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Biomedical subjects

U Berggren

Publications and source records attributed to U Berggren.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Pain in orthodontics. A review and discussion of the literature.

This literature review focuses on previous studies of pain and pain perception in dentistry with special emphasis on orthodontic treatment. The prevalence of pain and background factors such as age, gender and culture/society, in addition to pain physiology and the influence of concomitant emotional and cognitive factors, is examined. Pain during orthodontic tooth movement is reported from the point of view of its physiology and character and different assessment methods. These aspects are described both generally and specifically in relation to the type of orthodontic forces and to the experience of discomfort other than pain. Since the orthodontic treatment may cause some degree of suffering for the patients, it is important for orthodontists to handle this situation in the best possible way. Some ideas about the possibilities of avoiding, reducing or alleviating pain in orthodontics are discussed.

Humans↗

Cardiovascular responses to clonidine in alcohol withdrawal: are they related to psychopathology and mental well-being?

The possible relationships between alpha-2-adrenoceptor function, as assessed by blood pressure, heart rate, and sedative responses to clonidine (CLON; 1.5 microg/kg, i.v.), and psychopathology and mental well-being were investigated in 19 patients with alcohol-dependence in the early withdrawal period (days 1 and 7). An age-matched control group was used (n=17). CLON-induced maximum reduction of systolic blood pressure was less day 1 in the alcohol-dependent patients compared to controls. CLON was found to induce less sedation at day 7 compared to day 1 and to controls. No relationships were seen between the parameters for alpha-2-adrenoceptor function and psychopathology and mental well-being. These findings suggest that CLON-induced changes in blood pressures and heart rate reflect the cardiovascular situation in alcohol withdrawal and not aspects of behavior.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Factors associated with dental anxiety and attendance in middle-aged and elderly women.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between dental anxiety, dental attendance, health status and social factors. Our previous studies have shown that dental anxiety declines with age and is associated with poor oral health. In addition, correlations between dental anxiety, dental utilization and dental status have been revealed. However, the association of these factors with general health and social factors has not been analyzed in our previous studies. In a study of women's health in Göteborg, Sweden in 1992, 1.017 urban women aged 38 to 84 years took part in a series of investigations including clinical examinations, interviews and questionnaires. In addition to descriptive and simple inference statistics, a two-part multiple logistic regression model was utilized to investigate dental anxiety and dental utilization. Dental fear was less prevalent among older women, dentate or not, although 10% of females 62 years of age and older still reported high dental anxiety (DAS > or = 12). 94% of the younger (< or = 62 yr) and 76% of the older (> or = 70 yr) women reported regular dental attendance. When separating all women into dentate and edentulous groups, 94% of the dentate and 11% of the edentulous respondents reported regular dental care. Due to the large difference in dental attendance between dentate and edentulous women, these groups were analyzed separately. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the following factors were associated with irregular dental utilization among dentate women: high dental anxiety, fewer teeth and restorations, more caries, poorer chewing ability and dissatisfaction with dental esthetics. In the multiple regression for dental anxiety, high fear was shown to be associated with irregular dental care, age (younger), fewer teeth, dissatisfaction with dental esthetics and lower scores on the SF-36 mental health scale. A separate analysis showed that individuals with high fear and regular, as opposed to irregular, dental attendance had more teeth at a statistically significant level, which were less often decayed and more often restored. In spite of the group with high fear and irregular attendance having fewer teeth, their level of decay was seven times higher. Overall, the results indicate a strong association between dental fear and dental attendance. Weak associations were found among socio-economic, dental health and general health factors.

Adult↗

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↗

Model of the dentist-patient consultation in a clinic specializing in the treatment of dental phobic patients: a qualitative study.

Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 dentists (3 male and 2 female) after first and second consultations with 15 newly enrolled dental phobic patients (2 male and 13 female) in a clinic specializing in the treatment of odontophobia. Analysis of the transcribed interviews was influenced by the principles of grounded theory. Five concepts/higher-order categories were grounded in the data: 1 core category: 'Relatedness, based on affective resonance and concordant roles' and 4 additional higher-order categories: 'the dental phobic patient's emotions'; 'the patient's verbal and non-verbal cues'; 'the dentist's role as a clinician: professional interpersonal skills'; and 'the dentist's role as a fellow-being: general interpersonal skills'. The model developed describes the dynamics of the dentist patient interaction and has a theoretical application.

Adult↗

A Swedish version of the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale.

The aims of this study were to translate and analyze the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale (DVSS), which has been developed to measure different aspects of the dentist-patient relationship in the view of the patient. Subjects were ordinary dental patients attending dental care in various public dental service clinics (PDS) and patients attending an emergency PDS clinic and an oral medicine clinic (n = 204). Consecutively, patients were asked to answer a questionnaire that consisted of the DVSS and information about dental anxiety, age, and gender. The results revealed similar DVSS item/sum of scores levels as those in previous studies. There was no significant difference with respect to gender. High dental anxiety was associated with low DVSS score. Three dimensions were found in the exploratory factor analysis: Information/communication, Understanding/acceptance, and Technical competence. Item 8 was found to have skewed properties according to correlation, reliability, and factor analysis. A confirmatory factor analysis with the 9-item DVSS (item 8 removed) revealed a model with 4 dimensions. A general dental satisfaction factor was found, loading on all 9 items, together with the above-mentioned, more narrow factors.

Age Factors↗

Psychosocial aspects of dental and general fears in dental phobic patients.

Phobic reactions can often be a significant health problem for fearful dental patients. This is true in particular for individuals with long-time avoidance and elevated general psychological distress. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of dental fear among 67 dental phobic individuals with a low versus high degree of general fear. Reported etiologic background factors, avoidance time, general psychological distress and psychosocial manifestations and consequences of dental phobia were studied. No significant difference in dental anxiety level between individuals with low versus high general fear was found, and both groups reported high frequencies of negative dental experiences. The low-fear group reported a longer (though not statistically significant) average avoidance time than the high-fear group. However, patients with a high level of general fear showed a significantly higher degree of psychological distress, and also reported stronger negative social consequences from their dental anxiety. These results indicate that the character of dental fear might be different between different groups of fearful patients, which makes the condition psychologically handicapping. Such aspects should be assessed in the diagnostic analysis of patients with severe dental anxiety. In particular, assessments of signs of general psychological distress are warranted.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Relaxation vs. cognitively oriented therapies for dental fear.

Cognitive therapy has been reported for the treatment of dental phobia, but comparisons with other behavioral treatments are scarce. This study investigated the outcome of two modes of treatment for phobic dental fear. Relaxation and cognitively oriented therapy were compared in a sample of 112 adult fearful dental patients. The patient made questionnaire assessments of background and outcome variables, and the specialist dentist rated successful/non-successful outcome. It was shown that a higher number of patients who received cognitively oriented therapy completed the treatment program, while anxiety was more reduced among patients who received relaxation-oriented therapy. Dropout during the initial phobia therapy with a psychologist was related to lower motivation (willingness to engage in treatment), while failures during dental treatment after the completion of therapy were related to higher levels of general fear and anxiety. A multiple logistic regression model explaining 67% of the variance revealed that the risk of failure was only slightly increased by general fears, while patients with low (below median) motivation ran a 3.6-times-higher risk of dropping out. In conclusion, it was shown that the two treatment methods were both effective in reducing dental phobic reactions. However, while cognitively oriented therapy resulted in a higher number of patients completing therapy, relaxation-oriented treatment generally resulted in a more significant reduction in dental fear as well as in general anxiety and fear. Motivation was found to be a significant predictor of successful treatment outcome.

Acute Disease↗

Oral health care--a low priority in nursing. In-depth interviews with nursing staff.

In this study we examined how nursing home staff experienced assisting patients with oral health care. The results of a previous questionnaire indicated that oral health care is a low priority in nursing. The 22 in-depth interviews administered in this study showed that the quality of the oral health care received by the patients depended on several factors. It was found that often there were no specific routines for assisting oral health care in the nursing homes and that other activities were given higher priority. Assisting oral health care was described as passing a barrier, where the main problem was to gain access to the oral cavity. It was concluded that nursing staff working with geriatric patients need to be better educated in oral health care and should be seen by themselves and others as part of a team, where oral health care is clearly defined and included among other daily nursing activities.

Aged↗

Variations in dental anxiety among middle-aged and elderly women in Sweden: a longitudinal study between 1968 and 1996.

Cross-sectional studies have shown that older individuals are significantly less dentally anxious than younger ones. However, research has not been able to show if this is a cohort effect or an effect of fear declining with age. If it is a cohort effect, dental anxiety among the elderly may pose a greater-than-expected problem for the providers of dental services. With the exception of longitudinal studies in children and a three-year follow-up on adults, no truly longitudinal epidemiological studies concerning dental anxiety have been performed. The aim of this project was to investigate how dental anxiety changes with aging. In a longitudinal population study of women in Göteborg, Sweden, starting in 1968, 1462 women aged 38 to 54 participated. A representative subsample of 778 women took part in a psychiatric examination where an investigation of dental anxiety was included. The same questions were also included when these women were re-examined in 1974, 1992, and 1996. Three hundred seventy-five women were still eligible for investigation in 1996. In 1968-69, 48 (12.8%) of the participating women assessed themselves as "very afraid" or "terrified" when visiting the dentist, and in 1996 the frequency was 21 (5.6%) among the same women. In 1968-69, 180 women (48%) reported no dental anxiety when visiting the dentist, and 28 years later the frequency was 230 (61%). In the three youngest age groups, dental anxiety decreased significantly (p < 0.001) over the 28-year period. Older compared with younger women reported significantly less dental anxiety, and this was an age effect rather than a cohort effect. Thus, this longitudinal study supported the hypothesis that dental fear, like many other general and specific phobias, declines with age.

Age Distribution↗

[High risk for children with DAMP/ADHD to become addicts later in life].

The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and of the overlapping condition, deficit in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP), among children of early school age is approximately 5 per cent (1.5% being severe cases). Boys are more commonly affected than girls. The symptoms continue to be disabling at 20 years of age in 50 per cent of cases, and social maladjustment is common. Half of the young boys develop oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), very often progressing to conduct disorder (CD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Low socio-economic status, parental mental disorder, and persistence of DAMP/ADHD symptoms are all predictors of the development of CD/ASPD. Prospective studies of children with DAMP/ADHD have shown them to be characterised by a high level of alcohol and/or drug abuse comorbidity, particularly the subgroup progressing to CD/ASPD. Conversely, studies of drug abuse and of alcohol abuse series have shown them to be characterised by a high level of DAMP/ADHD comorbidity. Approximately one in five alcoholics has or has had DAMP/ADHD, a comorbidity probably even more pronounced among type II alcoholics. Approximately every third substance-abuser has or has had DAMP/ADHD. The need of more persevering support and treatment efforts for the well-defined category of boys at high risk is emphasised. Better awareness, active diagnosis and treatment of adults with persisting DAMP/ADHD is also warranted.

Adolescent↗

Fluconazole versus nystatin in the treatment of oral candidosis.

The efficacy of oral fluconazole versus nystatin was evaluated as a treatment modality for oral candidosis. Of the included patients (n = 60), two-thirds presented with an erythematous candidosis, and the others showed clinical signs compatible with a pseudomembranous candidosis. Predisposing factors were xerostomia (n = 18), HIV (n = 5), immunosuppression in conjunction with organ transplantation (n = 10), and wearing of dentures (n = 14). For the remaining patients no specific predisposing factors were found. One patient who was treated with nystatin was excluded owing to nausea that was related to the antifungal treatment. After 7 days of treatment with fluconazole (50 mg/day), the affected oral mucosa, assessed by the investigator, was cured or showed considerable improvement in 87% of the patients (n = 30). The corresponding figure for the nystatin group (n = 30), rinsing with 1 mL 4 times a day for 21 days, was 80%. Following treatment with fluconazole, 20 of 22 patients with symptoms at the start (91%) reported improvement. The comparable figures for the nystatin group were 10 of 12 patients (83%). Half of the patients in the nystatin group reported inconvenience from taking the medication (mean value = 25.9) compared with 23% of the patients in the fluconazole group (mean value = 6.6). Eight patients in the fluconazole group and 12 patients in the nystatin group exhibited a relapse within 6 months. These differences were not found to be statistically significant. The patients in the fluconazole group reported less inconvenience from taking the medication, a finding that may have clinical implications for compliance.

Administration, Oral↗

Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of laparoscopic techniques for the removal of common bile duct (CBD) stones. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS: 39 patients who underwent laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, either by a transcystic technique or by choledochotomy, between September 1992 and April 1995. INTERVENTIONS: Cholecystectomy, intraoperative cholangiography, and removal of CBD-stones by a transcystic technique (n=22), laparoscopic choledocholithotomy (n=11), or after conversion to open choledocholithotomy (n=6). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Stone clearance rates, operative time, complications, and postoperative hospital stay. RESULTS: Stone removal was achieved in 32/39 patients (82%) by a laparoscopic approach. Reasons for failure were early in our experience, and the result of technical difficulties or stones that were too large for the transcystic approach, or with impacted stones at choledochotomy. Postoperative morbidity was low (n=4, 10%) with no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Common bile duct stones can be removed in a large proportion of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, either by a laparoscopic transcystic technique or through a laparoscopic choledochotomy. The laparoscopic techniques need further evaluation, preferably in prospective multicentre trials comparing other treatment strategies including endoscopic sphincterotomy.

Adult↗

A survey of surgical treatment of gallstone disease and the diffusion of laparoscopic surgery in Sweden 1992-93.

OBJECTIVE: To study the diffusion of laparoscopic biliary surgery in Sweden, 1992-93. DESIGN: A prospective survey of all biliary surgery for gallstone disease recorded for 8 weeks in 1992 and the same period in 1993. SETTING: All surgical departments in Sweden. SUBJECTS: A consecutive series of 1938 patients in 1992 and 1748 patients in 1993. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changing indications, diffusion, morbidity, mortality, postoperative and hospital stay after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in Sweden in 1992 compared with 1993. RESULTS: Despite the spread of LC, the indications did not change between 1992 and 1993 (p=0.31). The total number of cholecystectomies decreased from 1938 in 1992 to 1748 in 1993. The overall percentage of laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LCs) increased from 74.7% to 81.2% (p <0.001) between 1992 and 1993. Postoperative morbidity and mortality after LC did not differ between 1992 and 1993, but the total morbidity was 9.0% in 1992 and 7.0% in 1993 (p=0.02). Mortality for all cholecystectomies did not change over the periods, being 0.6% in 1992 and 0.2% in 1993 (p=0.07). The numbers of LCs done in any hospital were divided in two groups, 20 or fewer and 21-80. In the smaller group, the postoperative morbidity was 7.1% and in the larger group it was 7.0%, (p=0.9). The postoperative mortality was 0.1% in both groups. The postoperative and total hospital stays of all cholecystectomies decreased from 3.4 days in 1992 to 2.9 days in 1993 (p=0.001) and from 5.0 in 1992 to 4.4 days in 1993 (p < 0.001), respectively. The postoperative and total hospital stays of LCs decreased from 2.0 in 1992 to 1.8 days in 1993 (p=0.009) and from 3.3 in 1992 to 2.9 days in 1993 (p=0.007), respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite the introduction and diffusion of the new technology, LC, the indications for surgery did not change and the number of cholecystectomies did not increase from 1992 to 1993. The morbidity and mortality of LC and the mortality of all cholecystectomies were unchanged between 1992 and 1993, but the morbidity for all cholecystectomies decreased. The number of LC or all cholecystectomies done in any particular hospital were not related to morbidity or to mortality.

Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic↗

Dental anxiety among adolescents in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This small-size epidemiologic investigation examined the prevalence and etiology of dental fear and anxiety among 288 schoolchildren aged 13-18 years in St. Petersburg, Russia. The adolescent population was collected from a larger sociological investigation performed in Russia during the early period of reforms. The investigation revealed a comparatively elevated anxiety level with an average DAS score of 10.0 and a prevalence of high dental fear of 12.6%. The present study showed that the origin of dental anxiety as reported by adolescent, urban Russians parallels much of previous results from the US and Western Europe. Thus, the etiology of dental anxiety was related to negative dental experiences and this conditional learning seemed to be especially prevalent in the presence of previous oral pain experiences and an existing dental anxiety in the family.

Adolescent↗

Representation of verbal pain descriptors on a visual analogue scale by dental patients and dental students.

Verbal rating scales (VRS), composed of ranked pain descriptors, are often employed in pain research. Factors that may influence the subjective pain intensity values, however, are not well established. In this study, 5 common pain descriptor adjectives were represented on a visual analogue scale (VAS) by a group of 80 dental students, by a group of 48 patients undergoing periodontal therapy, and by a group of 31 dental phobic patients. It was thought that each group of individuals on conducting the test represented a different degree of apprehension, ranging from a relaxed to a very tense status. There were differences in the interpretation of the pain descriptors between groups. Furthermore, age seemed to influence the interpretation of the pain descriptors. No correlation was found with gender. The descriptors did not divide the analogue scale into equal segments. 71% of all subjects gave the adjective "mild" a lower pain intensity representation than the adjective "weak", while the order was reversed among remaining subjects. Findings cast doubt on the reliability of VRS and the data handling methods commonly adopted in clinical pain research.

Adult↗

Assessment of patients with direct conditioned and indirect cognitive reported origin of dental fear.

This study investigated the reported conditioned or cognitive origin of dental phobia in 100 adult patients at a specialized dental phobia clinic. It was shown that a majority of patients reported a conditioned background to their dental fear. Patients' avoidance time and level of dental anxiety corresponded to previously reported data for fearful groups. Individuals with an arousal conditioning etiology of dental fear reported significantly longer avoidance time as compared to individuals with a cognitively learned reaction. With the exception of an elevated level of general fears, most psychometrically assessed emotional reactions were well within normal ranges. However, patients with a non-conditioned, cognitive etiology reported significantly higher levels of trait anxiety and fear of embarrassment. In addition, a separate analysis among women revealed a greater fear of physical injuries among patients with cognitive etiology.

Adult↗

Reported burning mouth symptoms among middle-aged and elderly women.

The aims of this investigation were to assess the prevalence of burning mouth symptoms (BM) in a representative population of Swedish middle-aged and elderly women (n=1017) and its relation to general and oral health status. BM was reported by 4.6% (n=47), and 85% of the BM subjects had experienced BM for more than 6 months. A stepwise multiple logistic regression with BM/non-BM as dependent variable showed that 7 covariates were found to be predictive of BM. These variables were medication with antihypertensives, sedatives and female sex hormones. Moreover, headache, tinnitus, dry mouth, and reduced chewing ability were included in the final model.

Aged↗