BDJ Open最新文献

Aim: This prospective controlled clinical study aimed at evaluating the performance of 5.5 mm-long implants to support two-unit fixed prosthesis in the posterior regions of the mandible and the maxilla.

Materials and methods: A total of 44 patients (30 females and 14 males) were included and received 51 test implants (5.5 mm in length) and 51 control implants (≥6.5 mm in length) to support two-unit fixed partial prosthesis in the mandible and the maxilla. Intermediate abutment was used in all cases. The patients were followed for 12 months. Changes in the marginal bone loss, implant survival, and prosthetic complications were compared between the two groups.

Results: The patient's mean age was 64 years (range: 42-48 years). All the implants in the test group were placed at the molars site compared to 26 implants in the control group (p < 0.001). Bone type (p = 0.224) and insertion torque (p = 0.671) were similar between the groups. None of the implants failed. The changes in marginal bone level at mesial (median: 0.3 mm; range: -1.3 to 2.9 mm for control, and 0.2 mm; -0.7 to 1.6 mm for test; p = 0.138) and at distal (median: 0.3 mm; range: -1.3 to 1.5 mm for control, and 0.2 mm; -1.2 to 1.4 mm for test; p = 0.0633) were similar between the study groups. The prostheses were free of technical complications.

Conclusions: This prospective controlled clinical study supports the use of 5.5-mm long implants in the context of fixed partial prosthesis and posterior regions. No statistically significant differences have been observed in marginal bone stability, implant survival and prosthetic complications compared to longer implants. Within the limits of this study, 5.5 mm implants appear to be a predictable option for fixed posterior partial dentures.

Aim: To examine the opportunities and limitations for dental hygienists and therapists (DCPs) delivering periodontal care in primary care settings.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among primary care dental providers in the South West of England following University of Bristol ethical approval (number 15281). The survey assessed the current providers' views on utilization of DCPs, including availability, their practice, direct access and provider perspectives on referrals and remuneration.

Results: Thirty-one providers participated, with 30(97%) offering both NHS and private services and 1(3%) private only. Twenty-eight providers (90%) employed a DCP, primarily a hygienist (n = 23,82%). While all providers referred patients to DCPs, 18 (64%) referred only for private care. Three (11%) provided NHS direct access, compared to 18 (64%) for private, citing financial and workload barriers. Remuneration methods varied, with percentage split (n = 16,57%) being most common. Over half of the respondents (n = 18,58%) felt NHS use of DCPs was unfeasible, and 21(68%) doubted that NHS contract reforms would improve DCP employment opportunities.

Conclusion: Current NHS contracts may not sufficiently support DCP involvement in NHS periodontal care, indicating the need for contract reform to facilitate their broader use.

Aim: This hygienic study assesses the microbial contamination of objects commonly used in a clinic during routine endodontic procedures.

Methods: Samples were collected from clinical surfaces and instruments. Microbial colonies were cultured on agar, enumerated, and identified phenotypically, including assessment of antibiotic resistance.

Results and conclusions: Findings revealed that the majority of objects in routine endodontic practice are predominantly contaminated by skin-derived Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus, which frequently exhibit antibiotic resistance, whilst Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is also a frequent contaminant, particularly in DUWL. Other items, including rubber dam sheets, gloves, paper points, and paper mixing pads, showed detectable microbial contamination. These results highlight the presence of potentially nosocomial microorganisms on routine endodontic surfaces, emphasising the importance of appropriate hygiene measures in endodontic practice.

Objective: Myofascial pain of masticatory muscles or jaw muscle pain, a common component of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) often comes with substantial burden and high healthcare expenses. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of yoga in students experiencing myofascial pain.

Methods: Prospective participants were identified through jaw health screening. 25 students diagnosed with myofascial pain (Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs) volunteered for this randomized controlled study. Participants were randomized to one of two interventions for 28 days: either a yoga-inclusive management programme or an active control standard care. The clinical assessors were unaware of the assigned intervention. The primary outcomes were feasibility (adherence) and acceptability (perceived helpfulness and willingness to continue). Secondary exploratory outcomes included pain intensity and distribution, jaw function, oral health-related quality of life, psychosocial measures, and clinician-assessed palpation tenderness.

Results: 18 (8 yoga; 10 controls) participants completed the study. Adherence was significantly higher in the yoga group (85%) compared with controls (68%, p = 0.048). Yoga participants rated greater perceived benefit (mean 6.3 vs 3.0, p = 0.030) and all expressed willingness to continue beyond the study (vs 50% of controls). Exploratory analyses suggested within-group improvements in pain distribution, jaw function, and pain catastrophizing in the yoga group, though between-group differences in clinical outcomes were not significant.

Conclusion: This study provides valuable preliminary insights into intervention's implementation and offers a foundation for future trials.

Clinical trial registration: This study was retrospectively registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( https://www.anzctr.org.au/ ) (Trial Id: ACTRN12623000069651).

Introduction: The refrigeration of dental adhesives is a routine practice, often adopted without thorough understanding or consideration of its scientific basis and potential clinical consequences. This review explores the effects of refrigeration and subsequent immediate use on the bonding effectiveness of dental adhesive systems. Given the ongoing debate in the literature about how storage temperature influences adhesive characteristics such as viscosity, degree of conversion, and bond strength, this work synthesizes findings from both supportive and contradictory studies to inform clearer clinical guidance.

Methods: Relevant literature was identified through a comprehensive search of key databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, focusing primarily on in-vitro studies that investigated the effect of refrigeration on the bond strength and bonding-related kinetics of various adhesive systems: etch-and-rinse, self-etch, and universal adhesives.

Results: The collected data suggest that immediate use of adhesives post-refrigeration may induce material-dependent adverse changes in viscosity, solvent evaporation, and polymerization kinetics. These changes have primarily been linked to various factors that appear to critically mediate the influence of low temperature, including adhesive composition and solvent type. Although some studies have supported these findings, the anticipated deleterious effects could not be definitively confirmed, as several other investigations have reported negligible or no effects at all across different adhesive systems.

Conclusions: The heterogeneity of findings indicates that no conclusive agreement has been established regarding the actual risks associated with refrigerating dental adhesives. Nonetheless, the absence of evidence supporting any benefit from immediate post-refrigeration use suggests that allowing adhesives to reach room temperature before use remains a cautious and prudent approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of maxillary incisor inclination on the aesthetic perception of the smiling profile in different facial divergences.

Materials and methods: A smiling profile photograph of a young woman was digitally altered to obtain three image series with different facial divergences. In each series, the inclination of the incisor teeth was changed in 5° intervals within a range of -15° to +15°. The 21 final images were submitted to 45 orthodontists and 45 laypeople to be rated based on the visual analogue scale.

Statistical analysis: The data were analysed with the independent t-test, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results: The most attractive images for orthodontists were -5° in posterior divergence, 0° in neutral divergence and +10° in anterior divergence. While for laypeople, they were -10° in posterior divergence, 0° in neutral divergence and +5° in anterior divergence. In the posterior and anterior divergent faces, laypeople preferred more negative inclinations compared to orthodontists, but in all three faces, both groups chose the same inclinations as the most unattractive.

Conclusions: A harmony between the inclination of the maxillary incisor teeth and facial divergence leads to more aesthetic outcomes in such a way that in posterior divergence faces, negative inclinations, in anterior divergence faces, positive inclinations and in neutral divergence faces, incisors without inclination seemed to be more attractive. Also, laypeople tended to prefer more retroclined incisors than orthodontists.

Background and aim: Metabolic health is closely related to periodontal health. Obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus are bidirectionally associated with periodontitis. The triglycerides-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (Ty/HDLc ratio) has emerged as a novel biomarker that can predict the risk of several chronic metabolic diseases. We conducted this systematic review to consolidate the available evidence regarding the association between the Ty/HDLc ratio and periodontitis.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies that assessed the Ty/HDLc ratio and its association with periodontitis till May 2025. No date or language restrictions were applied. We included all observational studies in adults and adolescents and excluded interventional studies, case reports, and animal studies. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist.

Results: Systematic screening of the search results yielded 7 studies that met our eligibility criteria. Sample sizes varied from 69 to 13,584 individuals aged 17 to 53 years across diverse population groups from Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan. All included studies were rated as having a low risk of bias. Despite demographic differences, all studies found a consistent positive association between the Ty/HDLc ratio and periodontitis prevalence and/or severity.

Conclusion: The findings of this review suggest that the serum Ty/HDLc ratio is positively associated with periodontitis prevalence and could be a promising biomarker that is simple, practical, cost-effective, routinely measured, and easily calculable, and holds the potential to be an indirect risk marker for periodontitis. Future research should focus on establishing the temporal relationship and establishing a definitive, gender-specific cut-off for periodontal risk assessment.

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disorder with a complex etiology and potential for malignant transformation, posing substantial challenges for clinical diagnosis and management. Conventional diagnostic approaches often depend on clinical experience and subjective assessment, which limits their accuracy and efficiency. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have introduced novel paradigms for investigating OLP characteristics. This review examines current applications, progress, challenges, and future directions of AI in OLP diagnosis and classification, prediction of disease progression and prognosis, and analysis of molecular features. Through a critical evaluation of existing research, AI demonstrates considerable potential to improve diagnostic objectivity, accelerate clinical decision-making, and reveal underlying disease mechanisms, thereby supporting the development of precision medicine for OLP.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of dental caries and its association with Body Mass Index (BMI) among Syrian schoolchildren aged 6-9 years in Damascus.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 462 schoolchildren selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire and clinical examinations based on WHO criteria. BMI was assessed according to standard protocols. Associations between dental caries and sociodemographic, dietary, oral hygiene factors, and BMI were analyzed using SPSS v25, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.

Results: The prevalence of dental caries was 85.5%, with no significant differences by gender or age. Caries was significantly more frequent among children in public schools (87.7%; P = 0.042) and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds (95.7%; P < 0.001). Irregular fruit and vegetable intake and higher sugar consumption were associated with increased caries risk. BMI also showed a significant association with caries (P < 0.001), with overweight children exhibiting the highest prevalence (97.1%), although multivariable logistic regression confirmed BMI as an independent predictor with no difference between obese children and other classifications.

Conclusion: Dental caries is highly prevalent among Syrian children aged 6-9 years and shows significant associations with socioeconomic disadvantage, unhealthy dietary habits, poor oral hygiene, and increased BMI. Nevertheless, due to the cross-sectional design of the study, these associations do not establish a causal relationship between BMI and dental caries. Despite this limitation, the findings underscore the urgent need for integrated public health strategies to address both oral health and childhood obesity.