Potential for Stem Cell-Based Periodontal Therapy.

Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent and are linked to several systemic diseases. The goal of periodontal treatment is to halt the progression of the disease and regenerate the damaged tissue. However, achieving complete and functional periodontal regeneration is challenging because the periodontium is a complex apparatus composed of different tissues, including bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament. Stem cells may represent an effective therapeutic tool for periodontal regeneration due to their plasticity and their ability to regenerate different tissues. This review presents and critically analyzes the available information on stem cell-based therapy for the regeneration of periodontal tissues and suggests new avenues for the development of more effective therapeutic protocols.

Exploring the Impact of a Culturally Tailored Short Film in Modifying Dementia Stigma Among Chinese Americans: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Chinese Americans, one of the fastest growing ethnic groups among the US elderly population, perceive high levels of dementia stigma. The authors examined the extent of the stigma and explored the impact of media through a culturally tailored short film to modify dementia stigma. METHODS: Chinese American participants were asked to answer a dementia questionnaire. A short film was then used to address the impact of media on dementia stigma. RESULTS: Among 90 randomly selected participants, 89% (n = 80) found the short film to be a useful way to modify their misconceptions about dementia. In the comparison between the group who felt less influenced by the short film and the group who recognized the short film to be extremely helpful, the latter group had a higher baseline of stigma toward dementia, as well as a shorter duration of residence in the USA. CONCLUSION: Chinese Americans still perceive severe dementia stigma. Nevertheless, a culturally tailored short film demonstrated promising impact in modifying stigma toward dementia.

Parents ASSIST: Acceptability and Feasibility of a Video-Based Educational Series for Sexuality-Inclusive Communication between Parents and Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Sons.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) between the ages of 13 and 24 are a key population for HIV prevention. The parents of gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adolescent males and the sex communication they have with their sons has yet to be explored as an HIV prevention intervention. We developed an online video series called Parents ASSIST (Advancing Supportive and Sexuality-Inclusive Sex Talks) to educate parents about sexual health topics pertinent to GBQ males. We pilot tested the series with a sample of 54 parents of GBQ males using a single-group post-test design. Participants viewed the videos and completed a survey measuring the acceptability and feasibility of an online video series to educate parents. Most of the parents (70.4%) believed that the videos would make parents more likely to initiate talking about sex with their sons. The results suggest that online videos are an acceptable way for parents to learn about GBQ sexual health topics.

Procedural competency for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter insertion for nurses in a pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if nurses can reliably perform ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placement in children with a high success rate after an initial training period. A secondary aim was to analyze complication rates of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters. METHODS: A database recorded all ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter encounters in the emergency department from November 2013 to April 2019 including the emergency department nurse attempting placement, number of attempts, and whether it was successful. Patient electronic medical records were reviewed for the time of and reason for intravenous removal.The probabilities of first-attempt successful intravenous placement and complication at successive encounters after an initial training period were calculated. These probabilities were plotted versus encounter number to graph best-fit logarithmic regressions. RESULTS: A total of 83 nurses completed a standardized training program in ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placement including 10 supervised ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placements. In total, 87% (3513/4053) of the ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter placed after the training program were successful on the first attempt. The probability of successfully placing an ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter increased as nurses had more experience placing ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters (R2 = 0.18) and was 83% at 10 encounters.Twenty-five percent (904/3646) of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters had complications, and there was no statistically significant relationship between the number of encounters per nurse and complication rates (R2 < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nurses can reliably place ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheters at a high success rate after an initial training period. First-attempt success rates were high and increased from 67% to 83% for the first 10 unsupervised encounters after training and remained high. The complication rate was low and did not change as nurses gained more experience.

Can extra-short dental implants serve as alternatives to bone augmentation? A preliminary longitudinal randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: A randomized trial to assess clinical and radiographic outcomes of short versus standard dental implants placed with concomitant vertical bone augmentation. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Patients requiring dental implants were randomized to receive either 6-mm implants (experimental) or 10-mm implants with vertical augmentation (control). Custom load-bearing healing abutments were connected to allow for indirect resonance frequency analysis measurements. Standardized radiographs were taken at implant placement (baseline), and at 3 and 12 months. Implants were restored at 3 to 6 months, and final measurements were taken at 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty patients with 25 implants per group were included. Five implants failed, four experimental and one control (84% and 96% cumulative survival rate, respectively). Short implants required significantly less surgical time (51.6 ± 23 versus 68.5 ± 35 minutes, P = .05). Implant stability quotients at baseline (67.9 ± 8.3 experimental and 70.8 ± 7.6 control, P = .215) and 12 weeks (70.17 ± 7.4 and 72.03 ± 5.9, respectively, P = .513) were similar and unchanged. Positive correlation was found between the two measurement methods (r2 = .6, P = .025). One-year average marginal bone loss was slightly lower for the experimental group (0.6 ± 0.16 mm) compared to the control group (0.86 ± 0.19 mm); however, this was not statistically significant (P = .287). CONCLUSION: Short dental implants may offer an alternative for implant placement in an atrophic jaw; however, they are associated with reduced first-year survival rate. Short dental implants should be used judiciously in light of this potential predicament, and alternatives assessed.

The feasibility of using coronally advanced flap with an extracellular matrix membrane for treating gingival recession defects: a preclinical study.

The guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedure has been demonstrated to successfully correct gingival recession (GR) defects. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using the combination of a coronally advanced flap (CAF) with an extracellular membrane (ECM) to correct GR. GR defects were induced in the maxillary posterior region in five baboons. A 3-month healing period followed before the ECM was placed over the defect and covered with a CAF. Probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), and keratinized tissue width (KTW) were measured at baseline and 3 months postoperatively. Block biopsies of the treated areas were submitted for histologic review after a healing period of 3 months. There were no significant differences between the test (ECM + CAF) and control (CAF) groups in terms of changes in PD, RD, RW, and KTW after 3 months of treatment. However, significant differences have been noted for preoperation and postsurgery RD and RW values for both the control and test groups. Histomorphometric results showed minimal alveolar bone and connective tissue replacing the ECM membrane. CAF (either with or without the use of an ECM) is effective for the treatment of GR defects.