The use of panoramic radiographs to address the oral health needs of vulnerable Canadian populations.

Background: The high demand for oral health care services among vulnerable individuals combined with limited available resources requires a rethinking of the provision of oral health services. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of the dental panoramic radiograph (DPR) as an imaging tool to assess oral health and prioritize dental interventions in vulnerable patients. Methods: This observational and retrospective study evaluated charts of patients who attended Public Health Dental Clinics (PHDC), Alberta Health Services (AHS), in Calgary, Canada, between January 2018 and December 2019. Data collected included sex and age at the time of image acquisition. The following radiographic findings were gathered: the number of missing, present, decayed, restored, and impacted teeth; periapical lesions; retained root; periodontal bone loss; odontogenic and non-odontogenic lesions in the jaws; carotid calcification; and incidental radiographic findings with clinical relevance. Results: Of the 526 DPRs evaluated, 57.4% were from male patients and 42.6% were from female patients, with a mean age of 38.5 years. The average number of present teeth in females and males was 23.7 and 22.6, respectively. The most prevalent dental-related finding was periodontal bone loss (81.5%), followed by periapical lesions (59.6%) and impacted teeth (27%). Among non-dental findings, osseous lesions of the jaws were found in 10.4% of the patients, and carotid atheroma had a frequency of 3.2%. Conclusion: The DPR is a useful adjunct to the clinical exam in this specific population. It provides an opportunistic overview of their oral health and necessary support to establish priorities in oral health care in a public health setting.

Contexte : La forte demande de services de santé buccodentaire chez les personnes vulnérables, combinée aux ressources limitées disponibles, nécessite de repenser la prestation des services de santé buccodentaire. Cette étude vise à déterminer l'utilité de la radiographie panoramique comme outil d'imagerie pour évaluer la santé buccodentaire et prioriser les interventions dentaires chez les patients vulnérables. Méthodes : Cette étude observationnelle et rétrospective a évalué les dossiers des patients qui ont fréquenté les cliniques dentaires de santé publique d'Alberta Health Services (AHS) à Calgary, au Canada, entre janvier 2018 et décembre 2019. Les données recueillies comprenaient le sexe et l'âge au moment de l'acquisition de l'image. Les résultats radiographiques suivants ont été recueillis : nombre de dents manquantes, présentes, cariées, réparées et incluses; lésions périapicales; racine résiduelle; perte osseuse parodontale; lésions odontogéniques et non odontogéniques dans les mâchoires; calcification carotidienne; et résultats radiographiques accessoires pertinents sur le plan clinique. Résultats : Parmi les 526 radiographies panoramiques évaluées, 57,4 % provenaient d'hommes et 42,6 % de femmes, avec un âge moyen de 38,5 ans. Le nombre moyen de dents présentes chez les femmes et les hommes était de 23,7 et 22,6, respectivement. La découverte la plus courante liée aux soins dentaires était la perte osseuse parodontale (81,5 %), suivie des lésions périapicales (59,6 %) et des dents incluses (27 %). En ce qui concerne les résultats non liés aux soins dentaires, des lésions osseuses des mâchoires ont été repérées chez 10,4 % des patients, et l'athérome carotidien avait une fréquence de 3,2 %. Conclusion : La radiographie panoramique est un complément utile à l'examen clinique dans cette population particulière. Elle donne un aperçu de leur santé buccodentaire et le soutien nécessaire pour établir les priorités en matière de soins buccodentaires dans un contexte de santé publique.

Use of ultrasound imaging for assessment of the periodontium: A systematic review.

The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding diagnostic applications of ultrasound imaging for evaluation of the periodontium in humans. The search was conducted on Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and PubMed up to April 3, 2023. The studies included were exclusively human studies that assessed the periodontium with ultrasound (US) imaging (b-mode). Outcomes measured included alveolar bone level, alveolar bone thickness, gingival thickness, and blood flow quantification. References were imported to Covidence. Two reviewers conducted phases 1 and 2. The JBI risk assessment tool for cross-sectional studies was used. Extracted data included the transducer and measurements used and the study's outcomes. The search yielded 4892 studies after removing duplicates. From these, 25 studies were included and selected for extraction. Included studies retrieved outcomes from US examinations of the periodontal tissues. From the selected studies, 15 used US on natural teeth, 4 used US on implants, 2 used US on edentulous ridges, and 4 used color flow/power in US to evaluate the blood flow. The results of the present systematic review suggest that US might be a feasible and valuable diagnostic tool for the periodontium, with the potential to complement shortfalls of current radiographic technologies.