Minerva dental and oral science最新文献

Background: In December 2019, the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China. By February 2020, the virus had spread to Europe and was subsequently transmitted worldwide. Italy was the fifth-most affected country worldwide and the fourth-most affected country in Europe. Beginning on February 23^rd, 2020, the Italian government suspended all teaching activities in schools and universities.

Methods: In 2020, an anonymous questionnaire was administered to dental hygiene students in the Emilia Romagna Region, one of the most severely affected regions in Italy. The survey evaluated the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on educational activities and training among students, as well as its emotional consequences. In 2022, the questionnaire was administered to students in the same University courses. Considering the 3-year duration of the course, some respondents to the first survey were working during the second survey, whereas others were scheduled to graduate soon. This survey evaluated the emotional impact of the pandemic on recent graduates and future dental hygienists; it also explored the potential influences of emotions, such as anxiety and anger, in the workplace.

Results: In total, 39, 48, and 41 respondents experienced quite intense/intense, moderate, or mild anger, respectively. The proportion of respondents experiencing anger increased from 46% in 2020 to 67.7% in 2022 (128 of 189). Anger and anxiety persisted at 2 years, as evidenced by responses to the second survey conducted in 2022, although the proportions differed compared with 2020.

Conclusions: Changes in anger and anxiety among students over time should be monitored. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether anger among students can be replaced by positive emotions after entry into the workforce, suggesting compensation for their efforts. If negative emotions persist, new workers may exhibit emotional responses and aggressive social behaviors.

Introduction: Conscious sedation is widely used in medicine but may cause impairment of psychomotor and cognitive function that affect some aspects of a patient's life, such as car driving. This systematic review aims to summarize available evidence (direct or indirect) on driving ability after conscious sedation.

Evidence acquisition: A comprehensive search was conducted including MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, clinicaltrials.gov and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through June 2022. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were included. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Risk of bias was appraised as reported in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Evidence synthesis: A narrative synthesis of 27 studies (962 subjects) was conducted, because the heterogeneity in terms of interventions and comparators, method and timing of assessment, and outcome measures precluded the feasibility of a meaningful meta-analysis. Conscious sedation was associated with different degrees of impairment in driving ability (real car driving, simulated driving, subjective perception), and psychomotor and cognitive functions (body sway, sleepiness, adaptive tracking, critical flicker fusion frequency, reaction/attention skills) at 0.5-10 hours after drug administration.

Conclusions: The results obtained from this review should be interpreted as a renewed recommendation to avoid driving after conscious sedation is administered. Yet it is not possible to determine when this ability is recovered, leaving this crucial and essential information to future, well-designed and reproducible research.

Background: Longevity of dental restorations (DR) in the general population is well discussed in the literature. Evaluation of survival of DR in special needs patients (SNP) is less frequently reported especially in long-term. DR in SNP patients is more challenging considering the poorer oral baseline conditions and cooperation during treatment. We provide an assessment of DR survival performed under (GA) in a cohort of uncooperative SNP over a 15-years period.

Methods: Uncooperative SNP requiring dental treatments under GA in our institution during 2018 were collected. Patients who were treated with multiple GA sessions were selected to allow analysis of DR survival (DR performed between 2002-2017). Presence and clinical functionality of DR was assessed during subsequent follow-up visits or GA interventions. DR were considered successful since they were associated with an event (replacement, tooth loss, endodontic treatment). Median survival time (MST) of DR and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were retrieved with Kaplan Meier estimator. Random effect model assessed inter-patient variability.

Results: Survival of 232 dental restorations in 59 patients was assessed. MST was 9 years (IC 8-10) Most relevant steps in survival analysis were seen after 2 and 11 years from last procedure. No considerable variability was observed in our population.

Conclusions: MST of dental restorations performed under GA our cohort resemble previous findings regarding routine conservative treatment in the general population. Lack of variability in our analysis suggest that MST seems not influenced by individual characteristics of patients. Our findings support tooth restoration as a reliable treatment modality in SNP treated under GA in accordance with available literature.

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a revolutionary technology with diverse applications across various domains, orthodontics included. This review article explores the widespread applications of AI in orthodontics and discusses the advantages and potential implications of AI in this specialized domain. The use of AI algorithms and machine learning techniques has shown promise in enhancing orthodontic diagnosis, automating cephalometric tracing, estimating growth and development, assessing facial proportions, aiding in orthodontic treatment planning, guiding decisions on orthognathic surgery, and facilitating image segmentation and landmark identification. By leveraging AI technologies, orthodontists can improve efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making in patient care.

Evidence acquisition: To assess the available literature on the subject, selective database searches were done up until September 2023. With the assistance of a health-sciences librarian, a search strategy that utilized all discovered key words and free-standing terms was developed. Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were the databases used.

Evidence synthesis: Following a thorough analysis of the complete texts of those papers, 30 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion in the review.

Conclusions: The review highlights the need for standardized assessment methods and the integration of AI into orthodontic research to further enhance clinical examinations and uncover new insights. Future directions may involve developing cloud-based platforms for data integration and sharing, leveraging large datasets for improved predictive results, and expanding AI applications in orthodontic research. Overall, AI holds significant potential in transforming orthodontic practice and improving patient outcomes.

Background: One-piece ceramic implants have accurate clinical indications and require a careful surgical-prosthetic protocol to obtain a successful aesthetic and functional rehabilitation. The aim of this article is to evaluate a case of two one-piece yttrium-stabilized zirconia implants positioned in the aesthetic area of the upper jaw with a follow-up of 16 years.

Methods: A female patient was referred to our observation for a partial implant-prosthetic rehabilitation in the esthetic area of the upper jaw. An orthopantomography was taken for an accurate pre-surgical evaluation. Additionally, a surgical guide was performed to correctly guide the preparation of the implant sites with two WhiteSky ceramic implants located (WhiteSky, Bredent, Germany). A week following the surgical guide, a provisional prosthesis was placed. Subsequent six months later, a definitive prosthesis was cemented. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed for sixteen years to determine peri-implant tissue health.

Results: The implant-prosthetic rehabilitation demonstrates excellent aesthetic and functional outcomes according to the PES and WES index. Following sixteen years of clinical reviews, both the ceramic implants appear clinically in sound health, and alveolar bone involvement radiographically appreciable.

Conclusions: Zirconia implants appear to give excellent clinical and radiographically results long term with both alveolar bone and gingival tissues stability in the aesthetic area.

Chronic periodontitis is a prevalent inflammatory condition that affects both the oral health and systemic well-being of individuals, particularly those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Accurate diagnosis and evaluation of periodontal status are crucial for effective management of the disease. This narrative review aimed to compare the diagnostic and evaluative capabilities of conventional periodontal probing and salivary biomarkers in chronic periodontitis among individuals with T2DM. The available literature highlights the clinical utility of conventional periodontal probing as the gold standard for periodontal diagnosis and evaluation. It enables the assessment of clinical parameters such as probing depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing, providing valuable information about the severity and extent of periodontal disease. However, this approach has limitations, including its invasive nature, potential for examiner bias, and limited ability to detect early stages of periodontitis. In recent years, salivary biomarkers have emerged as promising diagnostic tools for periodontal diseases. Various biomarkers, such as inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and host-derived enzymes, have shown potential in differentiating periodontal health from disease and assessing disease activity. Salivary biomarker analysis offers advantages such as non-invasiveness, ease of collection, and the potential for chair-side testing. However, standardization of collection protocols, biomarker panels, and interpretation criteria remain a challenge. This narrative review provides an overview of the strengths and limitations of conventional periodontal probing and salivary biomarkers in the diagnosis and evaluation of chronic periodontitis in individuals with T2DM. Both approaches have their unique advantages and contribute valuable information in clinical practice. Combining conventional periodontal probing with salivary biomarker analysis holds promise for enhancing the accuracy and precision of periodontal disease diagnosis and monitoring in individuals with T2DM.

Background: Caries weakens and destroys the hard structures of the tooth, affecting up to 90% of the population and which manifests itself very early. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH variation by taking coffee and coffee with or without sugar having performed or not the usual home oral hygiene.

Methods: Fourteen adult volunteers in good oral health and no history of any type of systemic disease, with PSR2 and DMFT = 0. The oral pH was measured for a total duration of 40 minutes with the aid of a pH Day2^® pH meter. In all, 56 surveys were carried out on the 14 volunteers. Five minutes after the base pH procedure, the subject was given an espresso (Nescafè Dolce Gusto, Espresso Intenso, Nestlè, S.A Vevey), with or without sucrose, and the pH measurements continued for another 35 minutes; at the end of which the instrument was turned off, and the instrument data was downloaded to the PC. The volunteers were asked to suspend their routine oral hygiene from the evening before both for the administration of coffee without sucrose and for the administration of coffee with sucrose. In the other two surveys, they were asked to carry out their routine oral hygiene in the case coffee with sugar or without sugar.

Results: In all the subjects there was a clear reduction in salivary pH about four minutes after finishing the coffee. Subsequently, in those who had taken coffee without sucrose there was an immediate rise in salivary pH; on the other hand, those who had taken coffee with sugar.

Conclusions: This study shows that in order to maintain a basic pH of the oral cavity it is advisable to drink coffee without sugar, and carrying out proper oral hygiene correctly.

Background: The aim of this study was to check the reliability of different antero-posterior skeletal discrepancy indicators and to compare and correlate various craniofacial measurements taken from cephalometric radiographs, to check the reliability of the linear and angular geometric measurements in clinical diagnosis.

Methods: A sample of 60 pretreatment lateral cephalographs were taken. Eighteen cephalometric landmarks were marked and considered for the cephalometric measurements; 5 reference planes were considered; 9 linear measurements and 11 angular measurements were taken into consideration to check the reliability.

Results: Mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values were calculated for all the parameters, for all 60 samples. Based on the results of the χ² test, Pi linear, AXD angle, Yen angle and Beta angle were significant at P<0.05. Pearsons correlation analysis yielded that Pi linear was negatively correlated with maxilla-mandibular differential. Yen, Beta, HBN and W angles were positively correlated with each other.

Conclusions: The reliable parameters found in this study were Pi linear, YEN angle, Beta angle and AXD angle for clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. In conclusion we found that utilization of at least a combination of two or more parameters for the diagnosis and treatment plan should be done in order to be able to yield accurate diagnosis and results.

Alginates are widely used in dentistry for various applications due to their favorable properties, including ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and patient comfort. They are commonly employed for preliminary impressions of oral structures in dental practice. This study aims to assess the impact of different factors on the performance of alginate impression materials in dentistry. The mixing process of alginate involves combining the powder with water, and the technique employed for mixing can significantly affect the quality and porosity of the resulting material. The study employed a comprehensive search strategy using electronic databases and manual searches to gather relevant studies published in English. The results indicated that the amount of water used for mixing and the presence of calcium ions could affect the setting time, hardness, and elasticity of alginate impressions. Proper water-powder ratio and manipulation instructions are crucial in minimizing distortion in the resulting casts. Disinfectants like chlorhexidine can effectively reduce microorganism percentages on the impression surface without compromising quality. Various mixing techniques were evaluated, including manual spatulation, automated spinning bowl, centrifugal mixer, and vacuum mixer. Centrifugal and vacuum mixing showed better surface and internal porosity results-mechanical mixing techniques, such as vacuum mixers, improved performance.

Background: Understanding healing of the alveolar process is crucial for immediate implant, alveolar ridge preservation and guided bone regeneration procedures, and to evaluate it several different scales have been proposed; however, all have different characteristics and seem to miss a standardization allowing for an objective and dichotomous evaluation of the different aspects of wound healing. The objective of the present study is to propose and apply, in real clinical scenarios, a novel index for the objective evaluation of wound healing following erupted tooth extraction.

Methods: Healthy patients in need of a single tooth extraction were enrolled and re-examined at 7, 14 and 21 days after the extraction using the novel index proposed. For each follow-up, a score ranging from 0 to 10 based on dichotomous factors (0-1) was obtained.

Results: Ten patients were enrolled in the study, 7 females and 3 males; the scores obtained at 21 days were coherent with the clinical appearance of the wound, and an excellent wound healing was obtained for everyone, except for two patients.

Conclusions: The proposed scale seems to accurately indicate the actual clinical status of the post-extraction wound and provide useful information on overall wound healing. Further validation of the scale is needed in future studies.