bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Description and Epidemiology of Nursing Caries
Authors: Milnes Alan R. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNursing caries is a virulent form of tooth decay that affects the primary dentition of infants and preschool children. The purpose of this paper is to review the scientific literature to describe the clinical characteristics of this disease and to report on its prevalence in various locations and populations around the world. A Medline search was completed using the key words below. All English‐language articles that reported on the prevalence of caries involving the primary maxillary incisors in preschool children in association with feeding habits were included in the review. Nursing caries is associated with ad libitum bottle feeding, particularly at naptime or nighttime, and has been reported in children who engage in demand breastfeeding. A substantial body of literature from numerous countries now exists that documents the prevalence of nursing caries. In developed countries the prevalence is reported to vary between 1 percent and 12 percent However, in developing countries and within disadvantaged populations in developed countries, the prevalence has been reported to be as high as 70 percent in the preschool population. A universally accepted definition for nursing caries does not exist and methods used to define the condition, establish study populations, and collect prevalence data vary widely among studies. This review provides a detailed clinical description of nursing caries, reviews the characteristics of children who may be at risk for nursing caries, and reviews the prevalence data for nursing caries for countries that have reported it, and suggests directions for research into nursing caries etiology and prevalence.
Research Recommendations: Pleas for Enhanced Research Efforts to Impact the Epidemic of Dental Disease in Infants
Authors: Weinstein Philip 
Published: April 2007

AbstractInfant caries is an infectious disease with microbiological, dietary, and host risk factors. The disease is of epidemic proportions in immigrant and Native American populations studied. This paper reviews progress in current research and suggests a number of new approaches focusing on behavioral and chemotherapeutic methods.
Using Area‐based Measures of Socioeconomic Status in Dental Health Services Research
Authors: Locker David , Ford John 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This paper reports the results of a study to assess the value of an area‐based measure of socioeconomic status in dental health services research. Methods: Data on oral health were collected using a telephone interview survey of a random sample of persons aged 50 years and older living independently in Ontario, Canada. Postal codes and a computerized census database were used to identify the mean household income of the enumeration area in which each subject lived. Analyses were undertaken to determine the extent to which the area‐based measure of household income substitutes for and supplements self‐reported household income in predicting oral health outcomes. Results: The results indicate that the enumeration area mean was not a good predictor of self‐reported household income in this population. However, the area‐based measure identified as much variation in nine oral health outcome variables as did the self‐reported measure. Also, the socioeconomic status of the area in which the subjects lived had an effect on health and health‐related behaviors that was independent of their household socioeconomic status. Conclusion: The use of area‐based measures in dental health services research is promising and warrants further exploration.
The State of the Nation's Oral Health: Mid‐decade Assessment of Healthy People 2000
Authors: Gift Helen C. , Drury Thomas F. , Nowjack‐Raymer Ruth E. , Selwitz Robert H. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This communication reviews the history and process of establishing and assessing national health objectives, presents the status of oral health objectives in Healthy People 2000, and summarizes major issues related to the outlook for the nation's oral health from the perspectives of participants in a July 1995 briefing session with the US Assistant Secretary for Health. Methods: Data obtained from sources such as the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey—Phase 1, the 1991 Indian Health Service Survey, and 1989–92 National Health Interview Surveys were examined in relation to specific indicators and populations defined at baseline using mid‐1980s data. Results: Examination of baseline measures and progress data shows that the indicators for objectives are, for the most part, stable or improving slightly. Deaths due to oral cancer have decreased. Edentulousness is declining. Placement of dental sealants on children's teeth is increasing. Adult dental visits are on the expected course. Little change has been observed in water fluoridation. Apparent declines in dental visits and increases in untreated dental decay for young children are potential concerns. Four objectives have no data for progress evaluation. Conclusion: The persistent and often dramatic race‐ethnicity and socioeconomic differences on many objectives, in combination with possible alterations in the public health infrastructure, indicate that concentrated and collaborative efforts are needed to achieve Healthy People 2000 targets.
Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART): a Three‐year Community Field Trial in Thailand—Survival of One‐surface Restorations in the Permanent Dentition
Authors: Phantumvanit Prathip , Songpaisan Yupin , Pilot Taco , Frencken Jo E. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis study compares the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) technique to conventional amalgam restorations in the management of dental caries. The present report is limited to the results for one‐surface restorations in the permanent dentition over a three‐year period. A community field trial was carried out in rural villages in northeastern Thailand. Dental caries was treated using the ART technique in one village where 144 persons were treated with 241 restorations. In a second village, 205 conventional amalgam restorations were provided to 138 persons using mobile dental equipment. Both ART and amalgam restorations were performed by one dentist and two dental nurses without administering local anesthesia. Clinical evaluation was carried out one, two, and three years after placement. The longevity of the restorations was determined by computing the estimated cumulative survival rates according to the life table method. The survival rates of ART restorations (93%, 83%, 71% in years one, two, and three, respectively) were close to those for amalgam restorations (98%, 94%, 85%); however, differences were statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were observed between ART restorations in children and adults, or between those placed by the dentist and dental nurses. Survival rates were lower for occlusal surface restorations compared to those in other surfaces. ART is a feasible approach for the management of dental caries, especially for one‐surface lesions in the permanent dentition. Because of its simplicity as a minimal intervention technique, ART can make the control of dental caries available to all people irrespective of their economic and living conditions.
Dental Caries under Glass Ionomer Restorations
Authors: van Amerongen Willem E. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) technique has two potential limitations. Because only hand instruments are used, dental caries can be left during cavity preparation. Beyond this limitation, the glass ionomer filling material currently used has some unfavorable mechanical properties with respect to its strength, wear resistance, and shrinkage during setting. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of changes that can be expected in carious dentin when a glass ionomer restoration is placed. Restriction of the substrate supply and the release of different components from the glass ionomer have an inhibiting effect on cariogenic microorganisms. Whether this influence is sufficient to completely arrest the caries process is doubtful. The influence of glass ionomers on the remineralization of carious dentin needs further research.
Validity of a Self‐reported Periodontal Disease Measure
Authors: Joshipura Kaumudi J. , Douglass Chester W. , Garcia Raul I. , Valachovic Richard , Willett Walter C. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of a self‐reported periodontal disease measure for use in the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study. Methods: Participating dentists responded to the question “Have you had periodontal disease with bone loss?” Radiographs obtained from 140 participants were evaluated for bone loss at 32 posterior sites and used as the standard. A site was positive if it had bone loss >2 mm and/or complete loss of crestal lamina dura. To avoid falsely classifying participants as positive, three blinded examiners independently evaluated each participant's radiographs. An a priori decision rule was used to classify a participant positive if all examiners independently assessed the same two or more sites positive. Results: The validity of the self‐reported measure was good among dentists, with positive and negative predictive values of 0.76 and 0.74, respectively. Among nondentists, the self‐reported measure showed discriminatory power by confirming associations with known risk factors such as age and smoking. Conclusion: Dentists have a good perception of their periodontal status, and there is reasonable consensus among dentists regarding the threshold for defining periodontal disease. Self‐reported measures might have potential for use in studies of other populations with substantial cost reduction, and deserve further evaluation.
Status and Strategic Plans for Fluoridation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Perspective
Authors: Reeves Thomas G. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis paper summarizes the current status of water fluoridation in the United States and discusses the strategic plan developed by the Division of Oral Health (DOH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to meet the Healthy People 2000 fluoridation objective. This objective proposes to: “Increase to a least 75 percent the proportion of people served by community water systems providing optimal levels of fluoride (baseline: 62% in 1989).” The CDC strategic plan defines the nature of the problem with attainment of this objective, sets CDC priorities, and establishes six major components for future action: (1) assessment, evaluation and surveillance; (2) consultation; (3) state and regional efforts; (4) professional education and involvement; (5) public education; and (6) quality assurance. Actions in each of the components of the plan to help in the attainment of priorities are detailed. Finally, the broader picture of the federal role in a national fluoride plan is discussed.
The Effectiveness of Community Water Fluoridation in the United States
Authors: Horowitz Herschel S. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractGrand Rapids, the first city in the world to implement controlled water fluoridation, has served as a model for thousands of other communities. Fluoridation is one of the greatest public health and disease‐preventive measures of all time. Its advantages include effectiveness for all, ease of delivery, safety, equity, and low cost. Today, nearly 56 percent of the US population lives in fluoridated communities (62% of those on central water supplies). Previously observed caries reductions of one‐half to two‐thirds are no longer attainable in the United States because other fluoride methods and products have reduced the caries prevalence in all areas, thus diluting the measurement of effectiveness, and because benefits of fluoridation are dispersed in many ways to persons in nonfluoridated areas. Water fluoridation itself, however, remains as effective as it ever was among groups at high risk to dental caries. Contrary to early beliefs that stressed the importance of preeruptive fluoride exposure, fluoridation also provides an important source of topical fluoride and facilitates remineralization. Although data on effectiveness and safety are compelling, future progress of water fluoridation will be affected by economic, political, and public perception factors.
From the Art of Filling Teeth to the Science of Dental Caries Prevention: a Personal Review
Authors: Krasse Bo 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe journey from the art of filling teeth to the science of prevention is reviewed. First, a private winding road is described that produced some new methods of value in risk assessment, treatment of the causes of dental caries, and prevention of the disease. The description illustrates the importance of monitoring the effects of different measures. Next, the new knowledge and methods that form the primary basis of prevention on a large scale are reviewed. They represent a golden era in caries research and form a solid ground for the prevention of dental caries and for the treatment of the causes of disease. The prevalence and incidence of dental caries has fallen not only among schoolchildren, but also among adults in developed countries. Improvement in dental health is due to the successful application of new knowledge—it has not happened by chance. New or improved opportunities for prevention could lead to a further reduction in dental caries. The problem is to find ways to stimulate both dentists and patients to use them. Finally, the next part of the journey is discussed. In some countries the journey probably will be an uphill struggle; in others, it could be fairly undulating, eventually leading to further declines in dental caries.
The Need for Health Promotion in Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
Authors: Horowitz Alice M. , Goodman Harold S. , Yellowitz Janet A. , Nourjah Parivash A. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This review paper provides a rationale for using health promotion to help reduce morbidity and mortality due to oral cancers by identifying barriers to prevention and early detection of these cancers and discussing strategies for change. Methods: A literature review of the following areas was conducted: epidemiology of and risk factors for oral cancers; knowledge, opinions, and practices of health care providers and the public regarding prevention, early detection, and control of oral cancers; and policies and regulations that either enhance or act as barriers to the prevention and early detection of oral cancers. Results: Overall, the public is ill‐informed about risk factors for and signs and symptoms of oral cancers and relatively few US adults have had an oral cancer examination. Further, health care providers are remiss in providing oral cancer examinations and detecting early oral cancers. Conclusion: To achieve the 13 oral cancer objectives contained in “Healthy People 2000,” health care providers and the public must know the risk factors for these cancers as well as their signs and symptoms. Further, health care providers need to provide oral cancer examinations routinely and competently. Equally important, the public needs to know that an examination for oral cancer is available and that they can request one routinely. Thus, a vigorous agenda that includes education, policy, and research initiatives is needed to enhance oral cancer prevention and early detection.
Comparison of Access and Costs of Medicaid Dental Services in a Hospital Clinic and Community Practices
Authors: Marcus Marvin , Coulter Ian , Mann Joyce , Leibowitz Arleen , Buchanan Joan 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This paper reports the results of a three‐year evaluation of access to dental care and its associated costs for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) beneficiaries enrolled in a hospital‐based health maintenance organization (HMO) or a fee‐for‐service (FFS) option. Methods: Medicaid enrollees (n=3,655) having a year of eligibility were assigned to either the hospital HMO or FFS care, and their use of dental care and its costs compared. Results: A higher percent of those beneficiaries enrolled in the FFS option used dental care than those in the HMO plan. FFS enrollees also had more annual visits per person than those in the randomly assigned HMO group. FFS dental patients treated in the hospital had the highest costs of any payment‐provider combination studied. Conclusions: To understand the mix of utilization rates, visits, and costs, one must take into account the way in which the HMO hospital plan is reimbursed, the way in which the dental department is reimbursed, and the way in which the dental provider is reimbursed.
Factors Influencing the Appropriateness of Restorative Dental Treatment: an Epidemiologic Perspective
Authors: Grembowski David , Fiset Louis , Milgrom Peter , Forrester Kathleen , Spadafora Agnes 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: An epidemiologic analysis was performed to identify patient and dentist factors influencing over‐ and undertreatment of restorative services in a sample of insured adults. Methods: At baseline, 681 Washington State employees and their spouses, aged 20 to 34 years and residing in the Olympia or Pullman areas, were interviewed by telephone. Oral assessments were conducted to measure personal characteristics, oral disease, and restoration quality. Adults were followed for two years to measure use of restorative services from dental insurance claims. Each adult's baseline and claims data were linked with provider and practice variables collected from the dentist who provided treatment. Results: For overtreatment, 39 percent of adults received one or more replacement restorations in nondecayed teeth with satisfactory fillings at baseline, while 18 percent of adults had one or more restorations placed in teeth with no decay and fillings. An adult's probability of overtreatment was higher if the adult had more fillings at baseline, or if an adult's dentist was younger, had a busy practice, advertised, charged higher fees, had less continuing education, or had a solo practice. For undertreatment, about 16 percent of adults either received no replacement restorations in teeth with unsatisfactory fillings at baseline, or had decayed teeth at baseline that were not filled or crowned. An adult's probability of undertreatment was higher if an adult had less decayed or more missing surfaces at baseline, or if an adult's dentist believed in sharing information with patients, had a busy practice, or reported not placing fillings when radiographic evidence of new caries was present. Conclusion: A minority of adults aged 20 to 34 experienced potential over‐ or undertreatment of restorative services, which are influenced by both patient and dentist factors.
Factors Related to Loss of Root Canal Filled Teeth
Authors: Caplan Daniel J. , Weintraub Jane A. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This case‐control study characterized factors related to loss of root canal filled (RCF) teeth among members of the Kaiser Permanente Dental Care Program, a dental health maintenance organization based in Portland, Oregon. Methods: Individuals were identified who were enrolled continuously from January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1994, underwent initial root canal therapy on a permanent tooth (excluding third molars) in 1987 or 1988, had a clinical examination within two years after endodontic access, and were at least 21 years old at access. Patients who lost the RCF tooth by December 31, 1994, were defined as cases (n=96); those who did not were defined as controls (n=120). Computerized data, dental radiographs, and chart entries were reviewed to ascertain variables of interest, and multivariable logistic regression was used to describe differences between the groups. Results: RCF teeth of cases had fewer proximal contacts at access than RCF teeth of controls (odds ratio=2.7; 95% Cl=1.4, 5.1). Cases were older (odds ratio=1.4; 95% Cl=1.1, 1.9 per 10‐year increase) and more likely to have had a facial injury than controls (odds ratio=3.6; 95% Cl=1.2, 10.5). Cases also had more missing teeth (odds ratio=1.5; 95% Cl=1.0, 2.1) and more plaque (odds ratio=1.7; 95% Cl=1.0, 2.6). Conclusion: Conditions evident during treatment planning may help dentists assess patients' chances of losing an RCF tooth.
Aspects of Quality of Dental Hygiene Care in Supervised and Unsupervised Practices
Authors: Freed James R. , Perry Dorothy A. , Kushman John E. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess aspects of the quality of care provided by dental hygienists in a California demonstration project in which hygienists treated patients independent of dentists' supervision. Methods: The structure and process of care were evaluated in nine independent practices using site visits and reviews of 25 records at each practice. The findings were compared to evaluations of six general dentist practices reviewed for a government agency and insurance company during the same time period. Patient satisfaction was assessed by a questionnaire. Results: The structural aspects of the unsupervised hygienist practices were generally acceptable and surpassed the dentist practices in most areas, including infection control. For process, the hygienist practices had high percentages of acceptable care and were significantly better than the dentist practices in several areas, including follow‐up to medical findings, updating the medical history at recall, and documenting the evaluation of the periodontal status and soft tissues. Ninety‐eight percent of patients expressed satisfaction with their care in hygienist practices. Conclusion: Under the circumstances of the demonstration project and the methods used to assess the quality of care, the study showed that independent dental hygienist practice did not increase the risk to the health and safety of the public.
Acute Fluoride Toxicity from Ingesting Home‐use Dental Products in Children, Birth to 6 Years of Age
Authors: Shulman Jay D. , Wells Linda M. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract Objectives: This paper analyzes reports to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) of suspected overingestion of fluoride by children younger than 6 years of age between 1989 and 1994, and estimates the probably toxic amounts of various home‐use fluoride products in children younger than 6 years of age. Methods: Annual incidence rates of reported fluoride exposures attributed to dietary supplements, toothpaste, and rinses were calculated. Probably toxic amounts of each product were calculated using the frequently cited dose of 5 mg/kg. Results: Children younger than 6 years of age accounted for more than 80 percent of reports of suspected overingestion. While the outcomes were generally not serious, several hundred children were treated at health care facilities each year. A 10 kg child who ingests 50 mg fluoride (10.1 g 1.1% NaF gel; 32.7 g 0.63% SnF2 gel; 33.3 g 1,500 ppm F toothpaste; 50 g 1,000 ppm F toothpaste; and 221 mL 0.05% NaF rinse) will have ingested a probably toxic dose. Conclusion: Overingestion of fluoride products in the home is preventable. Dentists and other health care providers should educate parents and child care providers about the importance of keeping fluoride products out of reach of children. Manufacturers should be encouraged by the ADA and the FDA to use child‐resistant packaging for all fluoride products intended for use in the home.