Thesis--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-96).

Abstract Dental caries is a common infectious disease affecting young children living in low-income families in the United States. Efficacious, safe, feasible and cost-effective caries prevention methods for these children are essential. Several studies have shown the efficacy of fluoride varnish and xylitol to improve the oral health of children. The efficiency of caries prevention programs including the use of fluoride varnish or xylitol chewing gum in early childhood has not been well documented in communities with private dental services. The purpose of this study was to determine the caries prevalence and distribution in the primary dentition, and to evaluate the effectiveness of two prevention programs, including applications of fluoride varnish and the use of xylitol chewing gum in randomized groups of preschool children attending Head Start school programs in Northern Florida. The caries preventive effect of fluoride varnish in the primary dentition was evaluated in a sample of 4–6 year-old Head Start schoolchildren in Alachua, Florida (n = 142). Caries progression after nine months was analyzed using dmf(s/t) and ds values. A modified caries scoring system, which differentiates between active and inactive carious lesions, was used to evaluate the effect of fluoride on early noncavitated enamel lesions. The effect of xylitol gum was evaluated by measuring the levels of salivary mutans streptococci before and after a three week chewing period in 3–5 year-old children attending the Head Start school in Starke, Florida (n = 61). This study is in line with earlier reports that caries prevalence is high in Head Start preschool children. This study showed that active noncavitated enamel lesions were common in the primary dentition and that applications of fluoride varnish may offer an effective means of arresting these early enamel lesions. Chewing the xylitol gum reduced the levels of salivary mutans streptococci, thereby possibly reducing the risk for dental caries in these children. While the detection and monitoring of early enamel lesions is critical in determining effectiveness of prevention therapy, this study suggests that fluoride varnish applications may offer an efficient, non-surgical treatment for decay in children. Also, the prevention program with xylitol may provide an additional method to be used in situations where other prevention methods are difficult to implement.

Study objectives were to determine the effectiveness, reproducibility, and repeatability of dental evaluation for estimating cattle age. Cattle (n = 400) aged 1.5 to 20 yr were evaluated by 3 technicians for estimated age via dentition. A subset (n = 383) was aged again 4 wk later by the same observers. Age estimations were most accurate in YOUNG (< 5 yr old) cattle with at least 95.7% rate of accuracy within 2 yr across all observers and observation events. For MIDDLE (6 to 10 yr old) and OLD (> 10 yr old) cattle, these accuracies were 81.5 and 62.1%, respectively. Reproducibility proved high, with all observers consistently assigning age estimates within 1 yr of one another for more than 9 out of 10 YOUNG animals; all observers agreed on at least every 8 out of 10 estimations for all age groups within 3 yr. Repeatability was less consistent.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This was a histologic study of continued apical development in the pulpless permanent teeth of dogs. The vital pulps were exposed to the oral fluids for one week. The root canals were filled with either calcium hydroxide and camphorated parachlorophenol (CMCP) or calcium hydroxide and distilled water. A vital dye, Procion red was injected to demonstrate the formation of calcified tissue. After four months, the animals were sacrificed. Decalcified semi-serial sections were studied. In 31 of 61 pulpless permanent teeth, with incompletely developed roots, continued apical development occurred. Apical calcified tissue resembling cementum was observed in 55 per cent of the specimens treated with calcium hydroxide and CMCP and in 42 per cent of those, with calcium hydroxide and distilled water. Complete closure of the apical foramen was observed in 29 and 11 per cent of the specimens respectively. Inflammation of the periapical tissues was present in 48 per cent of the calcium hydroxide and CMCP group and in 79 per cent of the other group. A significant association was found between the degree of inflammation and apical closure, (P<.001) for the calcium hydroxide-CMCP group, (P<.005) for the calcium hydroxide-distilled water group. The results suggest that calcium hydroxide and CMCP was superior to calcium hydroxide and distilled water and that the addition of CMCP to the paste reduced inflammation. Procion dye was shown to be an effective in vivo dental hard tissue marker.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The effect of untimely loss of deciduous molars on the eruption and development of succedaneous premolars was serially studied in eight children in the mixed dentition stage from 45 degree cephalometric films made at three and six month intervals. Each child had one mandibular deciduous molar removed for reasons other than periapical infection and a lingual arch space maintainer provided. The premolar beneath the extracted molar served as the study tooth; its antimere, as the control tooth. Eruptive movement was measured as the distance between the cusp-tip of a premolar on a superpositioned initial tracing and the corresponding cusp-tip on successive films. Antero-posterior movement of premolars was evaluated on a composite tracing along grid lines oriented to a common base line. Tooth formation was assessed by the increase in root length on successive films. Variation was found in the amounts of eruptive movement and root growth during a three month interval, for all premolars within the sample, within an individual and for a single tooth. In no case did a control tooth erupt more than a study tooth in a given interval. The initial effect of deciduous molar loss on eruptive movement in this study appeared to be accelerative. Tooth development was not found to be effected. While moderate correlation was found between eruptive movement and root growth for all premolars, one process did not appear to be solely dependent on the other. A posterior component of eruptive movement was occasionally demonstrated but was not related to the extraction. The clinical value of this study is limited due to its small sample and short duration. Longer and more comprehensive studies of this problem are recommended.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The programs developed in this study are examples of how a personal computer can aid the delivery of dental care. The versatility of the computer depends on the availability of a variety of programs specifically developed for dentistry, without which computers will have little impact on treatment. Moyers' analysis adapted for the Apple II and its research modification are computer programs developed specifically for dentistry. Accurately predicting the mesiodistal widths of the unerupted permanent canines and premolars in the mixed dentition can lead to orthodontic treatment that is optimally timed, with desirable facial and dental results. The stage of the mixed dentition constitutes the most intricate period in the development of the occlusion; any small anomaly occurring in this stage can pose complicated problems for the permanent dentition, requiring a more extensive and expensive mechanotherapy. Malocclusion is a developmental problem. Analysis of dental crowding and its relationship to tooth size and arch dimensions yielded the following results for the maxillary and mandibular arches: 1. Statistically different values for tooth size were noted between crowded and noncrowded groups, with crowded individuals having larger teeth. 2. Arch perimeter and arch depth were significantly smaller in crowded groups than noncrowded groups. 3. No significant differences were noted between crowded and noncrowded groups in arch width or symmetry. 4. Significant differences were demonstrated in the eccentricity value of an ellipse for crowded and noncrowded cases. This study suggests that dental crowding is associated with both small dental arches and large teeth. Therefore, greater consideration may be given to those treatment techniques which increase dental arch width, length, and perimeter. This is especially relevant in younger patients whose dentitions are in the deciduous and mixed stages of development. Further investigation into the relationship of dental crowding and arch shape with a larger sample might be productive. The eccentricity of a curve should be used to evaluate pre and post orthodontic treatment. Modifications to the basic computer program could include prediction values for Black Americans, cephalometric value interpretation, and the Bolton and Ponts analysis as a comprehensive diagnostic computer package.

The purpose of this study was to isolate a relatively pure population of granules from the DF and SR of 7 day old rats and characterize them biochemically. If this could be accomplished, the next step was to determine if the granule proteins may play a role in tooth eruption.

Thesis (doctoral)--Katholieke Universiteit te Nijmegen, 1988. / Text in Dutch with a summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1961.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1958.