Swiss dental journal最新文献

Segmental Odontomaxillary Dysplasia (SOD) is a rare, non-hereditary developmental disorder affecting one side of the maxilla, impacting hard and soft tissue as well as dentition in the affected area. The condition is often associated with enlargement of soft and hard tissue on the affected area and dental anomalies, with occasional cutaneous manifestation. SOD is a non-progressive developmental disorder. Annual clinical and radiological follow-ups are recommended to monitor dentoalveolar development. Orthodontic treatments and dentoalveolar interventions are considered successful treatment options. We present the case of a patient suffering from SOD and discuss the dentist's role in early detection and the importance of the follow-up care of affected patients.

This case report describes an autologous tooth transplantation from tooth 38 to tooth 36 associated with atypical displacement of teeth 36 and 37. It demonstrates the osteogenic potential of desmodontal cells in tooth transplantation. The pronounced bone defect in region 36/37 after removal of 36 and the cranially located 37 was completely filled by transplantation of the tooth germ 38 in combination with subsequent orthodontic alignment over the course of 8 months through complete regeneration of the alveolar process. The case shows that tooth autotransplantation and subsequent orthodontic fine adjustment can result in significant regeneration of locally missing alveolar bone.

In view of the increasing prevalence of dental erosion and erosive tooth wear, preventive approaches are in-creasingly becoming the focus of interest. A proven way to reduce the erosive potential of food and drinks is add-ing calcium. However, whole meals and the taste of calcium-enriched drinks have not been studied. This study aimed to create erosion-protective recipes for food and beverages. In part 1, erosive meals were modified with calcium-rich ingredients. In part 2, varying amounts of CaCl₂ were added to acidic drinks. A sensory panel assessed flavour. Caries-free human teeth served as enamel test speci-mens. After a 2-hour saliva immersion to form a pellicle, the specimens were exposed to the test solution (food blended, drinks mixed with CaCl₂) under constant agitation. After 2 minutes, Vickers hardness was measured. Calcium-rich food ingredients significantly reduced enamel softening. The addition of CaCl₂ to drinks showed mixed results - ineffective in Coca-Cola, most effective in orange juice. Some drinks tasted saltier or bitter. The modified recipes offer erosion protection and may help patients to change their diet without losing enjoyment. Overall, the study highlights the link between dentistry and nutrition and encourages collaboration.

This pilot study investigates the morphological changes and end-rounding quality of polyamide 6.12 (PA 6.12) toothbrush filaments over six months of regular use. Ten adult participants (N=10) used standardized manual toothbrushes twice a day, and filament tips were sampled at four intervals: baseline, 90, 180, and 360 brushing cycles. Using 360° rotational microscopy, the study assessed filament geometry and surface residues. Results showed a decline in acceptably rounded filaments decreased from 64% at baseline to 29% after 360 cycles, whereas surface residues decreased significantly from 87% in the unused state to 17% and 18% after 180 and 360 brushing cycles. Rotational analysis revealed asymmetrical wear and angle dependent damage, often missed by static imaging. These findings suggest that residues on new toothbrushes may originate from manufacturing processes or micro-plastic contamination, highlighting the importance of rinsing new brushes before use. The study demonstrates that longitudinal in vivo evaluation with 360° microscopy enables precise assessment of surface residues and tip rounding quality under real-world brushing conditions.

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used in clinical and educational settings. However, there is a paucity of data on LLMs' performance in specialized dental domains. This study assessed the performance of four LLMs, including two general-purpose models, ChatGPT-4o and DeepSeek-R1, and two research-focused models, Consensus and Perplexity, using a validated set of 50 multiple-choice questions in periodontology. Each LLM completed five independent trials encompassing the full question set under both primed and non-primed conditions. A validated answer key served as the benchmark. Performance was analyzed using one-way and two-way analysis of variance and independent-samples t-tests, with additional item-level analyses to identify questions that were consistently difficult. Overall accuracy across all models and trials was 65.0% (95% confidence interval: 63.4-66.6%) with a standard deviation of 3.0. There were no significant differences between models (p = 0.336). Role-specific priming, in which models were instructed to respond as board-certified periodontists, did not improve performance (p = 0.836). At the item level, four questions were never answered correctly, and several others were answered correctly in fewer than 13% of trials. These difficult items generally required detailed procedural knowledge, rare factual recall, or application of classification frameworks. Overall, these findings suggest that current LLMs demonstrate moderate domain knowledge in periodontology but fall short of the reliability required for unsupervised clinical decision support.

Traumatic and reactive lesions of the oral mucosa, caused unintentionally by mechanical, thermal, or chemical irritation, may develop either acutely or chronically. In most cases, traumatic ulcerations heal within two weeks once the causative irritant is removed. However, persistent irritation can lead to chronic hyperkeratosis or mimic oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), OPMDs such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, and oral submucous fibrosis carry an increased risk of malignant transformation into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinically, reactive and potentially malignant lesions often present with overlapping features, rendering biopsy with histopathological evaluation essential for accurate diagnosis. This article presents two clinical cases that were initially misdiagnosed as lesions resulting from chronic mechanical trauma (CMT). Histopathological examination revealed high-grade epithelial dysplasia (carcinoma in situ) in one patient and a moderately differentiated OSCC in the other. These cases highlight the importance of a structured diagnostic approach—including removal of mechanical irritants, histopathological assessment, and regular clinical follow-up—to ensure early detection and appropriate management of suspicious lesions of the oral mucosa.

Social inequalities are strongly associated with disparities in oral health, particularly in the development of childhood caries. This 4-year cohort study analyzed the impact of socioeconomic status (SES)- defined on the basis of the health insurance type- on the prevalence, treatment, and recurrence of dental caries in children. A total of 198 children (21 with social insurance, 177 with private insurance) were included. Caries prevalence at baseline was significantly higher in children with social insurance (95 % with >4 caries) compared to those with private insurance (29 % with >4 caries). No children with social insurance were caries-free, whereas 35 % of those with private insurance were caries-free. Pulpotomy and extraction needs were higher in the socially insured group, with 43 % requiring pulpotomies and 62 % requiring extractions, compared to 12 % and 10 %, respectively, in the privately insured group. General anesthesia (GA) use was more frequent in the socially insured group (72 % vs. 13 %), especially among younger children (100 % of 2-4 years old vs. 25 % in the private insurance group). In contrast, conventional anesthesia was more frequently used in the private insurance group (31 % vs. 14 %). Recall appointments were less frequent in the socially insured group, with 24% having no follow-up, compared to 12 % in the privately insured group. Caries recurrence was higher in the socially insured group (62 % had >3 new carious lesions) compared to the privately insured group, where 38 % of children had no new caries at follow-up. These findings highlight the impact of SES on caries burden, treatment modalities, and the importance of preventive measures for disadvantaged groups.

Post-endodontic treatment preferences can be influenced by educational, healthcare, financial, and historical factors. This study aimed to compare the post-endodontic treatment choices – particularly post and single-crown placement – of dentists in Germany and Switzerland. From August to November 2023, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 334 Swiss and 570 German dentists. A total of 50 Swiss dentists (response rate: 15.0%) and 60 German dentists (response rate: 10.5%) completed the survey. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and data presented as percentages. German dentists reported placing posts in 5–20% of endodontically treated teeth, whereas most Swiss dentists did so in less than 5%. Swiss dentists (58%) tended to place posts in teeth with 0–40% remaining tooth structure, while German dentists (60%) began at 40–70%. Regarding post-endodontic restorations, the majority of German dentists (67%) preferred single crowns, whereas most Swiss dentists (68%) favored composite-resin fillings and maintained even teeth with severely reduced coronal hard tissue. These trends were further supported by responses to various clinical case scenarios.

Anxiety related to dental care remains widespread. It has been demonstrated to be a significant factor in the failure of local anaesthesia. Effectively managing this anxiety is key to ensuring the success of the procedure. VR has recently emerged in the medical field as a new non-pharmacological tool to reduce anxiety in patients undergoing various procedures. The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of VR in reducing the anxiety experienced by patients during the extraction of wisdom teeth under local anaesthesia. This study was a prospective, single-centre, controlled, open-label study, randomized into two balanced parallel groups. The primary objective was to assess the effectiveness of VR in reducing anxiety during the extraction of three or more than three wisdom teeth under local anaesthesia. The aim was to demonstrate a difference of at least 1.5 points on a 10-point scale between the VR group and the control group. 105 patients were included. 53 in the control group and 52 in the intervention group. Statistically, no significant difference was observed between the intervention group and the control group regarding the mean change in anxiety between the preoperative and postoperative periods ( -1.8 ± 3.5 for the intervention group versus -1.6 ± 4.1 for the control group; P = 0.75). Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of VR glasses in reducing anxiety in patients undergoing the extraction of third molars under local anaesthesia.