Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Screening For The Novel Cariogenic Pathogen Scardovia Wiggsiae Among Orthodontic Patients, Adam Whiteley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Screening for the Novel Cariogenic Pathogen Scardovia wiggsiae among Orthodontic Patients

by

Adam Whiteley

Dr. Karl Kingsley, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Biomedical Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine

The recent discovery of a novel cariogenic pathogen Scardovia wiggsiae has led many scientists and oral health researchers to re-evaluate and re-examine existing saliva repositories to determine the prevalence among patient populations. Recent efforts at this institution have used existing saliva samples to determine the prevalence among both adults and pediatric patients. These studies have revealed this organism may be found in approximately one-quarter of all samples …

Effect Of Bmp Treatment On Periostin Gene Expression In Pre-Osteoblastic Mc3t3-E1 Mouse Cells, Vincent Lee Khang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Periostin is a secreted, extracellular matrix (ECM) protein widely expressed within collagen-rich fibrous connective tissues of the body including the periodontal ligament (PDL), bone, skin, heart, and cornea. Periostin has been shown to serve many important regulatory functions including cell adhesion, cell motility, wound healing and of particular importance to the dental field, differentiation of osteoblasts. The deletion of periostin compromises osteoblast attachment to bone matrix and induces a reduction in mineralization and expression of bone markers, including type I collagen, osteocalcin, osteopontin and alkaline phosphatase. Periostin has also been shown to play a significant role in collagen fibrillogenesis by …

Interleukin-1 Beta (Il-1Β) Gene Polymorphisms In Pre-Treatment Orthodontic Patients Exhibiting Short Root Anomaly (Sra), Satyaprasad Nayak

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Root resorption is a frequent unwanted occurrence during orthodontic treatment. Biological factors include the quantity of specific inflammatory mediators, growth factors, and hormones as well as an individual’s specific alleles for the genes encoding these mediators. Studies have shown an association between external apical root resorption (EARR) and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at +3954 of the IL-1β gene. Studies have also shown associations between chronic periodontitis and IL-1β gene polymorphisms in the region of +3954, -511 and -31. All previous studies to date, have evaluated genetic factors and root resorption in orthodontic patients in-treatment or post-orthodontic treatment. This study …

3-D Upper Airway Comparison Between Class I And Class Ii Adults With Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Nga Nguyen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the risk for daytime sleepiness in adults with Class I and Class II malocclusion and the airway volume, minimum cross-sectional area, and shape at the minimum cross sectional area.

Introduction: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a category of conditions defined by airway complications while a person is sleeping. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common of these disorders and is defined as the presence of repeated episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction, which may be associated with loud snoring and daytime sleepiness. Daytime …

Prevalence Of Cariogenic Microbial Flora Among Scardovia Wiggsiae-Positive And Negative Patients, Amy Tam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The formation of dental caries (cavities) is a complex, multi-dimensional process that necessarily involves many risk factors – including the acquisition and colonization of cariogenic oral bacteria. The most frequently associated oral pathogens are the acid-producing and acid-tolerant oral streptococcus species, such as Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans or SM). Many studies have established and confirmed the critical role of the formation of biofilm in the virulence of S. mutans, and the critical role this may play in determining the balance of the oral microbiome towards health or disease.

More recent efforts have discovered a novel cariogenic pathogen, Scardovia wiggsiae (S. …

Levels Of Interleukin-1Β And Interleukin-17 In The Tension And Compression Sites Of Teeth During Orthodontic Movement, Suzanne Wen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Orthodontic tooth movement requires coordinated bone resorption and deposition in response to mechanical stimuli. Underlying this process is a complex network of biological signaling to activate osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The broad category of small proteins known as cytokines include many potential mediators involved in complex interactions to initiate tooth movement. One of the signaling factors is interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which plays a critical role in inflammation and bone erosion via the activation of osteoclasts. IL-1β is a key cytokine involved in osteoclast differentiation, multinucleation, and overall survival. Recently, interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been identified as a potent inducer of inflammation that influences …