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Objective The objective was to develop a self-reporting questionnaire for use as an epidemiological measure of periodontal status. Design Oral survey. Subjects and methods 100 (out of 102 who were approached) non-referred patients attending Dundee Dental Hospital and School agreed to complete a questionnaire concerning factors related to periodontal disease and then undergo a standardised periodontal examination in which four indicators were measured: the percentage of sites with plaque, the percentage of sites which showed bleeding on probing, tooth mobility and Community Index of Periodontal Treatment Needs scores. Main outcome measure Sensitivity and specificity of questionnaire items to predict clinically measured periodontal disease indicators. Acceptable levels for sensitivity and specificity are largely dependent on the context of the test being evaluated, and many tests currently used in dentistry have very low sensitivity or specificity values. Nevertheless, in this case it was felt that any items which had a sensitivity and specificity greater than 0.80 would be reasonable predictors. Results Only four items were weakly predictive of the periodontal status indicators (sensitivity and specificity > 0.5). These concerned noticing gaps between teeth getting bigger, noticing tooth roots becoming more visible, experiencing pain when consuming hot, cold or sweet things and smoking. Other items, concerned with whether a dentist had told the patient they had periodontal disease or whether the person was aware of being treated for it, had very low sensitivities suggesting that people with periodontal disease indicators are failing to be informed of, or treated for it, by their dentist. Conclusions Self-reporting of periodontal health was not successful as many people who had some indications of the periodontal diseases appeared to be unaware of their condition and also appeared not to have been informed nor were being treated for it.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how accurately the same set of complete dentures could be copied by 12 different laboratories. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTINGS: Completed by commercial laboratories used by GDPs in England (1996). Results were analysed and controlled by a university department. SUBJECTS (MATERIALS) AND METHODS: The master set was constructed to include a midline diastema and a bilateral posterior crossbite. Twelve sets of silicone moulds of the master denture were prepared. GDPs selected commercial laboratories of their choice to receive the work. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All stages of the work were compared with the master dentures by returning them to a specially adapted articulator. Analysis was completed using preset criteria. RESULTS: Only five of the returned copies were considered to have both good quality acrylic resin work and clear details of the teeth in wax. Only four cases reproduced the diastema. After processing, the occlusal vertical dimension had been increased in eight of the cases and the bilateral crossbite had been eliminated in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: None of the final copy dentures were considered an accurate copy of the master dentures. There is considerable scope for further training of dental technicians in this important technique.

This clinical article describes and discusses the use of preheated nanohybrid resin composite for the placement of direct restorations and luting of porcelain laminate veneers. Two clinical cases are presented. Preheating hybrid composite decreases its viscosity and film thickness offering the clinician improved handling. Preheating also facilitates the use of nanohybrid composite as a veneer luting material with relatively low polymerisation shrinkage and coefficient of thermal expansion compared to currently available resin luting cements.

An unusual presentation of palatal fracture is described. Reduction and fixation with an orthodontic appliance proved to be an efficient and novel method in the treatment of this fracture.

Dentistry is becoming more sophisticated and capable of providing much higher treatment standards than ever before. Treatments previously considered impossible can now be achieved as a direct consequence of these advances. However, this increased complexity of treatment also means that the different branches of dentistry have, as a necessity, become more and more specialised. It is important that the specialities collaborate in a systematic focused way to ensure the optimal treatment outcome with the minimum burden of care for the patient.

This paper considers the role of restorative dentistry in the management of hypodontia. The paper describes the general restorative considerations common to patients with hypodontia and illustrates the variety of restorative techniques available in the restorative management of hypodontia and oligodontia.

A nine-year-old boy presented with a serious periodontal lesion caused by a rubber band that had been used to close a medial diastema. Surgery was required to remove it. The impaction of a foreign body in the periodontal space should be suspected when a clinical attachment level is lost during childhood.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the influence of incisal edge embrasure space and interproximal contact area dimensions on perceived smile aesthetics. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Postgraduate dental teaching hospital. Methods A photograph of a smiling female, displaying only the lips and maxillary teeth was digitally altered. First, the proportions of the incisal edge embrasure spaces were modified to produce five different images. Secondly, the lengths of the interproximal contact areas were altered to produce five different images. The two sets of photographs were ranked from 'most attractive' to 'least attractive' by 35 dentists, 35 dental technicians and 35 patients. Results An embrasure space arrangement where the size of the embrasures increases progressively distally from the midline was deemed most attractive; absence of embrasure spaces was deemed least attractive. In assessing the interproximal contact areas, all groups assessed an arrangement where the areas between the teeth were equal (and 50% the length of the central incisor) as most attractive, and where the contact areas increased in length progressively distally from the midline as least attractive. There were few statistically significant differences between the groups in these perceptions. Conclusion Whilst there is broad agreement in what the participant groups deem to be aesthetic, our findings do not wholly correspond to the 'ideals' that have been previously suggested in the dental literature.

Objectives The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the impact of two occlusal traits on the quality of life of children and their families. Methods A total of 180 subjects, which included 90 consecutive patients (aged 13-15 years) and their parents, were recruited on the basis of predetermined criteria to the following groups: increased overjet, spaced dentition and control. Each subject and their parent underwent separate supervised completion of a Child or Parental-Caregiver Perception questionnaire, respectively, which are components of the Child Oral Health Quality of Life questionnaire. Results The three groups were shown not to demonstrate any differences in socio-demographic characteristics. Statistically significant differences were observed between children in the control group and their counterparts in the increased overjet (p = 0.002) and spaced dentition (p < 0.001) groups. However, no such difference was detected between children in the increased overjet and spaced dentition groups (p = 0.5). Parents of these children demonstrated similar statistical findings: p = 0.007, p = 0.003 and p = 0.9, respectively. Conclusions Occlusal traits such as an increased overjet and a spaced dentition have a significant negative impact on both the children's and their families' quality of life.

The upper mid-line space and its relation to the labial fraenum in children and in adults. A statistical evaluation

Pathogenesis of abnormal midline spacing of human central incisors. A histological study of the involvement of the labial frenum