Biomedical subjects

I Eli

Publications and source records attributed to I Eli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

An exploratory study on cultural variations in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values of freshman (first-year) dental students.

OBJECTIVE: To identify similarities and differences in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values among freshman dental students. DESIGN: Cross-cultural survey of dental students. SETTING: 18 cultural areas. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: 904 first-year dental students completed the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) translated into their own languages. Individual areas were clustered by similarity in responses to the questions. RESULTS: The first group displayed an 'occidental-culture orientation' with the exception of Brazil (Cluster 1 comprised: Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Brazil, Cluster 2: Germany, Italy, Finland and France). The second group displayed an 'oriental-cultural orientation' with the exception of Greece and Israel (Cluster 3 comprised: China and Indonesia, and Cluster 4: Japan, Korea, Israel, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Greece). Australia and United Kingdom were the countries that were most alike. Ireland was the 'neighbour' to these countries. Greece and Malaysia had similar patterns of oral health behaviour although geographic conditions are very different. Although it was considered that in Hong Kong, occidental nations have affected the development of education, it remained in the oriental-culture group. Comparison with the data from the occidentals indicates that a higher percentage of the orientals put off going to the dentist until they have toothache (p < 0.001). Only a small proportion of the occidentals (8%) reported a perception of inevitability in having false teeth, whereas 33% of the orientals held this fatalistic belief (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Grouping the countries into key cultural orientations and international clusters yielded plausible results, using the HU-DBI.

Asia↗

PubMed2004

Modulation of dental anxiety--the role of past experiences, psychopathologic traits and individual attachment patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors affecting modulation of dental anxiety among adults. METHODS: A total of 183 adult members of a closed communal society (Kibbutz), who have been treated since childhood only by the dentists employed in their community, were investigated concerning their past and present dental anxiety, evaluation of their past and present dentists, psychopathologic symptoms and individual pattern of attachment. RESULTS: The best predictor of subjects' evaluation of their present dental anxiety was the scale of anxiety as recorded by the SCL-90R questionnaire. The best predictors of the decrease in subjects' dental anxiety over time were the evaluation of their past and present dentists and the secure and avoidant patterns of attachment. Patterns of attachment (avoidant and ambivalent) were the best predictors of subjects' evaluation of their present dentist. CONCLUSIONS: While psychopathologic traits are involved in subjects' present dental anxiety, pattern of attachment may have a dominant affect as to whether anxiety persists throughout life or can be modulated through a corrective emotional experience.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Prediction of success and failure of behavior modification as treatment for dental anxiety.

Behavior modification techniques are effective in the treatment of extreme dental anxiety, but their success is by no means absolute. In the present article, the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), the self-report symptom inventory SCL-90R and a questionnaire accessing subjects' daydreaming styles (the Short Imaginal Process Inventory) were used to develop possible predictive measures for success and failure of behavior modification as a treatment for dental fear. The patients' level of distractibility and mind wandering, initial dental anxiety and somatization significantly predicted the success of therapy. The odds ratio indicated that the risk of therapy failure increased about 11 times with an increase of one scale of the Poor Attention Control Scale, about three times with an increase of one level of the mean DAS score, and 0.17 times with an increase of one level of somatization. The predictive value of the chosen scales was 80%. Thus, the use of these scales as part of an initial admittance process for patients who suffer from dental anxiety can enhance our ability to better recognize patients who are prone to fail behavior therapy as treatment for their problem, and enable their referral for other possible modes of treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Severe limitation of mouth opening].

Limitation of mouth opening is a common source of referral to an orofacial pain clinic with a proposed diagnosis of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD). The word "trismus" is defined by the American academy of orofacial pain as: "Myospasm of masticatory muscles specifically causing limited jaw opening; early symptom of tetanus". Therefore, once trismus is suspected, TMD should be ruled out. However, it is not uncommon to find the usage of this term to describe severe limitation of opening by causes other than myospasm, therefore posing the risk of misdiagnosis. The purpose of this article is to describe the differential diagnosis of hard end limitation of opening with emphasis on the clinical tools used to differentiate between muscle source of hard end limitation and other sources of hard end limitation. Several cases of hard end limitation of mouth opening are presented and through them major principles of orofacial diagnosis are discussed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed2001

At first glance: social meanings of dental appearance.

OBJECTIVES: An important factor in social interaction is physical appearance. Major elements in the evaluation of physical appearance are the mouth and teeth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tooth appearance on the development of a first impression of the other person, with regard to the sex of both the respondent and the target. METHODS: Eight facial photographs of individuals with intact upper teeth were manipulated: one set was left untouched and the other was professionally altered so that the front anterior teeth appeared decayed. The photographs were randomly aligned in sets of eight, each set consisting of four individuals with an original, intact dentition and four other individuals with a "decayed" dentition. The sets of photographs were then presented to 115 respondents (65 males and 50 females). Evaluations were made according to three categories of traits--esthetic, social, and professional. RESULTS: For all three evaluation categories, the difference in scores between decayed and intact dentition given to targets were significantly higher when participants of one sex evaluated targets of the opposite sex, as compared to evaluating targets of their own sex. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of tooth appearance on the physical attractiveness stereotype is more evident when males evaluate females and vice versa, rather than when evaluating their own sex.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Self-perception of breath odor.

BACKGROUND: Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a common concern for millions of people. Yet there is almost no reliable way for people to properly assess their breath odor. While many develop faulty perceptions about having bad breath that affect their entire lives, others who have halitosis are unaware of their condition. OVERVIEW: The authors discuss the issues affecting self-perception of breath odor in patients who complain of halitosis, as well as in a more general, "noncomplaining" population. The article presents self-perception of breath odor as a multifactorial, psychophysiological issue that is related closely to one's body image and psychopathological profile. CONCLUSIONS: Based on their data, the authors suggest that every patient has a breath odor self-image. This self-image ranges from little or no distortion to severe psychopathology. Because treating patients with a specific complaint of oral malodor primarily is the responsibility of the dental practitioner, several treatment approaches are outlined: collecting odor samples from the mouth to increase objectivity, involving a confidant in diagnosis and follow-up, corroborating odor judges' scores with objective measurements, increasing the patient's sense of control over the problem and obtaining guidance from mental health professionals, when necessary. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists increasingly are being called on to help patients with complaints of bad breath. In diagnosing and treating such cases, dentists should consider psychological and physiological factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Effect of professional training on dental health attitudes of Israeli dental students].

Few studies have been published regarding the importance of oral hygiene education for dental students and little is known about the influence of dental education in dental schools on students' attitudes to the subject. The objective of the present research was to examine the changes that occur in the attitudes of Israeli dental students toward their dental health during the course of their professional training. The research was based on a questionnaire developed at The Hiroshima University, Japan (The Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory, HU-DBI), and provides a quantitative estimate of the students' attitudes to their dental health. Similar studies have been carried out in several countries (Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Finland). This study was performed on students from the two dental schools in Israel, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University and The Faculty of Dental Medicine at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Students from all six academic years (1st-6th) were requested to complete the questionnaire within two months, from the beginning of the academic year that started in October 1999. While no significant differences could be detected in the students' attitudes with regard to the dental school of their origin, female students (from both schools) showed a significantly better attitude than their male colleagues throughout the years. Results showed a significant improvement in the students' attitudes through the years of their professional training, especially between the 1st year and the clinical years (5th and 6th) of their studies. This can be related to the teaching curricula in the dental schools in Israel that emphasizes clinical issues in the two last years of study. When comparing the results of this study to similar ones that were conducted in other parts of the world, certain differences become apparent. In spite of the gradual improvement in the Israeli students' attitudes during the course of their studies, their initial attitudes (1st year) as well as their final attitudes (6th year), were the lowest compared to their colleagues from other countries (Japanese, Australian and Finnish students). Apparently, the improvement in the Israeli students' attitudes is not satisfying and a higher level of improvement should be expected. The attitudes of the Israeli students should be further improved by means of comprehensive programs that emphasize the importance of personal oral hygiene and dental health. Hopefully this will enable future improvement in the dental health of their patients, as well as improvement in the community dental health in Israel, in general.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Effect of gender on acute pain prediction and memory in periodontal surgery.

Pain is a complex experience that is affected by factors such as gender, stress, anxiety and cognitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-relationship between gender and acute pain prediction and memory under periodontal surgery treatment. The study was conducted on 15 male and 22 female dental patients (mean age 34 yr, mean education level 14.7 yr), who were scheduled for periodontal surgery. Patients were evaluated during four consecutive appointments: at initial check-up, immediately pre-operatively, 1 wk post-operatively, and at 4 wk post-operative follow-up. Patients were requested to complete questionnaires concerning their anxiety at each appointment and to indicate their subjective evaluations concerning pain (on a visual analogue scale). Evaluations concerning expectation to experience pain during the planned surgery (pain prediction) were made at the first two appointments and evaluations of the experienced pain as remembered from the surgery (pain memory) were made at the last two appointments. Gender had a significant effect on pain prediction and pain memory. Men expected to experience more pain pre-operatively than women but remembered less pain post-operatively. It was concluded that cognitive pain perception in clinical situations differs between genders.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2000

Characteristics of adult dentally fearful individuals. A cross-cultural study.

This cross-cultural study investigated adult dental fear patients in three countries. A joint intake interview questionnaire and a dental anxiety scale explored the level, background and concomitant factors of dental anxiety among patients at the Universities of Tel Aviv (Israel), Goteborg (Sweden), and Pittsburgh (USA). It was shown that patients at all three sites were quite similar with regard to age, sex, level of dental anxiety (DAS) and avoidance time. Negative emotions were common, with more negative everyday life effects among Swedish patients. Regardless of country, most patients stated that they had always been fearful, but environmental etiologic factors were frequently reported. Swedish patients more often reported both direct and indirect learning patterns than Israeli patients. Patients' motivation for treatment was high, while the belief in getting fear reduction was clearly lower. The most common reason for Israeli patients to seek treatment was a personal decision to try to cope with the situation, while for Swedish patients it was pain. Israeli and US patients preferred more 'active' modes of treatment such as behavioral management therapies, while Swedish patients equally preferred active and more 'passive' treatment approaches such as general anesthesia. Preference for dentist attributes were similar among groups and underlined the strong emphasis that fearful individuals place upon dentists' behaviors and their performance of dentistry.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Self-perception of breath odor: role of body image and psychopathologic traits.

Oral malodor is a common complaint in Western society and is an important reason why adults seek dental counsel. In the present study, an attempt was made to evaluate the contribution of psychopathologic traits and of body-image char acteristics on participants' self-perception of breath odor. 60 participants without any specific complaint concerning breath odor (55% men: M age 35.5 yr., SD= 10) were evaluated. Variables included self-evaluation of participants' own breath odor (gener ally and current), an organoleptic evaluation of an impartial judge of odor, measurement of the volatile sulfide level in the oral cavity, and questionnaires referring to psychopathologic symptoms and body-image characteristics. Stepwise regression analysis showed that in addition to impartial measurements, self-perception of breath odor among noncomplaining subjects can be predicted by their feelings and attitudes toward the body and by their hostility.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Topical application of capsaicin for the treatment of localized pain in the temporomandibular joint area.

AIMS: To determine the effectiveness of topical capsaicin cream application on localized pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 30 patients suffering from unilateral pain in the TMJ area. Patients were randomly divided into experimental and placebo groups; they were instructed to apply 0.025% capsaicin cream or its vehicle to the painful TMJ area 4 times daily for 4 weeks. Subjective parameters of present pain, most severe pain, effect of pain on daily activities, and pain relief were assessed each week on a visual analog scale. Muscle and joint sensitivity to palpation on the painful and contralateral joints and maximal mouth opening (assisted/passive and non-assisted/active) were examined weekly by the same experienced examiner. RESULTS: Capsaicin cream produced no statistically significant influence on measured variables when compared to placebo. Both experimental and placebo groups showed statistically significant improvement in most variables during the experiment. CONCLUSION: The factor of time had a major effect in the non-specific improvement of the parameters assessed. The placebo effect played an important role in the treatment of patients with pain in the TMJ area.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

Effect of intended treatment on anxiety and on reaction to electric pulp stimulation in dental patients.

Fear and anxiety are common emotional concomitants of acute pain that increase the perception of noxious events as painful. In the present study, 92 patients who were about to undergo various dental treatments (calculus removal, filling, root canal treatment, and extraction) were evaluated comparing the level of their dental anxiety and pain expectation from the intended treatment to their reaction to electric pulp stimulation. The data indicate that patients differ significantly in their dental anxiety levels and in their expectation to experience pain according to the following hierarchy (in descending order): extraction, root canal treatment, filling, and calculus removal. Anxiety and amount of pain expected from treatment correlated significantly with each other, but no simple correlations were found between anxiety and actual pain measures recorded after pulp stimulation.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Antecedents of dental anxiety: learned responses versus personality traits.

The origins of dental fear and anxiety are numerous and complex. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative effects of learned responses and subjective personality traits on the development of dental anxiety. The study was carried out in kibbutzim (closed homogeneous societies) in Israel where all subjects had received dental treatment from the same dentist since childhood with no choice of dentist. Subjects were requested to fill out questionnaires concerning their dental anxiety (DAS) in the past and at present, an evaluation of their dentist in the past and at present, and a psychopathologic symptom survey (SCL-90). The results show that dental anxiety at present correlates significantly with the evaluation of the present dentist; with dental anxiety as remembered from childhood; and with the following SCL-90 scales: interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, phobic anxiety and Positive Symptom Distress Index. The best predictors of dental anxiety at present were the evaluation of the present dentist and past dental anxiety (as remembered from childhood). The results suggest that the level of the subject's dental anxiety is affected by environmental factors (evaluation of the present dentist, memories of anxiety from childhood), and by personality traits as evaluated by the SCL-90 questionnaire.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Interpretation of bitewing radiographs. Part 1. Evaluation of the presence of approximal lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Bitewing radiographs are the main tool for approximal caries detection. However, interpretation of findings is affected by numerous factors, such as beam angulation, exposure conditions, morphologic variations, etc. The objective of the present study was to compare the ability to detect virtually identical, artificial lesions in different tooth surfaces. METHODS: The in vitro model included preparation and radiologic evaluation of approximal artificial lesions in premolars and molars in depths ranging from 0.00 mm to 1.50 mm. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the prospect of a lesion detection between the different lesion depths (p < 0.0000) and between the different surfaces examined (p < 0.05). The interaction between lesion depth and tooth surface was significant at the 0.0001 level (ANOVA with repeated measures). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that initial approximal lesions of uniform size are more readily detected in premolars than in molars and that the chance of an incipient lesion to remain undetected is twice as high in molars than in premolars.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1996

Interpretation of bitewing radiographs. Part 2. Evaluation of the size of approximal lesions and need for treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The decision to treat initial approximal carious lesions is based mainly on interpretation of bitewing radiographs. In a previous report, it was shown that artificial approximal lesions of uniform size are more readily detected on radiographs in premolars than in molars. The objective of the present study was to compare the ability to evaluate the depth of similar size artificial lesions on radiographs and reach decisions concerning treatment, in premolars and molars. METHOD: Clinicians were asked to evaluate on radiographs, the size of in vitro prepared artificial lesions, and decide at which point they would perform a restoration. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the evaluation of lesion depth between different tooth surfaces. The interaction between lesion depth and tooth surface originated from the examiners' trend to score same size lesions as penetrating deeper into the tooth in premolars than in molars. The probability of the examiners to decide on restorative treatment in shallow lesions (0.25 mm, 0.50 mm) was higher in premolars than in molars. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that clinicians evaluate initial lesions as being deeper and more prone to treatment in premolars than in molars.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1996

Reducing confirmation bias in clinical decision-making.

Schematic, category-based thinking is a common approach to reduce uncertainty. Once the stimulus in question is categorized under a scheme, there is a tendency to look for features that fit the scheme. We have a tendency toward "positive testing" that is, to test instances we think will fit our hypothesis, paying less attention to those that will not (confirmation bias). Schematic, category-based thinking interferes with the process of decision-making in general and in medicine and dentistry in particular. To reduce schematic thinking and to avoid confirmation bias, one must acknowledge their existence. It is the task of dental educators to open the existing schemes and encourage broad, even controversial thinking that will focus on more than one hypothesis.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed1995

Antibacterial activity of three dental liners.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to assess the antibacterial activity of the following three dental liners: Vitrebond (3M, St Paul, MN), Dycal (LD Caulk, Dentsply International, Milford, DE), and Life (Kerr, Romulus, MI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The test was based on a modification of the agar diffusion test in which samples were placed on agar plates previously inoculated with Streptococcus mutans and were removed after predetermined time periods. The material's effect on bacterial growth was evaluated. RESULTS: Results show that Vitrebond has a strong antibacterial effect that was evident after 1 minute of direct contact with the inoculated bacteria. It was significantly more effective (P<.0001) than Dycal or Life. CONCLUSIONS: This method allows for the evaluation of the antibacterial effect of dental materials.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1995

Self-estimation of oral malodor.

Bad breath (halitosis, oral malodor) is a common condition, usually the result of microbial putrefaction within the oral cavity. Often, people suffering from bad breath remain unaware of it, whereas others remain convinced that they suffer from foul oral malodor, although there is no evidence for such. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether objective self-measurement of oral malodors is possible. Each of 52 volunteers was asked to sample the odor from his/her mouth, tongue, and saliva. Results were compared with (i) self-assessments prior to (preconception) and following (post-measurement) self-measurements; (ii) odor judge scores; (iii) dental-measurements (plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth); (iv) volatile sulphide levels; (v) salivary cadaverine levels; and (vi) intra-oral trypsin-like activity. Among the self-measurements, only saliva self-scores yielded significant correlations with objective parameters. Despite the partial objectivity of saliva self-estimates, subsequent post-measurement self-assessments failed to correlate with objective parameters. The results suggest that (i) preconceived notions confound the ability to score one's own oral malodors in an objective fashion; and (ii) partial objectivity can be obtained in the case of saliva self-measurement, presumably because the stimulus is removed from the body proper.

Adult↗