The dental informatics online community

Dental Informatics (DI) is the application of computer and information science to improve dental practice, research, education, and program administration. To support the growth of this emerging discipline, we created the Dental Informatics Online Community (DIOC). The DIOC provides a dedicated professional home for DI researchers and serves as an open, common, and worldwide forum for all individuals interested in the field. It was created and is maintained by the Center for Dental Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, independent from any professional association, corporate interest or funding source. The DIOC's Website provides many useful features, such as a learning center, publication archive, member and project directories, and the Current Awareness Service (CAS). The CAS automatically notifies members about new information added to the Community. Notifications are individualized according to a member's profile and activities on the site. The DIOC is a research-oriented online community which provides resources in the dental informatics and dental technology field, as well as a way to establish social connections to share ideas, problems and research opportunities. Member and activity growth since the community's inception in 2005 have been steady, but future sustainability of the community depends on many factors.     

The dental informatics online community

Dental Informatics (DI) is the application of computer and information science to improve dental practice, research, education, and program administration. To support the growth of this emerging discipline, we created the Dental Informatics Online Community (DIOC). The DIOC provides a dedicated professional home for DI researchers and serves as an open, common, and worldwide forum for all individuals interested in the field. It was created and is maintained by the Center for Dental Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, independent from any professional association, corporate interest or funding source. The DIOC''s Website provides many useful features, such as a learning center, publication archive, member and project directories, and the Current Awareness Service (CAS). The CAS automatically notifies members about new information added to the Community. Notifications are individualized according to a member''s profile and activities on the site. The DIOC is a research-oriented online community which provides resources in the dental informatics and dental technology field, as well as a way to establish social connections to share ideas, problems and research opportunities. Member and activity growth since the community''s inception in 2005 have been steady, but future sustainability of the community depends on many factors.     

A comparative study of tooth and dental arch dimensions in Jewish children of different ethnic descent. I. Kurds and Yemenites

Dental casts of 99 Kurdish and 98 Yemenite Jewish children evenly distributed between the sexes, aged 12 years, were measured for mesio-distal and buccolingual tooth dimensions, and arch depth and width. Dental dimensions showed significant differences between the two groups in certain permanent teeth in mesiodistal length, while in the buccolingual diameter the differences did not reach statistical significance. Dental arch form in Kurdish children was more rounded due to significantly bigger arch width, while arch depth was not significantly different from Yemenites. Intragroup sex differences were found in both groups with reference to arch dimensions, while in the dental parameters they were more strongly expressed in Kurdish children.     

Physical Anthropology and the dental and medical specialties

The rise of two sub-specialties in Physical Anthropology traces back to the Anatomy Departments of Schools of Medicine in Germany and France during the nineteenth century. The study of human diversity in bones and bodies was largely by medically-trained anatomists. There developed Medical Anthropology and Dental Anthropology, employing osteometry and craniometry on the skeleton, somatometry and cephalometry on the living body. As a result cross-sectional studies gave way to longitudinal studies and X-ray techniques were added to purely mensurational procedures. In Medical Anthropology the specialties most directly concerned are pediatrics, plastic surgery, endocrinology, and orthopaedics. In Dental Anthropology the specialties most directly concerned are pedodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, and prosthodontics. The contributions of Physical Anthropology to each is discussed.     

Cells isolated from cryopreserved dental follicle display similar characteristics to cryopreserved dental follicle cells

Dental follicle tissue is a promising resource of mesenchymal stem cells for cytotherapeutic approaches and tissue engineering applications. There are two procedures for banking of human dental follicle stem cells have been reported. Conventional method requires cell isolation, expansion and immediate cryopreservation. Whereas dental follicle stem cells can be isolated from cryopreserved dental follicle fragments. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of dental follicle cells isolated from cryopreserved fragments (DFCs-CF) with dental follicle cells recovered from cryopreserved cells (DFCs-CC). Dental follicle fragments obtained after mechanical disaggregation were divided into two parts, with one part maintained in culture, while another part underwent cryopreservation. Dental follicle fragments and dental follicle cells from fresh tissue were stored in liquid nitrogen for 3 months. After thawing, the isolation, morphology, proliferation, cell cycle, colony-forming-unit ability, stemness-related marker expression, apoptosis, and multi-lineage differentiation potential of DFCs-CF were tested compared with DFCs-CC. DFCs-CF expressed mesenchymal stem cells marker, proliferated well, showed similar levels of mRNA for stemness- and apoptosis-related genes and exhibited the capacity of multi-lineage differentiation similar to those of DFCs-CC. These results imply that cryopreservation of dental follicle fragments is an effective banking method for isolation of dental follicle cells.     

牙菌斑链球菌与牙龈卟啉单胞菌相互作用的研究

牙菌斑生物膜是牙周病最主要的致病因素。早期定植菌链球菌与晚期定植菌牙龈卟啉单胞菌(P.gingivalis)的相互作用复杂多样,而牙龈卟啉单胞菌是重要的牙周致病菌,本文就链球菌与牙龈卟啉单胞菌的相互作用作一综述。     

Application of dental stem cells in three-dimensional tissue regeneration

Dental stem cells can differentiate into different types of cells. Dental pulp stem cells, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament stem cells, stem cells from apical papilla, and dental follicle progenitor cells are five different types of dental stem cells that have been identified during different stages of tooth development. The availability of dental stem cells from discarded or removed teeth makes them promising candidates for tissue engineering. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds have been used to reconstruct and restore different anatomical defects. With rapid advances in 3D tissue engineering, dental stem cells have been used in the regeneration of 3D engineered tissue. This review presents an overview of different types of dental stem cells used in 3D tissue regeneration, which are currently the most common type of stem cells used to treat human tissue conditions.     

拔除阻生智齿患者牙科焦虑的调查及分析

目的：了解综合医院口腔科拔除阻生智齿患者牙科焦虑的患病情况并进行相关因素分析。方法：采用牙科焦虑一般因素调查表、改良牙科焦虑量表（MDAS）及状态焦虑量表（S-AI）对300例口腔颌面外科门诊的拔除阻生智齿患者进行调查及评定,同时对引起牙科焦虑的相关因素进行分析。结果：拔除阻生智齿患者牙科焦虑的发生率为56.00%,有6项因素对牙科焦虑症的患病率有影响,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,其中5项因素对MDAS得分影响较大。结论：牙科焦虑在拔除阻生智齿的患者中较普遍,有多种因素影响患者牙科焦虑的程度。     

Intraoral examination in rabbits

Dental examination should be included in all physical examinations of rabbits because they have continuously growing teeth and are predisposed to dental disease. This column describes the procedure and equipment used for oral examination in rabbits.     

Determination of small amounts of noradrenaline using a fluorescence histochemical method

Summary Using the Hayashi method, the distribution of glucosaminidase was studied throughout sequential molar development. Conspicuous activity was observed in certain cellular components of the stellate reticulum and dental papilla. The outer enamel epithelium, stratum intermedium and ameloblasts displayed less intense reactions.Supported by PHS Grant No. 2800-02 —Tooth Germ Development, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health.Lieutenant Commander, Dental Corps, United States Navy.     

Clonal dental pulp cells (RDP4-1, RPC-C2A) synthesize and secrete osteopontin (SPP1, 2ar).

Dental pulp cells play an important role in maintaining dental mineralized tissue throughout life. Supplementary mineralization such as reparative dentin and pulp stone frequently occurs after primary dentin formation. Dental pulp cells are thought to be closely associated with such mineralization. We found that clonal rat dental pulp cells, RDP4-1 and RPC-C2A, produce and secrete osteopontin, but do not synthesize phosphophoryn which is a major noncollagenous protein found in dentin. The dental pulp osteopontin was highly phosphorylated and identified by thrombin susceptibility and immunoprecipitation with osteopontin/2ar antibody. Osteopontin synthesis markedly increased by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as observed in many osteoblastic cells. This study indicates that these cells can produce osteopontin as a major phosphoprotein and suggests that the synthesis of osteopontin could be used as a characteristic marker of dental pulp cells.     

蜂胶对变形链球菌抑菌活性的研究进展

龋病是一种微生物感染性疾病,变形链球菌是引起其发生发展的主要致龋菌之一。近年来天然药物对龋病防治的研究已成为热点,而蜂胶是一种天然抗菌剂,国内外相关研究表明蜂胶对变形链球菌的生长、产酸、粘附、产胞外多糖及牙菌斑等方面有抑制的作用。本研究就蜂胶对变形链球菌的主要致龋毒力因子的作用研究作一综述。     

Secretor status and dental caries in Iceland

The proportion of non-secretors of ABH blood-group substances among Icelanders is one of the highest recorded for European countries. Dental caries prevalence is also very high. In this study of dental caries in young adults mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for secretors were 17.4 and for non-secretors 19.9 (P less than 0.05). A majority of patients seeking free dental treatment in the Dental School were non-secretors (62.7%) significantly more than the proportion of non-secretors in the general population (36%; P less than 0.01). It is postulated that blood group substances may interfere with the adherence of Streptococcus mutans to teeth.     

La denture et la région palatine des placodontia (Reptilia,Trias).Implications phylogénétiques

Dental and palatal anatomies of the valid taxa of the Placodontia (Reptilia, Triassic) are described. This analysis leads to a synthesis of the different dental and palatal structures, and to an evolutionary model of acquisition of the particular placodontian dentition, from a general reptilian one. A phylogeny and a classification of the Placodontia, mainly based on these dental and palatal characters, are deduced from it.     

Complete denture hygiene and nocturnal wearing habits among patients attending the Prosthodontic Department in a Dental University in Brazil

Gerodontology 2010; doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00369.x Complete denture hygiene and nocturnal wearing habits among patients attending the Prosthodontic Department in a Dental University in Brazil Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the overnight wearing and cleaning habits of complete denture wearers. Background: Successful complete denture treatment can be achieved when the patients are motivated and aware of appropriate denture wear and hygiene. Materials and methods: A sample of 224 complete denture wearers (162 women) aged 37–89 years was studied. Inclusion criteria comprised edentulous subjects who had received their new complete dentures between 2000 and 2005 in the Dental Clinic of the Araçatuba and Araraquara Dental School, São Paulo State University. Ethical approval was sought and granted. Subjects were interviewed using questions related to overnight denture wearing and denture cleaning habits. Possible statistical relationships among some of items were analysed by the chi‐square test at 5% significance level. Results: Of the patients, 55.8% removed their dentures during the overnight period and 88% did this every day. Among them, 66.4% removed both dentures. Most of the patients used brushing with toothpaste (105 patients – 46.87%) as a cleaning method. More than a half of the subjects (63.4%) showed biofilm and calculus on their dentures. Conclusion: The patients need instructions and motivation concerning denture hygienic and denture removal overnight.     

Secretor status and dental caries in Iceland

Abstract The proportion of non-secretors of ABH blood-group substances among Icelanders is one of the highest recorded for European countries. Dental caries prevalence is also very high. In this study of dental caries in young adults mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for secretors were 17.4 and for non-secretors 19.9 ( P < 0.05). A majority of patients seeking free dental treatment in the Dental School were non-secretors (62.7%) significantly more than the proportion of non-secretors in the general population (36%; P < 0.01). It is postulated that blood group substances may interfere with the adherence of Streptococcus mutants to teeth.     

Dental variation in the genus Pan

Dental measurements and 23 anatomical dental features are observed on 151 Pan troglodytes and 69 Pan paniscus of both sexes, preserved in the Museum of Tervuren (Belgium). Odontometric investigations confirm the reality of the two species in the genus Pan, but do not show any difference between subspecies in Pan troglodytes. Correspondence analysis demonstrates that the qualitative anatomical features are differently distributed in the two chimpanzee species.     

Weaker Dental Enamel Explains Dental Decay

Dental caries continues to be the most prevalent bacteria-mediated non-contagious disease of humankind. Dental professionals assert the disease can be explained by poor oral hygiene and a diet rich in sugars but this does not account for caries free individuals exposed to the same risk factors. In order to test the hypothesis that amount of amelogenin during enamel development can influence caries susceptibility, we generated multiple strains of mice with varying levels of available amelogenin during dental development. Mechanical tests showed that dental enamel developed with less amelogenin is “weaker” while the dental enamel of animals over-expressing amelogenin appears to be more resistant to acid dissolution.     

A nonracial craniofacial perspective on human variation: A(ustralia) to Z(uni)

Dental and craniofacial measurements were collected for 57 samples from Asia, the Pacific, the aboriginal western hemisphere, and Europe. The craniofacial dimensions include many that are not obviously under the control of specific selective forces. Similar configurations for these in different samples should yield indications of recency of common ancestry according to the logic expressed by Darwin and evident in the relationships indicated by nuclear DNA comparisons. Dental dimensions, however, vary according to the length of time that different intensities in selective forces have been in operation. The craniofacial measurements were transformed into C scores and used to generate Euclidean distance dendrograms. When all the material was used to generate a single dendrogram, the European and Amerindian samples sorted into two regionally identifiable clusters, and the Asian and Pacific material sorted into the three clusters identified in separate previous studies: a Mainland Asian cluster, a Jomon-Pacific cluster and an Australo-Melanesian cluster. Since these clusters are based on variation in traits that are basically nonadaptive in nature, no hierarchical ranking is possible. The clusters simply reflect degree of relationship. This technique holds forth the promise of producing a nonracial assessment of the relationships of all the peoples of the world, past and present.