<p>Dental caries is a huge problem among the previously disadvantaged population. Early childhood caries is a problem with infants. This thesis contained information concerning the parents knowledge about their children's oral health and their own personal details. These children were all in the age group 2-5 years. The study findings suggest that parent and parents-to-be, need to be informed on oral health issues concerning their children. This should not solely be the task of dentists but other health care workers as well.</p>

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 232-247). Obtained information on dental caries and fluorosis among a representative sample of Vietnamese children. Also collected information on factors likely to influence caries experience and dental fluorosis and undertook statistical analyses to examine the relationship between fluoride in drinking water, dental caries and dental fluorosis

published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Paediatric Dentistry / Master / Master of Dental Surgery

published_or_final_version / Paediatric Dentistry / Master / Master of Dental Surgery

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluoride varnish in caries prevention and arrest on coronal and root surfaces of teeth over a 24-month period in Chinese Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) patients. Secondary objective was to investigate the effect of fluoride varnish on oral microorganism (Candida and lactobacilli). METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 85 SS patients participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either fluoride varnish or placebo gel quarterly. Dental examination, and assessment of the sicca symptoms, oral hygiene, salivary flow / pH / buffering capacity and oral microbiological profiles were carried out at the baseline, 12-month and 24-month visits. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients (92%) completed the 24-month trial. At the 24-month visit, no statistically significant differences (Mann-Whitney test, P > 0.05) were found between the fluoride and the placebo groups regarding their mean numbers of coronal surfaces with new enamel caries lesions (fluoride: 1.6; placebo: 1.6), arrested caries lesions (fluoride: 0.6; placebo: 0.7), and also root surface caries lesions (fluoride: 0.3; placebo: 0.1). SS patients who had received application of fluoride varnish were significantly less likely to develop dentin caries in coronal surfaces over the 24-month study period (P = 0.035). The mean numbers of coronal surfaces with new dentin caries lesions found at the 24-month visit in the fluoride and placebo groups were 1.4 and 2.7, respectively (Mann-Whitney test, P > 0.05). The caries prevented fraction of fluoride varnish for coronal dentin caries was 33.3%. No significant differences in the mean counts of Candida and lactobacilli between fluoride and placebo groups were detected (Mann-Whitney test, P > 0.05). Results of the logistic regression analysis showed that SS patients who had high baseline DMFS scores (P = 0.050), harbored more species of Candida in the dental plaque samples (P = 0.019), or had low pH of unstimulated whole saliva (P = 0.005) were significantly more likely to develop dentin caries in coronal surfaces over the 24-month study period. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoride varnish may be efficacious in preventing coronal dentin caries in Chinese patients with SS. However, it may not be efficacious in preventing root caries and has no effect on oral microorganism. / published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

<p>Dental caries is a huge problem among the previously disadvantaged population. Early childhood caries is a problem with infants. This thesis contained information concerning the parents knowledge about their children's oral health and their own personal details. These children were all in the age group 2-5 years. The study findings suggest that parent and parents-to-be, need to be informed on oral health issues concerning their children. This should not solely be the task of dentists but other health care workers as well.</p>

Bibliography: leaves 268-281. / xviii, 281 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Adelaide University, Dept. of Public Health, 2001

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:15:13Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 valera_fb_me_araca.pdf: 2089495 bytes, checksum: 043cb7c69bceb3b8f10ce7daee8b60a9 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, comparativamente, a efetividade e a reprodutibilidade dos métodos de inspeção visual (IV), radiografia interproximal (RXI) e fluorescência a laser (L), no diagnóstico de lesões cariosas oclusais, e nos planos de tratamento para estas superfícies. Utilizou-se 72 dentes humanos extraídos. Os exames de diagnóstico e as decisões de tratamento foram realizados por três examinadores devidamente calibrados, sendo os dentes examinados de forma aleatória. Nos exames de diagnóstico foram utilizados os três métodos de diagnóstico (IV, RXI e L) individualmente. Os planos de tratamento foram determinados baseados nos três métodos de diagnóstico (IV, RXI e L) e suas possíveis combinações. Após os exames, os dentes foram seccionados e avaliados imagenológicamente para a 83 determinação do padrão ouro. A inspeção visual e a fluorescência a laser foram os métodos que apresentaram os melhores resultados em relação aos diagnósticos realizados. No entanto, o exame radiográfico interproximal e a fluorescência a laser quando empregados individualmente apresentaram menor eficiência na determinação de planos de tratamento para superfícies oclusais, quando comparados aos outros tipos de exames. Apesar da alta reprodutibilidade da fluorescência a laser (KaVo DIAGNOdent) em relação aos outros métodos de diagnóstico, estes resultados devem ser interpretados de forma cautelosa quanto sua utilização no monitoramento de lesões cariosas. / The aim of this study was to evaluate, comparatively, the effectiveness and the reproducibility of the visual inspection (IV), interproximal radiograph (RXI) and laser fluorescence (L), in the diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions, and in the determination of the plans treatment for these surfaces. Seventy-two extract human teeth were utilized. Three calibrated examiners made the diagnostic exams and the treatment decisions. In the diagnostic exams were utilized three diagnostic methods (IV, RXI and L), individually. For the plan treatment determination were utilized the same three diagnostic methods and their possible combinations. To determinate the gold standard, the teeth were sectioned and evaluated imagenologicaly. The visual inspection and laser fluorescence were the methods that showed the best 86 diagnostic results. However, the interproximal radiograph and laser fluorescence methods showed low efficiency in the plan treatment determination, when utilized individually. In spit of the high laser fluorescence reproducibility, these results should be carefully interpret, when utilize this system (KaVo DIAGNOdent) for longitudinal monitoring of caries.