Effectiveness of Lemon Verbena (Cymbopogon citratus) in Oral Candidiasis: A Systematic Review.

The rise of phytotherapy has enabled the utilization of various plant species for medicinal purposes, such as Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus), providing solutions for oral pathologies, such as oral candidiasis. The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases were searched. In vivo and in vitro studies on the action of C. citratus against oral candidiasis were included, and ROBINS-I was used to determine study quality and risk of bias. The search yielded 1922 articles, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. Limited scientific evidence exists regarding the use of C. citratus for oral candidiasis. However, studies have indicated its potent antifungal effects. Further studies, preferably clinical trials, are necessary to confirm this effect and to enable its clinical use as a therapeutic option.

Understanding Health Care Students' Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes Toward AI-Powered Language Models: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: ChatGPT was not intended for use in health care, but it has potential benefits that depend on end-user understanding and acceptability, which is where health care students become crucial. There is still a limited amount of research in this area. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of our study was to assess the frequency of ChatGPT use, the perceived level of knowledge, the perceived risks associated with its use, and the ethical issues, as well as attitudes toward the use of ChatGPT in the context of education in the field of health. In addition, we aimed to examine whether there were differences across groups based on demographic variables. The second part of the study aimed to assess the association between the frequency of use, the level of perceived knowledge, the level of risk perception, and the level of perception of ethics as predictive factors for participants' attitudes toward the use of ChatGPT. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2023 encompassing students of medicine, nursing, dentistry, nutrition, and laboratory science across the Americas. The study used descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, and ANOVA to assess statistical significance across different categories. The study used several ordinal logistic regression models to analyze the impact of predictive factors (frequency of use, perception of knowledge, perception of risk, and ethics perception scores) on attitude as the dependent variable. The models were adjusted for gender, institution type, major, and country. Stata was used to conduct all the analyses. RESULTS: Of 2661 health care students, 42.99% (n=1144) were unaware of ChatGPT. The median score of knowledge was "minimal" (median 2.00, IQR 1.00-3.00). Most respondents (median 2.61, IQR 2.11-3.11) regarded ChatGPT as neither ethical nor unethical. Most participants (median 3.89, IQR 3.44-4.34) "somewhat agreed" that ChatGPT (1) benefits health care settings, (2) provides trustworthy data, (3) is a helpful tool for clinical and educational medical information access, and (4) makes the work easier. In total, 70% (7/10) of people used it for homework. As the perceived knowledge of ChatGPT increased, there was a stronger tendency with regard to having a favorable attitude toward ChatGPT. Higher ethical consideration perception ratings increased the likelihood of considering ChatGPT as a source of trustworthy health care information (odds ratio [OR] 1.620, 95% CI 1.498-1.752), beneficial in medical issues (OR 1.495, 95% CI 1.452-1.539), and useful for medical literature (OR 1.494, 95% CI 1.426-1.564; P<.001 for all results). CONCLUSIONS: Over 40% of American health care students (1144/2661, 42.99%) were unaware of ChatGPT despite its extensive use in the health field. Our data revealed the positive attitudes toward ChatGPT and the desire to learn more about it. Medical educators must explore how chatbots may be included in undergraduate health care education programs.

Intraoral Soft Tissue Lesions in 6-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Regions of Southern Ecuador: An Epidemiological Study.

Oral Mucosal Lesions (OMLs) are conditions of the oral mucosa that cause alterations in their presentation and pain in the affected patient, highlighting their importance for study. The aim of this research is to determine the prevalence of oral lesions in the Ecuadorian Austro. Descriptive statistics were used to associate variables, yielding statistically significant findings based on oral lesions, sex, and geographical environment. This study was conducted under the appropriate bioethical permissions. The results obtained correspond to the prevalence of lesions by province. Morona Santiago displays a rate of 17% for abscesses, surpassing the provinces of Azuay (13.50%) and Cañar (10.67%). However, gingivitis for pathology, Azuay stands out with 13.17%, while Cañar and Morona Santiago present 10.50% and 8.33%, respectively. There is also a predominant occurrence of abscesses in rural areas (41.17%) compared to urban ones (26.33%). Regarding sex, girls show a higher percentage of abscesses (41.17%) compared to boys who have a clear tendency to present GUM lesions (22.33%). The data indicates that in the studied provinces, geographical environment and sex are key variables to understand the distribution of oral lesions. These findings encourage us to continue pursuing this type of research, which contributes to improving the quality of life for children.

Unveiling motives for dentistry studies: psychometric validation of a comprehensive questionnaire among aspiring dental students.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop and validate a questionnaire for dental students in Ecuador to assess their reasons to study dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 25-item questionnaire was developed by the authors based on similar studies and a qualitative study. The questionnaire had five theoretical factors: economic, professional, vocational, social and academic reasons for study. In the first two samples, exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify the structure, and the models obtained were compared with confirmatory factor analysis in the third sample. RESULTS: Three samples were used, sample A with 201 participants, sample B with 623 participants, and sample C with 596 participants. Two-thirds of the participants were female and almost one-third were from coast region. The EFA applied in sample A resulted in a five-factor model with 18 items; in contrast, a three-factor model was obtained from sample B. According to the CFA in sample C, the best model was explained by three factors: labor, vocational and academic reasons. Considering two items to cross-load in labor and vocational factors, which are theoretically justified. CONCLUSION: This study presents a 12-item questionnaire that assesses labor, vocational and academic reasons for studying dentistry in an Ecuadorian population.

Worldwide Variations in Fluoride Content in Beverages for Infants.

In situations where breastfeeding is impractical, milk formulas have emerged as the primary choice for infant nutrition. Numerous global studies have scrutinized the fluoride content in these formulas, uncovering fluctuations in fluoride levels directly associated with the method of preparation. This variability poses a potential risk of elevated fluoride concentrations and, consequently, an increased susceptibility to dental fluorosis in infants. The primary objective of this review is to intricately delineate the fluoride content in dairy formulas and emphasize the variability of these values concerning their reconstitution process. The review's findings reveal that, among the 17 studies assessing fluoride levels in infant formula, milk-based formulas exhibit a range of 0.01-0.92 ppm, with only two studies exceeding 1.30 ppm. Conversely, soy-based formulas demonstrate values ranging from 0.13-1.11 ppm. In conclusion, the observed variability in fluoride levels in infant formulas is ascribed to the choice of the water source employed in the preparation process. This underscores the paramount importance of meticulously adhering to recommendations and guidelines provided by healthcare professionals concerning the utilization of these formulas and their meticulous reconstitution.

Caries Experience in Preschoolers in Three Ecuadorian Communities.

Dental caries in the preschool population presents a significant challenge in the field of global public health, including Ecuador. Early detection of this disease is crucial for developing effective strategies for prevention and promotion of oral health, which can have a substantial impact on the quality of life of preschool-aged children. This study evaluated 600 children aged 3 to 5 years attending preschool education centers using the ICDAS II diagnostic criteria. The Student's t-test was used to analyze differences between the means of two independent groups. Additionally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess differences between the means of three or more groups. The prevalence of caries was 87%, with a dft index of 3.85 in the three provinces studied. A high treatment need was observed in 84.17% of the population. No significant differences in the DFT index were found based on gender, although both groups exhibited elevated values. No significant differences were observed in relation to province and environment. The second molar was the most affected tooth, with a caries prevalence of 58.8%. Despite the lack of significant differences among the evaluated variables, a high prevalence and experience of dental caries were found in the studied population.

Distribution of Dental Fluorosis in the Southern Zone of Ecuador: An Epidemiological Study.

In recent decades, the increase in fluoride exposure has raised the numbers of dental fluorosis in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities In Ecuador, but the last national epidemiological study on DF was conducted more than a decade ago. The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the prevalence, distribution and severity of dental fluorosis (DF) using the Dean index in 1606 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years from urban and rural environments in provinces that make up the Southern Region of Ecuador. Participants met the inclusion criteria which were age, locality, informed consent document and no legal impediment. The results are presented using percentage frequency measures and chi-square associations. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 50.1% in the areas of Azuay, Cañar and Morona Santiago, with no significant differences (x2 = 5.83, p = 0.054). The types of DF found most frequently were very mild and mild in all provinces; a moderate degree was more prevalent in Cañar (17%). There was no significant association (p > 0.05) between sex and the presence of dental fluorosis and, with respect to severity, the most frequent degree was moderate at the age of 12 years. The prevalence of dental fluorosis in the area evaluated is high, especially in the light and very light degrees, with a tendency toward moderate levels. It is necessary to carry out studies on the factors that are predisposing to the development of this pathology in the population studied. This research is an update regarding this pathology in Ecuador, so it is concluded that it is necessary to continue developing studies based on the findings obtained, thus contributing to the public health of the country.

Intervención temprana de dientes supernumerarios en dentición primaria: Reporte y seguimiento de caso clínico / Intervenção precoce de dentes supranumerários na dentição decídua: relato e acompanhamento de um caso clínico / Early intervention of supernumerary teeth in primary dentition: Report and follow-up of clinical case

El mesiodens es un diente supernumerario que se encuentra en la zona de los incisivos centrales superiores, cuyo diagnóstico temprano es fundamental ya que permite la extracción oportuna del mismo previniendo posibles alteraciones a futuro como son: el desarrollo de quistes, malposición de los dientes adyacentes, retraso de erupción, diastema interincisal, reabsorción apical de dientes vecinos. Reporte de caso: Paciente masculino, de 6 años con 11 meses de edad, que presentó mesiodens doble, cuyo hallazgo fue radiológico, mediante una panorámica, requisito de la odontóloga para control odontológico general, en el cual se pudo observar la presencia de dos dientes supernumerarios, los cuales estaban provocando la rotación de los incisivos permanentes superiores. El tratamiento se basó en la extracción quirúrgica temprana de los dientes supernumerarios, para determinar el abordaje fue necesario la realización de un estudio tomográfico, una vez determinada el proceso de extracción, y posteriormente la recuperación del paciente, y seguimiento radiográfico y clínico, se logró la erupción adecuada de los incisivos centrales superiores permanentes, hasta la actualidad se realizan controles periódicos y la colocación de placas de expansión superior e inferior. Conclusión: En este caso el tratamiento es la extracción temprana, y debido al diagnóstico oportuno y las condiciones óptimas del paciente como son: la reabsorción radicular fisiológica de los dientes primarios, la ubicación de los dientes supernumerarios, así como el estadio de Nolla de los incisivos centrales superiores, permite que el tratamiento elegido sea el óptimo y con las condiciones menos traumáticas posibles.

O mesiodens é um dente supranumerário encontrado na região dos incisivos centrais superiores, cuja detecção pode ser acidental. O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental, pois permite a extração oportuna do dente supranumerário, prevenindo possíveis alterações futuras como: desenvolvimento de cistos, má localização dos dentes adjacentes, atraso na erupção, diastema interincisal, reabsorção apical dos dentes vizinhos. Relato de caso: O caso apresentado é de um paciente pediátrico do sexo masculino, 6 anos e 11 meses, que apresentava duplo mesiodens, cujo achado foi radiológico, através de visão panorâmica, uma solicitação do cirurgião-dentista para controle odontológico geral, no qual pôde observar a presença de dois dentes supranumerários, que causavam a rotação dos incisivos permanentes superiores. O tratamento baseou-se na extração cirúrgica precoce dos dentes supranumerários, para determinar a abordagem foi necessário realizar um estudo tomográfico, uma vez determinado o processo de extração, e posteriormente a recuperação do paciente, e acompanhamento radiográfico e clínico , conseguiu-se uma erupção adequada dos incisivos centrais superiores permanentes, até o momento são realizadas verificações periódicas e colocação de placas de expansão superiores e inferiores. Conclusão: Neste caso, o tratamento é a extração precoce e devido ao diagnóstico oportuno e condições ideais do paciente, como: reabsorção radicular fisiológica dos dentes decíduos, localização dos dentes supranumerários, bem como o estágio Nolla dos dentes. incisivos centrais superiores, permite que o tratamento escolhido seja ótimo e com as condições menos traumáticas possíveis

Mesiodens is a supernumerary tooth found in the area of the upper central incisors, the detection of which may be accidental. Early diagnosis is essential since it allows timely extraction of the supernumerary tooth, preventing possible future alterations such as: the development of cysts, poor location of adjacent teeth, delayed eruption, interincisal diastema, apical resorption of neighboring teeth. Case report: The case presented is of a male pediatric patient, 6 years and 11 months old, who presented double mesiodens, whose finding was radiological, through a panoramic view, a requirement of the dentist for general dental control, in which could observe the presence of two supernumerary teeth, which were causing the rotation of the upper permanent incisors. The treatment was based on the early surgical extraction of the supernumerary teeth, to determine the approach it was necessary to carry out a tomographic study, once the extraction process was determined, and later the recovery of the patient, and radiographic and clinical follow-up, it was achieved. proper eruption of the permanent upper central incisors, to date periodic checks and placement of upper and lower expansion plates are performed. Conclusion: In this case, the treatment is early extraction, and due to timely diagnosis and optimal patient conditions such as: physiological root resorption of deciduous teeth, location of supernumerary teeth, as well as the Nolla stage of the teeth. upper central incisors, allows the chosen treatment to be optimal and with the least traumatic conditions possible

Developmental Enamel Defects in Children from the Southern Region of Ecuador.

Developmental defects of enamel (DDEs) are widely observed in children and are related to the appearance of dental caries, malocclusion, tooth sensitivity, and unfavorable esthetic conditions. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of enamel defects present in children aged 6 to 12 years in the provinces located in southern Ecuador. A total of 1606 schoolchildren were examined under the World Health Organization criteria for diagnosis of DDEs. The results are presented using percentage frequency measures and chi-square associations. Some types of DDEs were presented by 50% of the schoolchildren, mainly diffuse opacity, with no statistical differences according to place of residence and/or environment, sex, and age (p > 0.05). In Ecuador, it is necessary to carry out studies on the factors that trigger enamel defects, since they may be associated with the high prevalence of caries already reported in other studies in the country.

Ambulatory Sedation for Dental Procedures-Case of Cuenca, Ecuador.

In recent years, the dental treatment of children under sedation and/or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis has been developed as a behavioral management model in pediatric dentistry. The objective of this study was to establish the percentage of pediatric patients who required deep sedation on an outpatient basis in dental offices in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. An observational study was conducted with a sample of 450 records of school- and preschool-age patients, where the variables were type and time of treatment, age, and sex. Statistical data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS V.27 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). The highest percentage of children who received sedation were of preschool age. In general, there were three types of procedures per session, the most frequent being restorations (67%), followed by pulp treatment (49.8%) and, less frequently, minor surgery. The need for sedation for dental procedures is high in preschool patients, and ambulatory sedation has contributed to meeting this need. However, a regulation for its use is required at a national level.

Caries Experience and Treatment Needs in Urban and Rural Environments in School-Age Children from Three Provinces of Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In Ecuador, national epidemiological surveys have not been updated; however, some regional studies in the northern areas of the country still report a high prevalence of dental caries. The aim of this study was to determine the experience, severity, and need for treatment of dental caries in school children aged 6 to 12 years in urban and rural settings in three provinces of southern Ecuador. This cross-sectional, relational study examined 1938 schoolchildren in the provinces of Azuay, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. The survey instruments were based mainly on the WHO manual Methods of Oral Health Surveys (dmft) for primary and permanent dentition (DMFT), as well as the prevalence, severity, and Significant Caries Index (SCI). The parametric Student's t-test was used to compare two groups, and the Spearman's Rho and Tau-c Kendall correlation coefficients were used to associate the categorical variables. Results: The prevalence of caries in the primary dentition was 78% and 89.2% in the permanent dentition. The dmft (M = 4.12, SD = 2.86) and DMFT (M = 3.62: SD = 3.07) placed the general group in a moderate caries index. The need for treatment was 90.68% in the primary dentition, while it was 87.99% in the permanent dentition. Caries severity in both dentitions was high (M = 7.74; SD = 3.42). Conclusions. Alarming indicators of caries experience and the need for treatment were observed in the population studied.

Phytotherapy: A Solution to Decrease Antifungal Resistance in the Dental Field.

The pathologies produced by fungi in the oral cavity in recent decades have become a health problem, with factors such as an imbalance of the local microbiota being the cause for their propagation. Conventional antifungal treatments, instead of being beneficial, have generated alterations that have led to antifungal resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe phytotherapy resources as a possible solution to oral antifungal resistance. A bibliographic search was carried out on platforms such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google scholar. A total of 248 scientific articles were obtained, of which 108 met the inclusion criteria. Microorganisms of fungal origin currently show resistance to the different antifungals of conventional use, which is undoubtedly altering the oral health of human beings, but there are new therapeutic possibilities such as the active principles of various natural species.

Prevalence of Caries According to the ICDAS II in Children from 6 and 12 Years of Age from Southern Ecuadorian Regions.

In Ecuador, national data on dental caries are scarce and the detection of incipient enamel lesions has been omitted. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of caries in school children aged 6 and 12 years of both sexes, belonging to urban and rural areas of three provinces of the country, using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). The sample consisted of 665 children from public schools, examined according to ICDASII. Caries prevalence and caries index were established using ICDAS II 2-6/C-G and ICDAS II 4-6/E-G criteria for comparison with WHO indicators. The Mann−Whitney U statistical test was used for comparison of two groups, the effect size was measured with the correlation coefficient. and the Kruskal−Wallis H test (p < 0.05) for multiple comparisons. Caries prevalence exceeded 87% for primary and permanent dentition. There were no significant differences according to province (p ≤ 0.05). The caries index at 6 years was 6.57 and at 12 years 9.21. The SIC was high at 12 years in rural areas. The prevalence of caries in the population studied was high despite the preventive measures established by health agencies.

Estado nutricional y caries de infancia temprana en niños de 0 a 3 años: Revisión de la literatura

Objetivo: Recopilar información relacionando el estado nutricional y la caries de infancia temprana en edades desde los 0 a 3 años. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó la búsqueda de artículos científicos desde el mes de noviembre 2020 hasta el mes de enero del 2021 tanto en español como en inglés en base de datos como: Google Scholar, Scielo, Pubmed, Dialnet, Science Direct, con el uso de las palabras clave: caries dental, conducta alimentaria, lactancia materna, desmineralización, sacarosa. Incluyendo artículos originales, y de revisión bibliográfica. Excluyendo artículos que no pertenecían al tema de nutrición y caries. Resultados: La caries de infancia temprana comienza poco después de la erupción dental, se transmite con mayor frecuencia verticalmente (de la madre al niño), siendo el microorganismo más cariogénico el Streptococcus mutans. Se ha demostrado por varios estudios que la desnutrición no se relaciona con caries de primera infancia, pero si el consumo excesivo de azúcares, la lactancia materna y el biberón nocturno frecuente. Por esta razón, en los infantes entre 0 y 3 años de edad se debe utilizar pastas fluoradas (1000-1100 ppm de flúor) con el fin de eliminar placa bacteriana y la formación de caries dental. Conclusiones: Existe una relación estrecha entre la nutrición y caries dental en niños de 0-3 años, pero el factor más importante es la intervención de los padres en aplicar los cuidados orales en infantes; es importante el conocimiento de los contenidos de azúcares en alimentos, con el fin de evitar la aparición de la caries de infancia temprana.

Operatoria dental y endodoncia 5: protección de la interfase resina-dentina mediante inhibidores de las enzimas colagenolíticas / Operative dentistry and endodontics 5: protection of the resin-dentin interface by colagenolytic enzyme inhibitors

La adhesión entre las resinas hidrófilas y la dentina se encuentra sometida a una degradación permanente cuya intensidad aumenta en función del tiempo transcurrido. Esto es producto de la actividad de las metaloproteinasas, de las catepsinas y otras enzimas colagenolíticas, responsables de la destrucción paulatina de las fibras colágenas de la capa híbrida. La mayoría de las estrategias para inhibir estas enzimas han sido ensayos de laboratorio, mientras que las investigaciones clínicas son escasas. En este trabajo se analiza la literatura relacionada con las estrategias sugeridas para prevenir la degradación del colágeno de la capa híbrida en la interfaz resina-dentina (AU)

The bonds between hidrophylic resins and dentin are subjected to a time-dependent collagenolytic degradation. Endogenous enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases, catepsins and other enzymes are responsible for the hybrid layer destruction. The majority of strategies developed to inhibit these enzymes are laboratory evaluations while clinical studies are scarce. This review examines the literature related to the strategies suggested to prevent collagen degradation of the hybrid layer in resin-dentin interfaces (AU)