Australian Dental Journal

December 1999 - Volume 44 Number 4

REVIEWS

A clinical review of drug-induced gingival overgrowths There is an increasing number of medications associated with gingival overgrowth. These medications are used to treat a number of common conditions in the Australian population and as such dentists can expect to manage a number of patients with medication-related gingival overgrowth. This review highlights the clinical features and management of the common overgrowths associated with anticonvulsants, immunosuppressants and the calcium channel blockers.	RI Marshall PM Bartold
Prophylactic removal of asymptomatic third molars: A review Mandibular and maxillary third molars are mostly consigned to ‘waste bins’ in dental practices because they are terminal in deveIopmental timing and positioning in the dental arches, and regarded as functionally non-essential. Thus, many dental practitioners do not attach significance to the presence of third molars when making therapeutic recommendations to patients about preservation of the dentition. The need for taking more a serious account of third molars is reviewed in this paper.	K Godfrey
Australian dental schools: Moving towards the 21st century In Australia nearly all tertiary education is funded through the Federal Government. With reductions in government spending tertiary education has had to accommodate its share of the cuts. Under such a climate dental schools in Australia face serious financial difficulties, in addition to many other diverse threats, as they head towards the 21st century. Most seriously, and almost uniformly felt, is the diminution of Federal Government funding to a point where the operation of some dental schools remains viable only by way of supplementary funding (direct or in-kind) from State Governments. In this report the authors have developed one possible model of academic, clinical and financial structures of a dental school, based on sound educational and economic grounds, that can overcome some of the short-comings of the paradigm that exists in some schools in Australia.	M Tennant JK McGeachie

SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Hyperbaric oxygen in the prevention of osteoradionecrosis of the jaws Patients who have had their jaws irradiated as part of management of head and neck malignancy are at risk of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) following tooth extraction. Thirty-seven patients with a history of irradiation to the jaws were managed during a four year period. Twenty-nine patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) consisting of 20 treatments before surgery and ten treatments after. Only one (4 per cent) developed ORN. Seven patients who did not have HBO and one who did (15 per cent) developed ORN. The need for prophylactic treatment with HBO is discussed. It is recommended that prophylactic HBO is used prior to surgery for irradiated facial bones.	S Vudiniabola C Pirone J Williamson AN Goss
Cytotoxicity of polymerized commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive on cultured human oral fibroblasts Cyanoacrylate (CA) has been used as both a commercial and tissue adhesive. Dentists may have had the experience of patients repairing their own acrylic-based dentures using a cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive known as ‘super glue’. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of commercial CA adhesives when fully polymerized, as well as the toxicity of substances released from polymerized commercial CA adhesives after incubation of these materials for various periods of time.	V Thumwanit U Kedjarune
Public knowledge of the prevention of dental decay and gum diseases In 1992, a mail survey was conducted among South Australians aged 10 years and older to assess the knowledge of prevention of dental caries and gum diseases and to explore its variation by sociodemographic factors. The survey provided 838 completed questionnaires. Questions were asked on perceptions of importance of a number of preventive measures, the main purpose of water fluoridation and sources of information.	KF Roberts-Thomson AJ Spencer
Child abuse and dentistry: A study of knowledge and attitudes among dentists in Victoria, Australia Child abuse is a disturbingly common finding in society today. In view of the high proportion of orofacial injuries seen in victims of child abuse, dentists are in a strategic position to recognize and report suspected cases. The present study of 347 dentists in Victoria, Australia, assessed the level of knowledge and attitudes among dental professionals on the important issue of child abuse.	V John L Brearley Messer R Arora S Fung E Hatzis T Nguyen A San K Thomas

CLINICAL REPORT

The use of glass ionomer in special needs patients Placement of restorations for patients who are physically or intellectually disabled or mentally ill can pose considerable difficulties for the general practitioner. Access to the oral environment is often limited and patient tolerance and concentration may be reduced to rather brief periods of time. Oral hygiene routines may be less than ideal leading to a high caries rate. Enamel surfaces which do not normally become carious can develop broad but shallow lesions with a poorly defined outline.

MEI Gryst GJ Mount

CASE REPORTS

A programme for the treatment of severe dental fear. Report of three cases This paper describes the use of a sequence of recollection and discussion, training in muscle tone control, dental imagery, audio simulation and graded re-exposure to dental procedures to eliminate a severe fear of dental treatment in three adult female patients. All three patients had abstained from regular dental visits throughout their lives and all were in need of urgent dental treatment when the therapy began. One of the patients also identified in herself other maladaptive behaviour and reported a history of mood disorder as well.

JS Smyth

Bilateral congenitally missing maxillary canines. A case report Exclusive aplasia of maxillary permanent canines is extremely rare. There are only a few cases of this condition reported in the literature. This paper reports a case of bilateral congenitally missing canines in a healthy 11 year old male of Chinese origin. The article discusses problems in diagnosis and presents options in the management of such a case.

P Leong H Calache