Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G J Roberts.
These guidelines have been produced following a literature review of the requirement for prophylaxis to prevent bacterial endocarditis following dental and surgical interventions. Recommendations are made based on the quality of available evidence and the consequent risk of morbidity and mortality for "at risk" patients.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the duration, prevalence and intensity of bacteraemia after dental extractions in children by comparing within-patient bacteraemia before and after dental extraction. METHODS: Children were randomly allocated to one of 10 postprocedure time groups from 10 s to 60 min. The differences between intensity and prevalence of the bacteraemia at each time after extractions were used to estimate the duration of the bacteraemia. After attainment of general anaesthesia, pre-extraction and postextraction blood samples were processed by broth culture and lysis filtration to isolate and quantify bacteria present in the patients' blood. RESULTS: 500 subjects between 3 and 16 years old were recruited. The estimated duration of bacteraemia was about 11 min. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of bacteraemia after dental extractions is less than previously thought. This has implications for the interpretation of odontogenic bacteraemia studies.
OBJECTIVES: The dental development of permanent mandibular teeth in a small group of children with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) was assessed from radiographs and compared to a healthy, age-and-sex-matched control group. METHODS: This was a retrospective radiographic cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of a group of 44 children aged between 4 and 15 years with DEB and healthy, age-and-sex-matched controls. Two quantitative methods of assessing tooth formation were used: (1) a combination of information about tooth length and apex width; and (2) the use of tooth length to predict age. Panoramic radiographs were digitized in order to determine tooth length and apex width. Dental age was calculated, and the difference with real age was tested with Student's t-test. RESULTS: The dentition of both the DEB and control groups was slightly delayed. Using the first method, the delay was 0.34 +/- 0.87 years for the DEB group and 0.29 +/- 0.97 years for the control group. Using the second method, the delay was 0.49 +/- 1.18 years for the DEB group and 0.23 +/- 0.62 years for the control group. This delay was not statistically significant for either method. CONCLUSIONS: The dental formation of permanent mandibular teeth in the group of children with DEB was not significantly different to that found in the control group.
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BACKGROUND: Many dental procedures cause bacteraemia and it is believed that this may lead to bacterial endocarditis (BE) in a few people. Guidelines in many countries recommend that prior to invasive dental procedures antibiotics are administered to people at high risk of endocarditis. However, it is unclear whether the potential risks of this prophylaxis outweigh the potential benefits. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether prophylactic penicillin administration compared to no such administration or placebo before invasive dental procedures in people at increased risk of BE influences mortality, serious illness or endocarditis incidence. SEARCH STRATEGY: The search strategy was developed on MEDLINE and adapted for use on the Cochrane Oral Health, Heart and Infectious Diseases Groups' Trials Registers (to October 2003), as well as the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2002), OLDMEDLINE (1966 to June 2002); EMBASE (1980 to June 2002); SIGLE (to June 2002); and the Meta-register of current controlled trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Due to the low incidence of BE it was anticipated that few if any trials would be located. For this reason, cohort and case controlled studies were included where suitably matched control or comparison groups had been studied. The intervention was the administration of penicillin compared to no such administration before a dental procedure in people with an increased risk of BE. Cohort studies would need to follow those at increased risk and assess outcomes following any invasive dental procedures, grouping by whether prophylaxis was received. Included case control studies would need to match people who had developed endocarditis (and who were known to be at increased risk before undergoing an invasive dental procedure preceding the onset of endocarditis) with those at similar risk but who had not developed endocarditis. Outcomes of interest were: mortality or serious adverse event requiring hospital admission; development of endocarditis following any dental procedure in a defined time period; development of endocarditis due to other non-dental causes; any recorded adverse events to the antibiotics; and cost implications of the antibiotic provision for the care of those patients who develop endocarditis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion, then assessed quality and extracted data from the included study. MAIN RESULTS: No RCTs, CCTs or cohort studies were included. One case-control study met the inclusion criteria. It collected all the cases of endocarditis in the Netherlands over 2 years, finding a total of 24 people who developed endocarditis within 180 days of an invasive dental procedure, definitely requiring prophylaxis according to current guidelines and who were at increased risk of endocarditis due to a pre-existing cardiac problem. This study included participants who died because of the endocarditis (using proxys). Controls attended local cardiology outpatient clinics for similar cardiac problems, had undergone an invasive dental procedure within the past 180 days and were matched by age with the cases. No significant effect of penicillin prophylaxis on the incidence of endocarditis could be seen. No data were found on other outcomes. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence about whether penicillin prophylaxis is effective or ineffective against bacterial endocarditis in people at risk who are about to undergo an invasive dental procedure. There is a lack of evidence to support published guidelines in this area. It is not clear whether the potential harms and costs of penicillin administration outweigh any beneficial effect. Ethically practitioners need to discuss the potential benefits and harms of antibiotic prophylaxis with their patients before a decision is made about administration.
UNLABELLED: There is little information on the oral health of children undergoing renal transplantation during the early transplant period. METHODS: Twenty-four children undergoing renal transplantation aged 4-13.2 years and their matched controls were recruited. The dmfs, dmft, DMFS and DMFT, plaque, gingivitis and gingival enlargement scores were recorded. The oral microflora was sampled and cultured for S. mutans, Lactobacllus species and Candida species. RESULTS: There was a significantly lower mean dmfs (0.3 +/- 0.9; P = 0.03), dmft (0.3 +/- 0.9; P = 0.03), DMFS (2.3 +/- 5.3; P = 0.01) and DMFT (1.5 +/- 2.6; P = 0.02), respectively, in the transplant group. There was a significantly greater mean plaque score (14.7 +/- 11) for the permanent dentition, at baseline only, compared with 90 days post-transplantation (9.4 +/- 10.4; P = 0.02). There was a significantly greater gingival enlargement score (1.8 +/- 1.4; P = 0.04) 90 days post-transplantation compared with baseline. The S. mutans and Lactobacillus counts were significantly lower both at baseline (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.004) and 90 days post-transplantation (P = 0.02; and P = 0.05), respectively, compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The transplant children had less active dental disease than the controls although gingival enlargement needs careful monitoring.
Medulloblastoma is an infratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumour. It is the most commonly occurring brain tumour of childhood, accounting for 15-20% of all paediatric tumours. Extracranial metastasis is rare, but may involve the skeleton. Jaw lesions, however, have never been described. A case is reported of metastases of a medulloblastoma to the jaw including the dental pulp.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the levels of dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingivitis and caries-related microflora in children with glycogen storage disease (GSD). Patients with GSD are treated with regular intakes of glucose polymer and uncooked cornstarch to prevent hypoglycaemia. Dental health data are scarce. STUDY GROUP: The study group comprised 21 children with GSD attending the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. OUTCOME MEASURES: These included the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth, and surfaces in both the primary and permanent dentitions, plaque and gingivitis scores. Both plaque and saliva were collected from each child and cultured for Mutans streptococci, Lactobacilli and Candida. RESULTS: The study group included 13 boys and eight girls, aged from 2.7 to 15.5 years. Four of the 21 children had some caries experience. The mean dmft was 0.5 and the mean DMFT, 0.06. Mean plaque and gingivitis scores were 4.8 and 5.9, respectively, for plaque and gingivitis adjacent to the primary teeth, and 11.6 and 12 for those related to permanent teeth. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of the children had caries experience but most were found to have plaque associated with both primary and permanent teeth. Preventive care should be targeted to improve plaque control thus minimizing the risk of developing periodontal disease as adults.
The purpose of this work was to investigate the prevalence of dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingivitis, enamel defects and caries- related microflora in children with severe haemophilia. Thirty-eight children with severe haemophilia (factor VIII and IX < 2 U dL(-1)) were recruited from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and matched for age, gender and ethnicity with healthy control children from the Eastman Dental Institute. Indices were recorded for decayed, missing, and filled teeth and surfaces in both the deciduous dentition (dmfs/dmft) and the permanent dentition (DMFS/DMFT). The plaque and gingivitis scores and developmental enamel defects were also recorded. The caries-related microflora was sampled and cultured for Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacilli and Candida species. A significantly greater proportion of children with severe haemophilia were caries-free compared with the controls (36.7% vs. 13.3%; P=0.04). Both the DMFS and DMFT were significantly greater in the controls (3.6 and 2.8, respectively) compared with the haemophilia group, (0.8 and 0.7; P=0.007 and P=0.04). The plaque score for the permanent dentition only was significantly greater for the control children (24.2) compared with the haemophilia group, (10.2; P=0.04). The mean number of colony forming units of S. mutans was significantly greater in the control group compared with the haemophilia group (P=0.05). We conclude that children with severe haemophilia have a significantly lower prevalence of dental caries compared with matched, healthy controls.
This study compared two different radiographic techniques for localization of impacted maxillary canines: vertical parallax (from a panoramic and a maxillary anterior occlusal radiograph) and magnification (from a single panoramic radiograph). The radiographs and the information regarding the impacted canines were obtained retrospectively from records of patients treated in the Day Stay Unit of the Eastman Dental Hospital. The two different radiographic techniques were tested blind and compared for localization of the impacted canine by six examiners. The 'gold standard' used for the radiographic comparisons was the true position of the canine as recorded at operation. The results showed a wide variation between the six examiners in the prediction of the canine position with the two different techniques. Localization with vertical parallax was more successful overall than with magnification, although the difference failed to reach significance. Seventy-six per cent of the impacted canines could be successfully located with vertical parallax and 66 per cent with magnification. Further analysis showed that, while almost 90 per cent of the palatally impacted canines could be correctly detected with both techniques, less than half of the buccal canines could be detected with parallax and only one in 10 buccal canines could be detected with magnification. If a canine is suspected to be buccally placed from its appearance on a panoramic film and cannot be palpated, further views are justified.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cumulative exposure to bacteraemia from dental procedures currently recommended for antibiotic prophylaxis and compare this with cumulative exposure from dental procedures not recommended for prophylaxis. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: University and teaching hospital maxillofacial and dental department. PATIENTS: 136 children with severe congenital cardiac disease attending for dental treatment between 1993 and 1998 and for whom full records were available. Each dental procedure was tallied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cumulative exposure per annum to "non-prophylaxis procedures"; cumulative exposure per annum to "prophylaxis procedures". RESULTS: Cumulative exposure to bacteraemia from prophylaxis procedures was not significantly greater than from non-prophylaxis procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The data raise important questions about the appropriateness of current guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis of bacterial endocarditis.
OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingivitis, enamel defects, and caries-related microflora in children with and without craniosynostosis. STUDY GROUP: Fifty-seven children with craniosynostosis and their matched controls. OUTCOME MEASURES: The decayed, missing, and filled teeth and surfaces in both the deciduous (dmfs and dmft) and the permanent dentition (DMFS and DMFT). The plaque and gingivitis scores and developmental enamel defects were also recorded. The caries-related microflora was sampled using an alginate swab and the prevalence of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus and Candida species were recorded. RESULTS: The dmfs (p <.02) and dmft (p <.01) were significantly greater in the control children. The plaque score for the deciduous dentition only (p <.02) and also the gingivitis score for the permanent teeth only (p <.008) in the craniosynostosis group were significantly greater. The total aerobic bacterial count (p <.004), anaerobic count (p <.002), and Candida count (p <.05) were significantly greater in the control group. The proportion of S. mutans both as a percentage of the total anaerobic count (p <.04) and the total streptococcal count (p <.05) was significantly greater in the control group.
OBJECTIVES: To explore the individual dento-gingival manipulative procedures that together lead to the placement of a restoration and to estimate the associated intensity of bacteraemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Healthy children receiving dental treatment under general anaesthesia provided blood samples 30 seconds after one of four dento-gingival manipulative procedures: 1. Placement of rubber dam, 2. Use of the high speed drill, 3. Use of the slow speed drill, and 4. Placement of matrix band and wedge. Blood cultures were processed to give the percentage prevalence of bacteraemia, the intensity of organisms per millilitre of blood and the identity of the organisms cultured. RESULTS: A total of 257 children were recruited to the study. The percentage positive prevalence of blood cultures was baseline--9.3%, rubber dam placement--31.4%, slow drill--12.2%, fast drill--4.3%, and matrix band and wedge--32.1%. The intensity of bacteraemia was baseline--1.2 cfu, rubber dam placement--1,962 cfu, slow drill--0.3 cfu, fast drill--1.9 cfu, matrix band and wedge--4.8 cfu. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that dento-gingival manipulative procedures comprising a simple dental restoration can lead to a bacteraemia comparable to that from dental extractions. It is suggested that these data may indicate the need for antibiotic prophylaxis for some aspects of conservative dentistry.
OBJECTIVES: To identify the predominant streptococcal species in the mouths of healthy children and to investigate the composition of the oral streptococcal flora over a period of 4 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 33 fit, healthy schoolchildren aged between 5 and 16 years. These children were part of a large study and were the matched controls for a group of subjects undergoing bone marrow transplantation. The oral flora was sampled using an oral rinse technique on two separate occasions 4 months apart. The outcome measures were the number of each streptococcal species per millilitre of oral rinse; the isolation frequency of each species; the proportion of each species as a percentage of both the total streptococcal count and the total anaerobic count. RESULTS: The predominant species were Streptococcus salivarius, S. oralis and S. mitis. There was no significant variation in the composition of the oral streptococcal flora over the 4 month period. CONCLUSIONS: The oral rinse technique provides a reliable method of sampling the streptococcal flora of children.
A case of multicentric vanishing bone disease with maxillofacial involvement in a 4-year-old boy is presented. The clinical and histologic features are described along with the subsequent management of the disease, and the literature concerning this unusual and rare condition is reviewed.
This study investigated the oral microbiota of children undergoing liver transplantation. Oral swabs were taken using a standardized procedure from 27 children before liver transplantation and at 3 and 100 days post-transplantation and from 27 healthy controls at baseline and 90 days. Viridans streptococci, yeasts, staphylococci, enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated and identified using conventional techniques. The oral microbiota of the patients changed significantly immediately post-transplantation, but by the final examination, it had returned to baseline levels. The oral microbiota of the controls did not change significantly. The numbers and proportions of Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus gordonii as percentages of the total streptococcal counts and of the total anaerobic counts decreased significantly 3 days post-transplantation (P < or = 0.006). There were no significant changes in the numbers and proportions of Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mitis isolated pre- and post-transplantation. The isolation frequencies and numbers of yeasts were significantly higher in patients than controls. Staphylococci were isolated in low numbers from all children. Enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae were isolated infrequently from patients.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the levels of dental caries and gingivitis in a group of HIV-positive children. STUDY GROUP: The study group comprised 35 children with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus attending The Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth and surfaces in both the primary and permanent dentitions; plaque and gingivitis scores. RESULTS: The children included 18 boys and 17 girls. They were aged from 6 months to 18 years, with 17 aged 5 years or less and 15 aged 6 years or older. Twenty-four of the 35 children had some caries experience. The mean DMFT was 4.4 and for those with permanent teeth the mean DMFT was 0.7. Mean plaque and gingivitis scores were 16.7 and 5.1 for plaque and gingivitis adjacent to primary teeth and 8.0 and 5.7 for that related to permanent teeth. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant treatment need for children with HIV.
AIMS: To determine the prevalence of dental caries in children undergoing liver transplantation and to compare the plaque, gingivitis, and gingival overgrowth indices and oral mucosal lesions in children before and after liver transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing liver transplantation at King's College Hospital were examined before transplantation, at 3 and 106 days post-transplantation. Healthy children from the Greenwich Health District, south-east London, were matched to the liver transplant patients by age, gender, socio-economic factors and the presence or absence of active dental caries. RESULTS: Twenty-seven liver transplant patients (mean age: 7 years and 10 months; SD 3 years and 5 months) and 27 controls (mean age: 8 years and 6 months; SD 3 years and 7 months) were examined. The mean dmft and DMFT scores were 2.3 (SD 4.1) and 0.8 (SD 1.4), respectively, in the liver transplant patients, and 1.2 (SD 2.2) and 0.9 (SD 1.5), respectively, in the controls. There were no significant differences between either the mean plaque or gingivitis indices for the primary and permanent teeth in patients before and after transplantation. There were no significant differences between the liver transplant patients and the controls for either mean plaque or gingivitis indices at each examination time. Gingival overgrowth was present in 41% of liver recipients receiving cyclosporin with or without nifedipine, but not in the majority receiving tacrolimus at the final examination. Oral mucosal lesions were absent in both the patients and controls at each examination time. CONCLUSIONS: The oral health of the children undergoing liver transplantation was inadequate. Funding and implementation of an oral health care programme must become a priority for all children before and after liver transplantation.