Paweł Kalinowski

Relationship between dental age according to Demirjian and cervical vertebrae maturity in Polish children

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between Demirjians method and the improved cervical vertebrae maturation (CVM) method. The material consisted of the clinical files and panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographs of 718 children (431 girls and 287 boys) aged from 6 to 17 years, inhabitants of the Mazovia region (Central Poland). Dental age according to Demirjian was estimated using panoramic radiographs and the cervical stages (CS) of the CVM were evaluated on cephalometric radiographs. Descriptive statistics of the chronological and dental ages of the patients for a particular CS of skeletal maturity was calculated for girls and boys separately. Linear regression analysis and correlation (Pearsons r coefficient), as well as the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (R) were applied to measure the association between CS and dental calcification stages of all analysed teeth. A consistently earlier occurrence (by about 6 months) for each CS was observed in females. A moderate, but statistically significant, correlation between Demirjians dental developmental stages and CS was determined. The level of the correlation was different for individual teeth: the teeth showing the highest relationship with CVM were the second premolars and canines (in female and male subjects, respectively). The central incisor demonstrated the poorest correlation in both genders. The findings confirmed that both dental and skeletal maturity should be assessed if the maturity stage of a growing child is to be relevant to clinical practice. The results indicate the usefulness of dental calcification stages as a simple first-level diagnostic test to determine the skeletal maturity status of a subject.

Dental age in patients with impacted maxillary canines related to the position of the impacted teeth

The aim of the study was to determine whether there are differences in dental age (DA) using the method of Demirjian, in patients with impacted buccal or palatal maxillary canines in relation to unaffected controls. DA was estimated using Demirjians method on panoramic radiographs of two groups of Caucasian patients. The study group consisted of 116 patients aged from 12 to 16 years (80 females and 36 males) that was further divided into 54 patients with unilateral or bilateral palatally impacted maxillary canines and 62 patients with buccally positioned canines. The control group of 116 subjects without canine impaction was matched to the study group by age and gender. Calculated DAs and differences between dental and chronological age (CA) were compared between the groups. Statistical analysis was performed using Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, and Students t-test. DA was significantly lower in patients with impacted maxillary canines than in healthy controls and also when palatal or buccal ectopia was considered. The rate of dental development in patients with palatally impacted canines did not differ from that of subjects with buccal canine displacement. The differences between DA and CA were higher in healthy controls (increase in DA) than in patients with impacted maxillary canines. DA estimation using Demirjians method may be lower than expected in subjects with maxillary canine impaction.

Analysis of vector models in quantification of artifacts produced by standard prosthetic inlays in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)--a preliminary study.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a relatively new, but highly efficient imaging method applied first in dentistry in 1998. However, the quality of the obtained slices depends among other things on artifacts generated by dental restorations as well as orthodontic and prosthetic appliances. The aim of the study was to quantify the artifacts produced by standard prosthetic inlays in CBCT images. The material consisted of 17 standard prosthetic inlays mounted in dental roots embedded in resin. The samples were examined by means of a large field of view CBCT unit, Galileos (Sirona, Germany), at 85 kV and 14 mAs. The analysis was performed using Able 3DDoctor software for data in the CT raster space as well as by means of Materialise Magics software for generated vector models (STL). The masks generated in the raster space included the area of the inlays together with image artifacts. The region of interest (ROI) of the raster space is a set of voxels from a selected range of Hounsfield units (109-3071). Ceramic inlay with zirconium dioxide (Cera Post) as well as epoxy resin inlay including silica fibers enriched with zirconium (Easy Post) produced the most intense artifacts. The smallest image distortions were created by titanium inlays, both passive (Harald Nordin) and active (Flexi Flange). Inlays containing zirconium generated the strongest artifacts, thus leading to the greatest distortions in the CBCT images. Carbon fiber inlay did not considerably affect the image quality.

Validity of the third molar maturity index I3M for indicating the adult age in the Polish population

This study aimed to assess the application of Camerieres third molar maturity index (I3M) to select an individual of 18years or older (adult) from younger than 18years (minor) in a sample of Polish individuals. The final sample of 982 panoramic images aged between 15 to 24years was analyzed. The specific cut-off value of I3M<0.08 was analyzed. The specificity (Sp) and sensitivity (Se) for males were 91.2% and 86.2% respectively. The Sp and Se for females were 93% and 82.6% respectively. The probabilities of correctly classified individuals were 87.6% and 85.3%, and Bayes post-test probability was 96.3% and 97% in males and females respectively. Further analysis indicated the alternative cut-off value of I3M<0.07, which improved the specificity, 95.3%, and 94.7%, and worsen correct classification, 86.5%, and 84.4%, in males and females, respectively. Our results showed that the specific cut-off point of I3M<0.08 may be a useful tool for discriminating adults from minors in Poland.

Effect of Breast Cancer on Physical Activity in Women

Abstract Introduction. Breast cancer is the most commonly found type of cancer in women. One cancer risk factor related to lifestyle that seems to be particularly worth examining is physical activity. The aims of the study were to analyse the physical activity of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time and had undergone surgical treatment as well as to determine how their physical activity patterns changed with respect to the patterns from before the diagnosis. Material and methods. The research was carried out by means of a diagnostic survey. The instrument used was an original questionnaire designed for the purposes of the study. A total of 200 female breast cancer patients were surveyed between September 2015 and April 2016. The data collected in the study were subjected to statistical analysis. Results. The study showed that after developing cancer, a considerable percentage of women who were not physically active earlier started to perform regular physical activity. Before being diagnosed with cancer, 58% of the respondents did not spend any time engaging in physical activity or only performed it up to 30 minutes per week, whereas after receiving the diagnosis, more than half of the respondents spent a few hours a week being physically active. Conclusions. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, the majority of patients led a healthy lifestyle; the women surveyed in the study were more active and spent more time engaging in sports and recreation.

Awareness of bitewings among polish dentists

Background. Bitewing radiograph is one of three types of intraoral X-rays. It shows the crowns of upper and lower teeth at the same time and their marginal periodontium and it is more often used for the imaging of posterior teeth than incisors and canines. The main indication is the diagnosis of caries on the proximal surfaces, but also to evaluate the quality of dental fillings and the follow-up status of marginal periodontium.

Analiza poziomu wiedzy i zachowań zdrowotnych w zakresie profilaktyki i wczesnego wykrywania raka piersi w grupie studentek i kobiet pracujących

Wstep. Choroby nowotworowe stanowią istotny problem zdrowotny na calym świecie. Rowniez w Polsce problem nowotworow jest ogromny. Na tak malo optymistyczne statystyki wplywa z calą pewnością wieloczynnikowa etiologia raka piersi oraz poźne wykrywanie choroby. Cel. Celem pracy bylo porownanie poziomu wiedzy i zachowan zdrowotnych w zakresie profilaktyki i wczesnego wykrywania raka piersi wśrod studentek oraz kobiet pracujących w makroregionie lubelskim. Material i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono wśrod 302 kobiet zamieszkalych na terenie wojewodztwa lubelskiego. Metodą zastosowaną w pracy byl sondaz diagnostyczny. Jako narzedzie badawcze uzyto kwestionariusza ankiety wlasnego autorstwa skonstruowanego specjalnie na potrzeby badania. Obejmowal on 34 pytania z zakresu wiedzy i postaw kobiet wobec profilaktyki i wczesnego wykrywania raka piersi. Wyniki. Wczesne wykrycie choroby jako czynnik mający najwiekszy wplyw na wyleczenie wskazalo 98% studentek i 97,4% kobiet pracujących. Wiekszośc respondentek (57,4% studentek vs. 70,8% kobiet pracujących) wskazalo badanie mammograficzne jako najlepszą metode wykrywania raka piersi. W grupie studentek 63,5% wiedzialo czym są badania przesiewowe, a w grupie pracujących wlaściwej odpowiedzi udzielilo tylko 35,1% kobiet. Prawie polowa studentek (49,3%) nie korzystala w ogole z kontrolnych wizyt w celu zbadania piersi. W grupie kobiet pracujących z badan korzystala wieksza liczba badanych (77,9%). W obu analizowanych grupach wiekszośc kobiet potrafilo przeprowadzac samobadanie piersi jednak niewielki odsetek respondentek przeprowadzal badanie regularnie. Wnioski. Wiedza z zakresu profilaktyki raka piersi w obu grupach jest niezadowalająca i wymaga uzupelnienia. Problemy Pielegniarstwa 2015; 23 (1): 20–26

Analysis of the impact of education level on the sense of coherence and opinion concerning carrying out preventive vaccination

Introduction. Nowadays, preventive vaccination is still the most effective method of countering and combating infectious diseases. Objective. The objective of the present study was to take into consideration the education of the respondents while learning about their views and attitudes towards both compulsory and recommended preventive vaccination in Poland. Materials and methods. An interview survey was conducted among 370 respondents – students and young parents residing in the Lublin province of eastern Poland. The research tools were an authors’ questionnaire and a Life Orientation Questionnaire (SOS-29). Results. The majority of respondents with secondary education (77.40%), undergraduate education (63.71%), and graduate education (55.07%) stated that sometimes preventive vaccination may have life-threatening consequences. A very small percentage of both groups of respondents with secondary and undergraduate education expressed the opinion that such situations often happen (1.69% vs. 1.61%), but this opinion was not shared by any of the respondents with graduate education. Analyzing the dependency between the sense of coherence and one’s level of education, a significant difference between the respondents with secondary education and undergraduate education was observed. Although differences between respondents with graduate education and respondents with undergraduate education existed, they were not very significant. Conclusions. The educational background of the respondents has an impact on their opinions on preventive vaccination. The great majority of respondents believed that vaccination is necessary in order to avoid many dangerous diseases. Respondents with graduate education evaluated preventive vaccination in a positive or a very positive way. The subjects differed in their global sense of coherence together with its components. The general sense of coherence stood at an average level, with the mean of 129.02 points. The highest results were obtained by the respondents in the area of resourcefulness, which is a belief that they had at their disposal remedial resources, including preventive vaccination.