Acta odontologica Scandinavica
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Acta Odontol. Scand. · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyAnalysis of masseter muscle oxygenation and mandibular movement during experimental gum chewing with different hardness.
The purpose of this study was to analyze masseter muscle oxygenation changes and mandibular movements in the experimental chewing of gums with different hardness. ⋯ The results suggest that the harder texture of gum enlarges chewing motion and increases chewing velocity, with an increase in the contribution of anaerobic metabolism to energy yield in masseter muscle. Differences in the responses to gum hardness may indicate individual differences in muscle fatigue tendencies when chewing harder foods.
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Acta Odontol. Scand. · Jan 2009
Oral health impact on quality of life in an adult Swedish population.
Oral health has a major impact on general quality of life. The aspects of oral health that are most important for each individual vary, and quality of life is a construct and not a measurable variable. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of oral health on quality of life in an adult Swedish population. ⋯ In this Swedish population, a number of individuals, young and old, experienced oral problems that had an impact on their well-being.
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Alexithymia refers to a personality construct that is characterized by impoverishment of imagination, poor capacity for symbolic thought, and inability to experience and describe feelings. Our aim was to investigate the association of alexithymia and dental anxiety in patients attending dental practice. A further aim was to discover whether gender differences exist in this association when adjusting for the effect of age. ⋯ In a sample representing Finnish adult dental patients, alexithymia was associated with dental anxiety.
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Acta Odontol. Scand. · Jan 2009
Response of human oral mucosa and skin to histamine provocation: laser Doppler perfusion imaging discloses differences in the nociceptive nervous system.
To investigate the existence of histamine-excitable nerve fibers in the oral mucosa and to compare the response to histamine provocation in healthy volunteers with that in a small group of patients with chronic oral pain. ⋯ Intra-oral flare could be induced by activating histamine-excitable nerve fibers. Both duration and intensity of the flare were considerably less pronounced than in the control skin site. Histamine application was not clearly associated with itch.