The aim of our study was to investigate how teenage smoking affects the prevalence of periodontal bacteria and periodontal health with the hypothesis that smoking increases the prevalence of the bacteria. Oral health of 264 adolescents (15- to 16-year-olds) was clinically examined, and their smoking history was recorded. The participants also filled in a structured questionnaire recording their general health and health habits. Pooled subgingival plaque samples were taken for polymerase chain reaction analysis of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, and Treponema denticola. The prevalence of P. intermedia (21% vs. 4%, p = 0.01) and T. forsythia and T. denticola (23% vs. 8%, p < 0.05, for both) was higher among female smokers than among non-smokers. T. forsythia and T. denticola were more often associated with bleeding on probing (29% vs. 12%; 25% vs. 10%, respectively) and deep pockets (25% vs. 15%; 23% vs. 10%, respectively) with smokers than non-smokers. Among the girls, a significant association was found between pack-years and the prevalence of P. nigrescens (p < 0.007). In both genders, A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were rare in this study. To conclude, periodontal bacteria were associated with higher periodontal index scores among all teenage smokers. Smoking girls harbored more frequently certain periodontal bacteria than non-smokers, but this was not seen in boys. Hence, our study hypothesis was only partly confirmed.

BackgroundIn Finland diabetologists have long been concerned about the level of diabetes care as the incidence of type 1 diabetes and complicated type 2 diabetes is exceeding the capacity of specialist clinics. We compared the outcome of diabetes care in two middle-sized Finnish municipalities with different models of diabetes care organisation in public primary health care. In Kouvola the primary health care of all diabetic patients is based on general practitioners, whereas in Nurmijärvi the follow-up of type 1 and most complicated type 2 diabetic patients is assigned to a general practitioner specialised in diabetes care.MethodsOur study population consisted of all adult diabetic patients living in the municipalities under review.We compared the use and costs of public diabetes care, glycemic control, blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol level, the application of the national guidelines and patient satisfaction. The main outcome measures were the costs and use of health care services due to diabetes and its complications.ResultsIn Nurmijärvi, where diabetes care was centralised, more type 1 diabetic patients were followed up in primary health care than in Kouvola, where general practitioners need more specialist consultations. The centralisation resulted in cost savings in the diabetes care of type 1 diabetic patients. Although the quality of care was similar, type 1 diabetic patients were more satisfied with their follow-up in the centralised system. In the care of type 2 diabetic patients the centralised system required fewer specialist consultations, but the quality and costs were similar in both models.ConclusionsThe follow-up of most diabetic patients – including type 1 diabetes – can be organised in primary health care with the same quality as in secondary care units. The centralised primary care of type 1 diabetes is less costly and requires fewer specialist consultations.

Objective. To study one-year incidence and risk factors of severe hypoglycaemias (SH) in adult drug-treated diabetic patients living in two Finnish communities. Design. The episodes of SH and their risk factors were identifi ed from local ambulance registers, from the databases of local health care units, and from patient questionnaires. Setting. The target population consisted of all drug-treated diabetic patients from the two middle-sized communities in southern Finland, altogether 1776 patients. The study was retrospective. Subjects. A total of 1469 patients (82.7% of the target population) gave informed consent for the use of their medical records and 1325 patients (74.6% of the target population) returned the detailed 36-item questionnaire. Results. Of type 1 and type 2 insulin-treated diabetic patients, 14.6% and 1.0%, respectively, needed ambulance or emergency room care (incidence of 30.5 and 3.0 per 100 patient years). However, 31.0% of type 1 and 12.3% of type 2 diabetic patients reported at least one episode of SH (incidence of 72.0 and 27.0 per 100 patient years). Of all insulin-treated patients, 53 (7.8%) reported three or more episodes of SH. Signifi cant independent risk factors for SH were depression, daily exercise, and nephropathy but not glycaemic control. Conclusion. The incidence of SH was high in both types of insulin-treated diabetic patients. However, the recurrent episodes of SH were clustered in a small minority of insulin-treated patients with diabetes. The risk of SH should be considered when assessing the treatment target for an individual diabetic patient.

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