Dental anxiety, Quality of Life and body image: gender differences in Italian and Spanish population.

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety is an excessive and irrational negative emotional state experienced by population; the dental anxiety is common throughout the lifespan and is an obstacle to improving oral health behaviors and outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in dental anxiety and to investigate if oral health impacts patients' Quality of Life and the perception of their body image. METHODS: The sample consisted of 366 subjects selected in Italy and Spain (January 2021-September 2021). For this study, data were gathered using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). Data were collected including the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaires and Body Uneasiness Test. RESULTS: Women showed higher scores than men for the dental anxiety. The regression analysis showed that gender, age, and Oral Health Impact are predictors of "dental anxiety." A borderline significance emerges for the independent variable body uneasiness. CONCLUSIONS: The dental anxiety is widespread in the population, with a higher prevalence among women and increases with increasing age. It can negatively affect patients' Quality of Life, well-being, and self-esteem. These results underline the importance of addressing both individual and group strategies for preventing or treating dental anxiety.

Oral colonization by Levilactobacillus brevis KABPTM-052 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABPTM-051: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial (Pilot Study).

BACKGROUND: To determine the oral colonization capacity of the strains Levilactobacillus brevis KABPTM-052 (CECT 7480) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABPTM-051 (CECT 7481) in healthy subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study included 40 volunteers (22 females, 18 males; age range 18-55 years) with healthy gingiva or mild gingivitis, allocated to receiving probiotic chewing gum (n=20) or placebo (n=20) b.i.d for 6 weeks. At baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment, a periodontics specialist collected saliva samples to assess probiotic colonization by qPCR, and analysed dental plaque, gingival index and dental probing pocket depth in Community Periodontal Index (CPI) teeth subset. Protocol was registered as NCT03540498. RESULTS: Treatment compliance was high (99%). Both L. brevis and L. plantarum were detected in the oral microbiota at baseline. After 6 weeks, volunteers receiving probiotic showed a significant increase of both L. brevis (p = 0.017) and L. plantarum (p = 0.004) versus placebo. This effect remained significant after adjusting for gender and gingival index at baseline. In the probiotic group, reduction in plaque index significantly correlated to higher levels of L. brevis (rho = 0.57, p = 0.022) but not of L. plantarum at study endpoint, and the number of subjects with dental plaque was reduced during intervention (7 of 17, p = 0.016). No such effects were observed in the placebo group. No adverse drug reactions were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Levilactobacillus brevis KABPTM-052 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABPTM-051 colonize the buccal microbiota of healthy volunteers, and higher colonization by L. brevis positively correlated to reduction in dental plaque. Key words:Probiotic, Levilactobacillus brevis, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, oral colonization, oral microbiota, dental plaque.

Adhesive restoration of anterior endodontically treated teeth: influence of post length on fracture strength.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the fracture resistance of endodontically treated anterior teeth restored with crowns made of composite or ceramic and retained without the use of a post (endocrowns) or with posts of 5 mm (short) and 10 mm in length (long). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight intact maxillary incisors were selected for the study. After endodontic treatment, the crowns were sectioned 2 mm coronally to the cementoenamel junction provided with a ferrule of 2 mm. The roots were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8) according to the post length and type of coronary restoration. The crowns were fabricated with the chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramics system. Group 1 was restored with a 10-mm glass fiber post, composite core, and a full-coverage ceramic crown (LPCer); group 2, with a 5-mm glass fiber post, composite core, and a full-coverage ceramic crown (SPCer); group 3, with a 10-mm glass fiber post, composite core, and a full-coverage composite crown (LPCpr); group 4, with a 5-mm glass fiber post, composite core, and a full-coverage composite crown (SPCpr); and groups 5 (EndoCer) and 6 (EndoCpr) were restored with ceramic and composite endocrowns, respectively. The teeth were then thermomechanically loaded in a chewing machine. After fatigue, the specimens were loaded to fracture. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and chi-square test. Mode of failure was defined as repairable or non-repairable. RESULTS: Presence of post, post length, and crown material had no significant effect on the fracture resistance. Groups restored with endocrowns presented a higher number of repairable fractures in respect to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of a post had no effect on the restorations' fracture strength. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although this in vitro study has some limitations in respect to its clinical relevance, the restoration of largely destroyed anterior teeth with the use of an endocrown or a short glass fiber post might have advantages over a large glass fiber post.