Knowledge and Attitude Toward Temporomandibular Disorders: A Survey in Istanbul.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the strategies used for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) by general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the city of Istanbul. METHODS: A total of 154 GDPs were assessed by a single examiner in this questionnaire-based study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables, and the results were analyzed at a 95% CI and statistical power of 80% with the significance level set at P < .05. RESULTS: The most frequently employed strategies for obtaining a diagnosis were patients' medical history (33.1%), physical examination (37.7%), and a combination of diagnostic methods (29.2%). The most commonly referred specialties were prosthodontics (62.2%) and maxillofacial surgery (36.9%). All GDPs treated their TMD patients with occlusal splints, and the majority of the occlusal splints were hard occlusal splints (62.8%). Half of the GDPs considered the etiology of TMD to involve stress, whereas 49.4% believed that TMD is of a multifactorial etiology. CONCLUSION: The GDPs clarified that TMD patients were mostly treated with occlusal splints and this datum is consistent with the suggestions of previous consensus papers.

Frequency of temporomandibular disorder signs and symptoms among call center employees.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to investigate the frequency of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among call center employees. METHODS: Workers from four call centers (CC) were invited to participate in this study. The examination was based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD). The tenderness of the masticator muscles was assessed on both sides by bilateral palpation. The mobility of the mandible was measured with a plastic millimeter ruler on opening, lateral excursions, and protrusion. RESULTS: In total, 124 call center employees with a mean age of 28.61 ± 4.71 (between 22 and 47 years of age) were enrolled in this study. There was no statistically significant relation between the numbers of calls answered in a day and teeth clenching, teeth grinding, earache, tinnitus, or pain on yawning/chewing. Only protrusive movement pain and joint noise were significantly higher among employees who answered more than 140 calls/day (p < 0.01). An evaluation of the TMD signs and symptoms in relation to job stress level revealed that job stress level significantly affected the incidence of headaches among call center employees (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated no statistically significant relation between TMD signs and symptoms and call center employees except protrusive movement pain and joint noise. This relation was seen only in the employees who answered more than 140 calls per day. Headache, teeth clenching, and TMJ noise were the signs and symptoms encountered most often in this study. Multicentered studies in different geographic locations should be conducted to eliminate the limitation of this study.

Comparative evaluation of various miniplate systems for the repair of mandibular corpus fractures.

Miniplates have been used during the last decade to facilitate stability between bony fragments in the maxillofacial region and are currently the preferred surgical method for the fixation of fractures and osteotomies. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the biomechanical behaviors of six different types of miniplates used to reconstruct mandibular body fractures: Group 1 (straight, 2 holes, 12.0 mm spacing), Group 2 (straight, 4 holes, 9.0 spacing), Group 3 (straight, 6 holes, 9.0 mm spacing), Group 4 (L-shaped, 4 holes, 9.0 mm spacing, right hand plate), Group 5 (Y-shaped, 5 holes, 12.0 mm spacing), and Group 6 (double Y-shaped, 6 holes, 9.0 mm spacing). Thirty bovine hemimandibles and a custom-made 3-point biomechanical test frame mounted on a Shimadzu universal test machine were used to evaluate the six different miniplate systems. Results revealed that Group 1 (straight, 2 holes, 12.0 mm spacing) and Group 4 (9.0 mm spacing, right hand plate) had the lowest biomechanical stability, whereas Group 6 (6 holes, 9.0 mm spacing) had the highest biomechanical stability. Group 6 also provided statistically greater resistance to displacement than Group 1 and Group 4.

Refractory Pigmentation Associated with Laugier-Hunziker Syndrome following Er:YAG Laser Treatment.

The present report describes a case of Laugier-Hunziker syndrome (LHS), a rare benign condition. A patient with LHS develops acquired melanotic pigmentation of the lips and buccal mucosa, often with pigmentation of the nails occurring. No systemic symptoms are associated with this syndrome. Normally, no treatment is required for this condition, unless for aesthetic reason, mainly due to pigmentation on the lip mucosa. We present a case of LHS, 37-year-old female, whose pigmentations on her lip and in the oral cavity were treated with an Er:YAG laser. At the postoperative 12th month followup, the lesions recurred. The effects of any surgical attempt to treat pigmentations associated with LHS were discussed.

Comparison of two different labial salivary gland biopsy incision techniques: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the reliability of two different labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGB) incision techniques (vertical versus horizontal incision techniques) and to report the related complications and discomfort. STUDY DESIGN: 163 patients who underwent LSGB were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided as vertical incision group (n=81) and horizontal incision group (n=82). Demographic and clinical information of each patient were recorded. A questionnaire was prepared and applied together with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) on the subjects verbally at the 7th day, postoperatively. Intraoperative, short- term and delayed complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of patients (117 female, 46 male) was 47.3 years (range 19-79 years). Vertical incision technique was associated with less pain (p<0.001), less swelling (p<0.05), less scar formation (p<0.05) and less difficulty in eating (p<0.05) when compared with horizontal incision technique. No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of hematoma, parasthesia and speech difficulty (p>0.05). Additionally, two subjects in the horizontal incision group revealed permanent paresthesia during the follow-up period of two years. CONCLUSION: This prospective study demonstrated that the subjects in the vertical incision group had less complication rates and discomfort after labial salivary gland procedure than those in the horizontal incision group.

Removal of a Maxillary Third Molar Displaced into Pterygopalatine Fossa via Intraoral Approach.

The removal of impacted maxillary third molars is one of the most common procedures performed in oral and maxillofacial surgery units with low rates of complications and morbidity. A few cases of accidental displacement of third molars into adjacent anatomical spaces, such as the infratemporal fossa, the pterygomandibular space, the maxillary sinus, buccal space, or the lateral pharyngeal space, during surgical interventions have been reported. In this paper, a case of a maxillary third molar accidentally displaced into the pterygopalatine fossa is presented, and the removal of the tooth via intraoral approach is described.

Management of myofascial pain: low-level laser therapy versus occlusal splints.

The present study was designed to compare the effects of low-level laser with occlusal splints in patients with signs and symptoms of myofascial pain (MP) dysfunction syndrome. A total of 40 (34 women and 6 men, with a mean age of 32.84 [SD, 10.70] years) were selected after the diagnosis of MP according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: study group (n = 20) and control group (n = 20). Low-level laser was applied to patients in the study group 2 times per week, for a total of 10 sessions. Patients in the control group were instructed to wear occlusal splints 24 h/d for 3 months. The functional examination was based on Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder and pressure pain threshold values were obtained with the aid of an algometer in both groups. Patients' self-report of pain was evaluated with visual analog scale. Comparisons were made within and between the groups before and after treatment. Vertical movements showed statistically significant improvements after the treatments in both groups (P < 0.01), but when the groups were compared with each other, there were no significant difference between the groups. In both groups, tenderness to palpation of the muscles decreased significantly. Pressure pain threshold evaluations and visual analog scale scores revealed similar results, too. This particular type of low-level laser therapy (820 nm, 3 J/cm2, 300-mW output power) is as effective as occlusal splint in pain release and mandibular movement improvement in MP.

Applicability of zirconia dental prostheses for metal allergy patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of zirconium dioxide (zirconia) as a substitute for metal alloys in a group of metal allergy patients. Fourteen patients (eight women, six men) who had been restored with porcelain-fused-to-metal fixed partial dentures (FPDs) and had exhibited hypersensitivity lesions to dental alloys were enrolled in this study. Patients were previously patch-tested using standard testing substances authorized by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group. Patients received FPDs with zirconia frameworks and occurrences of oral symptoms were evaluated. No hypersensitivity lesions in the mouth or on the skin were encountered during the follow-up period of 3 years. Zirconia FPDs may be an alternative to porcelain-fused-to-metal FPDs in patients with metal allergies.