Le Journal dentaire du Quebec最新文献

During the last few years, we have had to face the sad reality and statistics related to hepatitis B and AIDS. These two infectious entities are in fact the major cause of concern for dentists in their capacity as health professionals. This article reviews certain legislative points of view which should help every dentist in their decision as to whether to treat these so-called "infectious" or "contagious" patients.

More than two million individuals die each year as a result of infection from the hepatitis B virus, either directly from fulgurant hepatitis, or in the majority of cases, from the long term after-effects. The high risk groups, the reasons for cross contamination, the various ways of transmitting the disease, the rate which individuals are being vaccinated against hepatitis B, the vaccines and the recommendations for controlling transmission are some of the subjects related to in the article. The dentist and the dental team must function with a viable asepsis protocol.

The control of the transmission of infection has always been a preoccupation of members of the dental team. However, the sudden appearance of new infectious diseases has made everyone more conscientious and has resulted in the development of new methods of control. This article details such a method, namely, the I.M.S. system. It consists of a series of simple operations which allows for the cleaning, rinsing, drying, packaging, sterilization and storage of small instruments and all of this without manipulation once the process is undertaken.

While recognizing the fact that the use of strict hygienic techniques, disposable materials and quality control are essential for sterilizing instruments, vaccination still remains the most efficient way to combat infection. In this article, the authors discuss the principle problems associated with the use of vaccines and especially as they relate to the dental office. Hepatitis B is certainly of interest to all dentists and their personnel, especially since its primary mode of transmission is by contact of blood with the skin and the mucosa. The two forms of vaccines presently available, are derived from the human plasma of carriers or from yeast and cause a genetic reaction which produces hepatitis B virus antigens. These vaccines protect at least over 90% of all healthy individuals and do not generate any secondary infection or unfavorable reactions. Faced with the reality of hepatitis B, it is very wise to remember that it is BETTER TO BE VACCINATED THAN TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE EFFECTS OF HEPATITIS.

The odontogenic keratocyst is an intra-osseous cystic lesion which generally affects the posterior part of the mandible and is characterized by the presence of a keratinized epithelium. Being asymptomatic, it is usually detected through a routine radiographic exam and it is considered to be an important lesion because of its agressiveness and its high recurrence rate. Surgery is the recommended treatment and the mode of management should take into account the agressiveness of the lesion while trying to preserve maximal anatomical and functional integrity for the patient. This paper reviews the recent literature on odontogenic keratocysts and reports our experience with three cases successfully managed in three different ways: marsupialization, decompression followed by enucleation with primary closure and finally by enucleation with packing for secondary intention healing.

The qualitative and quantitative character of the marginal gingiva is not the only cause of root exposure, as mechanical factors can favorize and/or aggravate gingival recession. Suggested therapy is dependent on patient motivation and the evolution of the lesions. Even though there are multiple possibilities for the treatment of gingival recession, one must remain prudent when restoring areas of root exposure, as no protocol exists today which can assure constant success.

This article reviews instructions for the use of a new enamel-dentin bonding agent, Scotchbond 2 from the 3M company. Precise recommendations relative to cervical lesions are presented and discussed.

This article reviews the data which was assimilated relative to the dental health status of first year students during the 1962-63 and 1963-64 school years. The majority of the students were in the 20-29 year old age group. 29.4% of these students were women. In the 20-29 year old age group: 8% were completely edentulous; and, on average, they were missing 6.3 teeth; they had 7.9 carious lesions requiring treatment; and they had 7.8 teeth which had been restored with fillings. Several statistics are similar to those found in the 1968 Simard-Lussier study and the 1970-72 Nutrition Canada study.

For periodontal treatment, the use and choice of antibiotics is a controversial matter. There are many medical reasons for prescribing antibiotics before, during and after periodontal treatment. The purpose of this paper is to review the indications and reasons for antibiotherapy in periodontics. Research is not very advanced in this domain and there is a need to understand the indications for antibiotherapy in periodontics.

A recent investigation of the various oral hygiene activities in 23 day-care centers located in the district administered by the Verdun Community Health Department has highlighted the need for a standardized hygienic method of storing toothbrushes. The study proposed to identify the main criteria related to hygiene that must be observed in order to prevent the transmission of contagious diseases within a day-care center, through the use of toothbrushes or toothbrush holders. Furthermore, the toothbrush holder has to meet four requirements: (1) be inexpensive; (2) be easy to build or manufacture; (3) allow the storage of 15 toothbrushes at the same time; (4) permit easy identification of the toothbrush by the child or teacher. A review of the literature, together with an assessment of toothbrush holders presently used by day-care centers in the district administered by the Verdun Community Health Department, showed that there were none which completely satisfied the required criteria. Under these circumstances, the authors of the study propose a detailed plan for the construction of a toothbrush holder that will satisfy these requirements. The toothbrush holder can be used to promote dental health to the very young. A sponsor could present it as a gift to one or more day-care centers in order to demonstrate their interest in the prevention of dental disease among these children.