The Effects of Unilateral Alloplastic Temporomandibular Joint Replacement on the Opposite-Side Natural Joint: A Finite-Element Analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stress distribution on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) prosthesis and contralateral natural TMJ with finite-element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TMJ implant was used to create a 3-dimensional model with a computer. This model was integrated with a mandible model created with a computer by use of computed tomography images, similar to a real TMJ replacement procedure. Masticatory loads were applied to the model. The loads transmitted to the TMJ prosthesis and contralateral healthy joint were evaluated by means of finite-element analysis. RESULTS: In the model without the TMJ prosthesis, maximum von Mises stress was 252.697 N/mm2 at the condyle and 5.418 N/mm2 at the disc. In the model with the unilateral TMJ prosthesis, maximum stress at the joint prosthesis was 792.681 N/mm2. In the contralateral natural joint, maximum stress was 268.908 N/mm2 at the condyle and 8.357 N/mm2 at the disc. CONCLUSIONS: In the TMJ model with the unilateral total TMJ prosthesis, increased stress values were observed at the disc and condyle of the contralateral natural TMJ.

Treatment of Maxillary Glandular Odontogenic Cyst Involving the Same Place of Previously Treated Traumatic Bone Cyst.

Glandular odontogenic cyst is a rare developmental odontogenic cysts of the jaws having an aggressive behavior. The most common site of occurrence is the anterior mandible, and it is widely seen in middle-aged people. It is suggested that trauma could be a precipitating factor for its occurrence. This article presents the diagnosis and treatment of a case of glandular odontogenic cyst at anterior maxilla that occurred at the same localization of a traumatic bone cyst, 5 years after its management.

CT Imaging of Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia.

Fibrous dysplasia is a benign fibroosseous bone dysplasia that can involve single (monostotic) or multiple (polyostotic) bones. Monostotic form is more frequent in the jaws. It is termed as craniofacial fibrous dysplasia, when it involves, though rarely, adjacent craniofacial bones. A 16-year-old girl consulted for a painless swelling in the right posterior mandible for two years. Panoramic radiography revealed ground-glass ill-defined lesions in the three different regions of the maxilla and mandible. Axial CT scan (bone window) showed multiple lesions involving skull base and facial bones. Despite lesions in the skull base, the patient had no abnormal neurological findings. The lesion was diagnosed as fibrous dysplasia based on radiological and histopathological examination. In this paper, CT findings and differential diagnosis of CFD are discussed. CT is a useful imaging technique for CFD cases.

An unusual case of ameloblastoma observed in the left anterior mandible.

AIM: To report a small intaalveolar ameloblastoma which resembled cystic lesion, and to emphasize the value of Computed tomography (CT) in radiographic examination. BACKGROUND: Ameloblastoma is a slow-growing, locally invasive odontogenic neoplasm that accounts for approximately 10% of all tumors detected in the jaws. Radiographically, those tumors are usually well-defined. Computerized tomography is highly recommended to confirm the diagnosis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 48-year-old female attended with a chief complaint of painless swelling in the left anterior of mandible, 1 month duration. In intraoral examination, non-fluctuant, immobile, approximately 1 × 1 cm in dimension, painless, swelling which had a bone-like hardness and located in the mandibular canine region was detected. Panoramic radiography revealed a well circumscribed unilocular radiolucent lesion located in the inter-radicular area of left mandibular lateral and canine teeth. In CT examination it was realized that the lesion was multilocular. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen was reported as ameloblastoma. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is extremely difficult to find such an ameloblastoma in small dimension in alvolar bone.

Graft necrosis occurred after iliac crest reconstruction after mandibular segmental resection of ameloblastoma.

Ameloblastoma is an uncommon benign odontogenic neoplasm of the maxillofacial region constituting less than 1% of tumors of the oral cavity. Ameloblastomas have been categorized broadly into 3 biologic variants: cystic (unicystic), solid, and peripheral. Unicystic ameloblastoma is a rare and less aggressive variant of ameloblastoma. The aim of this report is to describe a case of cystic ameloblastoma treated with segmental resection and iliac graft reconstruction. The possible reasons of graft failure seen in our patient at the early stage of the healing were also discussed.

Delayed Frey syndrome after closed treatment of condylar fracture.

Frey syndrome is also known as auriculotemporal syndrome and gustatory sweating. It is characterized by the occurrence of hyperesthesia, flushing, and warmth or sweating over the distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve and/or greater auricular nerve while eating foods that produce a strong salivary stimulus. It is commonly seen as a complication of parotidectomy and open surgery of temporomandibular joint. It can also be caused by other forms of trauma, including blunt trauma, but rarely does it occur without trauma. The relation between fracture displacement of the condyle and Frey syndrome adds further support to the view of the intimate anatomic relationship of the auriculotemporal nerve with the capsule of the temporomandibular joint. However, despite the proximity of these structures and the high incidence of condylar fracture (25%-36% of mandibular fractures), Frey syndrome is rare after this type of fracture. Symptoms are sometimes delayed and can be very slight; often neither the patient nor the surgeon realizes their presence. The symptoms usually appear 5 weeks to 1 year after nerve damage.In this clinical report, we presented the delayed occurrence of Frey syndrome in a patient in 6 years after closed reduction of condylar fracture. One prospective study and 11 case reports describing the development of Frey syndrome after closed treatment of mandibular condyle fractures were found in the last 4 decades. Our clinical report participates to literature as a 12th case report.

Expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia.

AIM: To present a case of expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia and emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis. BACKGROUND: Cemento-osseous dysplasia is categorized into three subtypes on the basis of the clinical and radiographic features: Periapical, focal and florid. The focal type exhibits a single site of involvement in any tooth-bearing or edentulous area of the jaws. These lesions are usually asymptomatic; therefore, they are frequently diagnosed incidentally during routine radiographic examinations. Lesions are usually benign, show limited growth, and do not require further surgical intervention, but periodic follow-up is recommended because occasionally, this type of dysplasia progresses into florid osseous dysplasia and simple bone cysts are formed. CASE REPORT: A 24-year-old female patient was referred to our clinic for swelling in the left edentulous mandibular premolarmolar region and felt discomfort when she wore her prosthetics. She had no pain, tenderness or paresthesia. Clinical examination showed that the swelling in the posterior mandible that was firm, nonfluctuant and covered by normal mucosa. On panoramic radiography and computed tomography, a well defined lesion of approximately 1.5 cm in diameter of mixed density was observed. The swelling increased slightly in size over 2 years making it difficult to use prosthetics and, therefore, the lesion was totally excised under local anesthesia, and surgical specimens were submitted for histopathological examination. The histopathological diagnosis was focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. CONCLUSION: In the present case, because of the increasing size of the swelling making it difficult to use prosthetics, young age of the patient and localization of the lesion, in the initial examination, cemento-ossifying fibroma was suspected, and the lesion was excised surgically; the histopathological diagnosis confirmed it as focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: We present a case of expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. Differential diagnosis is essential because ossifying fibroma is a real neoplastic entity.

Use of artificial neural network in differentiation of subgroups of temporomandibular internal derangements: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been developed in the past few decades for many different applications in medical science and in biomedical research. The use of neural networks in oral and maxillofacial surgery is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the use of ANNs for the prediction of 2 subgroups of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangements (IDs) and normal joints using characteristic clinical signs and symptoms of the diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical symptoms and diagnoses of 161 patients with TMJ ID were considered the gold standard and were employed to train a neural network. After the training process, the symptoms and diagnoses of 58 new patients were used to verify the network's ability to diagnose. The diagnoses obtained from ANNs were compared with diagnoses of a surgeon experienced in temporomandibular disorders. The sensitivity and specificity of ANNs in predicting subtypes of TMJ ID were evaluated using clinical diagnosis as the gold standard. RESULTS: Eight cases evaluated as bilaterally normal in clinical examination were evaluated as normal by ANN. In detecting unilateral anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR; clicking), the sensitivity and specificity of ANN were 80% and 95%, respectively. In detecting unilateral anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR; locking), the sensitivity and specificity of ANN were 69% and 91%, respectively. In detecting bilateral ADDwoR, the sensitivity and specificity of ANN were 37% and 100%, respectively. In detecting bilateral ADDwR, the sensitivity and specificity of ANN were 100% and 89%, respectively. In detecting cases of ADDwR at 1 side and ADDwoR at the other side, the sensitivity and specificity of ANN were 44% and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The application of ANNs for diagnosis of subtypes of TMJ IDs may be a useful supportive diagnostic method, especially for dental practitioners. Further research, including advanced network models that use clinical data and radiographic images, is recommended.

Prevalence and distribution of odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts in a Turkish population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative frequency and distribution of odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts in a large Turkish population. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective survey of jaw cysts was undertaken at the Oral Diagnosis and Radiology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Ondokuz Mayis University Dental School, Samsun, Turkey. Data were retrieved from clinical files, imaging, and histopathology reports from 2000 to 2008; a total of 12,350 patients were included. In each case, we analyzed age, gender, type and number of cysts, and cyst location. Imaging patterns and pathologies associated with cystic lesions were also determined. RESULTS: The prevalence of odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts was 3.51%; males were affected more frequently than females. There were 452 odontogenic cysts (98.5%) and seven nonodontogenic cysts (1.5%). The most frequent odontogenic cyst was radicular (54.7%), followed by dentigerous (26.6%), residual (13.7%), odontogenic keratocyst (3.3%), and lateral periodontal cyst (0.2%). Nasopalatine duct cyst (1.5%) was the only nonodontogenic cyst. By age, cysts peaked in the third decade (24.2%). Concerning location, no statistically significant difference was found between the maxilla and mandible (p>0.05). The most frequent radiological feature of these lesions was unilocular cyst (93.7%). Pathologies associated with cystic lesions occurred in 14.7%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of both odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts were lower than that reported in many other studies. In our study population, cysts were mainly inflammatory in origin.

Comparison of the planimetry and point-counting methods for the assessment of the size of the mandible cysts on orthopantomograms.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the computer-assisted planimetry and point-counting methods in evaluating the sizes of the mandibular cysts with respect to their agreement and the time required to analyze. STUDY DESIGN: The surface areas of 46 mandibular cyst lesions on orthopantomograms were estimated using the point-counting and computer-assisted planimetry methods. Three observers evaluated the outlined areas twice, using the point-counting (PC) and computer-assisted planimetry (CAP) methods with an interval of two weeks. In the planimetry technique, digitalized images and ImageJ software were used to measure the surface area of the half mandibles and cysts. The grids were superimposed over the same images and the number of points hitting the interested structures was counted for the point-counting technique. The projection area fraction (PAF) of the cysts within the mandible was estimated using the obtained values by means of the two techniques. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess the level of agreement between the two methods. Inter-rater reliability analysis using the Kappa statistic was performed to determine consistency among raters. RESULTS: CAP and PC techniques showed consistent intra-observer values in all observers. Intraclass correlation between CAP and PC measurements of first, second and third observers were found to be 0.9986, 0.9988 and 0.9994 respectively. The durations of PC technique was 32% higher than the CAP technique. CONCLUSION: PC and CAP methods were seemed to show sufficient agreement to be used interchangeably. The main disadvantage of the PC analysis is it takes more time than CAP method.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with oral manifestations.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogenic group of lymphoproliferative diseases with their different behavior pattern and response to treatments. As a Hodgkin disease, NHL occurs from lymphoid tissues and can spread to other organs. Prognosis depends on histologic type, grade, and treatment. In the World Health Organization classification, aggressive B-cell lymphomas are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia, and precursor lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. They may present either nodal or extranodal disease, which may be either localized or disseminated. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of lymphoma in adults and is clinically, morphologically, and genetically a heterogeneous group of malignant proliferations of mature B cells, too. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of NHL and accounts for about 30% of the cases. In this clinical report, we evaluated clinically and histopathologically a 64-year-old male patient who had mild pain and edema in his mandibular premolar region, and the excisional biopsy showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Horizontal alveolar distraction of the mandibular canine regions for implant placement.

Horizontal alveolar augmentation by distraction osteogenesis is an alternative method for reconstructing atrophic alveolar bone. A 65-year-old woman with atrophy of the alveolar rim in the anterior lower jaw, which had inadequate width for implant placement, was presented. Under general anesthesia, vertical and horizontal osteotomies of the buccolabial cortical bone were performed in the canine regions bilaterally. Modified horizontal distraction devices were stabilized to the mandible. Distraction proceeded from the seventh postoperative day at a rate of 0.450 mm twice a day for 6 days. After 3 months, distraction osteogenesis occurred and increased the alveolar width from 2 to 7 mm. Two implants were placed in the distracted areas. Marginal bone resorbtion around the implants was not observed 12 months after implant placement.

Oral verrucous carcinoma: a study of 12 cases.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this clinical study was to identify a clinical and histopathological relationship between verrucous hyperplasia, verrucous keratosis, and verrucous carcinoma. METHODS: We evaluated 12 patients who had developed oral verrucous carcinoma in the past 10 years in a follow-up study. In this study, the diagnostic criteria included clinical and histopathological features of the lesions. Each lesion was examined by a single oral pathologist. RESULTS: All the patients were diagnosed with verrucous carcinoma following excisional biopsy. One patient was diagnosed with verrucous hyperplasia and another with verrucous keratosis in their initial histological findings. Mandibular, posterior alveolar crest, and retromolar trigone were the most affected sites (41.6%), followed by the buccal mucosa (16.6%), the palate (16.6%), the floor of the mouth (16.6%), and the lip (8.3%). No patients had evidence of recurrence after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Verrucous hyperplasia, verrucous keratosis, and verrucous carcinoma may not be distinguished clinically or may coexist, resulting in diagnostic difficulties. It should be kept in mind that verrucous hyperplasia may also develop from leukoplakic lesions, and it may transform into verrucous carcinoma or squamous-cell carcinoma, acting as a potential precancerous lesion.

Central osteoma associated with root resorption.

Osteomas of the jaws are rare osteogenic lesions considered to be true neoplasms, characterized by the proliferation of compact and/or cancellous bone. It can be central, peripheral, or of an extraskeletal type. The central osteoma arises from the endosteum, the peripheral osteoma from the periosteum, and the extraskeletal soft tissue osteoma usually develops within a muscle. However, in a previous work we have suggested that at least some peripheral osteomas may be reactive rather than neoplasms, probably associated with trauma. Some reported cases did have a clear history of trauma; however, this was not the case in the majority of cases. Whereas peripheral osteomas are fairly easy to diagnose, central osteomas pose a more challenging diagnostic problem and need to be differentiated from other similar lesions of the jaws, such as central ossifying fibroma, condensing osteitis, idiopathic osteosclerosis, osteoblastoma, cementoblastoma, and complex odontoma. With such a low number of case of central osteoma reported, the objectives of the present report are to describe a case of the central osteoma associated with partially root resorption of the mandibular first molar. Our case report participates to literature as a 11th case.

Large peripheral osteoma of the mandible: a case report.

Osteomas are benign, slow-growing osteogenic tumors commonly occurring in the craniofacial bones. Osteomas are characterized by the proliferation of compact and/or cancellous bone. It can be of a central, peripheral, or extraskeletal type. The peripheral type arises from the periosteum and is rarely seen in the mandible. The lingual surface and lower border of the body are the most common locations of these lesions. They are usually asymptomatic and can be discovered in routine clinical and radiographic examination. In this paper, we presented a large solitary peripheral osteoma located in the buccal surface of the left posterior mandible and causing facial deformity in a 37-year-old woman. Radiographic examination by computed tomography revealed radiopacity with a well-circumscribed, pedunculated mass approximately 3 cm in size. The osteoma was removed surgically, and no recurrence has been observed.

A new method of assessing the size of mandibular cysts on orthopantomograms: projection area fraction.

This study was carried out to describe a simple, accurate, and practical technique for assessing mandible cysts' area on routine orthopantomograms using digital planimetry.Forty orthopantomograms showing mandibular cysts were obtained. The digitalized images were used to measure the surface area of the half mandibles and cysts using ImageJ software by an observer. The projection area of the half mandibles and cysts was provided by the machine. The surface area fraction of the cysts within the half mandibles was estimated by using the projection area fraction (PAF) approach. Estimations were repeated on films 1 month later.The mean PAF (mean +/- SEM) obtained by the same observer in 2 sessions was 10.6% +/- 2.3% and 13.0% +/- 2.0% for the right and left sides, respectively. The estimation results of 2 sessions were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. This study found no statistical difference between the estimated PAF values (P > 0.05). The estimation results of the same observer at 1-month intervals were analyzed statistically to check intraobserver variation using a correlation analysis test, which found a high degree of agreement for the results estimated using the planimetric method for the right and left sides (r = 0.994, P < 0.001 and r = 0.999, P < 0.001, respectively).The method described in this study is inexpensive and fast because planimetry can be performed within a couple of minutes per subject. This method can also be used to monitor the size difference of lesions evaluated for clinical follow-up and research.

Cytokine and chemokine levels in radicular and residual cyst fluids.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines were thought to play an important role for the expansion of odontogenic cysts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytokine and chemokine levels of radicular and residual cyst fluids. METHODS: Cyst fluids were aspirated from 21 patients (11 radicular and 10 residual cysts) and the levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1alpha), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) were determined by ELISA using commercially available kits. RESULTS: Both radicular and residual cyst fluids contained IL-1alpha, TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and RANTES, concentrations of which were significantly higher in the radicular cyst fluids than those in the residual cysts (P < 0.001 for IL-1alpha, TNF-alpha, and RANTES; P < 0.01 for MCP-1). Compared to the other mediators, the concentration of IL-1alpha was found to be highest in both of the cyst fluids. In addition, positive correlations were found between IL-1alpha, TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and RANTES in radicular and residual cyst fluids. CONCLUSION: If the radicular cyst is inadvertently left behind following tooth extraction, some degree of inflammation may carry on. Residual cysts, although to a lesser extend than radicular cysts, have the potential to expand.

Evaluation of Treatments in Patients with Nocturnal Bruxism on Bite Force and Occlusal Contact Area: A preliminary report.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of occlusal splint therapy and tricyclic antidepressants on the bite force and occlusal contact area of patients presenting with nocturnal bruxism. METHODS: A maxillary full-coverage hard acrylic splint was applied to the five patients (Group S). Five patients took a tricyclic antidepressant (Amitriptiline HCl, 10 mg/day) for 3 months (Group A) and a control group (Group C) comprising of 10 dental school students with normal occlusion was also formed. Using a Dental Prescale (Fuji Photo Film Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) and an Occluzer computer (FPD703, Fuji Photo Film Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) the bite force and occlusal contact area were measured. The evaluations were made just before the treatment and at 1 month and 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: The bite force and occlusal contact area before treatment in study Groups A and S were found to be higher than those in the Group C. Furthermore, the bite force and occlusal contact area increased during treatment in Group A whilst they decreased in Group S. Bite force and occlusal contact area in Group S were lower at both 1 month and 3 months of treatment than in Group C. CONCLUSIONS: It could be tentatively suggested that occlusal splint therapy may be more effective than tricyclic antidepressant in the treatment of bruxism. Further investigations of this measurement method involving larger study populations and a longer follow-up period are needed.

Comparison of 2 flap designs in the periodontal healing of second molars after fully impacted mandibular third molar extractions.

PURPOSE: This investigation compared the effects of different flap designs on the periodontal health status of the mandibular second molar after the extraction of the adjacent impacted third molar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients aged 16 to 32 years who required removal of bilateral impacted mandibular third molars were included in this study. The periodontal health of the second molar was evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 months postoperatively. The third molars were removed by using the 3-cornered flap on the left side of the jaw and modified Szmyd flap on the right side. RESULTS: The mean probing depth (PD) at distal and buccal sites was significantly different between the flaps at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks postoperatively (P < .05). There were no significant differences in preoperative and 1 year postoperative mean PD between the 2 flaps (P > .05). There was no significant difference in mean clinical attachment level between the flap sites at 1 year (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The modified Szmyd flap, which leaves intact gingiva around the second molar, has better primary periodontal healing than the 3-cornered flap after surgical removal of the fully impacted mandibular third molar.