The Showcases of Dental History - A Time Machine in Miniature at the University of Puerto Rico: Part I.

The evolution of 20-year-old dental museum-like showcases located in the lobby and the main hallway of the School of Dental Medicine, Puerto Rico (PR) are described along with important professionals who impacted on this development.

The Showcases of Dental History - A time machine in miniature at the University of Puerto Rico: Part II - The Exhibits.

The University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry was established in 1957. Over the years, it has played an important role in Puerto Rico's healthcare system. That legacy is displayed through the walls of the School of Dentistry. In Part 1, the evolution of 20-year-old dental museum-like showcases located in the lobby and the main hallway of the school were described along with important professions who impacted on this development. In this paper, we will describe in detail the items available at the museum.

Facial Injuries in the National Basketball Association.

BACKGROUND: Sport injuries can negatively impact physical and psychological aspects of athletes. There is a gap in the literature regarding facial trauma present in basketball. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify and describe facial trauma present in the National Basketball Association (NBA). STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, SAMPLE: This is a retrospective cohort study in which the sample (n = 206) consists of players that missed games due to facial injuries in the NBA, the data were collected from a public access online resource. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: The predictor variables were player position (center, point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward), team conference (Eastern/Western), and if played games occurred in playoff season. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES: The primary outcome variable was the injury location (upper, middle, and lower facial third), and the secondary outcome was type of injury (soft tissue/bone fracture). COVARIATES: Player's age, height, weight, and body mass index were collected. ANALYSES: χ2 and logistic regression were calculated to determine associations between predictor and outcome variables. Logistic regression was used to determine if variables were predictive for injury. Odds ratio was also computed for significant results. P value less than .05 (95% confidence interval) was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 206 players missed games due to facial injuries, and a total of 212 injuries were quantified. The mean age of the injured players was 27.24 ± 4.06 years, mean height (centimeters) was 201 ± 59.31 cm, mean weight (kilograms) was 99.48 ± 12.41 kg, and body mass index was 24.52 ± 1.75 kg/m2. Of the 212 injuries, none of them occurred in the upper facial third, 158 (75%) were in the middle third, and 54 (25%) were in the lower third; 151 of them were fractures (61%) and 61 were soft tissue injuries (29%). Most injuries were concentrated in centers (23%) and power forwards (23%). The most common fracture occurred in the nasal bones (39.2%), and most soft tissue injuries occurred in the eye globes (25%). Almost all injuries occurred during regular season games (97%), and the Eastern conference was slightly predominant (52%). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Significant facial trauma in the NBA has risen in recent years. The player's position, height, and weight were the primary factors associated with facial trauma in the NBA.

Maxillofacial Trauma Patterns in Bare-Knuckle Fighting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze patterns and trends of maxillofacial injuries in bare-knuckle fighting. Results comparisons with other combat sports are provided in the Discussion section. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study design is a retrospective cohort study. Data were collected by a single ringside physician who participated in all bouts. Predictor variables were number of rounds and final fight result (ie, knockout, technical knockout, and decision). The primary outcome variable was the frequency of maxillofacial injury, and secondary outcome variables were type of injury (laceration/fracture) and traumatic brain injury. The chi-square test was used to determine if there was any statistical significance between the predictor variables. RESULTS: Study sample consisted in fighters who suffered maxillofacial injuries during the matches from June 2018 to March 2022 (n = 177). A total of 177 fighters sustained maxillofacial trauma in 301 matches, and a total of 211 maxillofacial injuries were identified. Of the 211 injuries, 184 were lacerations and 27 were fractures. Proportionally more injuries occurred in matches that lasted 5 rounds (33%), and a significant association was found between the number of rounds fought and the frequency of injury (P < .00001). From a total of 107 technical knockouts, 74% of them caused at least 1 injury; from 96 knockouts, 60% caused at least 1 injury; and from 89 fights that ended in decision, 83% of them caused at least 1 injury. A statistically significant association was found between final fight result and frequency of injury (P < .00001). P value less than 0.05 (95% confidence interval) was considered statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Maxillofacial injuries were predominantly associated with longer fights and fights which result were knockout/technical knockout. Traumatic brain injury was associated with knockout results, which mostly occurred in the first and second rounds.

Maxillofacial Trauma in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

PURPOSE: The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial art (MMA) company. This study aims to characterize patterns and trends of maxillofacial injuries in MMA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study design is a retrospective cohort study. Study sample consisted of fighters that suffered injuries during the matches from January 2015 to December 2019 (N = 259). The Athletic Commissions and corresponding fighting regulatory departments from 16 states and 24 countries were screened for medical reports released by UFC ringside physicians. Predictor variables were sex, weight division, injury location, injury type, and fight outcome (i.e., Technical Knockout/Knockout, Submission, Decision). Primary outcome variables were need for medical suspension and duration of medical suspension, secondary outcome variable was frequency of injury. Chi-square test was used to determine any statistical significance between predictor variables. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine any statistically significant differences between medical suspension times, sex, injury location, type of injury, weight divisions and fight outcome throughout the years. P value less than .05 (95% confidence interval [CI]) was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 259 fighters suffered injuries. Of the 319 total injuries, 291 (91.2%) occurred in male fighters, and 28 (8.8%) in females. Middle facial third injuries were the most common for both males and females; lower facial third injuries were proportionally similar. The male weight division with the longest medical suspensions were the light heavyweight (110.68 days) and welterweight (108.25 days) (P < .10166); the female weight division with the longest medical suspension was strawweight (88.92 days) and shortest was bantamweight (81.75 days) (P < .921123). CONCLUSIONS: Upper and midface trauma was predominant with fractures concentrated in the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions. Medical suspensions duration were longer in the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions.

Microvascular Reconstruction of Total Maxillary Avascular Necrosis as a Complication of Routine Orthognathic Surgery.

Severe complications and morbidity after orthognathic surgery are infrequently encountered and even more infrequently reported considering the extent to which this procedure is performed by surgeons within the specialty of maxillofacial surgery. Avascular necrosis of the maxilla after Le Fort I osteotomy is perhaps the most dreaded outcome of orthognathic surgery. However, it accounts for an extremely small subset of overall surgical complications. The reported risk factors associated with avascular maxillary necrosis include segmental osteotomies, vertical posterior impactions, large transverse expansions, anterior advancements exceeding 9 to 10 mm, an improper surgical technique, excessive soft tissue degloving of the maxilla, intraoperative hemorrhage, perforation or laceration of the palatal soft tissue pedicle, previous maxillary or palatal surgery, and other medical comorbidities. Although anecdotal cases of total maxillary necrosis after orthognathic surgery have been alluded to within the specialty as a whole, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have reported total maxillary necrosis occurring after routine orthognathic surgery. We have presented a truly unique case of total maxillary avascular necrosis that occurred after standard 1-piece Le Fort I osteotomy in a patient without medical or surgical risk factors for the complication either known preoperatively or identified postoperatively. The resultant maxillary defect from total avascular necrosis was comprehensively treated with surgical debridement of the nonviable maxilla, osteocutaneous fibular free flap reconstruction, staged endosseous implant reconstruction of the neomaxilla, and comprehensive prosthodontic rehabilitation.

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program at the University of Puerto Rico: A Historical Perspective.

A former Spanish colony, Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated US territory since 1898 when Spain relinquished all claims over it under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Half a century later, Universidad de Puerto Rico created the School of Dental Medicine, which began activities in 1957. In 1961, Lowell E. McKelvey became Dean of the School and in 1963 he established the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery advanced specialty education program following the US model. Created as a 36-month program with 2 residents per year, currently it is a 48-year program accepting 3 residents annually. The purpose of this paper is to review the history of this CODA-accredited program and to analyze the circumstances under which this program was developed.

Facial trauma in the major league baseball.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to identify and describe significant facial trauma present in Major League Baseball (MLB) that resulted in players missing games or being placed in the injury reserve list. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. The predictor variables were the player's age, height, weight, body mass index, position, team conference, and if played games took place in playoffs season. The outcome variables were injury location (upper, middle, and lower facial third) and type of injury (soft tissue, fracture). Chi-square and logistic regression were computed to determine associations between predictor and outcome variables. RESULTS: A total of 109 players missed games due to facial injuries, and a total of 115 injuries were identified. Of the 115 injuries, none occurred in the upper facial third, 96 (83%) were in the middle third, and 19 (17%) in the lower third. Most fractures occurred in fielders (45%), and most soft tissue injuries in basemen (40%). CONCLUSIONS: Significant facial trauma in the MLB has risen in recent years. The player's height, conference, and playoff season were the most associated factors. Most injuries occurred in the periorbital area. A recommendation for the use of protection goggles can be made to prevent them.

5-fluorouacil in the treatment of odontogenic keratocysts-incidence of recurrence and inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the recurrence rate of odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) after treatment with 5-fluoracil as an adjunctive therapy and to evaluate, as well, the efficacy of this medication in reducing the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia associated with other chemotherapeutic agents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research question (developed according to the patient/population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes [PICO] method) addressed was "Does the use of 5-fluorouracil as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of OKC reduce both the recurrence rate and the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia as compared with other chemotherapeutic agents?" A systematic review was performed by searching 4 databases: PubMed, EBSCO, Portal Evidencia, and Cochrane Reviews. Each search was conducted twice. Two independent reviewers evaluated the data. For each database, a search strategy was developed that included the following generic terms: Fluorouracil, 5-Fluorouracil, or liquid nitrogen and odontogenic cyst or odontogenic keratocyst. Three filters were applied to the searches, as well, consisting of the terms clinical trials, English papers, and Spanish papers. RESULTS: Of the 74 papers retrieved. The titles and abstracts of the selected papers were reviewed to determine whether those papers were relevant to our research question; only 3 papers were selected for this systematic review: 2 retrospective cohort studies and 1 clinical trial. Assessments risk bias and the quality of evidence were performed. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of bias and quality of evidence in this systematic review are moderate due to the study's design, although the clinical results were excellent with respect to the reduction of both OKC recurrence and paresthesia associated with this kind of cyst.

Histologic features of bone regenerated by means of negative pressure in the context of odontogenic keratocyst.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present research is to describe the histologic features of the bone regenerated by means of negative pressure (sugosteogenesis) in a group of patients diagnosed with odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) who underwent active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis (ADDS) at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors designed a retrospective case series study. The population included patients with a histologic diagnosis of odontogenic keratocyst in whom active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis followed by enucleation was performed. All patients were seen and followed from July 2019 to January 2021. The investigation was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and it observed the Declaration of Helsinki on medical protocol. Variables of this study included age, gender, anatomic location (mandible or maxilla), and histologic characteristics of the bone regenerated by means of negative pressure. Histologic features were defined as being consistent or inconsistent with viable mature bone. RESULTS: Bone biopsies of 6 patients were considered. In total, 83.33% of patients were males and 16.66% females. One hundred percent of the bone samples subjected to negative pressure showed features of viable mature bone. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the histological features of the bone subjected to negative pressure demonstrated the normal characteristics of the mature, normal bone.

Does active decompression of odontogenic keratocyst change the histologic diagnosis?

AIM: The purpose of this study was to compare the histopathologic findings of pre- and post-active decompression of odontogenic keratocyst and to establish if such findings were consistent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case series from a group of patients diagnosed with odontogenic keratocyst who underwent active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis followed by final enucleation was designed and implemented. The dependent variable was changed in histologic diagnosis, as evaluated by an oral and maxillofacial pathologist. Other variables included age, gender, anatomic location of the lesion, and time elapsed from initial biopsy to final enucleation. RESULTS: Six patients diagnosed with odontogenic keratocyst who underwent active decompression followed by enucleation and curettage were studied. The mean age was 45.6 years (range, 16 to 74) 83.33% were males, 16.66 females. Lesions were located in the mandible in 83.33% of cases and in the maxilla in 16.66% of cases. Post-active decompression histologic examination at the time of definitive enucleation was consistent with the initial diagnosis in 83.33% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The histopathological diagnosis at the time of definitive treatment by enucleation and curettage is consistent with the pre-active decompression diagnosis.

Odontogenic Keratocyst: A Clinical Entity With Favorable Response to Active Decompression and Distraction Sugosteogenesis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis (ADDS) for the management of non-syndromic odontogenic keratocysts (OKC). Materials and Methods: A retrospective case series study was designed and implemented. The study observed the Declaration of Helsinki on medical protocol and ethics and it was approved by the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The medical files of all patients who underwent ADDS for OKCs of the jaws at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of a tertiary university-affiliated medical center were reviewed. Data were collected on patient's age, gender, presenting signs and symptoms, lesion location, locularity, pre-ADDS, size of the lesion, post-ADDS, pain, days with bloody discharge and/or proteinaceous fluid inside the system's external unit, days to achieve hermetic seal, size of the lesion 2 weeks after ADDS, percentage of reduction, patient's complaints/complications, and follow-up period. Pre- and post-ADDS panoramic radiographs were reviewed for reduction parameters. Results: Six patients, 5 males and 1 female, with an average age of 45.16 years (range 16-74 years) were studied. ADDS was performed during 4 weeks in all patients. During the therapy, the extraoral unit collected blood during 2.83 days in average. In average, after the third day, the cystic cavity started to drain a proteinaceous fluid for about 9.33 days (range 6-15 days). The average pre-ADDS Standard Lesional Area Index (SLAI) was 18.17 cm2 (range 4.40 cm2-34.58 m2) and, after 2 weeks of ADDS, the average SLAI was 5.47 cm2 (range 0.49 cm2-15.39 cm2). The average percentage of reduction, after 2 weeks, was 73.93% (range 55.49%-97.51%), which yielded an overall good reaction of OKCs to ADDS. No significant reduction of the lesions was observed from week 2 to week 4, when ADDS ceased. All lesions were enucleated after 3 months. After an average of 14 months of follow-up (12 to 17 months), no signs of recurrence have been observed.

Potential role of active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis for the management of ameloblastomas: Report of two cases and review of the literature.

Ameloblastomas are aggressive odontogenic entities well-known for their high tendency to recur. Clinical presentation includes lesions discovered on routine examination or radiographs, pathologies causing facial swelling, pain, cortical expansion, tooth mobility, root resorption, and paresthesia. Radiographic findings comprise large unilocular or multilocular radiolucencies with well-defined borders associated to an impacted tooth. Ameloblastomas are classified as unicystic, multicystic/solid, and peripheral. Treatment options include marsupialization, decompression, enucleation, or curettage with or without adjuvant measures such as Carnoy's solution, marginal resection, and segmental resection. Recently, active decompression with distraction sugosteogenesis (ADDS) was introduced for the conservative management of odontogenic cystic conditions. The purpose of this paper is to present 2 cases of a conventional ameloblastoma treated by means of ADDS. The purpose of this novel approach is to significantly reduce the amount of time required to decompress cystic-like lesions. In these cases, ADDS proved to be a viable treatment because it demonstrated a reduction in size of the initial lesion by new osseous formation within 2 weeks of placement of the device. The cases presented in this paper demonstrate that ADDS could be a valuable treatment modality for this type of ameloblastoma, although further research is necessary to validate this philosophy.

Socio-Demographic and Medical Characteristics of Patients With Odontogenic Infection Admitted to the Adult University Hospital in Puerto Rico: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to estimate the overall distribution of odontogenic infection by socio-demographic and medical characteristics in patients admitted to the Adult University Hospital (AUH) in Puerto Rico (PR). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken with the medical charts of 129 patients (≥21 years) with odontogenic infection who had been admitted (2011-2015) to the AUH and treated by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Post - graduate Program of the University of PR. The patients were selected from the hospital's billing database after having been identified using the International Classification of Diseases (9th and 10th revisions). The study variables included age, gender, municipality of residence, medical insurance, infection etiology, surgical and antibiotic treatments, length of stay (LOS), and the presence of diabetes. Descriptive and frequency statistics were calculated for all the variables; chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis, Kendall tau, and Mann-Whitney tests were performed. A P < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 40.36 (SD: 14.74) years, and they ranged in age from 21 to 81 years; the majority were enrolled in the public health insurance plan of PR. The leading cause of infection was dental caries. Diabetes was associated with longer LOSs; P < .01. CONCLUSION: In our study, the relative frequency of admitted patients with an odontogenic infection, most of them with low income, increased over time with dental caries being the principal cause of infection.

Active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis for the treatment of calcifying odontogenic cyst.

The calcifying odontogenic cyst is as a benign, rare developmental odontogenic cyst with a wide range of histologic characteristics. It may present along with other odontogenic pathologies such as odontoma, ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, ameloblastic fibroma, and ameloblastic fibro-odontoma. Clinically, it can be an either intra- or extraosseous painless swelling that can produce cortical expansion. It affects mostly the anterior area of the mandible. Radiographically, it appears as a well-circumscribed unilocular radiolucency containing flecks of indistinct radiopacities. In about one third of cases, an impacted tooth is associated. In this paper, we employ a patient with an enormous calcifying odontogenic cyst to review both the pathology and active decompression and distraction sugosteogenesis, a novel technique employed to treat odontogenic entities. This dual approach usually results in an accelerated bone healing (sugosteogenesis), partial removal of the cystic epithelium, thickening of the wall, and migration of chronic inflammatory cells which triggered epithelial modulation, ultimately causing a realignment in the biologic behavior of the lesion.

Transformation of a dental school's clinical assessment system through Kotter's eight-step change process.

A revision of the clinical assessment system of the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine was initiated in 2007, with the goal of achieving a system that would be fully understood and used by both faculty and students to improve student performance throughout the curriculum. The transformation process was organized according to Kotter's Eight-Step Change Model. Some of the initial findings in 2007 were as follows: 87 percent of current daily clinical evaluations were scored at the scale's highest level, 33 percent of faculty members lacked knowledge of the evaluation system, and 60 percent of students reported that faculty members were not well calibrated. As a result of the transformation process, a pilot project has been implemented in the comprehensive clinical course for senior students. The revised assessment methods utilized are verbal daily feedback, clinical evaluations once every three months, a digital portfolio, and competency exams. There is also a productivity component included in the course grade. We conclude that adapting Kotter's model for use in the transformation process has been very useful; gaining support from both the administration and faculty has been essential; and the provision of continuous faculty development activities has been empowering. The American Dental Education Association Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI) Liaisons at the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine have been effective in producing a greater awareness among the faculty about the value of the competency-based curriculum and the need for change.