Warty lesions of the oral cavity were examined for etiologic association with genital tract papillomaviruses HPV-6, HPV-11, and HPV-16. DNAs extracted from ten oral biopsies were screened for HPV genomic sequences by Southern transfer hybridization with 32P-labeled viral DNA probes. Nonstringent hybridization with an HPV-6 probe revealed papillomavirus DNA sequences in four of seven tissues with histologic evidence of papillomatosis, in none of two tissues without histologic evidence of papillomatosis, and in one tissue that was not examined by histology. Stringent hybridization tests with HPV-6 and HPV-16 probes identified the genome in one tissue as being HPV-16, in a second tissue as being HPV-6 subtype a, and in a third tissue as HPV-6 (subtype unidentified); papillomavirus DNA sequences in two tissues are as yet not identified. An additional case of HPV-6 or HPV-11 related oral cavity lesion was diagnosed by in situ hybridization of paraffin sections with a 35S-labeled, mixed HPV-6 + HPV-11 probe. The hybridization in the positive section was extensive and confined to epithelial nuclei. The oral lesions associated with genital tract papillomaviruses were asymptomatic, multiple or single, and were located in different parts of the oral cavity, for example, on the gingivae, on the tongue, on the lip, on the tonsillar pillar, and on the floor of the mouth.

No abstract

The purpose of this double-blind, longitudinal clinical study was to assess the efficacy of a dentifrice containing 3.3% soluble pyrophosphate in inhibiting calculus formation and its effect upon the oral soft tissues. A total of265 adult volunteers was given a dental prophylaxis. Each was examinedfor dental calculus and oral soft tissue pathology. The volunteers were then randomly assigned to use either a dentifrice containing soluble pyrophosphate and sodium fluoride or a placebo sodium fluoride formulation for ad libitum home usage. At the twomonth completion of the study, 217 subjects were available for examination. The results showed that the group using the dentifrice containing soluble pyrophosphate experienced a significant 26% decrease in calculus formation as compared with the placebo group, with both dentifrices being equally well-tolerated by the oral soft tissues.

No abstract

Human incisors were ground and polished at precisely oriented planes and lightly etched. Replicas of these planes showed that the prism border is an acid-resistant band of crystals; decalcification is more extensive at the deeper levels; and the apparent transverse prism section is not a good indicator of the actual plane of section.