INTRODUCTION Traditionally, patients with physical and/or intellectual disabilities presented greater oral pathology, owing to their condition and to other external factors. Improved social and health conditions make it necessary to update knowledge on their oral and dental health. MATERIAL AND METHODS For this purpose, a bibliographic review was done regarding the state of oral health of chi...

AIM The present study was designed to investigate oral hygiene habits and fluoride use in cystic fibrosis (CF) homozygotes, heterozygotes and healthy controls as a function of caries experience (DMF-T) and oral cleanliness (dental plaque, dental calculus and gingival bleeding). METHODS Oral hygiene habits in CF homozygotes (n=42), heterozygotes (n=48) and healthy controls (n=62) were used in ...

While health care professionals have a responsibility to prevent and control the use of tobacco for improved health outcomes, it appears that some dental hygiene students continue to smoke. A survey of Australian dental hygiene students found that up to 16.3% smoke, although this prevalence rate decreased with each year of study. As future role models, it is essential that smoking cessation cou...

Good oral hygiene has always been the cornerstone of public and private dental health promotion. However, this has often been based upon incorrect assumptions. The public is not always willing and does not always need to change its oral health behavior to the same extent as that expected by the dental profession. The present commentary emphasizes the need to modify oral hygiene instruction acco...

Allied dental healthcare providers have been an integral part of the dental team since the turn of the 19th century. Like dental education, allied dental education's history includes a transition from apprenticeships and proprietary school settings to dental schools and community and technical colleges. There are currently 258 dental assisting programs, 255 dental hygiene programs, and 28 denta...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitude and practice behaviors of dental hygienists' providing oral health care to pregnant women. METHODS Data was collected from an anonymous electronic survey administered to all Michigan Dental Hygiene Association (MDHA) members (n=1,047). The survey asked questions which assessed dental hygienists knowledge, behaviors and a...

Children with special health care needs receive less oral care than the normal population, inspite of the high level of dental diseases among them. They are at an increased risk for oral diseases throughout their lifetime. This paper reports a case of a toddler with congenital unusual thick convolutions of the cortex resulting in a condition called pachygyria. Intra oral examination showed mult...

PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to discuss the impact of the training program for predoctoral dental and hygiene students at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD) with regard to issues related to treating patients with a high risk of having HIV/AIDS. METHODS LLUSD offers a training program for fourth-year dental hygiene and predoctoral dental students that addresses the ora...

Maintenance of adequate and effective oral hygiene is crucial for the long-term success of any dental therapy. This article discusses a case that failed due to the poor oral hygiene of the patient. Fabrication of uncomplicated restorations, patient education, motivation, maintenance and recall are important factors to be considered when treatment planning patients with poor oral hygiene.