Does intra-articular injection of tenoxicam after arthrocentesis heal outcomes of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis? A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a degenerative disease and manifests itself with pain and limitation of movement in the jaws. Arthrocentesis alone or in combination with intraarticular injections is one of the most commonly used treatment methods in these patients. The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of arthrocentesis plus tenoxicam injection and to compare it with arthrocentesis alone in patients with TMJ-OA. METHODS: Thirty patients with TMJ-OA who were treated randomly with either arthrocentesis plus tenoxicam injection (TX group) or arthrocentesis alone (control group) were examined. Maximum mouth opening (MMO), visual analog scale (VAS) pain values, and joint sounds were the outcome variables, which were evaluated at pre-treatment and at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after treatment. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The gender distribution and mean age were not significantly different between the two groups. Pain values (p < 0.001), MMO (p < 0.001), and joint sounds (p < 0.001) improved significantly in both groups. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of outcome variables [pain (p = 0.085), MMO (p = 0.174), joint sounds (p = 0.131)]. CONCLUSIONS: Arthrocentesis plus tenoxicam injection showed no better outcomes in terms of MMO, pain, and joint sounds compared with arthrocentesis alone in patients with TMJ-OA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Injection of Tenoxicam Versus Arthrocentesis Alone in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis, NCT05497570. Registered 11 May 2022. Retrospectively registered, https://register. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000CD7A&selectaction=Edit&uid=U0006FC4&ts=6&cx=f3anuq.

Investigation of the expression level of long non-coding RNAs in dental follicles of impacted mandibular third molars.

OBJECTIVES: Dental follicle (DF) is made up of mesenchymal cells and fibers surrounding the enamel organ of a developing tooth. It has been shown that cystic and neoplastic lesions can develop from the pericoronal follicles of impacted third molars (ITMs). But the molecular transformation of DF tissues has not yet been uncovered and remains elusive. Accordingly, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the differential expression of lncRNA genes in DF tissues associated with asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars (IMTMs) that do not show pathological pericoronal radiolucency in radiographic examination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients with unilateral mesioangular IMTMs were enrolled for the study. The expressions of lncRNA genes were determined in the DF and healthy gingival tissues obtained from study patients. For the determination of lncRNA expression levels, RNA was isolated from the obtained tissues, converted to cDNA samples, and analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR method. RESULTS: As a result, we found that the gene expression of MEG3 was increased about 10-fold in DF tissues compared to healthy gingival tissues (p < 0.0001). In addition, NORAD expression was found to be upregulated 4.2-fold (p = 0.0002) in DF tissues. Also, expression level of MALAT1 was found to be decreased 1.24-fold (p = 0.584) and TP73-AS1 increased 2.6-fold (p = 0.093) in DF tissues compared to healthy gingival tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, present findings suggest that differentially expressed lncRNAs in DFs might be associated with the various levels of cellular events including osteogenic differentiation, DNA damage, and the transformation into odontogenic pathology. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Expression levels of MEG3 and NORAD lncRNA molecules may guide clinicians in the evaluation of asymptomatic ITM dental follicles that cannot be determined radiologically and during extraction of these teeth for prophylactic purposes.

Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine for Managing Postoperative Symptoms After Third-Molar Surgery.

PURPOSE: Lower-impacted third-molar surgery is the most common oral-maxillofacial surgery procedure and involves a considerable degree of soft- and bony-tissue trauma. This study measured and compared postoperative sequalae between patients receiving dexmedetomidine or ketamine after third-molar surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a randomized double-blind prospective trial. The patients were divided into 2 groups: ketamine and dexmedetomidine. Pain, swelling, and trismus outcomes were evaluated before and 2 and 7 days after surgery. In addition, patients were asked to record the number and timing of oral analgesic tablets they required during the postoperative period. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and a repeated-measures general linear model. The significance level was set at P < .05. RESULTS: The study included 66 patients (38 women and 28 men) undergoing extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Significant differences were found between the groups in visual analog scale pain scores at 1, 6, and 12 hours after surgery (P < .001, P = .010, and P = .030, respectively). Trismus and swelling did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine resulted in less postoperative pain than dexmedetomidine during the first 12 hours after third-molar surgery.

Asporin levels in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is important for diagnosis and treatment planning. Thus, biochemical analysis is usually used for the detection of tissue damage. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the serum asporin levels in patients with TMD. METHODS: Our study was planned to be performed on 43 healthy individuals (control group) without any joint problems and 43 patients with temporomandibular joint internal derangement (TMJ-ID; patients group) according to the Wilkes classification (stages 3, 4 and 5). Serum asporin levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and compared between groups. Asporin levels were analysed according to the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, and the differences between them were demonstrated. RESULTS: Asporin levels were found to be significantly increased in the patients group compared to control group (p = .0303). The age and gender distributions of the samples in the control and patients groups were homogeneous, and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. In addition, while there was no significant change in asporin levels in females in the patients group compared with the control group, the asporin levels were significantly increased in males in the patients group (p = .0403). CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, asporin seems to be an important biomarker in the pathobiology of TMJ-ID as it is significantly upregulated in these patients.

Comparison of the Anesthetic Efficiency of Lidocaine and Tramadol Hydrochloride in Orthodontic Extractions: A Split-Mouth, Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present randomized controlled split-mouth clinical study was to evaluate and compare the clinical anesthetic efficacy of lidocaine and tramadol hydrochloride in orthodontic extractions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 32 systemically healthy patients requiring bilaterally maxillary first premolar extractions for orthodontic reasons were included. Each patient received 1.8 mL of lidocaine (36 mg lidocaine HCI and 0.0225 mg epinephrine) on 1 side and 1.8 mL tramadol (50 mg tramadol HCl and 0.0225 mg epinephrine diluted to 1.8 mL by distilled water) on the other side. The anesthetic solutions were infiltrated into the buccal vestibule (local infiltration) based on a computer-generated list. In each patient, the time of anesthetic onset and finish, anesthetic activity, duration of postoperative analgesia, additional analgesic medication, wound healing, possible side effects, and satisfaction levels were recorded intraoperatively and postoperatively for both sides. RESULTS: Although no relevant differences were found between the solutions for anesthetic onset, lidocaine was significantly more effective statistically for the total anesthesia duration. Comparing the anesthetic activity at 5 minutes before extraction, we found that tramadol was significantly more effective statistically compared with lidocaine. Similarly, tramadol was significantly more effective statistically than lidocaine for satisfaction level and wound healing. Moreover, compared with tramadol, in terms of postoperative pain, the visual analog scale scores with lidocaine were significantly higher at statistically 7, 8, 9, and 10 hours during the first 12 hours. In general, the lidocaine values were dramatically higher than were the tramadol values. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that using tramadol combined with epinephrine can be an alternative local anesthetic for maxillary first premolar tooth extractions in oral-maxillofacial surgery.

Assessment of Effect of Submucosal Injection of Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Symptoms.

PURPOSE: Embedded third molar surgery is the most frequent oral-maxillofacial surgical procedure performed. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical effect of submucosal dexmedetomidine (dex) on decreasing postoperative edema, trismus, and pain after surgical molar extraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a double-blind, randomized, prospective study including patients undergoing surgical bilateral embedded mandibular molar extraction. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those receiving saline solution and those receiving dex. The main outcome measures of pain, facial swelling, and trismus were assessed on days 2 and 7 after surgery. In addition, patients were requested to record the time rescue analgesics were taken, as well as the total number taken. The variables were analyzed using the Student t test and a repeated-measures general linear model. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study included 40 patients (9 women and 11 men per group; mean age, 23.40 years) undergoing surgical bilateral embedded mandibular molar extraction. On day 2, a statistically significant difference in edema was found between the groups (P = .004). On days 2 and 7, statistically significant differences in the severity of trismus were found between the groups (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively). In addition, statistically significant differences were found between the groups in visual analog scale pain scores at 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours (P = .161, P = .038, P = .110, P = .136, and P = .007, respectively) and in the number of analgesic tablets taken (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative submucosal dex is an efficient, safe, and beneficial therapeutic strategy to decrease edema, trismus, and pain after surgical molar extraction.

The effect of ectodermal dysplasia on volume and surface area of maxillary sinus.

PURPOSE: Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) is a congenital syndrome characterized by abnormal development of ectodermal structures, such as skin, hair, nails, teeth, or salivary glands. Patients with ED demonstrate craniofacial dysmorphology, midfacial hypoplasia and hypodontia. The aim of this study is to evaluate volume and surface area of maxillary sinus and craniofacial structures in patients with ectodermal dysplasia (ED) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. METHODS: The CBCT images of 20 patients with ED (study group) and 20 healthy individuals (control) which are equal in terms of age and gender were evaluated. After a three-dimensional analysis and segmentation of each maxillary sinus, the volume and surface area were calculated. Craniofacial dimensions were measured on the sagittal planes of the CBCT images. The results of the ED and control groups were statistically compared. RESULTS: The right and left sinus volumes and surface areas were significantly lower in the ED group than in the control group (p < 0.05) while the SNA was significantly higher (p < 0.05). ANB and SN-GoMe were also lower in patients with ED than in controls (p < 0.05). The difference in SNB values between the two groups was not significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The volumes and surface areas of both maxillary sinuses were found to be smaller in patients with ED compared to healthy individuals. Class III malocclusion with maxillary retrusion is a characteristic craniofacial feature of these patients.

Alterations in maxillary sinus volume among oral and nasal breathers.

BACKGROUND: Oral breathing causes many changes in the facial anatomical structures in adult patients. In this study we aimed to determine the effects of long-term oral breathing (>5 years) on the maxillary sinus volumes among adult male patients. MATERIAL/METHODS: We accessed medical records of 586 patients who had undergone cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for any reason between September 2013 and April 2014. Patients who had undergone cone-beam dental volumetric tomography scans for any reason and who had answered a questionnaire about breathing were screened retrospectively. Cone beam dental volumetric tomography (I-Cat, Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA, USA) was used to take the images of the maxillo-facial area at a setting of 120 kVp and 3.7 mA. This study involved male patients older than 21 years of age. RESULTS: The study included a total of 239 male patients, of which 68 were oral breathers and 171 were nasal breathers. The mean age of the oral breathers was 48.4 years and that of the nasal breathers was 46.7 years and the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The mean maxillary sinus volumes of the oral and nasal breathers were 9043.49±1987.90 and 10851.77±2769.37, respectively, and the difference in maxillary sinus volume between the 2 groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The volume of maxillary sinus in oral breathers (>5 years) was significantly lower than in nasal breathers, but it remains unclear whether this is due to malfunctioning of the nasal cavity or due to the underlying pathological condition.

A comparison of the effects of methylprednisolone and tenoxicam on pain, edema, and trismus after impacted lower third molar extraction.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of preemptive intravenous tenoxicam and methylprednisolone administrations on extraction of impacted third molars. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. A total of 60 adult patients ages 18-40 years with the complaints of impacted third molar teeth were included in the study. RESULTS: The postoperative swelling ratios (p<0.05) and pain scores (p<0.05) were significantly better in both study groups than in the control group and there was no statistically significant difference between methylprednisolone and tenoxicam groups with regards to the edema and pain relief. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative administration of 80 mg methylprednisolone achieves better control of trismus than tenoxicam without any significant differences in edema and pain control in impacted third molar teeth extraction.

Expression pattern of hypoxia-related genes in odontogenic cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to reveal the effects of hypoxia-associated signaling in odontogenic cysts. DESIGN: The expression levels of genes involved in the hypoxia-associated signaling pathway were determined by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. RESULTS: As a result, it was found that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression was low (p = 0.037), and the expression levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) (p = 0.0127), hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1A) (p < 0.001), and HIF1A antisense RNA 1 (HIF1A-AS1) (p = 0.0218) were higher in cyst tissue compared to normal tissue. HIF1A gene expression was found to be significantly altered according to the pathologic subtypes of odontogenic keratocyst, dentigerous cyst, and radicular cyst. CONCLUSIONS: Odontogenic cysts were found to have higher expression of HIF1A and HIF1A-AS1, which may be related to the increased hypoxia in these lesions. In addition, PI3K/Akt signaling may be stimulated by increased PIK3CA and decreased PTEN expression, which promote cell survival and support the mechanism of cyst formation.

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of Panoramic Radiography to CBCT in Maxillary Sinus Diseases.

We aimed to compare the effectiveness of panoramic radiography (PR) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in radiographic diagnosis of maxillary sinus (MS) diseases. MS diseases (mucosal thickening, mucus retention cyst, polyp sinusitis, mucocele and tumoral formations) was carried out on both PR and CBCT images belonging to 625 patients. Analyzes were performed separately for right and left maxillary sinus, and total of 1250 PR and CBCT images. While a diagnosis of disease was made in 42.96% of a total of 1250 MS according to CBCT. According to PR, diagnosis was made in 58.72%. The 537 diagnoses where lesion presence was determined on CBCT in our study were compared over PR, and it was observed that, there was the right diagnosis (true positive) in 106 (19.73%) of these including respectively mucus retention cyst (n = 88), polyp (n = 16), 1 sinusitis and 1 tumor, and there was an incorrect diagnosis (false positive) in 221 (41.15%). In 42.92% of the MS that were identified as healthy based on CBCT, the correct diagnosis was also made on PR (true negative). The use of CBCT instead of PR in the diagnosis of pathological or inflammatory diseases contributes to a more accurate radiographic differential diagnosis.

Investigation of the effects of quercetin and xenograft on the healing of bone defects: An experimental study.

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to histologic and immunohistochemical examined that the effects of quercetin on new bone formation and bone regeneration in critical size rat tibial bone defects. Material & methods: In the study, 56 rats were divided into 4 groups with 14 rats in each group. Control (C) (n = 14): A defect was created in the corticocancellous bone in the metaphyseal part of the tibia bones of the rats and no additional procedure was applied until the end of the experimental setup. Xenograft (X) group (n = 14): Bone defects were created in the tibia bones of the rats and the defects were filled with xenograft. No additional process was applied until the end of the experimental setup. Quercetin (Q) group (n = 14): A defect was created in the tibia bones of the rats and 0.1 mg/kg quercetin was administered by oral gavage until the end of the experimental setup dailly. Quercetin and Xenograft (Q + X) group (n = 14): A defect was created in the corticocancellous bone in the metaphyseal part of the tibia bones of the rats and the defect was filled with xenograft. Until the end of the experimental setup, 0.1 mg/kg quercetin was administered by oral gavage dailly. Rats were sacrificed after 4. and 8 week and tibial bone collected for histomorphometic analysis. Results: It was observed that the parameters related to bone healing were higher in the quercetin administered groups compared to the controls (P < 0,05). Conclusion: Quercetin given by oral gavage may increase bone healing.

Inflammation-associated long non-coding RNA signature in radicular cyst tissues.

Radicular cysts are characterized by significant levels of changes in inflammatory biomarkers. Among them, interleukins and growth factors have been reported to be deregulated in radicular cyst tissues. Moreover, long non-coding RNAs are recently discovered non-coding RNA molecules that regulate various intracellular stimuli to keep homeostasis in balance. A growing body of evidence suggests that lncRNAs are significantly involved in the regulation of inflammation by targeting various inflammatory biomarkers. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to investigate the gene expression levels of inflammation-related lncRNAs in radicular cysts and show their possible roles in the development of radicular cysts. For the study, a total of 25 patients with a radiologically and pathologically confirmed radicular cyst were enrolled. For the determination of non-coding RNA expression levels, real-time qPCR was used. As a result of the current study, expression levels of PACER and THRIL were found to be significantly elevated in radicular cyst tissues compared to control tissue samples. However, MALAT1, ANRIL, and NEAT1 expression levels were not significantly altered in radicular cyst tissues compared to control tissue samples. In conclusion, long non-coding RNAs, PACER and THRIL, seem to have significant pathophysiological roles by acquiring molecular changes during inflammation and might be involved in the development and formation of radicular cysts.

Non-coding RNAs transcribed from ultra-conserved regions (T-UCRs) are differentially expressed in dental follicle tissues of impacted mandibular third molars.

INTRODUCTION: Transcribed ultra-conserved regions (T-UCRs) are a new class of long non-coding RNA molecules transcribed from ultra-conserved regions (UCRs) of the human genome. T-UCRs are extremely conserved in the human, rat, and mouse genomes. Deletions of genomic areas containing UCRs resulted in live mice that developed without distinguishable phenotypes, implying that T-UCRs are involved in developmental processes. In addition, there is increasing evidence that dental follicle tissues exhibit various cellular alterations involving deregulation of protein-coding genes and non-coding RNAs. Accordingly, the main objective of the present study was to determine the clinical significance and distinct expression signatures of non-coding RNA molecules transcribed from ultra-conserved regions in dental follicle tissues of impacted mandibular third molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2021 to December 2021, a total of 42 patients who referred to clinic of oral and maxillofacial surgery department with the indications of impacted mandibular third molar extraction from 38th and 48th positions were enrolled for the study. For the analysis of T-UCR expression levels, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR method was used. RESULTS: Findings of the present study indicated that T-UCRs are distinctly expressed in dental follicle tissues of impacted mandibular third molars. The expression of uc.38, uc.112, and uc.338 was found to be significantly increased in the dental follicles of impacted mandibular third molars, indicating a clinical significance of these molecules. In addition, no differences in T-UCR expression were found as a function of demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, transcribed ultra-conserved elements, such as uc.38, uc.112, and uc.338, are considerably deregulated in the dental follicle tissues of impacted mandibular third molars and might be responsible for the molecular changes acquired by dental follicle tissues of impacted mandibular third molars.

Is the YouTube™ a useful resource of information about orthognathic surgery?: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: YouTube™ has become a widely used resource of information about health-related topics nowadays. This cross-sectional study has aimed to analyze the content and quality of YouTube™ videos on orthognathic surgery. METHODS: In our study, six orthognathic surgery-related keywords (Le Fort I osteotomy, sagittal split osteotomy, jaw surgery, jaw correction surgery, orthodontic surgery, and orthognathic surgery) were used to search on YouTube™. Only the videos in English, which had visually and audibly acceptable quality and were mainly about orthognathic surgery, were chosen from the videos. A total of 360 videos were selected, the top 60 videos for each search term, and sorted according to view count. Of these videos, the first 60 videos were analyzed. Video source (independent or educational), duration, number of views, likes, and dislikes were recorded for each video. Moreover, two impartial observers evaluated the visibility, popularity, quality, usefulness, and reliability of the videos. RESULTS: 41 of 60 videos were of independent sources while 19 of them were of educational origin. Information content of the videos was found to be insufficient. No significant difference was determined between independent and educational videos in terms of popularity, visibility, usefulness and quality analysis of the videos (p > 0.05), but a significant difference was found in terms of reliability values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It can be said that YouTube™ videos were not a reliable and accurate enough source of information when evaluated in terms of orthognathic surgery-related content and quality. Therefore, the information content provided by specialists and health institutions, in particular, should be increased in number, thereby making access to better quality information on orthognathic surgery easy for patients.

Evaluation of serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress in patients with temporomandibular joint internal derangement.

Objective: To investigate serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress in patients with temporomandibular joint internal derangement (TMJ-ID).Methods: Seventy patients with Wilkes stage III, IV, and V joints and 70 healthy controls were included. Serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress parameters, including total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), glutathione (GSH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) were measured.Results: The levels of prolidase, TOS, OSI, AOPP, and LOOH were significantly higher in the TMJ-ID group than in the control (p = .0001). TAS and FRAP level was significantly lower in the TMJ-ID group than in the control (p = .0001). There was no significant difference in GSH between groups.Conclusion: Significantly increased prolidase activity and oxidative stress in patients with TMJ-ID may be related to long-term collagen tissue damage, and inflammation and can be effective in the etiology of TMJ-ID.

Evaluation of the Oxidative Stress Level and Serum Prolidase Activity in Patients with Sleep Bruxism.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: Sleep bruxism is a complicated disease, and its cause remains controversial. If the etiology of bruxism is resolved, the treatment can be adjusted to the prevailing aetiological factor. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress level and serum prolidase activity in patients with sleep bruxism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy healthy subjects and 51 patients with sleep bruxism were included in this study, and blood samples from all patients were collected. Serum samples were analyzed for total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and prolidase activity. RESULTS: The prolidase, TOS, and OSI levels were significantly higher in patients with bruxism than in the healthy controls (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). The TAS level was significantly lower in bruxism patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The increased TOS, OSI, and prolidase levels and decreased TAS levels could be assumed to result in oxidative injury in patients with sleep bruxism. However, the study could not determine whether oxidative imbalance and increased serum prolidase levels could be a cause or a result of bruxism.

Investigation of neurodegenerative and inflammatory processes in sleep bruxism.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the anxiety and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in patients with sleep bruxism (SB) and to develop objective measurements to assess the neurodegenerative and inflammatory processes associated with this disease. Methods: A group of 40 SB patients were compared with a control group consisting of 40 healthy individuals (without SB). Anxiety results and the OCT measurements of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and choroidal thickness were assessed in both groups. Results: Anxiety values in the bruxism group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The measurements of RNFL, IPL, and GCL in the bruxism group were significantly lower than the control group, whereas the choroidal thickness was significantly higher. Conclusion: According to literature, this is the first study that analyzed the changes in the retinal structures in bruxism, which revealed that SB is a neurodegenerative and inflammatory process.

Evaluation of maxillary sinus volume and surface area in children with ß-thalassaemia using cone beam computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: Among children with ß-thalassaemia, skeletal changes and abnormalities, such as decreased volume or obliteration of the sinus, result primarily from hypertrophy and expansion of the erythroid marrow due to ineffective erythropoiesis. This study evaluated the volumes and surface areas of the maxillary sinuses of children with ß-thalassaemia using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), and compared these findings with corresponding measurements in age- and sex-matched control children. METHODS: CBCT images were retrospectively evaluated for 16 children with ß-thalassaemia, 19 children with a class I skeletal pattern (class I group), and 18 children with a class II skeletal pattern (class II group). After three-dimensional analyses and segmentation of each maxillary sinus, the volumes and surface areas were calculated. RESULTS: The volumes and surface areas of the right (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05) and left maxillary sinuses (p > 0.05 and p > 0.05) and SNA angles (p > 0.05) were not significantly different among the groups. The ANB (p < 0.05) and SNGoMe (p < 0.05) angles were significantly greater and the SNB (p < 0.05) angle was significantly smaller in the class II and thalassaemia groups than in the class I group. CONCLUSION: Children with thalassaemia tended to have lower maxillary sinus volumes and surface areas on both right and left sides, compared to those of children with class I and class II skeletal patterns; however, these differences were not statistically significant. In children with thalassaemia, a large intermaxillary discrepancy (ANB) indicated a tendency toward the class II skeletal pattern.

WhatsApp messaging improves communication in an oral and maxillofacial surgery team.

OBJECTIVE: Smartphones have become very popular among oral and maxillofacial surgeons. WhatsApp is an application that enables users to send voice, text, and multimedia messages using the group communication feature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of WhatsApp messaging as a mode of consultation within an oral and maxillofacial surgery team. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study on WhatsApp group conversations amongst oral and maxillofacial surgeons was performed between July 2015 and July 2016. A WhatsApp group consisting of senior and junior surgeons was created, and many consultations were recorded. Seven hundred fifty-six consultations were included in the study. In this study, the arrival and response times of messages, types of cases, timing of consultation's end, consultant locations, contents of multimedia messages, and the categories/types of messages were evaluated. During consultations, some cases were discussed with text messages via WhatsApp, and some cases with voice and image messages via WhatsApp, with or without WhatsApp text messages. In addition, several cases were discussed with video messages via WhatsApp. Thus, a total of 1747 messages reflecting four different message types were included in this study: 754 (43%) were text messages, 752 (43%) were photographic images, 213 (12%) were videos, and 28 (nearly 2%) were voice messages. RESULTS: The most frequent consultations concerned impacted teeth (n = 363, 48.01%). Most consultations were resolved using WhatsApp (n = 306, 64.4%), and consultants were often not in the hospital during these consultations (n = 411, 54.3%). Most messages sent by consultants were conclusive (n = 306, 74.4%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that WhatsApp is a simple, free, and practical application, which allows efficient consultation when consultants are not in the hospital.