Efficacy of auriculotherapy in the control of pain, edema, and trismus following surgical extraction of the lower third molars: a split-mouth, randomized, placebo-controlled, and triple-blind study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this split-mouth, randomized, placebo-controlled, and triple-blind study was to evaluate whether auriculotherapy had any effect on the post-operative course after the extraction of third molars in terms of the control of pain, edema, and trismus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 42 patients (84 teeth) who had undergone a surgical extraction of the lower third molars. In each patient, the two extractions were randomly assigned to two study groups. In the therapy group, the patients underwent auriculotherapy with vaccaria seeds applied with patches in 6 ear points. In the control group, the patches were applied, without seeds, to the same ear points. After the extraction, the patients were asked to stimulate the ear points three times a day and whenever they felt pain. The patients were asked to keep a diary in which they assessed their pain by means of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for 8 days. Edema and trismus were assessed 1, 2, 3, and 8 days after surgery. RESULTS: The differences between the two groups were statistically significant at the 12-h control (auriculotherapy group (AG) VAS 5.5 [IQR 4.25-6.75], placebo group (PG) VAS 6 [IQR 5-8], p = 0.040), after 24 h (AG VAS 5 [IQR 4-6], PG VAS 6 [IQR 4.25-7], p = 0.024), after 2 days (AG VAS 4 [IQR 3-5], PG VAS 4.5 [IQR 4-6], p = 0.044), and after 3 days (AG VAS 3 [IQR 0-5], PG VAS 4 [IQR 3-5], p = 0.024). Throughout the observation period, the AG took a significantly lower number of painkillers than the PG (AG 6 [IQR 4.25-7]; PG 8 [IQR 8-9], p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the levels of edema and trismus between the two groups throughout the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the results of the present study, auriculotherapy can be considered as a cost-effective adjuvant pain reliever treatment in patients undergoing an extraction of the lower third molars.

Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide and Luteolin Supplement Combined with Olfactory Training to Treat Post-COVID-19 Olfactory Impairment: A Multi-Center Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo- Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Olfactory training is the only evidence-based treatment for post-viral olfactory dysfunction. Smell disorders after SARS-CoV-2 infection have been attributed to neuroinflammatory events within the olfactory bulb and the central nervous system. Therefore, targeting neuroinflammation is one potential strategy for promoting recovery from post-COVID-19 chronic olfactory dysfunction. Palmitoylethanolamide and luteolin (PEA-LUT) are candidate antiinflammatory/ neuroprotective agents. OBJECTIVE: To investigate recovery of olfactory function in patients treated with PEA-LUT oral supplements plus olfactory training versus olfactory training plus placebo. METHODS: Multicenter double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was held. Eligible subjects had prior COVID-19 and persistent olfactory impairment >6 months after follow-up SARS-CoV-2 negative testing, without prior history of olfactory dysfunction or other sinonasal disorders. Participants were randomized to daily oral supplementation with ultramicronized PEA-LUT 770 mg plus olfactory training (intervention group) or olfactory training with placebo (control). Sniffin' Sticks assessments were used to test the patients at baseline and 90 days. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients, including intervention (130) and control (55) were enrolled. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in olfactory threshold, discrimination, and identification scores compared to controls (p=0.0001). Overall, 92% of patients in the intervention group improved versus 42% of controls. Magnitude of recovery was significantly greater in the intervention group versus control (12.8 + 8.2 versus mean 3.2 + 3), with >10-fold higher prevalence of anosmia in control versus intervention groups at the 90-day endpoint. CONCLUSION: Among individuals with olfactory dysfunction post-COVID-19, combining PEA-LUT with olfactory training resulted in greater recovery of smell than olfactory training alone.

Vertiginous crisis following temporomandibular joint athrocentesis: a case report.

Temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis and arthroscopy have recently exceeded open surgeries for disorders that failed to respond to conservative treatment. The efficacy of arthrocentesis in reestablishing normal mouth opening and reducing pain and dysfunctions is now commonly accepted, but in contrast to arthroscopy, there are no large series studies on arthrocentesis complications. We report the major complication occurred in our experience: a case of a patient that complained of a violent vertigo, without hearing disorders, following the procedure.