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Biomedical subjects

H Murtomaa

Publications and source records attributed to H Murtomaa.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Dental erosion and upper gastrointestinal disorders.

The orodental status, particularly dental erosions, of 109 patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms was examined. In 44 patients, the underlying pathosis was associated with increased acid output in the stomach (reflux esophagitis or duodenal ulcer), while in 48 patients who underwent cholecystectomy, the duodenogastric reflux was alkaline. In 17 patients with gastric ulcer, the gastric secretion was usually normal. The diagnoses were made with gastroscopy. Seven patients with dental erosion were found, and they all came from the group of 35 dental patients with reflux esophagitis or duodenal ulcer. No erosions were seen in the other diagnostic groups (F = 0.02). Thus, gastrointestinal disorders with increased output of gastric acid may be linked with dental erosions. The finding emphasizes the need for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in order to avoid irreversible lesions in the teeth.

Adult↗

Periodontal status in university students.

The periodontal status of 217 5th-year students (aged 25-26 years and born in Helsinki) at the University of Helsinki was assessed. The students had been eligible for community-based dental care free of charge until the age of 18 years, after which they could obtain low-cost dental care from the Helsinki Student Health Service. Their periodontal status was determined according the community periodontal index of treatment needs; gingival retraction was recorded when 1 mm or more of the cementum was exposed. Code 0 sextant was found for 67% of the women and 57% of the men. 20% of the students examined had sextant scoring of code 3; no-one had code 4 sextants. 69% of the women and 49% of the men had gingival retraction, in average 1.5 +/- 0.5 mm. No correlation was found between the frequency of toothbrushing or the hand used for brushing and the number of retractions, nor did the number of healthy sextants correlate with the frequency of retractions. The findings emphasize the importance of better guidance regarding qualitative aspects of oral hygiene at home.

Adult↗

Erupting third molars and salivary lactobacilli and Streptococcus mutans counts.

The salivary lactobacilli and Streptococcus mutans counts in 217 university students of 25.4-yr-old were studied with regard to the state of eruption of their third molar teeth. Statistically significantly higher counts of both bacterial species were found in students who had one or more third molars partly erupted, compared with those whose third molars were lacking or fully erupted. No other parameters studied such as salivary flow rate or buffering capacity of the saliva were found to explain the high bacterial counts. These findings should be taken into consideration when interpreting salivary microbial counts in young adults. Also, special interest should be focused into these aspects at oral hygiene and dietary counseling of young patients.

Adult↗

Interexaminer variability in common ratings in reading Streptococcus mutans dip-slides with or without a microscope.

The observer variability in reading 145 S. mutans dip-slides was assessed by a test panel consisting of a professional bacteriologist, practising dentists and unskilled laymen. The cultivated slides were read and classified into four categories by comparing them with standard photographs of previously cultivated slides with known numbers of S. mutans colonies. For reference, all the slides were also counted under a stereomicroscope. The results showed both under- and overestimation in the visual reading, but the scoring trend was logically increasing in relation to the microscopic reference scores in each case. The significance of the agreement on the ratings was high and it further increased when the results were recombined by classifying them into three categories. The individual agreement percentages varied then from 54 in the laymen to 79 in the bacteriologist. The use of a microscope did not significantly increase the number of common readings and cannot be considered necessary in practice. Reading the slides, however, definitely requires understanding and experience of the method.

Bacteriological Techniques↗

Comparison of dental information obtained from self-examination and clinical examination.

The validity of self-examination information regarding the number and distribution of remaining teeth, the presence of dentures and the validity of molar support construed professionally from the self-examination data was assessed from 93 persons. This was done by comparing self-examination information with data from clinical and radiographical examinations. Agreement between self-examination and clinical examination was found to be fairly good regarding the number of remaining teeth and the presence of removable dentures. Regarding the distribution of remaining teeth there was an average of 2.1 misdiagnosed teeth per person. In conclusion, self-examination method makes possible the collection of accurate data for screening and planning purposes in assessing oral health status regarding the number of remaining teeth and presence of removable dentures.

Adult↗

Gingival recession in schoolchildren at 7, 12 and 17 years of age in Espoo, Finland.

The present study was undertaken in response to a growing concern among clinicians about an increase in gingival recession among children and adolescents. Groups of 50 boys and 50 girls aged respectively 7, 12, and 17 yr were examined at Espoo Health Centre in 1983. Gingival recession was measured on the facial and lingual aspects of all permanent teeth. Whenever the gingival margin was located on root cementum, the distance from the gingival margin to the enamel border was measured to the nearest 0.5 mm. Recession was categorized as "slight" (0.5 or 1 mm) or "extensive" (1.5-3.5 mm). The prevalence of gingival recession was 5% at 7 yr, 39% at 12 yr, and 74% at 17 yr of age. More girls than boys had recession in the two youngest age groups. At 17 yr recession was equally common in both sexes and both "slight" and "extensive" recession was most often recorded on facial surfaces of first molars, premolars and canines. The alarmingly high prevalence of gingival recession at young age warrants further study of both the reasons and the consequences of early cementum exposure.

Adolescent↗

Effect of effervescent vitamin C preparations on bovine teeth and on some clinical and salivary parameters in man.

Eight effervescent preparations and one chewable vitamin C preparation were tested with regard to dental erosion by immersing bovine tooth specimens for 100 h in 100 ml of the test solutions. For comparison, two effervescent calcium preparations were studied. All the vitamin C products caused distinct erosion and disclosure of dentin in the specimens which could not be found in calcium preparations. Calcium release from the bovine teeth varied from 1.08 to 12.99 micrograms Ca/mm2/h. Softening of the dental tissue assessed as the Vickers hardness units, was most prominent among the specimens where most calcium release was observed. A crossover clinical trial using a test pannel assigned to 1-week periods of excellent vs no mechanical cleaning, and with a consumption of 6.6 times more vitamin C tablets than the recommended daily use, revealed no particular impact of the preparation on a variety of oral health parameters. Except for a slight stimulation of the subjects' salivary flow rate 30 min after consuming the vitamin C, all other differences observed could be explained by the accumulation of plaque during the period without mechanical cleaning. Thus, in patients with normal salivary flow rate a short-term consumption of vitamin C preparations, even in excess, may be regarded as harmless from the dental point of view. However, all the studied preparations are potentially erosive if left in direct contact with the teeth.

Adult↗