To be truly useful, an index must be applicable universally without modification. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) is an orthodontic index based on socially defined aesthetic standards, and it is useful both in epidemiological surveys to identify need for orthodontic treatment as shown by its use by WHO in ICS-II and as a screening device to determine priority for subsidized orthodontic treatment. The DAI is an orthodontic index in the form of a regression equation that links the public's rating of the social acceptability of occlusal conditions (SASOC) with their clinically measured orthodontic traits. The previous study indicated that rankings of 25 stimuli (photographs of dental configurations) by Japanese students correlated highly with rankings by students from the USA, the German Democratic Republic, Australia, Korea and Thai land ; and adults from the USA, the German Democratic Republic and Australia ; and orthodontists from the USA. This study indicated the utility of the DAI in Japanese younger populations. When 221 elderly people living in Kitakyushu rated 25 occlusal stimuli for dental aesthetics, their ratings of these stimuli when arranged in rank order correlated highly with those of students from Japanese, the USA, the German Democratic Republic, Australia, Korea and Thai land ; and adults from the USA, the German Democratic Republic, Australia ; and orthodontists from the USA. The correlations shown were sufficiently high to assure us that perceptions of dental aesthetics by Japanese elderly people are very similar to those of other groups. The social norms for dental aesthetics do not differ in Japanese elderly people. We conclude that the DAI could have utility for both Japanese students and elderly people to assess need for orthodontic treatment. The data presented in this article support the use of the DAI without modification to assess need for orthodontic treatment in Japanese populations.

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We evaluated the efficacy and safety of indometacin farnesil (Infree^[○!R]), an anti-in-flammatory analgesic tissue activator, in 21 patients with temporomandibular arthrosis who had the chief complaint of pains. The drug was administered orally at a dose of 200mg (or 100mg depending on the case) twice daily, after meals in the morning and evening, for 2 weeks or more. 1) Spontaneous pain, kinesalgia, tenderness, headache, and tinnitus showed a relatively high rate of improvement. 2) Based on assessments classified as "remarkably improved", "moderately improved" and "slightly improved", the final general improvement rating was 33.3% (7/21), 33.3% (7/21), and 28.6% (6/21), respectively. 3) Nausea was the sole adverse reaction noted in 1 of 21 patients. 4) Based on assessments classified as "very useful", "moderately useful" and "slightly useful", the general utility rating was 23.8%(5/21), 42.9%(9/21), and 23.8%(5/21), respectively. 5) Based on the results presented, indometacin farnesil may be considered as a drug of high utility with a wide margin of safety that alleviates pains in temporomandibular arthrosis.

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The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of various caries activity tests, including Dentocult SM, Cariostat and Dentobuff for screening children with high risk for dental caries increment. Dental caries were detected on a tooth-surface basis in addition to microbiological tests carried out on 210 children aged 0 to 6 years in Kitakyushu City. They were examined a total of 5 times at six month intervals for a period of 2 years. The prevalence rate of mutans streptococci measured by Dentocult SM gradually increased with age in the 0.5-3.4-year-old group, and it was about 80% in the 3.5-6.0-year-old group. The mean numbers of decayed and/or filled tooth-surfaces (dfs) were significantly higher (p<0.05 or p<0.01) in children with higher scores on the Dentocult SM and Cariostat tests than in those with lower scores. The mean numbers of increased decayed and/or filled tooth-surfaces (&lrtri;dfs) were significantly higher (p<0.05 or p<0.01) in children with higher scores on the Dentocult SM and Cariostat tests than in those with lower scores. Every 6-month caries increment was positively correlated (p<0.05 or p<0.01) to scores of Dentocult SM and Cariostat, and the numbers of baseline dfs in the 1.5-4.4-year-old group. In particular, in caries-free children every 6-month caries increment was positively correlated (p<0.05 or p<0.01) to scores of Dentocult SM. Sensitivity and specificity in screening high-risk children for dental caries increment were over 60% in scores of 2 or more, 3 on the Dentocult SM test and numbers of 1 or more beseline dfs than any other caries activity tests. In caries-free children, those were highest in score of 1 or more on the Dentocult SM test. Relative risk of dental caries evaluated by the level of mutans streptococci was highest for the 6-month period than for any other period. These results suggest that it is better to use the Dentocult SM test for effectively screening 0-6-year-old children with high-risk for caries increment. This might enable more efficient preventive care to be provided for selected children.

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The present study was performed in order to investigate histopathologically the healing process of the bone defects to sintered bone (bovine bone) which was implanted into artificially created bone defects in domestic rabbits. The results were as follows : 1. At two weeks after implantation in bone defects, there was slight inflammatory cell infiltration. Sintered bone was embedded in the new bone. 2. At four weeks, some of sintered bone was directly connected with new bone tissues. Neither foregin body reaction nor inflammatory cell infiltration was observed. 3. Considering above results, it was suggested that sintered bone was non-inflammatory and non-stimulative. Further sintered bone had good tissue tolerance and osteogenic activity. In these investigations, sintered bone is considered to be useful as bone graft material for oral surgery.

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In order to investigate the pathogenesis of cleft palate induced by a neuroleptic drug of phenothiazine derivatives, SD-rat fetuses were treated with perphenazine hydrochloride (PPZ) and examined by light and electron microscopy. The levels of corticosterone in maternal serum also were measured. The fetuses from dams treated orally with 50mg/kg on days from 13 to 15 of gestation showed inhibition of growth and a high frequency (87.5%) of cleft palates with micrognathia. Fetal mortality, however, was not significantly increased in treated groups. The corticosterone levels in maternal serum were 836.3μg/dl after 3 hours of treatment and 856.0μg/dl after 8 hours of treatment. In contrast, dams treated with combined PPZ and metyrapone (25mg/kg, subcutaneously injected twice a day) had reduced corticosterone levels (248μg/dl after 3 hours and 411.8μg/dl after 8 hours of treatment). At day 16, the palatal shelves in control fetuse started to elevate horizontally. Two horizontal palatal shelves then contacted each other and began to fuse. Long microvilli and small spherical body were observed at the epithelial surfaces of medial edges of both palatal shelves before fusion. The palatal shelves of fetuses in PPZ-treated groups were still vertically oriented even on days 17-20. Like the control groups, long microvilli and small spherical body also were observed at the epithelial surfaces of the medial edges of both palatal shelves. In fetuses having cleft palates from dams treated with the combined use of PPZ and metyrapone, the degree of morphological abnormalities was milder than that induced by PPZ alone. These results suggest that the development of cleft palates induced by PPZ in rat fetuses is caused primarily by the increased corticosterone levels in maternal serum.

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We recently encountered a dental patient with hemodialysis who required systemic management for oral surgical treatment of acute phlegmon at the right maxillo-facial region. The patient was a 54-year-old man who had diabetes, C type hepatitis and chronic anemia. In the case of the dental treatment for the patient with hemodialysis, an electrolyte (especially K^+) and an acid-base balance had to be corrected by hemodialysis the day before the treatment. We have realized that it was very important for the patient with hemodialysis to keep an electrolyte (especially K^+) and an acid balance within the normal range to prevent systemic complication.

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Two cases of symptomatic elongated styloid process with discomfort of the pharyngeal area are reported in this paper with some discussion. 1. We encountered two patients (49-year-old-female, 58-year-old-female) whose chief complaint were swallowing pain due to elongated styloid process. 2. These styloid processes (19mm of case 1 and 60mm of case 2) were removed by a intraoral approach. 3. After surgery, two patients were free of pain and other previous symptoms.

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