Use of Botulinum Toxin in Orofacial Clinical Practice.

INTRODUCTION: Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is a potent biological toxin and powerful therapeutic tool for a growing number of clinical orofacial applications. BoNT relaxes striated muscle by inhibiting acetylcholine's release from presynaptic nerve terminals, blocking the neuromuscular junction. It also has an antinociceptive effect on sensory nerve endings, where BoNT and acetylcholine are transported axonally to the central nervous system. In dentistry, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated BoNT's efficiency in pathologies such as bruxism, facial paralysis, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, neuropathic pain, sialorrhea, dystonia and more. AIM: This study's aim was to conduct a systematic literature review to assess the most recent high-level clinical evidence for BoNT's efficacy and for various protocols (the toxin used, dilution, dosage and infiltration sites) used in several orofacial pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched the MedLine database for research papers published from 2014 to 2019 with randomly allocated studies on humans. The search included the following pathologies: bruxism, dislocation of the TMJ, orofacial dystonia, myofascial pain, salivary gland disease, orofacial spasm, facial paralysis, sialorrhea, Frey syndrome and trigeminal neuralgia. RESULTS: We found 228 articles, of which only 20 met the inclusion criteria: bruxism (four articles), orofacial dystonia (two articles), myofascial pain (one article), salivary gland disease (one article), orofacial spasm (two articles), facial paralysis (three articles), sialorrhea (four articles) or trigeminal neuralgia (three articles). DISCUSSION: The clinical trials assessed showed variations in the dosage, application sites and musculature treated. Thus, applying BoNT can reduce symptoms related to motor muscular activity in the studied pathologies efficiently enough to satisfy patients. We did not identify the onset of any important side effects in the literature reviewed. We conclude that treatment with BoNT seems a safe and effective treatment for the reviewed pathologies.

The effects of informed consent format on preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing inferior third molar surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of informed consent format on preoperative anxiety of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study (91 patients) undergoing lower third molar extraction. Patients were distributed into three groups. Informed consent for surgery was obtained through a written document, an oral interview or a video recording. Afterwards, patients were asked about their anxiety level and the effect the informed consent had had on it. RESULTS: Whereas the information conveyed both in oral and written formats relieved the patient to some extent (in a scale of -3 to +3) 0.97 ± 1.21 and 0.29 ± 0.97, respectively), the video recording increased patient's anxiety in a statistically significant way (in a scale of -3 to +3, -0.57 ± 1.43). The difference obtained between the values obtained in oral and written information was not statistically significant. DISCUSSION: The most adequate format, according to our study, would be the oral format.

Efficacy and safety of sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of Wilkes stage II disease.

PURPOSE: To show whether an intra-articular (IA) infiltration of 1 mL sodium hyaluronate (SH) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) would significantly reduce pain and improve joint function in Wilkes stage II disease, compared with the oral administration of a combination of methocarbamol and paracetamol. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with Wilkes stage II disease were selected and randomly assigned to 2 groups. The experimental group received 1 IA infiltration of SH with assessments at days 14, 28, 56, and 84. The control group was given 2 tablets of a combination of methocarbamol 380 mg and paracetamol 300 mg every 6 hours for 4 weeks, with assessments at days 14 and 28. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were randomized into the study (SH: 20 patients, control drug: 21 patients). A statistically significant difference (P < . 05) was detected in favor of the SH group from day 56 onward for TMJ pain at rest, from day 14 onward for pain on jaw opening, and at days 28 and 56 for pain on mastication. The TMJ function was statistically significantly (P < .05) better in the test group at all follow-up visits. The global evaluation of efficacy by both, the patients and investigators, was better for the test group. No adverse reactions were detected with SH. CONCLUSIONS: An IA infiltration of SH showed better efficacy in reducing pain and improving joint function in Wilkes stage II disease, compared with the oral administration of methocarbamol-paracetamol tablets.