LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF DENTAL CALCULUS IN HUMANS IN ANTARCTIC

• Main Authors: Gould, Stuart S, Shiller, William R
• Other Authors: NAVAL SUBMARINE MEDICAL RESEARCH LAB GROTON CT
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1968
• Subjects: Medicine and Medical Research; *CALCULI; *TEETH; ANTARCTIC REGIONS; CORRELATION TECHNIQUES; DENTISTRY; MEASUREMENT; MEDICAL RESEARCH; NAVAL PERSONNEL; SAMPLING; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0668704; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0668704

The high incidence of periodontal disease in Naval personnel has focused much attention on dental calculus as one of the causative factors. The study of formation rates of calculus in military groups has been difficult because of the necessarily short terms of these studies. Two current assessment methods seemed promising for such studies: (1) A method involving the collection of calculus on a standard Mylar foil attached to the lower front teeth for seven days and (2) A method involving direct measurements of the calculus collected on the lower front teeth in a three month period. A study was conducted in the wintering-over group in the Antarctic to assess and compare these two methods. Each method has great usefulness to the Navy calculus studies as evidenced by a high degree of reproductibility in the same individuals at different periods of time.