Chronic pain associated with a foreign body left under the soft tissue flap during periapical surgery.

A case is reported of a patient who requested treatment for chronic pain of 7 yr duration. After several unsuccessful endodontic procedures, a cotton pellet was discovered under the soft tissue near the apex of the left maxillary cuspid. It was theorized that the cotton was left under the tissue flap during a previous apicoectomy procedure. After the cotton was removed the patient subsequentially reported that the pain was relieved.

Dentin dysplasia, type II: report of 2 new families and review of the literature.

Dentin dysplasia, type II, is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder in which primary teeth are amber and translucent, with pulp chambers obliterated by abnormal dentin. The permanent teeth have a normal coronal morphologic character and coloration but exhibit "thistle tube"-shaped pulp chambers as well as numerous pulpal calcifications. The disorder has traditionally been thought to be somewhat rare; however, this article presents 2 new families in which several generations with the disorder were reported to the authors within a 1-year period. It also includes a review of the literature documenting a total of 17 previously reported families.

Central ossifying fibroma of the anterior maxilla: report of case.

Central ossifying fibromas are well-documented, benign lesions usually found on the mandible and posterior maxilla. These lesions are differentiated from other fibro-osseous proliferations by specific clinical, radiographic, and histopathological criteria. An unusual case involving the anterior maxilla is described, including a review of the diagnostic features of the lesion as well as a discussion of its relationship to other fibro-osseous lesions.

Acute myelomonocytic leukemia with oral manifestations: report of case.

A patient seeking dental care was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia and referred to a hematologic-oncologic service for confirmation and treatment. The typical oral findings and a discussion of the disease process of acute leukemia are presented.

Clinical, radiographic, and histological manifestations of dentin dysplasia, type I: Report of case.

Dentin dysplasia, type I, is a rare dental anomaly characterized by abnormal dentin formation affecting the roots of both primary and permanent teeth. Short, conical roots with occlusion of the pulp chamber and canal are produced. Periapical radiolucent areas are common, although no evidence of caries or trauma to the tooth may be seen. Coronal mantle dentin is unaffected, resulting in an apparently normal clinical crown. An abnormality may not be suspected until radiographs reveal pulp and root changes. Orthodontic treatment can be a successful variation of the usual treatment offered to patients, and is discussed in this case report.

Blood flow in maxilla and mandible of normal and atherosclerotic rhesus monkeys.

Atherosclerotic vascular disease affects many individuals, particularly in an elderly population. This study examined alterations in the vasculature and blood flow in the maxilla and mandible in rhesus monkeys fed an atherogenic (high fat) diet. No significant difference was found in blood flow between different regions of the bone (anterior mandible, posterior mandible and maxilla) in animals on either a normal or a high fat diet but overall blood flow in the monkeys on the atherogenic diet was significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than in the control group. Histologic examination of tissue from the animals fed an atherogenic diet revealed minimal changes within the intrabony vasculature and measurements of these vessels showed no significant difference in the percentage of tissue occupied by vessel lumina or in average wall thickness between the groups of animals. On the other hand, tissue from the tongue exhibited gross atherosclerotic vascular lesions and examination of the carotid arteries revealed not only intimal plaques but extensive calcification. It thus appears that the decreased flow measured in the maxilla and mandible may be related to the severely involved afferent vessels rather than to functional changes in the local vasculature.

Response of associated oral soft tissues when exposed to Argon laser during polymerization of dental resins.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Polymerization of dental resins with Argon laser produces restorations with improved physical properties when compared to conventional visible-light polymerization techniques. However, the possibility of damaging adjacent soft tissues has not been addressed. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, Argon laser (488/514 nm) was used for the polymerization of composite resins to determine effects on the parakeratinized gingiva adjacent to both restored and unrestored teeth in six dogs, using 10-, 20-, and 30-second polymerization exposures. RESULTS: Gingival tissues removed at 24 hours, 72 hours, or 5 days revealed desiccated, disrupted, hyalinized connective tissue. Tissues exposed for 10 seconds showed minimal change. This minimal degree of change was most evident at 72 hours and returned to normal limits at 5 days. The 20-second exposure produced alterations evident through all time periods. Tissues exposed for 30 seconds exhibited necrosis, severe disruption, and vessiculation, which was still unresolved at 5 days. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that clinically relevant Argon laser exposure (10 seconds) of parakeratinized gingiva adjacent to teeth undergoing restoration does not cause lasting damage.