The prevalence of dental caries and periodontal treatment needs in an institutionalized population with Down syndrome was examined and the relationship between caries prevalence, salivary pH, and salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans was studied. Thirty-two children with Down syndrome, aged 8 to 13, were compared with two control groups of similar age ranges: healthy children and non-Down mentally retarded (MR) children living in the same institution as the Down syndrome population. The gender ratio mixtures in each group also matched the study sample. Caries experience as indicated by decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMF-S) showed significantly lower mean scores for the Down syndrome group compared with both control groups. A similar pattern was found when evaluating the mean numbers of decayed surfaces. Streptococcus mutans counts, expressed as number of colony-forming units on mitis salivarius agar plates among the Down syndrome group, were the lowest, although not statistically significant compared with the counts of the healthy children. Both groups had bacterial counts which were significantly lower than those of the MR group. Significant differences between the two institutionalized groups and the healthy group were recorded for the salivary pH levels. The periodontal treatment needs as evaluated by the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs showed significant difference between the MR group versus both the healthy population and the Down syndrome group. On the whole, 84% of the Down syndrome children were cariesfree.

Editorial and military censors Concentration of ownership is the main threat to Israel's once vibrant and combative press Rome 1986: the muzzling of Mordechai Vanunu I SRAEL is unique in the Middle East both for the dynamism of its democratic political institutions and its news-addicted society. This is reflected in a press which many Israelis believe is too critical for its own good. The Israeli print media is like the Israelis themselves: noisy, brash, argumentative and very self-obsessed. Yet behind this appearance of a free press, oppression comes in three distinct forms. As in many western states, the Israeli press suffers from the economic pressures of concentration. A handful of papers dominate the market and drive out alternative perspectives. The intensity of competition has driven the market leaders Yedioth Ahronoth (Latest News) and Ma'ariv (Evening Prayer) to the absurd lengths of wiretapping each others' editorial offices, a saga which has preoccupied the Israeli courts for two years and led to the resignation of Yedioth's editor, Moshe Vardi, in February 1996. His rival, Ofer Nimrodi, is currently on trial facing the same charge. Yet the scandals have only helped preserve the two papers' market shares, which slowly drives other papers out of business. Even such

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