Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether basic manual dexterity (BMD) could be an important parameter in selecting students for the Degree in Dentistry (CLOPD) and to assess whether initial manual dexterity in students admitted to the CLOPD can improve with training in pre-clinical and clinical practice. Design Observational study. Setting The study was carried out at the Catholic University of Rome, in five consecutive academic years. Subjects and methods Four hundred and thirty-three subjects (262 males and 171 females) were tested (10 different exercises) in fi ve consecutive years. Two retests were performed after three and five years respectively from the beginning of the experi mentation. Main outcome measures The scores of individual exercises were averaged for each candidate, assessing the mean value of basic manual dexterity score (BMDS). Results It was possible to observe some differences among candi dates coming from different types of high schools, since those having a prior university degree or a scientific high school degree proved better than those with classical or vocational high school qualifications (p < 0.05). A statistically signifi cant improvement of BMDS has been observed in students who attended the CLOPD for at least 32 months. Conclusions Data obtained revealed that basic manual dexterity is not essential in the selection of dental students. Students who could fol low training significantly improved in their manual ability.

With regard to the role of dental plaque in the transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection, data from the literature vary greatly, owing to differences in sample collection and H. pylori-detecting techniques. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we have determined the incidence of H. pylori colonization in the dental plaque of 31 consecutive patients who underwent gastroscopy. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of H. pylori infection, determined by Giemsa stain and the rapid urease test: group A made up of 21 H. pylori-positive patients and group B with 10 H. pylori-negative patients. Our PCR assay of dental plaque samples proved negative in all group A subjects but was positive in only one patient in group B. In our study, we found that H. pylori had a low prevalence (3.2%) in the oral cavity, with no significant relationship between gastric mucosa and dental plaque colonization. More comprehensive studies are needed to determine whether dental plaque is an important reservoir in the epidemiology of H. pylori-induced gastric disease.