ABSTRACT This study evaluated the clinical diagnosis of proximal gingivitis by comparing two methods: dental flossing and the gingival bleeding index (GBI). One hundred subjects (aged at least 18 years, with 15% of positive proximal sites for GBI, without proximal attachment loss) were randomized into five evaluation protocols. Each protocol consisted of two assessments with a 10-minute interval between them: first GBI/second floss, first floss/second GBI, first GBI/second GBI, first tooth floss/second floss, and first gum floss-second floss. The dental floss was slid against the tooth surface (TF) and the gingival tissue (GF). The evaluated proximal sites should present teeth with established point of contact and probing depth ≤ 3mm. One trained and calibrated examiner performed all the assessments. The mean percentages of agreement and disagreement were calculated for the sites with gingival bleeding in both evaluation methods (GBI and flossing). The primary outcome was the percentage of disagreement between the assessments in the different protocols. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, McNemar, chi-square and Tukey’s post hoc tests, with a 5% significance level. When gingivitis was absent in the first assessment (negative GBI), bleeding was detected in the second assessment by TF and GF in 41.7% (p < 0.001) and 50.7% (p < 0.001) of the sites, respectively. In the absence of gingivitis in the second assessment (negative GBI), TF and GF detected bleeding in the first assessment in 38.9% (p = 0.004) and 58.3% (p < 0.001) of the sites, respectively. TF and GF appears to be a better diagnostic indicator of proximal gingivitis than GBI.

Abstract Two previous clinical studies evaluated the effect of end-rounded versus tapered bristles of soft manual brushes on the removal of plaque and gingival abrasion. However, the combined effect of an abrasive dentifrice on these outcomes has yet to be understood. The purpose of the present study was to compare the incidence of gingival abrasion and the degree of plaque removal obtained after the use of toothbrushes with tapered or end-rounded bristles in the presence or absence of an abrasive dentifrice. The study involved a randomized, single-blind, crossover model (n = 39) with a split-mouth design. Subjects were instructed to refrain from performing oral hygiene procedures for 72 hours. Quadrants were randomized and subjects brushed with both types of toothbrushes using a dentifrice (relative dentin abrasion = ± 160). Plaque and gingival abrasion were assessed before and after brushing. After 7 days, the experiment was repeated without the dentifrice. The average reduction in plaque scores and the average increase in the number of abrasion sites were assessed by repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post-hoc tests. End-rounded bristles removed significantly more plaque than tapered bristles, regardless of the use of a dentifrice. The dentifrice did not improve plaque removal. In the marginal area (cervical free gingiva), no difference in the incidence of gingival abrasion was detected between toothbrush types when used with a dentifrice (p ≥ 0.05). However, the dentifrice increased the incidence of abrasion (p < 0.001), irrespective of the toothbrush type tested. End-rounded bristles therefore removed plaque more effectively without causing a higher incidence of gingival abrasion when compared with tapered bristles. An abrasive dentifrice can increase the incidence of abrasion, and should be used with caution by individuals who are at risk of developing gingival recession.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on response to nonsurgical periodontal therapy using the primary outcome measure of bleeding on probing (BoP). An periodontist performed periodontal therapy on 11 smokers and 14 never smokers with periodontitis. Two examiners assessed visible plaque index, gingival bleeding index, probing pocket depth (PPD), BoP, suppuration on probing and clinical attachment level (CAL), at baseline and three months after therapy. BoP was categorized as 0 (absent), 1 (small bleeding point) and 2 (blood flow from the sulcus). Total BoP value was obtained by summing values of 1 and 2. All subjects had significant reductions in mean PPD and percentages of sites with BoP, with no difference between the groups. Only never smokers presented statistically significant CAL gain. BoP was significantly and consistently reduced at sites with initial PPDs of 1–3 mm and 4–6 mm in both groups. At sites with deep PPD ( ≥ 7mm), never smokers showed a greater mean reduction in the number of sites with BoP than did smokers (p < 0.05). Never smokers had significantly greater reduction in BoP 2 than smokers, at sites with moderate and deep baseline PPDs. The first group had a significant increase of BoP 1, at sites with initial PPDs of 4-6 mm. Thus, periodontal therapy reduced BoP in both groups. However, smoking could negatively affect the BoP reduction at deeper sites after nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

Leukemia has been associated with oral manifestations. However, the available literature on this topic consists of mostly reports of cases, without data about the periodontal parameters that may be under the influence of hematologic factors. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the correlation between the Gingival Index and Bleeding on Probing with the platelet count in patients with leukemia. Patients with diagnosis of any kind of leukemia, at any stage of treatment, having a minimum age of 14 years, treated at the Department of Hematology-Oncology of the University Hospital of Santa Maria, Brazil, between December 2009 and March 2010, were assessed. Excluded patients were: edentulous, with orthodontic appliances, with psychomotor disturbances, requiring antibiotic prophylaxis for the examinations, or those using medications associated with gingival swelling. Two trained and calibrated examiners evaluated the Plaque Index, Gingival Index (GI), Probing depth, Bleeding on Probing (BOP), and Clinical Attachment Loss. Hematologic data were collected from a blood test performed on the same day as the periodontal examination. Thirty-seven patients (26 males), aged between 15 and 80 years (mean age 41.7 ± 18.31) were evaluated. Correlation between platelet count and BOP (p > 0.05), or between platelet count and GI (p > 0.05), were both weak (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.171 and r = -0.003, respectively) and not statistically significant. It can be concluded from the preliminary results that the low platelet count was not correlated with the higher prevalence of gingival and periodontal bleeding in patients with leukemia.

O presente estudo avaliou o efeito de uma dieta alcoólica sobre estreptococos do grupo mutans e sobre cárie dentária na cavidade bucal de ratos. Quarenta animais foram divididos em 3 grupos conforme a dieta líquida administrada: solução de etanol a 20% (Grupo álcool, GA), solução de sacarose a 27% (Grupo isocalórico, GI) e água (Grupo controle, GC). Após 56 dias, amostras bucais foram coletadas e semeadas em ágar Mitis Salivarius Bacitracina para contagem de unidades formadoras de colônias (UFC/mL) de estreptococos do grupo mutans. Os animais foram sacrificados, maxila e mandíbula foram removidas para analisar a ocorrência de cárie nas faces livres e oclusais usando lupa estereoscópica. Os dados foram submetidos à ANOVA e ao teste de Tukey. As médias dos números de UFC/mL (10³) foram: 8,17 (GA), 9,78 (GI), e 5,63 (GC). Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos para a ocorrência de cárie oclusal. Em relação ao número de cáries em face livre, na maxila este número no GI (1,58) foi similar ao encontrado no GA (2,06) e no GC (1,14), e o número de cáries no GA foi maior do que no GC; na mandíbula houve diferença significante entre os três grupos: GA (1,14), GI (2,00) e GC (0,43). A dieta com soluções de álcool e sacarose apresentou tendência de aumento na colonização de estreptococos do grupo mutans e aumentou a incidência de lesões de cárie de faces livres nos molares de ratos quando comparada à dieta controle.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an alcohol diet on Streptococcus of the mutans group and on dental caries in the oral cavity of rats. Forty animals were divided into 3 groups according to the following liquid diets: 20% ethanol solution (Alcohol Group, AG), 27% sucrose solution (Isocaloric Group, IG), and water (Control Group, CG). After 56 days, samples were collected and plated on Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar to assess the number of colony forming units (CFU/mL) of Streptococcus of the mutans group. The animals were sacrificed and the jaws were removed in order to assess the occurrence of dental caries on the smooth and occlusal surfaces using stereomicroscopy. The data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey test. The average numbers of CFU/mL (10³) were: 8.17 (AG), 9.78 (IG), and 5.63 (CG). There was no significant difference among the groups for the occurrence of occlusal caries. Regarding smooth surface caries, in the upper jaw, the caries number in the IG (1.58) was similar to that in the AG (2.06) and in the CG (1.14), and the number of caries in the AG was higher than in the CG; in the lower jaw there was significant difference among the 3 groups: AG (1.14), IG (2.00) and CG (0.43). The diets with the alcohol and sucrose solutions presented a tendency of increasing the colonization by Streptococcus of the mutans group and of increasing the occurrence of smooth surface dental caries in rat molars when compared to the control diet.

O objetivo deste estudo foi testar a hipótese de que o acabamento e o polimento da superfície cerâmica produzem rugosidade superficial semelhante à superfície cerâmica vitrificada. Vinte e cinco corpos-de-prova (5 mm x 2 mm) da cerâmica Vitadur Alpha foram obtidos de acordo com as recomendações do fabricante. Todas os corpos-de-prova foram vitrificados e aleatoriamente divididos em 5 grupos (n=5), de acordo com os seguintes protocolos de acabamento e polimento: G1: vitrificação (controle); G2: abrasão com ponta diamantada; G3: G2 + acabamento com borrachas abrasivas; G4: G3 + polimento com pasta diamantada/disco de feltro; G5: G3 + disco de feltro impregnado com pasta diamantada. Após 6 análises individuais foi obtida 1 média por corpo-de-prova da rugosidade (Ra). A análise qualitativa foi realizada por microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Os valores médios de rugosidade foram submetidos à ANOVA e ao teste de Tukey com nível de significância de 5%. G1 e G4 foram estatisticamente semelhantes (p>0.05). O grupo G2 apresentou o maior valor médio de rugosidade (p<0.05) seguido por G3, G5, G4 e G1 em ordem decrescente. A hipótese foi parcialmente confirmada, pois somente o polimento mecânico do grupo G4 produziu rugosidade superficial semelhante à da superfície vitrificada, embora o acabamento e o polimento sejam procedimentos críticos tecnicamente.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that mechanical polishing methods of ceramic surfaces allow similar superficial roughness to that of glazed surfaces. Twenty-five Vitadur Alpha ceramic discs (5 mm x 2 mm) were prepared according to the manufacturer's specifications. All specimens were glazed and randomly assigned to 5 groups (n=5), according to finishing and polishing protocols: G1: glazed (control); G2: diamond bur finishing; G3: G2 + silicon rubber tip polishing; G4: G3 + felt disc/diamond polishing paste; G5: G3 + felt disc impregnated with fine-particle diamond paste. Next, surface roughness means (Ra - µm) were calculated. Qualitative analysis was made by scanning electron microscopy. Surface roughness data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test at 5% significance level. G1 and G4 were statistically similar (p>0.05). G2 presented the highest roughness means (p<0.05) followed by groups G3, G5, G4 and G1 in a decreasing order. The hypothesis was partially confirmed as only the mechanical polishing (G4) produced similar superficial roughness to that of surface glazing, although finishing and polishing are technically critical procedures.