Einar Berg

Attentional and physiological characteristics of patients with dental anxiety

Twenty patients with dental anxiety were investigated while seated in a dental chair in a dental clinic. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance level (SCL) were recorded while the patients were exposed to scenes of dental treatment as well as a Stroop attentional task. Results showed an attentional bias with longer manual reaction times (RTs) to the incongruent compared to the congruent color words as well as the threat compared to the neutral words. Longer RTs to the incongruent and the threat words were found in the low HRV patients compared to the high HRV patients. Furthermore, all patients showed an increase in HR during exposure and the Stroop task compared to baseline. The HRV showed a decrease during the exposure and the Stroop task compared to baseline. HR and HRV did not differ between exposure and the Stroop task. Moreover, HR and HRV did not return to baseline levels during the recovery period. The SCL showed an increase from baseline to exposure, from exposure to the Stroop task and a decrease in the recovery phase. Results showed the importance of vagal cardiac control in attentional, emotional, and physiological processes in patients suffering from dental fear.

The influence of some anamnestic, demographic, and clinical variables on patient acceptance of new complete dentures.

Information obtained by the dentist during a conventional anamnesis and clinical investigation has been claimed to be important in predicting how new complete dentures will be accepted by the patient. The main purpose of the present paper was to test this hypothesis. Seventy-four experienced denture wearers with an average age of 66 years were included in the study. These patients were interviewed concerning their dental history and satisfaction with old and new complete dentures. In the clinical examination, anatomical and physiological conditions of the oral cavity, the quality of the old dentures, and the general health of the patients were assessed. Sixty-six per cent of the patients were dissatisfied with their old dentures. With regard to the new dentures, 15% of the patients were dissatisfied. The major prosthodontic problems during the period of adaptation were pain related to the mandibular dentures and difficulties with speech. Correlations between patient acceptance of new dentures and the anamnestic, demographic, and clinical variables were either statistically or practically/clinically insignificant and therefore poor predictors of how new dentures would be accepted by the patients.

Mechanical properties of laser-welded cast and wrought titanium

This study evaluated the mechanical properties of laser-welded cast and wrought titanium base and compared them with those of a brazed type IV casting gold alloy. Ultimate tensile strength, 0.2% yield strength, and percent elongation were recorded for joined and unjoined bars of the previously mentioned materials. Sections of titanium bars were laser-welded, and gold alloy bars were brazed. Both joining methods significantly reduced the ductility of the material. The strength of the cast gold alloy was superior to that of titanium. However, the strength of the laser-welded titanium equaled that of the brazed gold alloy, which suggests that dental restorations made of cast and wrought titanium would satisfy ordinary clinical requirements.

The ability of Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale and Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory to distinguish between fearful and regular Norwegian dental patients

The purpose of this study was to test the ability of Corahs Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and Spielbergers State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) to distinguish between fearful (n = 145) and regularly attending (n = 156) Norwegian dental patients. The reliability of both instruments was high (Cronbachs alpha indices > 0.95). With DAS, 90% of the fearful patients and 85% of the reference patients were correctly assigned to their appropriate group. Thus it may be concluded that, when used on a Norwegian population, DAS is a valid instrument for distinguishing fearful patients from those regularly attending dental treatment. The corresponding figures for STAI-S were 80% for the fearful patients and 79% for the reference patients. Although not developed specifically for this purpose, this instrument may therefore still validly be used to distinguish between the groups. The correlation between the instruments was 0.76, indicating that to some extent they measure the same phenomenon.

Leaching of organic additives from dentures in vivo

Samples of saliva were collected from subjects with dentures. These samples were collected both before the dentures were replaced and 1 week after the subjects had received their new dentures. Dibutylphthalate and phenyl benzoate were detected in the saliva samples with a gas-chromatography and a gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry technique. We also quantified the dibutylphthalate in the saliva. In addition, in an in vitro study, we identified biphenyl leached from heat-cured denture base polymer plates. Our study suggests that subjects with dentures have higher contents of the above organic substances in saliva than subjects without dentures and that organic additives leach from new heat-cured dentures.

A 2-year follow-up study of patient satisfaction with new complete dentures.

Abstract The aim of this investigation was to study changes in patient satisfaction with complete dentures during the first 2 years of the postinsertion period. The 38 patients taking part in the experiment were asked to express their opinions concerning their new dentures at the time of insertion, and then after 1 and 2 years. One-way analyses of variance by ranks of the results showed that a significant deterioration in satisfaction occurred during the experimental period in respect of both the dentures in general as well as most of the variables related to the mandibular denture. These changes were all recorded after 1 year. After 2 years no further, or only minor, deterioration in patient satisfaction occurred. No significant change was found for the variables related to the maxillary denture.

HARDNESS, STRENGTH, AND DUCTILITY OF PREFABRICATED TITANIUM RODS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPARK EROSION CROWNS

Depending on the size of the prepared tooth spark eroded and milled, Procera crowns (Nobelpharma AB, Göteborg, Sweden) are manufactured from one of five diameters of pure titanium rods. In this study microindentation hardness tests were performed on the outer 400 microns and center of 10 samples for each type of rod. Five tensile samples were also machined for each of the diameters and tested in tension in a universal testing machine. Cast titanium samples were similarly prepared and tested. Some significant differences in hardness and considerable differences in strength and ductility were identified between the prefabricated rods. In comparison, cast titanium was significantly harder and stronger but less ductile.

Patient motives and fulfillment of motives in renewal of complete dentures.

Seventy-four edentulous patients were interviewed concerning their opinion of their old dentures, motives for renewing them, and requirements for new ones. After an initial period of adaptation they were asked questions relating to their experience with the new dentures. More than 80% of the patients claimed to have functional motives for renewing their old dentures. A similar proportion had functional requirements with regard to the new ones. Less than 30% claimed to have any esthetic motives. Examination of the data, however, suggests that the esthetic factor may be underrecorded. The patient motives, as recorded, were only weakly correlated to the overall acceptance of new dentures. More than 90% found their new dentures as expected or better than expected.

Some attitudes towards edentulousness, complete dentures, and cooperation with the dentist; A study of denture patients attending a dental school

Our purpose was to study some patient attitudes related to edentulousness and aspects of the personal relationship between patient and dentist. Seventy-four edentulous patients at a dental school, all experienced denture wearers, were interviewed before the insertion of new complete dentures. Half of them felt bitter and sad about the loss of their teeth. This attitude was found significantly more frequently in women than men. More than 3/4 were quite willing to talk to others about having dentures. Almost as many, however, refused to appear in front of others without their dentures. Nearly 70% seemed to have accepted their dentures as a part of themselves. More than 80% of the patients expressed that satisfaction with new dentures may be influenced by the personal relationship between patient and dentist. A similar proportion expressed that satisfaction with dentures may be influenced by their own cooperation. There seemed to be less agreement about how they should cooperate and also what the responsibilities of the dentist were. None of these patient attitudes or opinions were significantly related to acceptance of new dentures.

The influence of cusped and cuspless teeth on patient satisfaction with complete dentures. A 2-year follow-up study

The aim of this investigation was to determine if patient’s satisfaction with complete dentures during the first 2 years of the postinsertion period is influenced by the use of cusped or cuspless posterior teeth. Thirty-eight experienced wearers of complete dentures were randomly divided into two groups which were supplied with new dentures with either 0” or 30” posterior teeth. The patients were asked to express their opinions concerning these dentures at the time of insertion and after 1 and 2 years post insertion. No statistically significant differences in patient satisfaction were identified between the two groups. However, at the time of insertion, the patients with 30” posterior teeth had a significantly greater tendency to use their dentures day and night than those patients with 0” posterior teeth. The results of this study indicate that the use of cusped or cuspless posteriors is of little importance with regard to patient satisfaction with dentures.