Background/purpose: The human microbiota constitutes a dynamic community of microorganisms inhabiting the body, with the gut and oral microbiotas being the most prominent. Previous studies have shown associations between oral microbiota disruption and various oral and systemic diseases, along with the involvement of the oral–gut microbiome axis. However, further investigation into the relationship between common oral conditions and microbiota changes remains needed. This study hypothesized that the distinct immune environments in oral lichen planus (OLP) and xerostomia patients result in recognizable microbiota compositions, with additional evaluation of fecal microbiota to explore the oral–gut axis. Materials and methods: Gingival and fecal samples from 8 OLP patients, 19 xerostomia patients, and 10 healthy controls were collected and analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing with bioinformatic analysis at the phylum level. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed using Student's T-test. Results: Compared with healthy controls, OLP patients showed significant increases in Campylobacterota and Fusobacteria, and decreases in Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Xerostomia patients demonstrated a significant increase in Firmicutes. In fecal samples, both OLP and xerostomia patients exhibited significantly reduced Bacteroidetes compared with controls. Conclusion: OLP and xerostomia are associated with distinct oral microbiota patterns, which may aid in early and non-invasive diagnosis. Fecal samples of both patient groups differed significantly from controls in Bacteroidetes, supporting the oral–gut microbiome axis and providing further evidence that oral conditions can influence systemic microbial communities. A major limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size.
Jovito Adiel Skupien, Carlos Eduardo Agostini Balbinot, Aline Binotto Mazzardo
et al.
Objective: To evaluate the treatment decision-making of dental students from two dental schools for different stages of interproximal carious lesions in permanent and deciduous teeth. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, where a questionnaire with schematic diagrams and radiographs of deciduous and permanent teeth showing five stages of interproximal carious lesions (external third of enamel, internal third of enamel, enamel-dentin junction (EDJ), external third of dentin and internal third of dentin) were presented to dental students of one Public University and one Private University, to determine the need for invasive intervention. Results: For diagrams, significant differences were found between schools in dichotomized responses (external or internal to EDJ) for deciduous and permanent teeth (p=0.019 and p=0.015, respectively), with a higher frequency of responses for early intervention (external to EDJ) in the private school. For radiographs, a higher response frequency for early intervention was observed in permanent teeth; meanwhile, for deciduous teeth, a late intervention (internal to the EDJ) was preferred, without significant differences between schools. Conclusion: Students from both schools showed a high frequency of responses to early invasive intervention (external to EDJ) in interproximal caries lesions when diagrams and radiographs of permanent teeth were evaluated, with the private schools evaluating more frequently. Only in the deciduous teeth radiograph, the prevalence of late intervention (internal to the EDJ) was higher.
Introduction: This case presents a 13-year follow-up of a patient with odontohypophosphatasia (odonto-HPP), the most prevalent form of hypophosphatasia (HPP), who underwent prosthodontics rehabilitation using dental implants. Odonto-HPP is a rare metabolic disorder caused by ALPL gene mutations that result in cementum dysplasia and premature tooth loss. This case highlights the feasibility and clinical value of implant rehabilitation in odonto-HPP. Case description: A 33-year-old female with odonto-HPP, carrying an ALPL mutation, c.346G>A, experienced premature loss of both deciduous and permanent teeth. Notably, no skeletal abnormalities were detected. Despite receiving early non-surgical treatment, she had lost 19 permanent teeth by age 32. Genetic testing confirmed a familial mutation, and histological analysis revealed hypomineralized cementum. In her 20s, she received 7 implants (Osstem, South Korea) along with guided bone regeneration, which remained stable over 13 years without bone resorption radiographically. Throughout follow-up, her good oral hygiene was maintained, and the implants remained functional stably. Discussion: The case underscores a novel treatment approach for odonto-HPP. Despite the cementum abnormalities, implant therapy provided long-term functional restoration. Histopathological and genetic findings supported the diagnosis and rationalized the treatment strategy, illustrating that dental implants can overcome the limitations imposed by compromised cementum in odonto-HPP patients. Conclusion/clinical significance: Implant rehabilitation appears to be a promising solution for odonto-HPP patients, offering functional outcomes and improved life quality. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and expand their application to HPP cases.
Background A new classification called OXIS was proposed for categorizing the interproximal contacts of primary molars, modified for the primary canines and its prevalence was established. No such information is available for the permanent dentition. Hence, the aim was to establish the variations in interproximal contacts of the permanent dentition and thereby modify the OXIS classification of primary molars and primary canines to the permanent dentition. Methods We propose a study-cast-based classification of interproximal contacts of the permanent dentition. Three hundred and forty-three pretreatment casts of patients based on an inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. Contacts of posterior teeth were classified based on OXIS classification of interproximal contacts, and its modification was used for anterior teeth. Results Among the posterior contacts, the ‘O’ type of contact was least prevalent, while most prevalent was the ‘S’ type for second molar-first molar contact, ‘I’ type for the first molar-second premolar contact, and ‘X’ type for the second premolar-first premolar contact. Among the anterior contacts, least prevalent was ‘S1’ type for the first premolar-canine contact, and I type for the canine-lateral incisor and the lateral incisor-central incisor contacts. There was no statistical significance between right- and left-side contacts (P > 0.05) while significance was seen between maxillary and mandibular contacts (P < 0.05). Similarity of contacts ranged from 5.17% to 10.05%. Conclusion The OXIS classification is applicable to posterior permanent teeth, and its modification is representative of anterior permanent teeth.
Amrah Y. AL‐Jmmal, Nada Z. Mohammed, Hala M. AL‐kateb
Abstract Background The second rule of the 4Rs concept (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover) was applied in this study using recycled acrylic resin to improve the hardness and study the effect of aging on the hardness of heat cured denture base resins. Method Forty heat‐cured acrylic resin samples were prepared and divided into control and modified groups. The hardness was tested using a type D durometer hardness tester for evaluating the effect of the thermal aging process on the hardness in the control and modified groups. The samples were either subjected to thermal aging (the specimens thermo‐cycled 10 cycles per day between 55°C and 5°C with a 30‐s dwell time) or were not. Results The mean difference in hardness between specimens with and without aging in the modified group increased with increasing concentrations of incorporated recycled acrylic resin. Independent samples t test revealed that the hardness values of modified groups with aging were significantly higher than in those without aging (p ≤ 0.05). ANOVA revealed that the modified group revealed a significant increase in hardness than that of the control group (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Recycling and reuse of acrylic resins improved the hardness of denture base resins. The aging period significantly affected the hardness values of the control and modified groups.
Sucharitha Palanisamy, Priyanka Cholan, Harinath Parthasarathy
et al.
Background & objectiveSpastic Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder from non-progressive brain injury or malformation during development, severely impairing movement, coordination, reflexes, posture, balance, and motor skills. Individuals with spastic CP experience limb spasticity, complicating tasks like precise gripping, particularly with toothbrushes. This study proposed a novel “all-in-one glove” for oral hygiene, assessing its efficacy and comparing it to conventional toothbrushes for spastic CP patients.Methods & materialsThis randomized controlled trial was conducted on 30 clinically diagnosed spastic CP patients with Group 1 consisting of 15 Subjects with clinically diagnosed spastic CP with generalized gingival diseases using conventional oral hygiene techniques with weekly oral hygiene reinforcement and Group 2 consisting of 15 Subjects with clinically diagnosed spastic cerebral palsy with generalized gingival diseases using the novel “all in one glove” method for oral hygiene maintenance with weekly oral hygiene reinforcement. The Clinical Parameters assessed includes Full mouth plaque scores, Full mouth bleeding scores and OHI scores recorded at baseline, 3 and 6 months.ResultsA statistically significant reduction was observed in Full-mouth Plaque, Bleeding, and Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) scores in both the groups (48.87% & 43.285%, 31.57% & 26.66%, 57.29% & 47.37% respectively). The Group 2 exhibited a marginally higher percentage reduction in all clinical parameters compared to the Group 1 at the measured time points.ConclusionThe utilization of the “All in one glove” has improved the effectiveness of oral hygiene maintenance and gingival health in spastic CP individuals.
Clinical Trial Registration[ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier, [REF/2022/06/055641].
Alejandro I. Lorenzo-Pouso, Fábio França-Vieira e Silva, Alba Pérez-Jardón
et al.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by poor survival, mostly due to local invasion, loco-regional recurrence, and metastasis. Given that the weakening of cell-to-cell adhesion is a feature associated with the migration and invasion of cancer cells, different studies have explored the prognostic utility of cell adhesion molecules such as E-cadherin (E-cad). This study aims to summarize current evidence in a meta-analysis, focusing on the prognostic role of E-cad in OSCC. To find studies meeting inclusion criteria, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, and OpenGrey databases were systematically assessed and screened. The selection process led to 25 studies, which were considered eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, representing a sample of 2553 patients. E-cad overexpression was strongly associated with longer overall survival (OS) with Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.41 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (0.32–0.54); <i>p</i> < 0.001 and disease-free survival with HR 0.47 95% CI (0.37–0.61); <i>p</i> < 0.001. In terms of OS, patients with tongue cancer experienced better survivability when expressing E-cad with HR 0.28 95% CI (0.19–0.43); <i>p</i> < 0.001. Globally, our findings indicate the prognostic role of the immunohistochemical assessment of E-cad in OSCC and its expression might acquire a different role based on the oral cavity subsites.
Urban W. Geisthoff, Frank Hölzle, Boris A. Stuck
et al.
Objectives. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare disorder encompassing facial and oral telangiectasias and visceral vascular malformations (VMs). Pulmonary VMs can lead to paradoxical embolism of thrombi or bacteria, e.g., due to dental procedures. Early detection can reduce morbidity and mortality and is recommended. However, diagnosis is often delayed for decades. Our study is assessing the feasibility and effect of a nationwide awareness campaign for early diagnosis of HHT addressing all dentists in Germany. Methods. In 2018, one article and two reminders about HHT were published in a nationwide awareness campaign. As a proxy for the effectiveness of the campaign, researchers measured the number of first-time inquiries from patients and physicians about HHT documented by the German HHT self-help group from September 2016 until September 2019. Results. A total of 411 first contacts with the German self-help group were documented, mainly via Internet platforms (Internet forum (n = 130) and Facebook® (n = 189)). For 9% of those patients (n = 36/411), the physician or dentist (physician: (n = 31/36, 86%; dentist: n = 5/36, 14%) informed patients about the disease HHT and the self-help group. Before publishing the first article about HHT, no dentist referred patients to the German self-help group; afterwards, 5 patients received information about HHT from their dentist and contacted the patient organization for the first time. After each publication in June, September, and December 2018, the number of new contacts increased. Contacts via phone and e-mail had the highest relative increase. Conclusions. The repeated call for dental screening for HHT in Germany led to increased awareness of this rare disease; more patients with possible HHT received information about the condition. The authors conclude that targeted campaigns may contribute to a shorter diagnostic latency resulting in increased quality of life and life expectancy in HHT. This trial is registered with CT03549949.
Francis Rossetti Pedack , Marciano Eduardo da Rosa, Jaqueline Stall
et al.
SARS-COV-2 is transmitted among human beings by saliva droplets that come in direct contact with the oral cavity, nose, and eyes. Since the mouth is one of the anatomical sites primarily contaminated, oral manifestations have also been reported beyond the serious consequences inherent to progressive respiratory failure. This study aimed to identify oral manifestations possibly related to the infection by COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. A prospective study was carried out with patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the period between March and June 2021, admitted to the Moderate COVID-19 Care Unit of the Hans Dieter Schmidt Regional Hospital, by applying a form and performing a clinical exam of the oral cavity. Out of all patients (n=45), 33.3% reported both olfactory (anosmia) and taste dysfunction (dysgeusia), with an average duration of 5.9 ±3.0 days. Regarding other oral manifestations evaluated, two patients reported dry and burning mouth and one patient reported a change in taste associated with plaque-like changes in the tongue. No patients presented ulcers or other lesions in the oral cavity. Olfactory and taste dysfunction were symptoms recognized of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the association with other oral manifestations is still controversy. Unfortunately, dentistry professionals are still not part of most teams in the hospital environment, mostly because of the lack of prioritization of dental care. Working with a multidisciplinary team may avoid possible systemic complications due to poor dental care.
U Sangeetha Shenoy, Richard Morgan, Keith Hunter
et al.
Abstract Alterations in homeobox (HOX) gene expression are involved in the progression of several cancer types including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, regulation of the entire HOX cluster in the pathophysiology of HNSCC is still elusive. By using different comprehensive databases, we have identified the significance of differentially expressed HOX genes (DEHGs) in stage stratification and HPV status in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA)-HNSCC datasets. The genetic and epigenetic alterations, druggable genes, their associated functional pathways and their possible association with cancer hallmarks were identified. We have performed extensive analysis to identify the target genes of DEHGs driving HNSCC. The differentially expressed HOX cluster-embedded microRNAs (DEHMs) in HNSCC and their association with HOX-target genes were evaluated to construct a regulatory network of the HOX cluster in HNSCC. Our analysis identified sixteen DEHGs in HNSCC and determined their importance in stage stratification and HPV infection. We found a total of 55 HNSCC driver genes that were identified as targets of DEHGs. The involvement of DEHGs and their targets in cancer-associated signaling mechanisms have confirmed their role in pathophysiology. Further, we found that their oncogenic nature could be targeted by using the novel and approved anti-neoplastic drugs in HNSCC. Construction of the regulatory network depicted the interaction between DEHGs, DEHMs and their targets genes in HNSCC. Hence, aberrantly expressed HOX cluster genes function in a coordinated manner to drive HNSCC. It could provide a broad perspective to carry out the experimental investigation, to understand the underlying oncogenic mechanism and allow the discovery of new clinical biomarkers for HNSCC.
ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the quality, reliability and educational content of the information of vital pulp treatment videos available on YouTube.Materials and MethodsThe keywords “pulpotomy” and “pulp capping” were searched on YouTube on 5th July 2020, until 60 English language videos of each search term with a duration shorter than 15 minutes were acquired. Video characteristics were recorded and Video Power Index (VPI) was calculated. Reliability and educational quality of videos were evaluated using the Modified DISCERN score, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and Global Quality Scores (GQS). Videos were categorized by uploading source.ResultsRegarding pulpotomy, 31.7% of the videos were uploaded by specialists and 68.3% were directed by non-specialists. In the case of pulp capping, the corresponding percentages were 45% and 55%, respectively. Videos uploaded by specialists had significantly higher modified DISCERN, JAMA and GQS scores compared to those uploaded by non-specialists. Endodontists tended to have the highest reliability and VPI scores.ConclusionsYouTube videos on vital pulp treatment contain low educational quality or incomplete information. Low popularity of dental pulp capping and pulpotomy videos may be attributed to the specialized nature of these procedures. As YouTube represents an important source for patient information about different health topics, reliable informative videos should be uploaded by specialized dental professionals.
Mandakini Mohan, Kah Heng Lin, Abhishek Parolia
et al.
Objectives. The research aimed to investigate if emotional intelligence (EI) scores of dental undergraduates influenced their patients’ satisfaction with the treatment received. Methods. A 33-item EI questionnaire was completed by 46 dental undergraduates in a cross-sectional study. Responses, measured on a five-point Likert scale, were summed to yield EI scores. Patients treated by the same undergraduates were invited to complete a patient satisfaction (PS) questionnaire. EI and PS scores were calculated and compared by undergraduates’ gender and the patients’ age and education status. The four EI factors (optimism/mood regulation, appraisal of emotions, utilization of emotions, and social skills of students) were correlated with PS using Spearman’s correlation test with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results. EI scores did not differ significantly between male (N = 23) and female (N = 23) undergraduates p=0.218. PS was not associated with patients’ gender, but those educated to the secondary school level were more likely to be satisfied compared to those educated to the college/university level p=0.022. Of the four EI factors, optimism/mood regulation was positively correlated with PS p=0.049. Conclusion. The results of the study suggest that the EI of the students can influence PS. Practical Implications. Interventions to enhance EI can be developed to improve the patient experience.
Hanna Olson, Catherine Ronayne, Megan Anakin
et al.
Introduction. In the health professional education literature, there is a need for information about the teaching and learning of medical laboratory sciences for clinical practice. The goal of this reflection-on-practice is to describe how an orofacial pathology interprofessional education (IPE) initiative was designed and implemented.
Innovation. The designers of this initiative were teachers from dentistry, oral health, and medical laboratory science. The designers used six interprofessional competencies (patient-centred care, role clarification, team functioning, collaborative leadership, communication, and cultural practice) to guide their construction of teaching and learning resources. The initiative required students to work collaboratively with a given patient case to develop a differential diagnosis, prepare a treatment plan, present their case to classmates and staff members, and describe how they worked together to address the orofacial pathology in their case.
Evaluation. The designers collected and considered evaluation information including the learning resources used, logistical arrangements for the initiative, and evaluation data from students via an anonymous 10-item questionnaire. Students rated statements that addressed the six interprofessional competencies and provided written comments about the initiative.
Outcomes. In general, the 18 students agreed strongly with all statements except for cultural practice. Written comments about the initiative were positive and indicated that students appreciated learning about their own discipline and that of other professionals in the context of providing oral healthcare involving orofacial pathology.
What next? Given the acceptability of this initiative to the designers, facilitators, and students, the next step is to consider the feasibility of scaling-up this small voluntary IPE initiative into a permanent component of the dentistry, oral health, and medical laboratory science programmes. Aspects to consider include staffing, scheduling, assessment, and cultural perspectives.