Pathologies associated with the mandibular third molar impaction.

To evaluate the associations of impaction patterns of mandibular third molars (M3Ms) with pathologies caused by them. In this study, 262 patients with 432 impacted M3Ms who referred in Shanghai Xuhui District Center were reviewed. The pathologies include pericoronitis, mandibular second molar (M2M) caries, and M2M distal periodontal pathology. The impaction patterns of M3Ms and the pathologies were examined, while the M2M outcomes after surgeries were evaluated. A χ2 test was used to analyze the data, with a p value of <0.05 being considered statistically significant. Pericoronitis was the major symptom in all patients, whereas the propensities of M2M distal caries and periodontal pathologies increased in older patients. Soft tissue impacted and vertically angulated teeth were more associated with pericoronitis (p < 0.05); mesio-angular impacted teeth in less deep positions had greater risks of M2Ms distal caries (p < 0.05); mesio-angular and horizontal impacted teeth in relative deep positions were more likely to cause M2Ms distal periodontal pathologies (p < 0.05). Extractions of soft tissue impacted teeth in vertical angulations should be considered, while removals of mesially and horizontally angulated or bony impacted teeth could be delayed.

Association of Oral Hygiene and Periodontal Health with Third Molar Pericoronitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Pericoronitis is a painful inflammatory condition commonly associated with third molar teeth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral hygiene and periodontal health status and the presence of pericoronitis in semi-impacted third molar teeth. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 54 patients having at least one mandibular vertically semi-impacted third molar tooth with or without pericoronitis were consecutively enrolled. Subjects with pericoronitis and subjects with healthy third molars were selected according to symptoms in the gingiva overlying semi-impacted third molar teeth. Periodontal health status and oral hygiene were evaluated with the measures of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and total number of sites with a probing depth (PD) ≥ 4 mm. The clinical data collected in this study was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test using SPSS 20.0 package program. RESULTS: The PI scores were found to be significantly higher in patients with pericoronitis (p < 0.05). Although the GI scores and PD scores were higher in patients with pericoronitis, the difference did not reach statistical significance when compared with those in healthy subjects (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings obtained in this study suggest that the amount of dental plaque was positively associated with third molar pericoronitis. Gingival and periodontal health conditions were similar between patients with and without pericoronitis. Improving oral hygiene and controlling dental plaque may help prevent third molar pericoronitis.

Salivary levels of HNP 1-3 are related to oral ulcer activity in Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND: Saliva contains antimicrobial peptides derived from oral epithelium as well as neutrophils in the innate immune response. The aim of this study was to examine the association between salivary human neutrophil peptide (HNP) 1-3 levels originating from neutrophils and oral ulcers in patients with Behçet's disease (BD). METHODS: Ninety-five patients with BD (F/M: 39/56; mean age: 38.7 ± 11.9 years) and 53 healthy controls (HC; F/M: 23/30; mean age: 35.2 ± 10.1 years) were included in the study. The disease control group (F/M: 20/33; mean age: 33.7 ± 10.7 years) was comprised of patients with oral infection regarding endodontic infection (n = 32) and pericoronitis (n = 21). Salivary HNP 1-3 levels of groups were measured in unstimulated samples by ELISA (Hycult, the Netherlands). RESULTS: A statistically significant increase was found in salivary HNP 1-3 levels of patients with BD (2268.28 ± 1216.38 µg/ml) compared with HC (1836.49 ± 857.76 µg/ml), patients with endodontic infection (849.9 ± 376.1 µg/ml), and patients with pericoronitis (824.3 ± 284.02 µg/ml; P = 0.024, 0.000 and 0.000, respectively). The ratio of active oral ulcer (100%, n = 14) was higher in low HNP 1-3 levels (≤ 1000 µg/ml) than the others (66.7%, n = 54) in active patients with BD (P = 0.008). Moreover, salivary HNP 1-3 levels were significantly lower in patients with endodontic infection and patients with pericoronitis compared with those in the HC group and patients with BD (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: A decrease in salivary HNP 1-3 levels might be a biological factor for predisposition to oral ulcers in patients with BD and oral infection in healthy patients.

Second molar periodontal inflammatory disease after third molar removal in young adults.

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of periodontal inflammatory disease on the distal side of second molars after third molar removal and the association between presurgical and surgical variables and postsurgical periodontal outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data before and after surgery from 2 studies approved by an institutional review board were used. In 1 study, 26 subjects had 4 asymptomatic third molars and in the other 49 subjects had at least 1 mandibular third molar with symptoms of pericoronitis. Full-mouth periodontal probing data, 6 sites per tooth, were obtained as a measurement of periodontal status before and after surgery. A probing depth (PD) ≥4 mm on either of the 2 possible probing sites on the distal side of any second molar (D2M) served as an indicator of periodontal inflammatory disease; periodontal health was defined as all D2M PD <4 mm. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel row mean score tests compared the subjects' postsurgical periodontal status (all D2M PD <4 mm and at least 1 D2M PD ≥4 mm) with respect to age and time intervals, and the Fisher exact test was used to compare ethnicity, gender, and clinical data at surgery. The McNemar test was used to assess the discordance between subjects' pre- and postsurgical periodontal status. The level of significance was set at .05. RESULTS: Of the 75 subjects, 52% were women and 65% were white. The median age at surgery was 23.6 years (interquartile range, 20.9 to 26.6 years). At enrollment, 53 of 75 subjects (71%) had at least 1 D2M PD ≥4 mm. Subjects were significantly more likely to have an improved D2M periodontal status after surgery than a deteriorated status (P < .01). Fewer subjects, 17 of 75 (24%), had at least 1 D2M PD ≥4 mm after surgery. D2M PD ≥4 mm was more likely after surgery if presurgical D2M was PD ≥4 mm (P < .01). Gender, ethnicity, age, presurgical symptoms, and data estimating the extensiveness of surgery were not significantly associated with postsurgical D2M periodontal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: After third molar removal, periodontal inflammatory disease on the distal of D2Ms was detected significantly less often. None of the variables examined except for presurgical presence of D2M PD ≥4 mm were significantly associated with postsurgical D2M periodontal inflammatory disease.

Spread of odontogenic infections in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

PURPOSE: Odontogenic infections constitute a substantial portion of diseases encountered by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Infections start from dental tissues and sometimes rapidly spread to contiguous spaces. The consequence is a fulminant disease with significant morbidity and mortality. The study was aimed at studying the pattern of spread, approach to management, and outcome of these infections at a Nigerian teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of all patients with orofacial infections who presented to our center over an 18-month period was carried out. The medical records were reviewed to retrieve the following: age, gender, source of infection, anatomic fascial spaces involved, associated medical conditions, various treatment modalities, types of antibiotics administered, causative micro-organisms, length of stay in the hospital, and any complications encountered. Infections were classified into 2 categories: those that are confined to the dentoalveolar tissues belong to category I, and those that have spread into the local/regional soft tissue spaces and beyond belong to category II. RESULTS: Odontogenic infections constituted 11.3% of the total oral and maxillofacial surgery cases. A total of 261 patients were treated for odontogenic infections. There were 146 female patients (59.8%) and 98 male patients (40.2%) in the first category, whereas the second category comprised 10 male patients (58.8%) and 7 female patients (41.2%). The fascial spaces involved, in descending order, were submasseteric in 10 (22.7%), submandibular in 9 (20.5%), and sublingual in 6 (13.6%). The causative micro-organisms commonly found were Klebsiella and Streptococcus spp. Incision and drainage were performed in the 17 cases with spreading infection. Amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and metronidazole were the most routinely administered antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows that delay in presentation, self-medication, aging, male gender, and unusual causative agents are some of the factors associated with spread. Therefore efforts must be made to further improve public dental awareness.

Estudo retrospectivo de cisto paradentário na cidade do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil / Retrospective study of paradental cyst in the city of Recife/PE, Brazil

Objetivo: Analisar retrospectivamente a ocorrência do Cisto Paradentário (CP) em uma população brasileira. Método: Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo, avaliando os aspectos epidemiológicos de 25 casos de pacientes com diagnostico de Cisto Paradentário no período de janeiro de 1992 a abril de 2008 no Laboratório de Patologia Oral da Faculdade de Odontologia de Pernambuco - FOP/UPE. Foram avaliados os indicadores gênero, faixa etária, raça, localização topográfica, tamanho das lesões e presença de sintomatologia dolorosa ao exame clínico. A análise estatística foi realizada através do programa SPSS (v. 13.0), sendo criado um banco de dados para análise dos resultados obtidos. Foi aplicado o teste Qui-quadrado para analisar a significância estatística dos achados (p<0,05). Resultados: Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante da prevalência desta lesão em relação ao gênero (p=0,992). A terceira década de vida mostrou-se a faixa etária de maior prevalência da referida patologia (76%), assim como a ocorrência em indivíduos leucodermas em detrimento a feodermas e melanodermas (72%), a mandíbula mostrou-se como a localização anatômica mais freqüente (96%). Estas lesões apresentaram pequenas dimensões independentemente da região topográfica acometida. Não houve diferença significante quanto a presença ou ausência de sintomatologia. Conclusão: O cisto paradentário foi mais prevalente em pacientes do gênero feminino, leucodermas, representado principalmente por lesões de pequenas dimensões e que se apresentaram em grande parte na mandíbula. A terceira década de vida foi a mais acometi da pelo fato de ser nessa época, em quem observamos mais episódios de pericoronarite.

Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the occurrence of paradental cyst (PC) in a Brazilian population. Method: A retrospective study was performed to investigate the epidemiological aspects of 25 cases of patients with PC diagnosis between January 1992 and April 2008 at the Oral Pathology Laboratory of Pernambuco Dental School - FOP/ UPE. The following indicators were evaluated: gender, age group, ethnical group, topographic localization, lesion size and presence of pain to the clinical exam. The statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS soft ware (v. 13.0) and a database was created to analyze the obtained results. The chi-square test was used to analyze the statistical significance of the findings. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was no statistically significant difference for the prevalence of this lesion regarding gender (p=0.992). There was higher prevalence of PC in the 3rd decade of life compared to the other age groups (76%) and in whites (72%) compared to blacks and mixed black-white. The mandible was the most frequent anatomic site (96%). These lesions were small sized regardless of the affected topographic region. There was no statistically significant difference as for the presence or absence of painful symptomatology. Conclusion: PC was more prevalent in white female patients and manifested more frequently as small lesions mainly in the mandible. A 3rd decade of life was the most affected because pericoronaritis episodes are more commonly observed in this age group.

Clinicopathology of soft tissue lesions associated with extracted teeth.

PURPOSE: The study assessed the prevalence and the clinical and histologic pattern of soft tissue lesions associated with extracted teeth and determined the validity of clinical diagnoses in comparison with histologic diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Soft tissue from the apices of 100 teeth extracted by the intra-alveolar approach and from the follicle of 50 teeth extracted by the transalveolar approach was examined histologically subsequent to clinical diagnosis. The subjects were seen within a 2-year period at the Oral Surgery unit of a Nigerian teaching hospital. Association between age, gender, and the histopathologic diagnosis was assessed, and the clinical presumptive diagnoses were compared with the histopathologic diagnoses using the epidemiologic parameters of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: There were 76 (50.7%) males and 74 (49.3%) females, with age range of 17 to 77 years (33 +/- 14 years). Although clinical diagnosis indicated that all the cases were inflammatory in origin, histopathologic diagnosis reported 84% to be of inflammatory origin, 10% to be normal tissue, and 6% to be noninflammatory in nature. The noninflammatory lesions included dentigerous cyst (4%), central giant cell granuloma (1.3%), and ameloblastoma (0.7%). Gender and age were not associated statistically with type and frequency of pathology. Inflammatory conditions showed the highest sensitivity (98%). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the probability of clinical misdiagnosis of pathologically significant lesions associated with extracted teeth is lowest with inflammation and highest with cysts and neoplasms. Thus, routine histopathologic examination of all recoverable soft tissues associated with extracted teeth would contribute to improve management of cases although the cost and related implications of this need to be investigated further.

Role of TNF-alpha and its receptors in pericoronitis.

The classic stimulus for cellular cytokine production is bacterial lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin). It was therefore hypothesized that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may be responsible for pericoronitis. TNF-alpha and its receptors were detected by immunohistochemical staining in third molar pericoronitis in ten patients and ten healthy control samples. The percentage of TNF-alpha positive cells was high in pericoronitis (p = 0.0317). TNF receptors TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 were found in macrophage- and fibroblast-like cells, vascular endothelial cells in post-capillary venules, and basal epithelial cells in pericoronitis, but were only weakly expressed in controls. Increased expression of interleukin-1beta and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was found as a biological indicator of TNF-alpha ligand-receptor interaction. Explanted tissues acquired destructive potential upon TNF-alpha stimulation, whereas TNF-alpha blockers controlled it in inflamed tissues. These findings suggest that, in pericoronitis, inflammatory and resident cells produce and respond to potent pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha, with pathogenic and potential therapeutic relevance.

Third molar infections.

Pericoronitis is an infectious disease often associated with the eruption of a third molar. It can be either acute (serous and suppurative) or chronic. Pain is usually the predominant symptom in acute stages, whereas chronic forms of the disease may display very few symptoms. Both present exudate. The infection is multimicrobial, predominantly caused strictly by betalactamase-producing anaerobeic microorganisms. Treatment measures are symptomatic, antimicrobial and surgical. Antimicrobial treatment is indicated for preoperative prophylaxis when there is a high risk of postoperative infection and, during the acute stages of suppurative pericoronitis when surgery must be postponed. First-line treatment in this case consists of amoxicillin with associated clavulanic acid. Although surgical treatment of pericoronitis presenting at the third molar is indicated as a Grade C recommendation for extraction, it is the most common indication for extraction of a retained third molar, owing to the improved quality of life it can offer the patient.

Cisto paradentário, pericoronarite crônica e folículo pericoronário de dente parcialmente irrompido: análise morfológica comparativa e correlações clínico-radiográficas / Paradental cyst, chronic pericoronitis and dental follicle of partially erupted teeth: comparative morphologic analysis and clinicoradiographic correlations

A pericoronarite e o cisto paradentário são freqüentes e a compreensão das etiopatogenias, aspectos clínicos, radiográficos e microscópicos é necessária para um diagnóstico preciso e adoção de protocolos terapêuticos adequados. Para caracterizar a pericoronarite crônica comparando-a com o cisto paradentário e folículo pericoronário de dentes parcialmente irrompidos e estabelecer critérios de diferenciação anatomopatológica utilizou-se dos arquivos do Serviço de Anatomia Patológica da FOB-USP. Três grupos foram estabelecidos: 27 folículos pericoronários de dentes parcialmente irrompidos, 69 pericoronarites e 50 cistos paradentários. Aplicaram-se os testes de qui-quadrado, Kruskal- Wallis e o índice Kappa de concordância. As conclusões foram: 1. O folículo pericoronário de dente parcialmente irrompido pode ser diferenciado microscopicamente da pericoronarite e do cisto paradentário, pois nos folículos não se observa infiltrado inflamatório; 2. É possível estabelecer critérios para o diagnóstico diferencial de pericoronarite e cisto paradentário em lesões císticas bem constituídas. No cisto paradentário o infiltrado inflamatório quase sempre é intenso e difuso, com intensa exocitose; O revestimento será do tipo estratificado pavimentoso hiperplásico e desorganizado pela intensa migração celular inflamatória. A cavidade cística é contornada por parede espessa e ricamente infiltrada por leucócitos, com acúmulos de neutrófilos. No lume, tem-se presença de aglomerados bacterianos. Nas lesões incipientes é necessário associar os achados microscópicos com os dados clínicos, radiográficos e principalmente trans-cirúrgicos enviados, destacando-se a presença de cavidade e de líquido entre o folículo e a coroa; 3. A diferenciação microscópica entre folículo pericoronário de dente parcialmente irrompido, pericoronarite e cisto paradentário incipiente, do ponto de vista clínico, não traz benefícios clínicos imediatos, pois a forma de tratamento e a proservação obedecem ao mesmo protocolo de conduta; 4. A ausência de alterações neoplásicas nos espécimes examinados sugere que em lesões foliculares inflamatórias dificilmente ocorre esta transformação dos componentes epiteliais e conjuntivos, provavelmente, pela ação deletéria do processo inflamatório sobre os remanescentes embrionários do folículo pericoronário

[Inflammatory paradental cyst. Report of 6 cases]. / Entzündliche paradentale Zyste. Bericht von 6 Fällen.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory paradental cyst has been described as an entity in the WHO classification of odontogenic tumors and cysts (1992). It is mainly located at mandibular molars, in particular third molars of the lower jaw. Radiologically, involved molars show a circumscribed, mostly half-moon shaped translucency distal or distobuccal to the involved tooth. Patients frequently report episodes of infection (pericoronitis). The histological findings are identical to those of inflammatory radicular cysts. The inflammatory paradental cyst has been described infrequently in the international literature. There are no reports available in German. AIM OF THE STUDY AND CASES: The aim of the present study was to present six of our own cases of inflammatory paradental cysts. Five men and one woman with an average age of 29.5 years were affected. In two cases paradental cysts occurred bilaterally. Three patients reported recurrent previous infections (pericoronitis). Radiologically, the typical translucency with clear demarcation distal to the third molars was observed. All of the third molars were vertically retained. Histologically, the inflammatory paradental cysts showed features identical to those of radicular cysts. The inflammatory paradental cyst is a clear indication for osteotomy of lower wisdom teeth. Postoperative complications or recurrences of the inflammatory paradental cysts have not been described. DISCUSSION: A correct clinical, radiological, and histopathological diagnosis of paradental cysts is mandatory, and more reports are needed in order to compile more information about relative frequency and pathogenesis of this cyst variant.

Chronic inflammation around painless partially erupted third molars.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the histologic host response in chronic, symptomless pericoronitis. STUDY DESIGN: Gingival mucosal (n = 20) and dental follicle (n = 20) samples were collected during extraction from patients with pericoronitis and clinically healthy control subjects. Antibodies-recognizing macrophages (CD68), natural killer cells (CD56), T cells (CD2), helper T cells (CD4), suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (CD8), and neutrophils (lactoferrin) were applied in a labelled streptavidin-biotin method by using a DAKO TechMate staining robot. RESULTS: Macrophage was the most numerous kind of cell in pericoronitis, but CD2+ T lymphocytes, with a normal CD4/CD8 ratio, were also increased (P < .01). Neutrophils were not increased and did not show signs of activation. Dental follicles did not contain increased numbers of inflammatory cells. CONCLUSION: This type of pericoronitis is a chronic/smoldering, rather than an acute/purulent, infection. Because of the chronic and often symptomless nature of pericoronitis, various long-term sequelae may result, which may lead to the need for extraction.

Public health aspects of third molar surgery. The effect of surgeons' treatment thresholds on efficiency and effectiveness.

Disease associated with third molars is being recognised increasingly as a public health problem in terms both of rising incidence and of appropriate use of resources. Since minor alterations in treatment philosophy can have a substantial impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of oral surgery services, this study examines the sensitivity and specificity of oral surgeons' decisions and uses Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) analysis to investigate their ability to detect and make appropriate judgements about teeth which need extraction according to established criteria. The study shows that the seniority of the surgeon making the treatment decisions had no significant effect on the decisions made and also demonstrated wide variations between the treatment plans made by individual clinicians. It is clear from this study that if an efficient and effective service for the treatment of third molar disease is to be commissioned, policy decisions about criteria for intervention must be made by health service purchasing authorities, adhered to by secondary care providers, and shared with the primary care practitioners who refer patients for treatment.

Odontogenic infections: Part one. Anatomy and radiology.

Odontogenic infections are frequently encountered by the dentist. The signs and symptoms of these common dental emergencies are outlined in this two-part article. A thorough knowledge of the fascial planes and anatomical routes of infection spread is a critical prerequisite to understanding the clinical manifestations, potential complications, and appropriate management of these infections.

Malignant lymphoma presenting as pericoronitis. A case report.

A case of diffuse, large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as pericoronitis in the oral cavity is described. The diagnostic pitfalls are briefly discussed.