Comparison of four different suture materials in respect to oral wound healing, microbial colonization, tissue reaction and clinical features-randomized clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: Sutures are the most frequently used medical device for wound closure. They support tissue during the early phase of healing until it regains enough tensile strength. The aim of this study was to compare four different suture materials in terms of the influence on wound healing, microbial adherence, tissue reaction, and relevant clinical parameters which determine their clinical value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total number of 32 patients undergoing surgical extraction of four impacted third molars were involved in the study. Clinical parameters were estimated intraoperatively and during the control check-ups. Soft tissue healing around sutures were evaluated on the 3rd and 7th day postoperatively. Microbial colonization was assessed by means of qPCR. Also, histological analysis was done to assess inflammatory reaction. RESULTS: Significantly better soft tissue healing was found around monofilament and synthetic sutures compared to multifilament and natural ones respectively. Soft tissue healing was significantly better around all sutures on the 7th day than on the 3rd day postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Non-resorbable polypropylene suture showed superior clinical characteristics among all sutures. Moreover, the best healing of soft tissue and the least inflammatory reaction was found around this thread. The poorest soft tissue healing was found around non-resorbable silk suture. This suture elicited strongest inflammatory reaction and showed the greatest microbial adherence affinity compared to alternative sutures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Monofilament synthetic suture should be used in order to obtain the best soft tissue healing, reduce the risk of postoperative infection, and alleviate the suturing after oral surgery procedures.

Hedgehog signaling pathway and vitamin D receptor gene variants as potential risk factors in odontogenic cystic lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Genetic variants in the hedgehog signaling pathway and VDR gene are involved in inflammatory responses and neoplastic transformation. Current study investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the hedgehog pathway genes PTCH1, GLI1, SMO, and VDR contribute to susceptibility to odontogenic cystic lesions, odontogenic keratocysts, or inflammatory radicular cysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Current study examined polymorphisms of PTCH1 (rs357564) and PTCH1 insertion (IVS1-83), GLI1 (rs2228224, rs2228226), SMO (rs2228617), and VDR (rs2228570, rs731236, rs7975232). A case-control study was conducted on 41 keratocyst cases, 43 radicular cyst cases, and control group of 93 healthy individuals without cystic lesions, radiographically confirmed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms were assessed by real-time and TaqMan SNP genotyping assays, while PTCH1 insertion 18 bp IVS1-83 polymorphism was determined by PCR. RESULTS: The difference in genotype distribution between keratocyst cases and control group was observed for PTCH1 IVS1-83 and GLI1 rs2228224 polymorphism (p = 0.022, p = 0.030, respectively). Homozygous mutant GG genotype within GLI1 rs2228224 is associated with increased susceptibility for odontogenous keratocysts, with adjusted odds ratio of 4.098 (confidence interval of 1.482-11.328, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: GLI1 rs2228224 and PTCH1 polymorphisms could predispose to odontogenic keratocysts. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Variants in hedgehog signaling pathway genes, such as GLI1 and PTCH1, and vitamin D receptor gene, might be considered as molecular risk factors in odontogenic cystic lesions and potential targets for novel therapeutic approaches.

Efficacy and safety of 1% ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia after lower third molar surgery: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate postoperative analgesic effect of ropivacaine administered as main or supplemental injection for the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) in patients undergoing lower third molar surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The double-blind randomized study comprised 72 healthy patients. All patients received two blocks, the IANB for surgical procedure + IANB after surgery for postoperative pain control, and were divided into three groups: (1) 2 % lidocaine/epinephrine + 1 % ropivacaine, (2) 2 % lidocaine/epinephrine + saline, and (3) 1 % ropivacaine + saline. The occurrence of postoperative pain, pain intensity and analgesic requirements were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed using chi-square, Fisher, and Kruskal-Wallis tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni and Tukey correction. RESULTS: Ropivacaine was more successful than lidocaine/epinephrine in obtaining duration of postoperative analgesia, reduction of pain, and analgesic requirements whether ropivacaine was used for surgical block or administered as a supplemental injection after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Ropivacaine (1 %, 2 ml) resulted in effective postoperative analgesia after lower third molar surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Since pain control related to third molar surgery requires the effective surgical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia, the use of 1 % ropivacaine could be clinically relevant in a selection of appropriate pain control regimen for both surgical procedure and early postsurgical treatment.

Retrospective study of spontaneous bone regeneration after decompression of large odontogenic cystic lesions in children.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Surgical treatment of odontogenic cysts in childhood could be accompanied by injury of important anatomical structures. Even though enucleation is considered to be preferable treatment of odontogenic cysts, the specificities of pediatric age favor more conservative surgical approach. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of decompression as the uttermost treatment of odontogenic cysts in the pediatric age. METHODS: This retrospective study included 22 patients, 7-16 years old, with a single jaw cystic lesion. The majority of these lesions were dentigerous cyst (14), and the rest belonged to keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) (8). All lesions were primarily treated with decompression; it was a final treatment (one-stage procedure) in 13 dentigerous cysts, and it was followed by enucleation (two-stage procedure) in one dentigerous cyst and all the KCOT. RESULTS: A total of 13 (59.1%) dentigerous cysts were treated successfully only with decompression as one stage procedure, while the other 9 (40.9%) cysts required enucleation (1 dentigerous and 8 KCOT), after decompression (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: Related to non-aggressive lesions, more conservative treatment approach, such as decompression as one-stage procedure, should be considered. On the other hand, KCOTs in children require a two-stage procedure for a successful treatment outcome.