1,720,967 research outputs found
Oral health conditions in Italian Special Olympics athletes
No full textDuring three Italian Special Olympics National Games, 365 athletes were screened. Dental and medical conditions and demographic data were recorded. The athletes were divided into two groups: those with Down syndrome (DS) and those without DS but who had intellectual disabilities (non-DS). Most of the subjects were in good systemic health. Total DMFt was 10.3 (SD 5.8; D = 1.3; M = 6.1; F = 2.8). Decayed and filled teeth were significantly more frequent in athletes who did not have DS compared to those with DS. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the number of subjects with filled, sealed, or traumatized teeth. Athletes with DS and without DS who participated in the Italian Special Olympics had a similar oral status, which was better than Italian persons who were institutionalized and who had an intellectual disability
Three-dimensional analysis of hard palate in Down syndrome subjects
No full textAim: Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal aberration in man, with a prevalence of about 40,000 affected people in Italy, resulting from complete or partial trisomy of chromosome 21. Several peculiar maxillofacial features have been described in DS subjects, but quantitative assessments of hard tissue palatal features in subjects are still scanty (1) and no data concerning Italian DS people do exist. The purpose of the study was to collect data on palatal size and shape in DS subjects focusing on the major determinants of the hard palate modifications, whether only the Down syndrome or some other variables. Both the dental formula and the ethnicity were thus considered.
Materials and Methods: Hard tissue palatal shape and dimensions in 41 Italian DS subjects (29 men, 12 women) were analyzed and compared to normal reference data (15 men, 13 women). Palatal landmarks were digitized with a 3D computerised electromagnetic instrument and their coordinates were used to construct a mathematical equation of palatal shape, independent of dimensions (2, 3). Palatal length, slope, width, maximum palatal height in both sagittal and frontal plane were measured and two percentage ratios (maximum height to width and width to length) were obtained.
Results: All average dimensions were reduced in DS subjects without any significant sex difference except for palatal height in the sagittal plane (larger in males). The height to width ratio increased in Down syndrome individuals, while width to length ratio was similar. In the sagittal plane the curves of DS and normal subjects within each sex were nearly superimposable; in the frontal plane Down individuals showed a higher palate than healthy subjects, particularly females. To assess the influence of posterior teeth on palatal morphology, DS males were then divided in two groups (eight totally edentulous and 21 partially dentate) and compared to normal subjects by analysis of variance. Global F values were significant for all variables. Partial comparisons showed significant smaller measures in edentulous versus dentate DS males (not width) and versus normal subjects (not slope). All parameters but slope and height in the frontal plane were larger in reference than in partially dentate DS males. Shape modifications were larger in edentulous subjects with a flattening of palatal curves; all ratios were significantly reduced.
Conclusions: Trisomy of chromosome 21 seems to alter the normal palatal size and shape in Italian subjects, although further analyses may involve a larger group. Quantitative data on palatal features could be useful for clinicians when planning dental rehabilitation of DS patients, providing a reference to construct suitable prosthetic devices with improved oral health and dental care
Electromyographic analysis of masticatory and neck muscles in subjects with natural dentition, teeth-supported and implant-supported prostheses
No full textOBJECTIVES: To compare the electromyographic (EMG) characteristics of masticatory and neck muscles in patients with natural dentition, teeth-supported prostheses and implant-supported prostheses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five subjects aged 40-80 years were examined. Five patients had maxillary and mandibular implant-supported fixed prostheses; five patients had mandibular implant-supported fixed prosthesis and maxillary removable complete denture; seven patients had implant-supported fixed prosthesis (one arch) and natural dentition or full-arch tooth-fixed prosthesis (one arch); and eight control subjects had natural dentition or single tooth-fixed prostheses. Surface EMG of masseter, temporal and sternocleidomastoid muscles was performed during maximum teeth clenching and unilateral gum chewing. Interarch dental contacts were assessed with shim stocks. RESULTS: All groups had similar interarch dental contacts (P>0.05). During clenching, patients with maxillary and mandibular implant-supported fixed prostheses had unbalanced standardized masseter and temporalis anterior activities (74%), with significantly larger values found in the other patients and control subjects (all mean values larger than 86%, P=0.017). All patients chewed with significantly larger muscular potentials than control subjects (on average, 1434-2100 microV s vs. 980 microV s, P=0.04), and had altered muscular patterns (left side, P=0.021). The patients with one arch with natural dentition/tooth fixed prostheses had chewing muscular patterns similar to the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Clenching with the analyzed prostheses was performed with a relative increment of temporalis activity. Neuromuscular coordination during chewing was larger in patients who maintained their teeth or dental roots, independently from the number of dental contacts
Postural stability of athletes in Special Olympics
No full textTo assess body equilibrium in athletes with intellectual disability, 60 adults with intellectual disability (30 Down syndrome, 30 nonsyndromic) participating in the 2005 Italian Special Olympics games were tested, and data for 30 healthy control adults were tested. Each subject performed four posturographic tests with open eyes, open eyes and cotton rolls between antagonist teeth, and closed eyes and cotton rolls between teeth. For each subject and test, oscillations of the body's center of foot
pressure on a force platform were measured. Comparisons of the center of foot pressure
sway area between groups were computed. Ratios of the sway area for the center
of foot pressure among experimental conditions were compared for all athletes. The athletes with Down syndrome had larger sway of center of foot pressure area than
controls and smaller than that of athletes for the nonsyndromic. All participants oscillated less with open eyes than with closed eyes. The cotton rolls reduced the sway area for the center of foot pressure by participants, while athletes with intellectual disability showed larger body sway than healthy ones, but cotton rolls between the teeth seemed to improve their postural performance
Influenza dei rialzi di masticazione nel mantenimento dell’equilibrio posturale
No full textInfluence of occlusal interferences in keeping postural sway
To assess possible relationships between postural sway and occlusal interferences,
eight young healthy men were analyzed. For each subject, single 1 mm thick occlusal
interferences were prepared for teeth 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7. Stabilometric
analysis were performed during: a) maximum voluntary teeth clenching in ICP; b)
teeth clenching on two cotton rolls; c) six trials, one for each occlusal interference. Trials
were performed either with open or closed eyes. For each trial, the variations of the
centre of foot pressure were measured. On average, with open eyes, body sway was
larger with the occlusal interferences than with the cotton rolls; in contrast, with closed
eyes, different individual patterns were observed. In all subjects, body sway was larger
with closed than with open eyes (p = 0.004, analysis of variance). In all trials, a large
individual variability was found, and the asymmetric occlusal interferences did not
modify body sway univocally (p > 0.05, analysis of variance), with individual patterns of
asymmetry. In conclusion, a relationship between occlusal interferences and body sway
may be present, but it is highly variable and individually determined
Repeatability of the stabilometric assessment of body sway
No full textIntroduction - Small amounts of sway can be seen during the standing position in human beings. This position involves both voluntary
movements and postural reflexes that compensate for minor oscillations of the body. The eyes, the vestibular receptors, and a combination of cutaneous and kinesthetic mechanoreceptors embedded in the skin surface, muscles, joints and tendons, provide the input to the central nervous system to determine such corrections. Some influence is also claimed to be provided by oral proprioceptors. Within clinical contexts, body sway is usually measured using stabilometry, and the modification of the position of the centre of foot pressure
(COP) on a force plate for a period of time is assessed (1, 2). The COP is the centre of gravity of the vertical forces that act on a support surface. Literature reports on the intra-day and day-to-day repeatability of COP variations are scanty.
Methods - Five men (age 22-29 y, standing height 172-188 cm, body weight 60-78 kg) and five women (age 22-44 y, standing height 160-
170 cm, body weight 53-60 kg), were assessed. Body sway was assessed either with open (EO, looking in a mirror) or closed eyes (EC), in the morning (9:00 AM) and afternoon (2:00 PM) of two week days. A computerized platform (Lizard, Lizarmed, Como, Italy) with two separate left- and right-side sensors was used. Data collection begun approximately 10 s after the correct vision (eyes open or closed) condition had been assumed by the subject, and lasted for 30 s for each test. The variations of COP were analyzed through bivariate analysis, and the area of the 90% standard ellipse was computed. The velocity of COP oscillation was also measured. Data collected in
the four repetitions were analyzed by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).
Results - When considering all four repetitions, COP velocity was more repeatable than the area of the 90% standard ellipse, and the closed eyes condition was more repeatable than the open eyes condition (ICC area EO 0.342, EC 0.443; velocity EO 0.417, EC 0.626). Intra-day repeatability appeared larger in the first day in most occasions (ICC area EO, day 1: 0.22, day 2: 0.471; EC, day 1: 0.579, day 2: 0.413; velocity EO, day 1: 0.627, day 2: 0.433; EC, day 1: 0.744, day 2: 0.66). Day-to-day repeatability appeared larger in the afternoon than in the morning (ICC area EO, AM: 0.005, PM: 0.431; EC, AM: 0.308, PM: 0.59; velocity EO, AM: 0.069, PM: 0.644; EC, AM: 0.546, PM: 0.573).
Conclusions - Overall, repeatability in the stabilometric assessment of body sway was limited, and further assessments are warranted within each clinical contest: a particular care should be given to the experimental conditions, and the timing of measurements. The better intra-day repeatability of COP velocity vs area is in accord with previous investigations (3)
3D hard tissue palatal size and shape in 6-year old subjects affected by hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
No full textIntroduction. Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (HED) is a rare inherited disorder that share primary defects in the development of two or more tissues derived from ectoderm. Individuals affected by HED present a classical triad of hypotricosis, hypohidrosis and hypodontia. Clinical management of oligodontia presents the prosthodontist with aesthetic and functional peculiar needs: loss of removable prosthesis retention, sore points and occlusal changes caused by erupting teeth or jaw growth should be carefully monitored by the dentist. Moreover, in the craniofacial complex structures derived from the meso-ectodermal layer of the neural crest are involved quite often, thus producing an abnormal morphology with maxillary and mandibular hypoplasia. To date, no quantitative analyses on palatal shape were performed in HED subjects. In the present study, the morphology and the dimensions of hard tissue palate of eight Italian HED six-years-old boys were analyzed. Reference quantitative data on palatal morphometry in subjects with HED could be useful for a better assessment of patients.
Methods. Four HED children were completely edentulous and four were partially dentate. Palatal landmarks were identified on stone casts and digitized with a three-dimensional computerized electromagnetic instrument. Palatal length, slope, width, maximum palatal height in both sagittal and frontal planes were measured. From the coordinates of palatal landmarks, a mathematical equation of palatal shape, independent of size was constructed. HED palatal data were compared with reference data obtained in 12 healthy boys with a complete deciduous dentition.
Results. Palatal length and height in both sagittal and frontal planes were significantly reduced in the HED than in control individuals (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p < 0.05). A less steep (not significant) palatal slope was found in HED than in reference subjects, while similar palatal width values were observed. All palatal measurements were larger in partially dentate than in edentulous patients (p*0.05). Both HED and edentulousness influenced palatal shape: HED boys had a relatively lower palate than the reference boys. In the edentulous HED boys the hard tissue palate was relatively lower than in partially dentate HED subjects.
Conclusions. Palatal size and shape were significantly modified by the presence of Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia and the major alterations were found in edentulous HED subjects. Further studies in larger samples are needed to determine mean dimensions and shape of the palate in older HED patients thus providing useful information to the clinicians during oral treatment planning
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