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Purpose: To investigate the anti-gingivitis efficacy of a novel oral hygiene routine consisting of a two-step stannous fluoride dentifrice and hydrogen peroxide whitening gel system, an interactive oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush, and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene floss.Methods: A total of 52 participants (n=52; mean age 35.8 [+ or -] 11.23 years) were enrolled in the study and randomized 1:1 to the experimental hygiene group or control (dental prophylaxis followed by use of standard sodium fluoride dentifrice and a manual toothbrush). Participants were instructed to brush twice daily; those in the experimental group were instructed to floss once daily. Oral examinations were conducted at Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6.Results: Both groups experienced significant declines in the mean number of bleeding sites from Baseline at all time points, evident as early as Week 2. Bleeding sites continued to decline throughout the trial in the experimental group, whereas they showed an increasing trend between Weeks 2 and 6 in the control group. The experimental group had 55% fewer bleeding sites at Week 2, 85% fewer bleeding sites at Week 4, and 98% fewer bleeding sites at Week 6 (p [less than or equal to] 0.0001 for all) as compared to the control group. At Week 6, 84% of participants in the experimental group had no bleeding, while all participants in the control group had bleeding.Conclusion: The experimental oral hygiene group showed significantly greater reductions in gingival bleeding than the control oral hygiene group, with benefits seen as early as Week 2 and increasing over the six-week study.Keywords: oral health prevention, oral hygiene, chemotherapeutics, electric toothbrushes, gingivitis, gingival bleedingThis manuscript supports the NDHRA priority area: Client level: Basic science (Diagnostic testing and assessments).Submitted for publication: 2/218; Accepted: 8/28/18, IntroductionGingivitis is characterized by inflammation of the gingival tissues without loss of connective tissue attachment. (1) The disease progresses when oral bacteria present in dental plaque prompt a localized inflammatory [...]

Rapid environmental change in Alaska and other regions of the Arctic and sub-Arctic has raised concerns about increasing human exposure to ticks and the pathogens they carry. We tested a sample of ticks collected through a combination of passive and active surveillance from humans, domestic animals, and wildlife hosts in Alaska for a panel of the most common tick-borne pathogens in the contiguous United States to characterize the diversity of microbes present in this region. We tested 189 pooled tick samples collected in 2019-2020 for Borreliaspp., Anaplasmaspp., Ehrlichiaspp., and Babesiaspp. using a multiplex PCR amplicon sequencing assay. We found established populations of Ixodes angustusNeumann(Acari: Ixodidae), Ixodes uriaeWhite(Acari: Ixodidae), and Haemaphysalis leporispalustrisPackard (Acari: Ixodidae) in Alaska, with I. angustusfound on a variety of hosts including domestic companion animals (dogs and cats), small wild mammals, and humans. Ixodes angustuswere active from April through October with peaks in adult and nymphal activity observed in summer months (mainly July). Although no known human pathogens were detected, Babesia microti-like parasites and candidatusEhrlichia khabarensis were identified in ticks and small mammals. The only human pathogen detected (B. burgdorferis.s.) was found in a tick associated with a dog that had recently traveled to New York, where Lyme disease is endemic. This study highlights the value of a combined passive and active tick surveillance system to detect introduced tick species and pathogens and to assess which tick species and microbes are locally established.

The pyogenic granuloma is a pedunculated or sessile nodular lesion commonly encountered intraorally and in extraoral sites. Intraorally, the lesion exhibits a marked predilection for the gingiva, where 75% of [...]