Where to position osteotomies in genioglossal advancement surgery based on locations of the mental foramen, canine, lateral incisor, central incisor, and genial tubercle.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to provide precise measurements of anterior mandibular structural anatomy and to explore potential osteotomies for genioglossal advancement. METHODS: Cone beam computed tomography was used to analyze 33 randomly selected patients undergoing surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) between 2014 and 2016 at an academic surgical hospital. The locations of relevant mandibular structures were measured and statistical modeling was performed. RESULTS: Mean horizontal distances from midline to the mental foramina and the roots of the canine, lateral incisor, and central incisor were 22.11 ± 1.92, 13.56 ± 3.01, 6.19 ± 1.58, and 2.04 ± 0.87 mm, respectively. Mean vertical distances from the inferior border of the mandible were 15.15 ± 1.77, 17.11 ± 3.28, 20.48 ± 3.10, and 21.81 ± 3.49 mm, respectively. The superior border of the genial tubercle was 15.63 ± 2.75 mm, and the inferior border was 6.87 ± 3.29, from the inferior border of the mandible. The angle of decline of the best-fit line through the important structures was about 18° from the occlusion plane at the midline. CONCLUSIONS: A straight line estimating the mental foramen, canine, lateral incisor, and central incisor tooth roots crosses at a mean of 22.3-22.6 mm above the inferior border of the mandible at the midline and has an angle of decline of about 18°. Potential osteotomies made parallel to and below this line result in tradeoffs between maximizing capture of the genioglossus muscle attachment and risk of dental/neurovascular injury.

Does Bone Grafting Improve Outcomes in Coronectomy Surgery? Long-Term (5- to 9-Year) Clinical and Radiographic Follow-Up of 78 Adult Patients.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term outcomes of 78 adult patients who underwent coronectomy with bone grafting (CWG) of the bony crypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with follow-up of at least 5 to 9 years underwent CWG. Preoperative imaging and probing depths were recorded, as were yearly follow-up radiographs or cone-beam computed tomograms and yearly postoperative probing depths. RESULTS: Periodontal probing depths and bone levels on the distal surfaces of adjacent mandibular molars showed marked improvement compared with preoperative probing depths and bone levels. All retained roots maintained their immediate postoperative positions with no migrations and no reoperations required. CONCLUSION: CWG is a predictable procedure that should be considered for patients at risk for developing sensory disturbances or for those with deeper (>4 mm) preoperative probing depths on the distal surfaces of the adjacent molars. Adding bone graft appears to aid in preventing root migration and decreasing probing depths on the distal surfaces of adjacent molars.

Multiple Oral Mucosal Hamartomas in a 34-Year Old Female.

A case of Cowden syndrome (CS) is described in a 34-year-old African American female who reported a history of breast and thyroid malignancies. Clinical examination demonstrated multiple soft, white-pink papules across multiple mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity. Microscopy of the lesions revealed hyperkeratotic surface squamous epithelium with papillomatosis and acanthosis along with elongated rete processes. A genomic polymerase chain reaction direct sequencing using the patient's blood was positive for mutations of the PTEN gene typical of CS.

What Name Best Represents Our Specialty? Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Versus Oral and Facial Surgeon.

PURPOSE: To determine whether changing "oral and maxillofacial surgeon" (OMS) to "oral and facial surgeon" improves the perception and awareness of the OMS's role and surgical scope of practice in undergraduate biomedical and dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study requested undergraduate and dental students to select 1 of 5 specialists to treat 21 conditions. Two different surveys were presented: 1 designating specialists as "oral and maxillofacial surgeons" and 1 designating specialists as "oral and facial surgeons." The independent variable was the specialist "oral and maxillofacial surgeon" or "oral and facial surgeon." The dependent variables included specialists chosen for the procedure (ear, nose, and throat surgeon; OMS vs oral and facial surgeon; plastic surgeon; periodontist; and "other"). The test of proportions (z test) with the Yates correction was performed. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 1,671 undergraduate upper division science students and 568 senior dental students. Results showed that undergraduate students' perception of an OMS's surgical scope increased significantly from 28 to 33% when "oral and facial surgeon" was used instead of "oral and maxillofacial surgeon." Dental students' perception of an OMS's surgical scope remained the same whether "oral and maxillofacial surgeon" or "oral and facial surgeon" was used. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that using "oral and facial surgeon" instead of "oral and maxillofacial surgeon" increases awareness of an OMS's surgical scope of practice in undergraduate upper division science students, which could be an important step toward increasing the recognition of the profession by the general public and other non-dental medical colleagues.

Novel incision design and primary flap closure reduces the incidence of alveolar osteitis and infection in impacted mandibular third molar surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the influence of flap design on alveolar osteitis (AO) and postoperative complications following mandibular third molar surgery. STUDY DESIGN: This study was designed as a randomized single-blind, split-mouth clinical trial. The predictor variable was flap type. Envelope flap, modified triangular flap (MTF), and two related experimental flaps (second molar mesial papilla-sparing marginal incision with distobuccal release with double-pass single-layered primary closure [MPMI-2 X] and single-pass single-layered primary closure [MPMI-1 X]) were used. The primary outcome variable was AO. The secondary outcome variables were wound dehiscence and infection. Bivariate and logistic analyses were computed. P value < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-six patients with symmetric bilateral partial bony or full bony impacted mandibular third molars participated. No sites (0 of 196) treated with MPMI-2 X developed AO, and only two sites (2 of 196) treated with MPMI-2 X developed postoperative infection. Both MPMI-1 X and MPMI-2 X were associated with decreased odds of complications compared with MTF and envelope flap. MPMI-2 X sites were significantly less likely than MTF sites to experience complications for both sides. CONCLUSIONS: MPMI-2 X is a reliable technique to reduce complications, such as AO, wound dehiscence, and infection in mandibular third molar surgery.

Common Oral Manifestations of Select Systemic Diseases: Anemia, Diabetes Mellitus and HIV.

In this article, we discuss several common abnormal signs and symptoms that may be present in the oral cavity initially with or without any systemic symptoms at a typical dental practice. The purpose of this discussion is to increase clinical awareness for establishing differential diagnoses so that patients may obtain appropriate referrals for appropriate medical treatment.

Hemimaxillectomy for desmoplastic ameloblastoma with immediate temporalis flap reconstruction.

Ameloblastoma is one of the most common odontogenic tumors encountered, occurring more frequently than all other tumors combined, if one excludes the keratocystic odontogenic tumor. These tumors can cause severe expansion of the cortical bones and gross anatomic deformities. They can affect the dentition, causing tooth mobility and displacement. Fortunately, morbidity can be minimized with recognition on routine radiographic examination. The tissue may be unilocular or multilocular and has been described as having a "soap-bubble" appearance. Nevertheless, its radiographic appearance is insufficient to make a definitive diagnosis, because other tumors have similar appearance. Although the anatomic distribution and progression of ameloblastoma remain fairly consistent, alternative manifestations follow an atypical clinical course. One such variant is the desmoplastic ameloblastoma. We present a case of maxillary desmoplastic ameloblastoma treated with hemimaxillectomy and immediate reconstruction with temporalis flap that was recurrence-free at 36 months.

Implant success in distracted bone versus autogenous bone-grafted sites.

Endosseous implants are the treatment of choice for restoring function and reconstructing most edentulous areas of the maxilla and mandible. In general, alveolar bone defects can be reconstructed by either distraction osteogenesis or autogenous bone grafting. After alveolar reconstruction, endosseous implants are used to support and retain the prosthesis for restoration of form and function. Eighty-two consecutive patients requiring alveolar augmentation prior to implant placement were evaluated. All patients were given treatment options for reconstructing their alveolar defects, which included autogenous bone grafting vs distraction osteogenesis. Sixty-five patients received autogenous grafts (anterior iliac crest: 44; retromolar: 17; tibia: 2; chin: 2), and 17 patients underwent distraction osteogenesis prior to implant placement. A total of 184 implants were placed in the autogenous bone-grafted sites and 56 implants in the distracted bone sites. Implants placed in sites restored with autogenous bone grafts had an implant success rate of 97% (178/184), whereas implants placed in distracted bone sites had a success rate of 98% (55/56). In the autogenous grafted group, 3 implants failed in the posterior mandible, one in the anterior maxilla, one in the anterior mandible, and one in the posterior maxilla. In the distraction group, one implant failed in the posterior mandible. Both techniques are associated with good success rates. There was no statistical difference between implant success in autogenous bone vs distracted bone sites in this group of patients.