PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S) : Lee R. Brown, William J. Frorae , Sandra Handler, 



Merrill G. Wheatcroft, and Linda J. Rider 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Skylab Oral Health Studies 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Skylab 2, 3, 4 



CLASSIFICATION : Human, Microorganism 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Environmental health 



OBJECTIVES : To maintain oral health. 



PROTOCOL : During all missions, provision was made for an extension of the 

 crewmen's home care program and equipment. Training was provided to all 

 astronauts for self-treatment inflight should the need arise. 



EQUIPMENT : Inflight Medical Support System Dental Kit. 



RESULTS : Evaluation of Skylab crewmembers for mission-related effects on oral 

 health in relation to possible dental injuries provided the following 

 distinctive changes: (1) increased counts of specific anaerobic and 

 streptococcal components; (2) elevations in levels of secretory IgA concurrent 

 with diminutions of salivary lysozyme, and (3) increases in dental calculus 

 and gingival inflammations. 



CONCLUSIONS : The most significant finding from these investigations was the 

 relative nonexistence of health hazardous intraoral changes. The clinical 

 changes are considered to be more influenced by the preexisting state of 

 dental health than by any mission-related effects. 



PUBLICATIONS : 92, 93, 9^ 



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