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Most patients seek treatment by a periodontist because they are referred by a dentist, not because they are experiencing symptoms of serious gum disease. Researchers reviewed the medical charts of 191 patients who visited a periodontist. Thirty-one percent of patients told the doctor that they were told they had gum disease, and 22% reported seeking treatment to save their teeth. Only 20% of patients sought care because they had bleeding gums, and 15% reported tooth pain. Dentists and dental care professionals must be vigilant in informing patients when periodontal treatment is needed, as many will not independently detect symptoms.

Background: Intracellular signaling pathways mediate specific responses to growth factors. The manipulation of these pathways ultimately may be used to control the clinical outcomes of periodontal regenerative therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the p38 signal transduction pathway in the responses of periodontal cells to platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF).Methods: Primary cultures of human periodontal ligament cells (PDLs) and gingival fibroblasts (GFs) were used for all experiments. Cell numbers, 3H-thymidine incorporation, and Boyden chamber assays were used to characterize the effects of SB 203580 (SB), a specific inhibitor of the p38 signaling pathway, on cell proliferation and migration. An in vitro wound model also was used to assess the effects of SB. For the in vitro wound assay, triplicate wells were incubated for 1, 3, 5, and 7 days using 0.1% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 10% FBS +/- 10 microM SB, or 20 ng/ml PDGF +/- 10 microM SB. Digital histomorphometric analysis assessed cellular fill within the wound area.Results: SB specifically inhibited PDGF-induced migration in the Boyden chamber assays without affecting cell proliferation. The wound model data showed similar levels of wound fill for PDLs and GFs in 10% FBS. Relative to 10% FBS, PDLs stimulated with PDGF showed significantly (P < 0.01, analysis of variance) greater wound fill (74%) than GFs (12%). SB inhibited the PDGF-induced wound fill of PDLs and GFs by 64% and 57%, respectively. This inhibition was significant (P < 0.01, ANOVA) only for PDLs. The addition of SB to 10% FBS did not significantly affect the wound fill response of either cell type compared to 10% FBS alone.Conclusions: These results demonstrate that periodontal cells possess distinct responses to PDGF that may be altered at the signal transduction level. The manipulation of these responses through the use of inhibitors to specific signaling pathways may enhance our control of periodontal regeneration in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease (CAD) has been investigated in numerous studies with inconsistent results. Resolving these differences is complicated by the use of varying definitions of CAD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between angiographically-defined CAD and periodontal disease. Methods: Non-smoking, non-diabetic patients, over 40 years of age, with no history of a myocardial infarction in the previous 6 months and who had undergone cardiac catheterization within the previous 12 months were enrolled in this study. Subjects were classified as having CAD (CAD+) if they had 50% stenosis in at least one major epicardial artery and classified as CAD negative (CAD-) if they had <50% stenosis in all identified arteries. Periodontal disease severity was measured through bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession, number of missing teeth, and radiographic bone loss. Results: One hundred (53 = CAD+; 47 = CAD-) patients were examined. CAD+ patients were more likely to be male (CAD+ 83.0% male; CAD- 40.4% male; P= 0.001), and were older (CAD+ 65.3 years; CAD- 60.8 years; P= 0.0138). Although all patients reported they were currently non-smokers and had not smoked for at least 5 years, the fraction who were former smokers was greater for CAD+ patients (66% versus 24.4%; P = 0.0001) and mean pack/year history of smoking was higher for CAD+ patients (15.8 versus 4.5; P = 0.0003). Mean CAL (3.13 mm versus 2.78 mm; P 0.0227), number of sites with CAL > or = 6 mm (6.85 versus 3.32; P = 0.0242), radiographic bone loss (3.60 mm versus 3.18 mm; P = 0.0142) were greater for CAD+ patients than for CAD- patients. However, after adjustment for age and previous smoking history, factors common to both diseases, the associations of CAD and periodontal disease were reduced and were not statistically significant (odds ratio [OR]: mean CAL OR = 1.06; number of sites with CAL > or = 6 mm OR = 1.03; mean radiographic bone loss OR = 1.31; P > or = 0.2055). Conclusions: After accounting for factors common to both periodontal disease and CAD, there was no significant association between periodontal disease and chronic CAD as assessed angiographically. Further investigations into the relationship between periodontal disease and CAD should clearly separate chronic CAD and acute coronary events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study to determine whether poor glycemic control is a contraindication to implant therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: The study sample consisted of 117 edentulous patients, each of whom received two mandibular implants, for a total of 234 implants. Implant-retained mandibular overdentures were loaded after a four-month healing period and followed up for an additional one year. The authors assessed implant survival and stability (by means of resonance frequency analysis) relative to glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, with baseline levels up to 11.1 percent and levels as high as 13.3 percent over one year., Results: Implant survival rates for 110 of 117 patients who were followed up for one year after loading were 99.0 percent, 98.9 percent and 100 percent, respectively, for patients who did not have diabetes (n = 47), those with well-controlled diabetes (n = 44) and those with poorly controlled diabetes (n = 19). The authors considered the seven patients lost to follow-up as having had failed implants; consequently, their conservative estimates of survival rates in the three groups were 93.0 percent, 92.6 percent and 95.0 percent (P = .6510). Two implants failed at four weeks, one in the nondiabetes group and the other in the well-controlled diabetes group. Delays in implant stabilization were related directly to poor glycemic control., Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that elevated HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes were not associated with altered implant survival one year after loading. However, alterations in early bone healing and implant stability were associated with hyperglycemia.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing health problem worldwide. People with T2DM are at risk of experiencing periodontitis and likely require treatment. Using data from the national multicenter Diabetes and Periodontal Therapy Trial (DPTT), the authors assessed patient-based characteristics associated with the clinical response to nonsurgical therapy., Methods: The DPTT investigators randomly assigned adults with T2DM (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] ≥ 7 percent and < 9 percent) and moderate to advanced periodontitis to receive immediate or delayed therapy (scaling and root planing, oral hygiene instruction, chlorhexidine rinse). The investigators assessed probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and medical conditions at baseline, three months and six months. Six-month changes in mean PD, CAL and BOP defined the treatment response. Complete data were available for 473 of 514 DPTT participants. The authors used multiple regression models to evaluate participant-level factors associated with the response., Results: More severe baseline PD, CAL and BOP were associated with greater improvements in these same measurements (P < .0001). Hispanic participants experienced greater improvements in PD and CAL than did non-Hispanic participants (P < .0001). Obese participants (those with a body mass index > 30 kilograms per square meter) experienced greater reductions in PD and BOP than did participants who were not obese (P < .001). Age, sex, HbA1c values, diabetes duration, and smoking were not associated with change in any outcome (P > .1)., Conclusions: In patients with T2DM, baseline disease severity was associated with the clinical response to nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Body mass index and Hispanic ethnicity-but not glycemic control, diabetes duration or smoking-also may be useful in predicting clinical changes in this population.

Purpose: For dental implants to be successful, osseointegration must occur, but it is unknown how much time must pass for osseointegration to be established. Preclinical studies suggested that titanium implants with a sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) surface were more osteoconductive and allowed more rapid osseointegration than machined or turned implant surfaces. The hypothesis of this study was that implants with an SLA surface could be loaded in half the conventional healing time of machined-surface implants and that, after loading, the implants would be successful for 5 years., Materials and Methods: A prospective multicenter clinical study was conducted with 439 implants placed in native bone in 135 edentulous and partially edentulous patients. Abutments were attached to the implant with 35 Ncm of torque without countertorque after 6 weeks in type I to III bone and after 12 weeks in type IV bone. The patients were carefully evaluated for 5 years., Results: Most implants were placed in nonsmoking, nondiabetic patients with a mean age of 55 years (range, 21 to 82 years). Eighty percent of the implants were 10 or 12 mm long, 96% had a diameter of 4.1 mm, and 78% were placed in type II or III bone. Patients maintained good oral hygiene and were satisfied with the restorations. Four implants failed, and one implant was deemed unsuccessful between surgery and the 1-year postloading visit. No implants failed or were unsuccessful in subsequent years. The cumulative survival and success rates for 385 implants in 120 patients after 5 years were 99.1% and 98.8%, respectively., Conclusion: Implants with an SLA surface can be restored in 6 weeks for type I to III bone and 12 weeks for type IV bone. Furthermore, they can be maintained after loading for 5 years with very high success and survival rates.