Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
Volume:6 Issue: 3, Summer 2017

Bacterial plaque is the uppermost element in periodontal diseases. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is one of the utmost influential materials in chemical plaque control and ORTHOKIN is a toothpaste claimed to encompass CHX. Although there are various studies on efficacy of different types of CHX formulation in toothpaste, no literature has focused on the anti-plaque effects of toothpaste with CHX when zinc acetate is introduced in to chemical formula. Therefore, in the present study, we compared Crest ANTI-Cavity toothpaste with KIN gingival and ORTHOKIN toothpastes that contained CHX.
This controlled clinical trial study was conducted on 30 patients with gingivitis. To compare the anti-plaque activity and bleeding on probing (BOP) index of the toothpastes, the average BOP and plaque index percent was recorded 14-day post-brushing. BOP index and plaque index were measured by an experienced dentist blind to the study and were recorded at pre-scaling, post-scaling and post-brushing for each group. Analysis of variance and paired t-test was used to analyze the data.
The average BOP in the 3rd meeting for the ORTHOKIN, Crest ANTI-Cavity and KIN gingival toothpastes was 10.54%, 12.15% and 10.60%, and the plaque index in the 3rd meeting was 32.22%, 50.35% and 27.80%, respectively. In these 3 groups, BOP did not have a reduction while the plaque index significantly differed between ORTHOKIN and KIN gingival compared to Crest ANTI-Cavity (P These results showed that the reduction of gingival inflammation in CHX contained toothpastes was the same as the toothpaste without CHX. The addition of zinc had no effect on the effectiveness of CHX.

Due to increasing use of X-rays in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, this study aimed to measure and compares the absorbed dose in a number of sensitive organs of head and neck in different radiographic techniques.
Thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) and a male equivalent RANDO phantom were used to measure the absorbed dose in organs. The dosimeters were set in certain sites of phantom related to eye, parotid, thyroid gland, occipital area and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Panoramic and Caldwell techniques with two different exposure conditions as well as Waters technique with three different exposure conditions were performed. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was applied in low and normal resolutions with different field of view (FOV), and the mean absorbed dose was calculated and compared by the dosimeters related to each of the organs.
The panoramic imaging technique revealed the lowest dose for the eyes, but interestingly higher doses for the parotid gland and the occipital area. In total, Waters and Caldwell imaging techniques indicated that the occipital area and the parotid gland absorbed a higher dose than other organs. In the majority of CBCT scans the parotid region received the highest dose. However, during sinus CBCT (both in low-dose and high-dose modes), the TMJ and eye areas absorbed the highest dose. Investigation of the use of thyroid shield on the absorbed dose in this organ in CBCT showed an average 22% reduction in dose.
In total, panoramic, Waters and Caldwell imaging techniques indicated that the occipital area and the parotid gland absorbed a higher dose than other organs. In the majority of CBCT scans, the parotid region received the highest dose.

Our aim was to assess the clinical efficacy of ginger capsule (Zintoma herbal capsule) in the relief of symptoms in patients with post-radiotherapy xerostomia.
This study was a randomized double-blind, parallel clinical trial of ginger usage in patients with post-radiotherapy xerostomia. Sixty-one subjects were selected from patients with xerostomia of Imam Khomeini Cancer Institute, Tehran, Iran. Subject-based dry mouth scores derived from 100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS) were recorded at baseline. Patients also completed a questionnaire on the first visit regarding the symptoms of xerostomia. The patients received ginger capsule (30 persons) or placebo (31 persons) three times daily over a 2-weeks period. At the end of day 14, dry mouth scores derived from VAS were recorded again and patients responded to the additional variables regarding dry mouth symptoms and quality of life issues. P The mean treatment effect on day 14 was 33.7 ± 20.9 mm in the ginger group and 23.6 ± 17.3 mm in the placebo group. The analysis indicated marginally significant improvement of xerostomia with ginger prescription (P = 0.057). At the end of intervention there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding improvement of quality of life or dry mouth symptoms.
It seems that ginger could be helpful in the treatment of xerostomia. Since ginger is considered a safe herbal medicine with only few and insignificant adverse/side effects further studies in larger group of patients are recommended to provide the effect of ginger on different complaints of xerostomia.

In public health, health literacy (HL) is rather a new conception. In this regard, oral health as a critical public health issue that affects women’s health. The objective of the present study was to determine oral health self-care behavior and its relationship with HL.
This cross-sectional study was performed on 232 women who referred to health centers of Tabriz, Iran, in 2015. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire including demographic characteristics, oral health behavior, and HL [assessed using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) scale]. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and multiple regressions.
The mean age of the subjects was 33.4 years [standard deviation (SD) = 8.2; range = 18-49]. The mean ± SD of oral health self-care behavior and HL score was 4.4 ± 1.9 and 3.3 ± 2.0, respectively. Totally, 24.6% of the participants had limited HL (57/232). Only 19.4% (45/232) of participants brushed their teeth twice daily or more, and 28.9% (67/232) had dental check-up less than 6 months ago. The HL had positive association with oral health self-care behavior (β = 0.37, P The findings of this study suggest that HL was a predictor of oral health self-care behavior in women. However, more studies are needed to confirm the results of this study. Hence, promoting oral health interventions and designing effective educational materials based on HL might be beneficial to improve oral health behavior and status.

The present study was performed in order to assess the effect of gingival thickness on amount of gingival augmentation with and without preserving periosteum.
The study was conducted on 8 ecotype dogs aged 1-5 years. At the beginning, clinical probing depth and keratinized and attached gingiva width were measured. Totally, 64 sites were operated in this study. Periosteal fenestration and denuded beds were randomly created on opposite sides of upper and lower jaws (4 sites each side). The thickness of gingiva was measured in mucogingival junction after preparation of the beds. The clinical parameters were evaluated 2 months after the surgery. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, and Pearson correlation tests.
The results showed the average increased width of keratinized and attached gingiva was 1.8 mm and 2 mm in periosteal fenestration sites and 1.9 mm and 2.3 mm in denudation sites, respectively at 2 months post-surgery. The difference between the width of keratinized gingiva and attached gingiva before and 2 months after operation was significant in both groups (P A gingival thickness of 0.8 to 2 mm does not affect the increment of the attached and keratinized gingival width with and without preserving periosteum.

This study evaluated the quality of life (QOL) of patients with diseases of oral mucosa referred to Kerman Dental School, Kerman, Iran during 2014-2015.
Total of 101 patients seen in the Kerman Department of Oral Medicine with chronic oral mucosal diseases were included in the study. They completed the designed questionnaire to assess their QOL. After the final edit, the questionnaire was filled by the subjects. Data were analyzed by t-test, chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, analysis of variance, and post-hoc analysis using SPSS. The level of significance for all data analysis was In this study, 101 patients with oral lesions were studied, [57 women (56.4%) and 44 men (43.6%)]. The patients’ age range was 19-65 years and the average age was 32.4 ± 5.6 years. Patients older than 35 years of age reported significantly lower QOL in the domain of social and emotional status. Significant age-related differences in QOL were not observed in other domains. Men reported significantly better oral health-related QOL in pain and functional limitation than women. Significant differences were observed between the disease groups only for recurrent aphthous ulcers and pemphigus.
The present study indicated that chronic oral mucosal diseases affect patients’ QOL. Therefore, it seems that oral disease specialists play a key role in the treatment of these patients, including the disease management and symptomatic treatment, and in managing all issues affecting patients’ living conditions.

Root canal treatment, especially in curved and constricted root canals, can be very difficult and time consuming. Several investigations have compared the reciprocating and full sequence motions in terms of shaping ability. The purpose of the present study was to compare the root canal transportation and centering ability of RECIPROC and iRace using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Thirty-two mesiobuccal (MB) root canals of maxillary first molars with curvature ranged 25-40 degrees were selected. Pre-instrumentation CBCT images were captured at 2, 4 and 6 mm distances from the root apex. Thirty samples were randomly divided into two groups (n = 15). After root canal preparation using either iRace or RECIPROC #25, post-instrumentation CBCT images were obtained at the same levels. Two specimens served as control group. Pre- and post-CBCT images were evaluated to measure root canal transportation and centering ability. Mann-Whitney and Friedman tests were used for statistical analysis.
There was no significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05).
iRace and RECIPROC maintained original root canal geometry and may be safe to be used in curved root canals.

Dental caries is a common problem in pregnant women which has negative impacts on their quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnant women’s dental caries status and its associated risk factors in Shiraz, Iran, in 2014.
In this cross-sectional study, we selected 423 pregnant women attending Shiraz governmental health centers for routine obstetric examinations by randomized cluster sampling. The women''s dental caries status was assessed using decayed, missed, and filled tooth (DMFT) index. The women’s demographic characteristics and their oral hygiene habits were evaluated using a valid and reliable questionnaire. The relationship between women''s DMFT index and their demographic and oral hygiene characteristics was evaluated using Pearson correlation, analysis of variance, independent sample t-tests, and multiple linear regression models.
The mean DMFT index was 5.8 ± 3.6. We found lower scores of DMFT index in women who were younger (P Dental caries status of the pregnant women was unacceptably lower than optimal. Interventions focusing on holding educational programs and taking office-based preventive measures for pregnant women or women who intend to be pregnant are recommended. The interventions are more necessary for older pregnant women and those who use fewer home preventive measures.