. As yet periodontal disease is not amenable to community-based prevention. There is no equivalent in the prevention of periodontal disease to the use of fluoride. Control of periodontal disease in the long run must be through individual education supported by an appropriate level of professional care. All this presents a major challenge to the way dentistry is practised and to the way public educational programmes are developed. Existing programmes need to be constantly reassessed and matched against demographic information and epidemiological data on disease trends. Overall, it is clear that oral diseases can never be successfully controlled without firmly linking education and prevention.

Health Education, Dental↗
PubMed1980

Fluoride supplements for children. A survey of physicians' prescription practices.

We present the results of a survey to determine how physicians prescribe fluoride supplements for their child patients. A questionnaire was mailed to a representative nationwide sample of 2,604 physicians who treat children. The response rate of completed returns was 49.4%. Results showed that while most respondents prescribed fluoride appropriately, there was some inappropriate prescribing for children receiving fluoridated water. Some physicians also neglected to prescribe for children who were not receiving fluoridated water. Previous differences in recommended schedules of administration between the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association may have led to some of these problems. However, these two organizations have now standardized their recommendations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Saliva-based colorimetric test as an index of gingival inflammation in epidemiologic studies.

There is a pressing need for a reliable, low-cost method of assessing the gingival and periodontal status of large population groups. Existing indexes, despite their value in dental public health, are still too subject to examiner variability for use by uncalibrated examiners. This study describes an evaluation of a quick, inexpensive, extraoral colorimetric test for gingival inflammation, based on a reaction between saliva and the test material. It could probably be applied by non-professional personnel. In this study, the test was applied to a population of elementary schoolchildren, dental hygiene students and faculty, and adult inmates of two correctional institutions. These populations were chosen on the assumption that they would exhibit varying intensities of gingival inflammation. Values obtained from the colorimetric test carried out by one researcher were compared with Gingival Index (GI) scores observed by a different examiner. Results suggest that the colorimetric test may be a valid, reliable means of detecting major differences in the prevalence of gingival inflammation in most adult populations, although having little, if any, useful application among children at the mixed dentition stage.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Tentative analysis of the efficiency of fissure sealant in a public program in London.

A tentative analysis was made of the efficiency of allocating resources to fissure sealing, rather than to restorative care, in a public dental program. Data for the study were taken from a 2-year clinical trial in London. The analysis is necessarily tentative because the clinical trial employed the half-mouth design, which does not represent a true-life situation. Over the 2 years of the study, it was found that sealing the population of study teeth took from 24.9% to 33.8% more time than treating the lesions which developed in the control teeth would have. Reasons are given why this finding cannot be accepted as conclusive; rather, it is presented to raise questions and to stimulate additional studies into the efficiency of preventive programs. Guidelines for such studies, which should be conducted in different populations with varying caries prevalence, are suggested.

Child↗
PubMed1977

Sealant retention and effects on occlusal caries after 2 years in a public program.

A clinical trial of one application of Nuva-Seal fissure sealant was conducted under School Dental Service conditions in a low-income area of London. The sealant was applied to one of a cariesfree pair of permanent teeth by schools' dentists, the other tooth being left as a control. One examiner, who did not apply the sealant, conducted examinations at baseline, after 6 months, and after 2 years. There were 118 children, initially aged 5-12, who remained in the trial after 2 years. The sealant was fully retained on 27.4 % of the teeth, partially retained on 40.6 %, and missing on 17.9 %. The remaining 14.1 % of teeth had been restored. There was no statistically significant difference between subjects who had less decay in sealed teeth and those who had less decay in control teeth. The sealant was 13.6 % effective (not significant, P less than 0.4) in preventing caries in sealed teeth. These results are less favorable than those in other trials reported. The potential role of fissure sealants in a School Dental Service is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Diagnostic and preventive services in a national incremental dental plan for children.

A modelling exercise was carried out to examine the potential expenditure in a national incremental dental program for children aged six to 13. Using Relative Value Units (RVUs) as a proxy for dollars, the relative expenditures for care per child in fluoridated and fluoride-deficient areas were assessed. Dental treatment requirements were taken from existing data as far as possible. Arrangements for the delivery of care were based on existing pocicies of the American Dental Association, an services delivered were based on the recommendations of the American Academy of Pedodontics and the American Society of Dentistry for Children. Orthodontic care was limited to space maintainers and simple interceptive care. Children were assumed to receive initial care at age six, and annual maintenance care from ages seven to 13. The results showed that although restorative care would be 49.8 percent less expensive for children in fluoridated areas, total care would be only 11.9 percent less expensive. The major reason for this difference was the high proportion of annual maintenance-care costs that would be absorbed by diagnostic and preventive services using UCR fees. The necessity for much of this care is questioned under the conditions of this model, and some methods by which the dental profession might control the relatively high cost of diagnostic-preventive services are suggested.

Adolescent↗