Minerva dental and oral science最新文献

The aim of this study was to analyze clinical strategies supported by validated references during two of the most frequent dental emergencies (i.e. restorative and endodontic treatment) in the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of an emergency in the health system worldwide and a potentially fatal disease. Person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosol and droplets led to extensive preventive measures to contain COVID-19 outbreak. Dental care providers have been exposed to a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, due to the face-to-face communication and the exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids during routine interventions; this can also contribute to a high risk for cross-infection, even though dentist usually cope with those situations in everyday practice. Restorative and endodontic emergencies represented a high proportion of dental emergencies, with prolonged exposure time for dentists/endodontists in contact with suspected or confirmed infected patients. Lack of knowledge and undefined progression controlled the decision-making in clinical dentistry. The dynamicity of the situation determined change of views and recommendations in dental setting. The implementation of strict restorative and endodontics protocols are aimed at preventing circumstances similar to those observed with COVID-19.

Background: All dental implants must be placed following radiological, clinical and aesthetic indications in compliance with prosthetic principles avoiding iatrogenic damage to patients. In implantology, among the key choices, to obtain predictable results, it is essential to establish (by cone beam computed tomography [CBCT]) the sites where to insert the implants; these sites must be identified, during the surgical phase, in the oral cavity. Surgical guides represent a valid aid especially in complex cases that require multiple implants. For some clinical conditions, expert operators choose the free hand technique during which identifying the chosen implant sites on CBCT in the oral cavity is more difficult.

Methods: This experimental study is based on the use of thermo-molded mask as an alternative to surgical guides when the freehand technique is adopted in totally edentulous patients. These innovative masks, containing radiopaque references, are initially worn by patients during the execution of the CBCT, and later during surgery to identify the implant sites in the oral cavity.

Results: The procedure described proved to be very useful and able to increase the precision of the freehand technique even if it does not provide information on the inclination of the implants. The metal references help clinical identification of the implant site.

Conclusions: Our thermo-molded masks, in particular clinical conditions, could represent a valid and economical alternative to the classic surgical guide. The described procedure does not increase costs for the patient and significantly increases the precision in inserting the implants during free-hand techniques.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignant tumor, which has poor prognosis. The traditional investigative modality is invasive biopsy which is the gold standard for diagnosis. In recent years, alternative methods like non-invasive biomarkers have been studied for their potential role in early diagnosis and prognosis. Among them, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression in various diseases, including OSCC. Several miRNAs are being researched as non-invasive biomarkers as well as novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of OSCC. MiR expression can be upregulated or downregulated in OSCC. Among the reported miRNAs, miR-1285 is an important miRNA found to be involved in OSCC. The aim of the current study was to quantify the levels of miR-1285 in OSCC samples and to validate their potential role as biomarkers for OSCC detection.

Methods: Sixteen samples of cancer tissue and normal tissue were evaluated from a total of 25 patients, in the study, conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The tissues were processed for H&E staining and gene expression analysis of miR-1285. The samples were collected after proper informed consent from the patients. Total RNA isolated was reverse transcribed into cDNA which was used in the gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR.

Results: The histopathological examination confirmed the OSCC cases and the gene expression analysis revealed that miR-1285 was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues. Since miR-1285 showed significant difference between the OSCC and normal tissues it could be postulated as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for OSCC.

Conclusions: Further in-vitro and in-vivo studies could validate their functional role in OSCC.

Background: The most frequent head and neck cancer is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the common histological cancer of the oral cavity and is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer globally. It has been known that there are several biomarkers and therapeutic targets that have been discovered for OSCC, but none of them were effective against the progression of OSCC. Interestingly, small non-coding RNAs termed microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate cellular activity by targeting numerous signaling pathways or genes that either promote or repress the progression of diseases. Surprisingly, among the differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-34a was identified to be highly sensitive and specific to OSCC and widely studied for its role in various cancers, including OSCC.

Methods: The secondary structure of miR-34a-3p was analyzed using bioinformatic analysis and its targets were screened using the TargetScan database. Specimens of 25 OSCC cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals. The tissues were processed for H&E staining and gene expression analysis of miR-34a-3p and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α).

Results: The minimum free energy for miR-34a-3p was found to be -47.20 kCal which proved the stability of the miRNA. The histopathological examination confirmed the OSCC cases and the gene expression analysis revealed that miR-34a-3p was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues, whereas TNF-α showed vice versa expression.

Conclusions: miR-34a-3p could be postulated as a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate oral mucosal changes in patients with confirmed moderate-scale severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods: We analyzed 85 COVID-19 patients (50 males, 35 females) with an average age of 53.6 years, treated at the prehospital infectious disease center and Aldent University Clinic in Tirana, Albania, from May 2021 to June 2022.

Results: Elevated C-reactive protein levels were observed in 82 patients (±44.20), with 20 patients showing significant fibrinogen increase (mean ± 5.85 g/L), and 22 patients having elevated D-Dimer (mean ± 336.6 mg/mL). Despite the absence of anticoagulant history, 13 patients exhibited bleeding. Xerodermia, xerostomia, and angular cheilitis were noted, with 41 patients displaying angular cheilitis. In 82 patients, oral mucosal and tongue examinations revealed color changes from white to bright yellow, with brown edema. Pigmentation in the fixed gingiva of upper and lower front teeth was observed in 35 patients.

Conclusions: Oral mucosal changes during COVID-19 appear more influenced by drug treatment and disease progression than the infection itself, suggesting that secondary factors play a significant role. Despite the oral cavity's potential for viral entry, these changes seem connected to other underlying causes.

Background: Osseointegrated implant placement in the ideal prosthetic position necessitates a sufficient residual alveolar ridge. Tooth extraction and the subsequent healing process often lead to bony deformities, characterized by a reduction in alveolar ridge height and width, resulting in unfavorable ridge architecture for dental implant placement. Several materials, including allografts, alloplastics, xenografts, and autogenous bone, are commonly used to address these concerns. In this context, leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) emerges as a promising solution.

Methods: This case report aims to compare the clinical and histological efficacy of bovine hydroxyapatite bone graft covered with polypropylene membrane (BHAG-PM) and leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) in preserving dental alveoli following tooth extraction. Extraction, graft placement in the alveoli, and the anterior border between extracted elements were performed for both treatment groups.

Results: Up to 24 months of follow-up revealed satisfactory and comparable clinical and histological outcomes. These results suggest that both BHAG-PM and L-PRF effectively promote alveolar preservation, paving the way for ideal implant placement.

Conclusions: In general, bone-substitute materials are effective in reducing alveolar changes after tooth extraction. Xenograft materials should be considered as among the best of the available grafting materials for alveolar preservation after tooth extraction. Both techniques effectively preserve the alveolar bone and facilitate the placement of osseointegrated implants in ideal positions, paving the way for successful oral rehabilitation.

Background: Dental implant loss is the worst problem. Today, implant failure is precisely characterized, however the underlying reasons vary by instance. Multiple implant failures indicate genetic risk factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 80 subjects (15 peri-implantitis patients, 35 successful implants and 30 healthy controls); their mean age was 44.22±10.936 years). Blood samples and peri-implant sulcular fluid (PISF) were collected from all subjects (patients with peri-implantitits, successful implants and healthy controls) attending the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the Dental College Teaching Hospital/Baghdad University, and Shahid Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital/Medical City Baghdad, Iraq. The blood sample is used for the detection of gene polymorphism of Interleukin-10 conducted by a polymerase chain reaction. While the PISF is used to measure IL-10 level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: In the peri-implantitis group, CC genotypes had higher PISF for IL-10 than TC and TT genotypes (P<0.05). IL-10 genetic polymorphism indicated an odds ratio of genotype related to peri-implantitis, with the C/C genotype having a 0.4-fold greater risk (P=0.0035). In the peri-implantitis group, the T/C genotype had a 1.3-fold greater risk (P<0.05) and the T/T genotype had a one-fold increased risk.

Conclusions: The polymorphisms of IL-10 rs1800896 evaluated were not predictive of the failure of dental implants. However, a significant association between peri-implant disease and IL-10 level could be observed.

Introduction: Analyzing highly-cited articles can provide a retrospective assessment of research evolution and predict future developments. The aim of this study was to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited articles in dentistry by authors with an Italian affiliation.

Evidence acquisition: All the articles published in journals indexed under the Scopus category "Dentistry" and with at least one author affiliated to any Italian institution were searched in September 2022. The 100 most-cited articles were selected and relevant data were extracted and summarized. The analysis of co-authorship at country level and co-occurrence of keywords was carried out.

Evidence synthesis: The 100 most-cited articles were published between 1976 and 2020. The number of citations ranged from 235 to 1683, with a mean of 361. The series included 25 citation classics (>400 citations). The majority of articles were classified as expert opinion/narrative reviews (N.=47). Almost half of the articles refer to three predominant disciplines which were implantology, periodontology and restorative dentistry. Only two articles were single-authored. In 30 articles, all the authors had an Italian affiliation and the US was the most frequent country for non-Italian authors. Only one article was published in journals owned by a non-Italian publisher.

Conclusions: The present series of highly-cited articles confirms the important role of Italy in dental research. We found an absence of correlation between the level of evidence and the number of citations and a non-homogeneous distribution of highly-cited papers in the different dental disciplines. The majority of articles included in the series shared international co-authorship and were published in high-impact journals.

Introduction: The aim of this article is to summarize, compare, and assess possible association in individuals with or without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for periodontitis.

Evidence acquisition: Three study repositories were searched for quantitative studies examining the relationship between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis between 2000 and December 2022. Quality was evaluated using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). The standardized mean difference (SMD), with a random effect model and a P value of 0.05 as the significance level, was utilized as a summary statistic measure.

Evidence synthesis: Fourteen papers were included in the descriptive synthesis. Thirteen were qualified for meta-analysis. Our findings suggest a link between the two conditions in terms of clinical attachment levels (CAL), tooth loss, Plaque Index, and probing depth. The estimated SMD for CAL was found to be 0.68 (95% CI: 0.15-1.21) (P<0.01). For tooth loss, the forest plot analysis revealed an SMD of 1.62 (95% CI: 0.48-2.76) (P=0.005). Similarly, for pocket depth, the SMD was 0.53; CI: 0.07-0.99 (P>0.05). The pooled estimates for plaque index were 0.29; CI: 0.03-0.61 (P>0.05). The funnel plot showed a symmetric distribution with the absence of systematic heterogeneity.

Conclusions: Although our data suggest a link between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis, larger population-based investigations are needed to validate this connection. Case-control studies must pave the way to more rigorous investigations with well-defined populations and clinical outcomes as primary outcome measures.

Background: The retromolar canal (RMC) is an anatomical structure of the mandibular bone located distal to the last molar. The frequency of anatomical variation in human anatomy is approximately 30-35%. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of the retromolar canal in a population subjected to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods: The radiographic images belonged to 200 patients (100 males and 100 females; older than 13 years old) were examined following a strict protocol. Four hundred hemi-mandibles of 100 male and 100 female patients were examined between 2019 and 2022.

Results: The collected data showed 136 patients presented the RMC, bilateral in 72 cases (68%) and unilateral in the other 64 cases (32%). Gender variation did not yield statistically significant differences, with 76 male (56%) and 60 female (44%) patients affected (P>0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed for side predilection, with unilateral RMC more prevalent on the right side in 24 cases (37.5%) and on the left side in 40 cases (62.5%) (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Based on the results obtained and other anatomical considerations, this study proposes a new classification for RMC.