Oral Health - Public Health - Quality of Life

Focus is on the following areas:

• Oral health-related quality of life
• Nutrition and Oral Inflammation
• Oral Medicine
• Gerodontology
• Treatment and prevention of periodontal disease (periodontitis) and peri-implantitis (inflammation in dental implants)

The Oral Health Research Environment was established 2011-01-01. Active dental research at Kristianstad University has been conducted for many years. This research has achieved a wide international recognition, especially regarding questions concerning relationship between periodontal disease and general health as well as complications of treatment with dental implants.

Oral diseases and tooth loss affect chewing and speech functions while tooth loss is perceived as a social problem. Oral diseases (caries and periodontal disease) have high prevalence and have been associated with public health and disease. Common diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis are common in patients with periodontitis. Dental implants have been in use in the treatment of tooth loss. As with all medical implants risks of complications are associated with dental implants.

Research Area I: Oral health-related quality of life

1.1

Studies on halitosis (bad breath)

Halitosis (bad breath) is for many a social and psychological problem. Studies have shown that the prevalence of halitosis is high. Anaerobic bacteria producing volatile odorous gases (VSC) substantially include hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide. Anaerobic bacteria that produce VSC is also part of the infectious etiology of periodontitis.. Halitosis has been associated with poor quality of life.

Project:

(I) to study the VSC in exhaled air and associated with chronic periodontitis (CP) and the treatment reduces the incidence of VSC in exhaled air
(II) to study the quality of life improved in treated patients
(III) to study changes in bacterial colonization of the tongue dorsum of individuals who have periodontal disease but who are diagnosed with halitosis and undergoing treatment

1.2

Studies of patient satisfaction and expectations in the treatment of periodontal disease (periodontitis)

Periodontitis is an infection that leads to attachment loss around teeth and deeper periodontal pockets. Poor oral health means that the individual has impaired chewing function and a negative perception of oral health and influencing the quality of life. A good treatment outcome requires a combination of the patient's own efforts and dental care measures. Knowledge of patients' expectations and satisfaction after treatment of dental diseases is important to adequately pursue dentistry. Studies on quality of life associated with dentistry have been neglected.

Project:

(I) to investigate patients' knowledge about periodontal disease and the expectations they have before and after periodontal treatment (II) to investigate patients' knowledge about periodontitis after periodontal treatment and how patients have had treatment and how satisfactory the patients perceived the care

1.3

Smoking cessation

Tobacco use provides significant effects on public health. Tobacco use can also cause adverse effects on oral conditions and considered a risk factor for both periodontitis and peri-implantitis. The dental hygiene profession is working with health promotion, which allows the profession to engage in smoking cessation programs among smokers and snuff patients.

Project:

(I) identifying dental hygiene practice and attitudes towards tobacco cessation in the context of patient treatment and to identify attitudes among dental hygienists to smoking as a risk factor and how to work with weaning smoking habits in patient who smoke cigarettes
(II) to identify how among smokers look at smoking as a health risk and their attitude to tobacco cessation

Research Area II: Oral inflammation-nutrition

2.1 Diet and gingival inflammation
2.2 Diet and periodontal disease (periodontitis)

A carbohydrate-rich diet increases the risk of gingivitis. With a carbohydrate-rich diet increases the carbohydrate-dependent bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria are important in the formation of deposits on the teeth, leading to inflammation of the gingiva. Anti-inflammatory effects of dietary factors with high omega-3 and flavonoid contents are known. The impact of diet on periodontal disease is unclear.

Project:

(I) to study the dietary factors affecting the degree of gingival inflammation

Research Area III: Oral Medicine

3:1

The importance of improved medical skills in the examination of patients with periodontitis is essential. Evidence of a link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis is present. Studies at the University of Kristianstad have focused on cardiovascular disease in relation to periodontitis. These studies show that there is a definite association. By utilizing the resources available within the University of Kristianstad, and the Central Hospital in Kristianstad research activities in this area has been conducted for many years.

Project:

(I) to study the health effects in the treatment of periodontal disease from both a medical and dental perspective regarding the care of patients with cardiovascular disease (II) to study the panoramic x-ray can be used to identify patients with arteriosclerosis and the risk of stroke

Research Area IV: Gerodontology

Knowledge of oral health in older people is poor. Cognitive impairment and dementia are common and are both for society as well as for the individual significant problems. Loss of teeth, as is common in advanced periodontitis, have been associated with memory functions. Infection of anaerobic bacteria can be associated with inflammatory processes that can also result in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Our overall goal is to examine the relationship between oral health and cognitive function by taking advantage of available and new information from the ongoing SNAC study in Blekinge. The research team has since 2001 mapped and studied the oral and general health in a randomly selected population from the municipality of Karlskrona (SNAC-Blekinge).

Project:

(I) to analyze the link between oral health and dementia in elderly (II) to analyze the association between diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis in older people and their oral health (II) to analyze differences and similarities in oral health between a Swedish elderly population with data from a similar U.S. study

Research Area V: Treatment and prevention of periodontal diseases and peri-implantitis

Shortly after the installation of dental implant, the implants are colonized by microorganisms. The first stage of this infection affects only soft tissue. The infection is reversible if therapy is started early. Treatment is therefore a very important task for today's dental hygienists. The scientific literature does not give any good answer on how effectively to treat mucositis. Peri-implantitis (infection around dental implants) is a major clinical problem. Investigations at Kristianstad University, shows that the frequency of peri-implantitis is high. If these infections are not treated, it leads to the implants become loose and the individual is not able to have permanent fixed prosthesis.

Project:

(I) to study the clinical effects in the treatment of peri-implantitis (II) to study the presence of inflammation markers in conjunction with the inflamed tissue in the implant when compared with the findings from the implant without signs (III) to conduct a longitudinal study following treatment of peri-implantitis Research environment national and international partners

Researchers in Oral Health collaborate scientifically with a number of institutions: Jönköping University, Malmö University, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Karolinska Institute, BTH, SLU Balsgård, University of Oslo, Norway, The Universities of Groningen and Amsterdam, University of Birmingham, England, University of Bonn, Germany, The University, Trinity College, Ireland, University of Madrid, Spain, University of Bern, Switzerland, and University of Washington, Seattle WA.

Publications

Find publications in Kristianstad University's research portal.