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Oral medicine sits at the interface of medicine and dentistry. Minimum intervention dentistry ( MID) borrows a medical model of disease control by oral health professionals. As an oral physician, the oral medicine specialist practices MID on a daily basis. With the advent of sophisticated early detection and diagnostic technology, and the growing understanding of oral diseases at the microscopic and molecular levels, all oral health practitioners can contribute to the practice of oral medicine from a MID perspective. MID in oral medicine allows the practice of comprehensive oral care where the patient is fully engaged in their own healthcare, with the use of advanced diagnostic technology, the application of medicines and therapeutics depending on disease processes, important risk assessment of both the oral disease and the affected patient with identification of those at high risk, monitoring of compliance, and patient recall. In this article we highlight minimum intervention in oral medicine by exploring oral cancer as the most significant disease we encounter and are involved with. Advances in patient care, particularly in relation to minimum intervention, are underpinned by high calibre cutting edge translational research. It is this research that allows us to positively transform our patients' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have documented that ginseng has antidiabetic and antiobesity effects, but the mechanism of the effects has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG, Panax ginseng) and investigate the mechanism of antidiabetic and antiobesity effects in obese insulin resistant animal models. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups: a control group (group I) fed a normal diet, another group (group II) fed only high fat diet (HFD) and a third group (group III) fed HFD with KRG (200 mg/kg, oral) for 18 weeks. The body weight, food intake, adipose tissues, liver, kidney, pancreas, adiponectin, and leptin were measured. Blood glucose, insulin tolerance test, and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test were investigated. A significant weight reduction, especially fat mass reduction, was observed in the KRG treated group. Increased insulin sensitivity was found in the KRG treated group. We observed increased insulin signalling, increased phosphorylation of IR, IRS-1, Akt, and membranous GLUT4 in muscle by Western blotting assay. In conclusion, KRG may have antidiabetic and antiobesity effects due to partly increased insulin sensitivity by increased adipokine and partly enhanced insulin signalling. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of a partially hydrolysed formula on genetically predisposed children, with respect to the development of atopic clinical manifestations and in vitro testing of serum IgE levels (total and milk-specific).Methods: One hundred and ten infants were randomly assigned to receive either partially hydrolysed formula or standard infant formula, and were prospectively monitored from birth for clinical atopic symptoms and serum IgE levels.Results: Eczema occurred less frequently in infants receiving partially hydrolysed formula. This was significant (P < 0.05) at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months. However, the significance decreased with time, although it almost reached statistical significance at 30 months by the Kaplan-Meier survival function (log-rank statistic, 3.46; P = 0.063). Although wheezing occurred less frequently in infants receiving partially hydrolysed formula, compared to those receiving standard infant formula, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05).Conclusions: Exclusive feeding of hypoallergenic milk formula in the first 4 months of life has a protective effect in terms of the development of atopic dermatitis in the first 2 years of life, compared to feeding with cow's milk formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Air‐pollution levels have been shown to be associated with increased morbidity of respiratory diseases. Methods: Data for ambient air‐pollutant levels, meteorologic factors, and hospitalization or emergency room (ER) visits for acute asthma in Singapore children over a 5‐year period (1990–4) were obtained and analyzed for associations by time‐series methods. Results: Throughout this period, the annual mean and 24‐h mean levels for sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and total suspended particles (TSP) and maximum 1‐h daily average for ozone were generally within the air‐quality guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, positive correlation between levels of each of these pollutants and daily ER visits for asthma was observed in children aged 3–12 years, but not among adolescents and young adults (13–21 years old). The association with SO2 and TSP persisted after standardization for meteorologic and temporal variables. An adjusted increase in 2.9 ER visits for every 20 μg/m3 increase in atmospheric SO2 levels, lagged by 1 day, was observed on days when levels were above 68 μg/m3. With TSP, an adjusted increase of 5.80 ER visits for every 20 μg/m3 increase in its daily atmospheric levels, lagged by 1 day, was observed on days with levels above 73 μg/m3. Similar results were also obtained after controlling for autocorrelation by time‐series analysis. Conclusions: These associations were observed even though the overall levels of all pollutants were generally within the air‐quality guidelines established by the WHO. These findings suggest that asthmatic children are susceptible to increased levels of air pollutants, particularly SO2 and TSP, although the ambient levels are generally within “acceptable”... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A 6-year (1990-95) hospital-based retrospective study was carried out to investigate the pattern of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease.Methodology: Cases with Hib isolated from sterile sites (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or joint aspirate) were identified from the hospital's microbiological records, and their reviewed case records. Patients with pyogenic meningitis in the same study period were also identified to estimate the incidence of Hib meningitis.Results: Twelve patients had positive cultures from sterile sites, of whom nine children were less than 5 years of age. These included seven cases of meningitis, one patient with acute epiglottitis, and one case of pneumonia. Three of the seven patients with meningitis had significant long-term sequelae. Our data also suggests a relatively low proportion of ethnic Chinese children with invasive disease. It was estimated that 18.4% to 41.1% of pyogenic meningitis in children admitted to the National University Hospital were due to Hib. The estimated annual attack rate of invasive Hib disease was at most 3.3 per 100 000 children aged less than 5 years (95% confidence interval: 2.6-3.5/100 000).Conclusion: : Invasive Hib infections are relatively uncommon in our community. This justifies the need for a cost effectiveness study before a universal Hib vaccination program is implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the pattern of food-induced anaphylaxis among children in Singapore. Estimates on the prevalence of food allergy; Diagnostic codes of food-induced anaphylaxis; Importance of cultural pattern on the disease pattern.

Discusses a study which examined the association of the R576 allele of the alpha subunit of interleukin-4 receptor with atopy. Subjects and methods; Information on an allele-specific-polymerase chain reaction; Comparison of the allele frequency for R576 in Chinese and Caucasian populations.

Evaluates the asthma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) variants in Malays and Chinese. Association of specific haplotypes of TNF allelic variant with asthma; Identification and comparison of at risk alleles; Evaluation on the association between TNF haplotypes or alleles with asthma in the two racial groups.