International Journal of Dentistry最新文献

Background: Mandibular third molar is the most frequent impacted tooth in the oral cavity. Its presence can be associated with complications including the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of impacted mandibular third molar (IMTM), associated pathologies, and its correlation with TMJ morphology in a hospital-based Spanish cohort.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed existing orthopantomographs (OPGs) records, panoramic images of patients aged ≥18 with at least one IMTM who attended the Dental Hospital of the University of Barcelona (HOUB) between September 2021 and May 2023. The OPGs were assessed and interpreted by an experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologist for the type of impaction according to Winter's classification system, associated pathologies, and shape of mandibular condyle.

Results: Out of 80 OPGs, 60% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 48.4%-70.7%) were females, and the majority 53.8% (95% CI: 42.3-64.9) were between 18 and 28 years of age. The prevalence rate of IMTM was 86.88%, with the left side commonly involved. On both sides, oval-shaped condyle and vertical IMTM were the most common, with dental caries and bone loss being the frequently observed pathologies. Sclerotic changes were depicted in 15% (95% CI: 8.2%-24.7%) of the cases on both sides of TMJ. On the other hand, no statistically significant associations were noticed between the pathologies and condyle shape (p > 0.05, Cramér's V < 0.25). Vertical and mesioangular, followed by horizontally IMTMs, were the most prevalent types of impactions, indicating nonsignificant association with condylar shape (p > 0.05, Cramér's V = 0.21-0.23).

Conclusion: In this hospital-based cohort, vertical IMTM and oval condylar morphology were predominant; however, condylar shape did not correlate with impaction type on panoramic radiographs. The findings are preliminary and require validation in sufficiently powered cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based studies with clinical TMJ assessment.

Objective: This bibliometric analysis aimed to systematically evaluate publication performance and identify evolving trends in dental anxiety research over the past three decades, providing a structured overview of key research topics and thematic progression.

Methods: The study analyzed 1556 articles indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded database from 1991 to 2024. Data extraction included titles, abstracts, author keywords, and Keywords Plus. The analytical approach incorporated bibliometric indicators such as total citations, citations per publication, and annual publication trends. A word analysis technique identified five major research topics and their evolution across three distinct periods: 1991-2011, 2012-2019, and 2020-2024.

Results: Analysis highlighted significant growth in dental anxiety research publications, particularly in recent years, reflecting increased global interest. The study identified five main thematic areas: etiology and risk factors, clinical presentation and consequences, prevalence and assessment tools, treatment and preventive interventions, and pediatric dentistry. The trends indicated a growing emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and adjunctive therapies such as virtual reality and aromatherapy. Pediatric dentistry consistently emerged as a critical field, underscoring the importance of early interventions.

Conclusion: This bibliometric review demonstrated substantial advancements in understanding dental anxiety, emphasizing multidisciplinary treatments and tailored pediatric interventions. Future research should focus on integrating novel therapeutic strategies and refining preventive measures to mitigate dental anxiety effectively.

Introduction: Ultrasonography (USG) offers a safe, affordable and effective diagnostic tool for various dental applications, yet its use in routine dental practice remains limited, particularly in South Africa. This study, guided by the Knowledge-Attitude-Behaviour (KAB) model, assessed dental practitioners' knowledge and attitudes towards USG at a South African university. The null hypothesis tested whether attitudes and knowledge differed significantly by the year of graduation or academic department.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study surveyed 108 dental practitioners at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Faculty of Dentistry using a custom-developed, expert-reviewed online questionnaire. Approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BMREC) and UWC faculty officials for the study. Data were collected via Research Electronic Data capture (REDCap) and analysed with Microsoft Excel and STATA. Participation was voluntary, anonymous and conducted with informed consent.

Results: The questionnaire showed acceptable internal consistency for attitudes (α = 0.705) and lower consistency for knowledge (α = 0.537), as expected due to varied content. Results indicated a 58.3% response rate with generally positive attitudes towards USG, varying across departments. The Craniofacial Biology, Pathology and Radiology department had the highest attitude score, and Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery showed the highest familiarity with USG, with specific questions yielding statistically significant results. Regarding knowledge, the overall score was 71%. Knowledge levels were high in head and neck swellings and salivary gland disorders, while caries had the lowest score. However, no significant differences were observed across graduation years or departments.

Conclusion: Dental practitioners are not only receptive to learning about USG but also enthusiastic about its potential in patient care. By integrating an USG course into the dentistry curriculum, dental practitioners would be empowered with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively harness the benefits of USG, addressing critical healthcare challenges within South Africa and third-world countries alike.

Objective: Saliva is an important body fluid that reflects systemic health. This study is a cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the relationship between salivary metal ion concentrations and diabetes risk.

Methods: From the China Multiethnic Cohort (CMEC), 912 eligible participants were enrolled, and their saliva samples were collected. Salivary metal ion concentrations were measured using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Logistic regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to examine the association between salivary metal ions and diabetes. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to explore the dose-response relationship between specific metal ions and diabetes risk.

Results: This research initially revealed a notable nonlinear dose-response association between the levels of iron in saliva and diabetes risk, and it also identified a significant relationship between salivary manganese and diabetes.

Conclusions: Significant associations were identified between salivary concentrations of iron and manganese and diabetes risk. Monitoring salivary metal ion levels may aid in the prevention and management of diabetes.

Clinical significance: The findings suggest that analyzing salivary metal ions could serve as a noninvasive tool for assessing diabetes risk, offering a valuable approach for early intervention and management.

Background: Ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages often contain organic acids that lower pH and promote enamel demineralization, yet their erosive potential remains insufficiently explored.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the erosive potential of RTDs through chemical characterization and analysis of enamel surface alterations.

Methods: Sixty bovine enamel blocks were divided into six groups (n = 10): Ice Smirnoff, Skol Beats Senses, Schweppes Vodka Citrus, Jack Daniel's & Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola (positive control), and mineral water (negative control). The beverages were analyzed for pH, titratable acidity (TA), and buffering capacity (β). Enamel alterations were assessed using surface microhardness (SMH), while surface roughness (Sa) and enamel surface loss (SL) were measured by optical 3D profilometry. Specimens were immersed in each beverage for 120 min under controlled laboratory conditions with gentle agitation. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (α = 0.05).

Results: All RTD beverages exhibited acidic pH (2.75-3.04). Ice Smirnoff and Skol Beats Senses showed the highest TA and β values. Except for the negative control, all beverages significantly reduced SMH, increased Sa, and presented significant enamel SL (p  < 0.05). The severity of erosive changes was strongly associated with beverage composition, particularly citric acid content and β.

Conclusion: RTD alcoholic beverages demonstrated significant erosive potential, promoting enamel surface softening, increased roughness, and SL.

Background: Dental education is at the pinnacle of innovation and evolution. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have reinforced personalized dental education to learners' preferences and needs to emerge as a game changer. Conventional dental education has rigid and standardized methods of learning that are inconvenient to diverse learning preferences. With the aid of AI, the learning process can be personalized. This integrative review discusses the various AI tool driving change in dental education to provide a tailor-made learning experience for developing new knowledge that can inform practice and policy.

Methods: The search strategy involved looking for keywords, "personalized learning" OR "adaptive learning" AND "artificial intelligence" AND "dental education" across databases. The results obtained were subject to review and the various AI tools used in dental education for personalizing learning process are discussed.

Results: The keyword search across databases yielded 920 studies. After the 355 duplicates were removed 565 studies remained. The title and abstract screening were conducted; 377 studies were excluded resulting in 188 studies, 175 studies not complying with the inclusion criteria, resulting in 13 studies of which six were included as other studies did not specify on dental education, virtual simulation, augmented reality (AR) without inculcating AI technologies. The studies reviewed showed numerous tools such as virtual reality (VR) and AR being utilized for interactive and immersive engagement of learners.

Conclusion: This review highlights both the pros and cons of AI-driven personalized dental education and analyses prospects for improvement such as multistakeholder collaboration to create adaptive and student-centered learning experience. Personalized dental education driven by AI can serve as a game changer in dental education by integrating technology for enhanced learning and development of policies for proper adaptation of such systems in personalized dental education.

Introduction: Determining the finish line on the master cast is essential to create proper restoration. We aimed to compare the finish line accuracy in casts created using the conventional technique, digital technique, and an alternative approach called the double-colored die-stone (DCDS) technique.

Methods: The tooth 24 in an upper jaw typodont was prepared with a chamfer finish line. Twenty impressions were taken from the typodont and were divided into conventional (n = 10) and DCDS (n = 10). Ten digital impressions were taken using an intraoral scanner, and a 3D printer made the digital cast. We applied a single-color die-stone in the conventional method, while we used two colors of die-stone in the DCDS group. We assessed the finish lines, focusing on the area of valid distance, distance standard deviation, integrated absolute distance, and mean distance. A reference model was created to evaluate the area of valid distance across different techniques. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

Results: The area of valid distance was significantly higher in the DCDS group than in the digital group (p  < 0.001). The integrated absolute distance was notably greater in the digital group than in the conventional group (p  < 0.001). We revealed significant differences in the area of valid distance between the digital, conventional, and DCDS groups compared to the reference model (p  = 0.002, p  = 0.002, and p  = 0.011, respectively). However, the DCDS group demonstrated the closest alignment with the reference model.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the DCDS technique could offer an effective alternative to the conventional method.

Clinical significance: The current study highlights the DCDS as a reliable alternative to conventional and digital methods, exhibiting acceptable precision in replicating the finish line. This technology enhances the visualization of the finish line, improving prosthetics' fabrication process.

Background: Thermographic-infrared changes during osteotomy surgery depend on the type of motor used, size, and system of the dental implant. This study undertakes the evaluation of these thermal variations for successful optimization of dependent surgical procedures while aiming toward reduced thermal damage to the bone tissue.

Methods: An in vitro comparative study was conducted to assess the thermographic-infrared changes during surgical osteotomy influenced by the motor type, diameter, and dental implant system. The Checklist for Reporting in vitro Studies (CRIS) guidelines were adopted to report the findings. Bones with fractures, structural damage, or anomalies were omitted. The bones were stored at -20°C, then thawed, cleaned, disinfected, and calibrated. The implant motors (Coxo, W&H, Dentflex, and Baby Driller) were calibrated for equal performance. Standardized drilling procedures were followed using initial, pilot, second, and final drills. A Fluke TiS55+ thermographic camera recorded temperature changes every 10 s, being maintained at 30 cm.

Results: ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences in temperature variations between the implant systems and drill types (p = 0.001). The Coxo and Dentflex motors showed higher mean temperatures (26.57 and 27.65°C, respectively) compared to the W&H and Baby Driller (24.45 and 24.65°C, respectively). Regression analysis indicated that baseline (β = -0.67, p  < 0.01), pilot drill (β = 0.37, p  < 0.01), and second drill temperatures (β = 0.80, p  < 0.01) significantly influenced the final drilling temperature. However, the implant system (p = 0.39) was not a significant predictor of the final temperature.

Conclusion: The motor type and implant system have a major effect on the thermal changes that occur during surgical osteotomies. Clinicians should administer motor types and implant systems to minimize thermal damage to the bone; thus, the performance in dental implant surgeries can be improved. Therein, we have patient safety and longevity of dental implants.

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic immunoinflammatory disease involving various components that affect the tissues surrounding the tooth. The host immune response to the presence of periodontopathogenic microorganisms activates several cytokine systems involved in alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis; among them is the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) system, which depends on the interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 axis. There is a tendency toward increased IL-23, IL-17, and IL-17 receptor (IL-17RA) and a discrepancy in IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) in gingival tissue (GT) of patients with periodontitis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the expression of the IL-23/IL-17A axis using the western blotting (WB) technique in GT samples from patients with periodontitis.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 49 subjects: 25 healthy subjects and 24 subjects with periodontitis. GT samples were collected during periodontal surgery. WB was used to evaluate the levels of IL-23, IL-17A, IL-23R, and IL-17RA.

Results: We found a significant increase in IL-23, IL-17A, IL-23R, and IL-17RA protein levels in the periodontitis group compared with the healthy group; we also detected bands with unexpected molecular weights for both receptors. Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between IL-23 and IL-17A with both receptors, while IL-23, IL-17A, IL-23R, and IL-17RA correlated positively with two periodontal clinical parameters, namely the clinical attachment level and the percentage of radiographic bone loss (%RBL).

Conclusion: In this study, we detected overexpression of IL-23, IL-17A, and their receptors in GT of patients with periodontitis, confirming that the IL-23/IL-17A axis is involved in periodontal disease.

Introduction: Climate change has led to a growing interest in environmental sustainability in the healthcare sector, including orthodontics. This review aims to analyze and compare the environmental footprint of traditional multibracket appliances (TMAs) and clear aligners (CAs), focusing on five aspects: manufacturing process, pollution from raw materials, clinical management, and recycling potential.

Materials and methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on different databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. In addition, a manual and gray literature search was performed. Included studies were reviews, systematic reviews, epidemiological studies, or life cycle assessment (LCA) addressing environmental aspects of orthodontic materials and treatments. The articles included in the review were then divided into the following categories: manufacturing processes, environmental impact of production, clinical management, and generation of waste with recycling potential.

Results: A total of 34 studies published between 2003 and 2004, along with academic books and technical/informational sources, were analyzed. The production of TMA materials relies mainly on stainless steel (SS) and alumina, while CA uses thermoplastic polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glycol-modified PET (PET-G), and polyurethane (PU). Although SS production generates higher CO₂ emissions, it offers better recyclability. In contrast, CA materials production requires more energy and generates a larger amount of nonrecyclable plastic waste. The environmental impact is also influenced by the clinical management of these therapies, such as the time and frequency of visits.

Conclusion: Both systems contribute to environmental pollution. TMA appears more sustainable due to its recyclability and reduced waste generation. Future research should focus on improving recyclable polymers, sustainable production methods, and optimized clinical workflows.