Phototherapy and Tailored Brushing Method. Personalized Oral Care in Patients with Facial and Dental Trauma. A Report of a Case.

(1) Background: Traumatic dental injuries are frequent in children and young adults. The facial structures involved in dental trauma may include soft tissues of the face and mouth, bone and dental structures. Dental trauma often results in augmented dental anxiety. Phototherapy can improve stress and pain control thereby improving compliance in young patients with the necessary dental treatments, after dental trauma has occurred. (2) Methods: Phototherapy was performed to enable soft tissue healing. The Tailored Brushing Method (TBM), a personalized approach for at-home oral hygiene procedures, was also utilized, with the aim of improving biofilm control in traumatized patients. (3) Results: The approach hereafter presented made it possible to obtain subjective control of anxiety and pain documented on a visual analog scale (VAS) due to the innovative use of photo-biomodulation. In addition, for the first time, the TBM was adapted to the needs of a patient with facial trauma and illustrated. (4) Conclusions: Phototherapy and TBM were found to be effective in the combined treatment of soft tissue wounds and in the oral care of the traumatized patient.

The Effect of Gaseous Ozone Therapy in Conjunction with Periodontal Treatment on Glycated Hemoglobin Level in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Unmasked Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: It is established that inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) by promoting insulin resistance and impaired beta cell function in the pancreas. Among the hypothesized independent risk factors implicated in the pathogenetic basis of disease, periodontal infection has been proposed to promote an amplification of the magnitude of the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-mediated upregulation of cytokine synthesis and secretion. These findings suggest an interrelationship between periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes, describing poor metabolic control in subjects with periodontitis as compared to nondiabetic subjects and more severe periodontitis in subjects with T2DM as compared to a healthy population, with a significant positive correlation between periodontal inflammatory parameters and glycated hemoglobin level. Results from clinical trials show that periodontal treatment is able to improve glycemic control in subjects with diabetes. Many therapeutic strategies have been developed to improve periodontal conditions in conjunction with conventional treatment, among which ozone (O3) is of specific concern. The principal aim of this trial was to compare the clinical effectiveness of an intensive periodontal intervention consisting of conventional periodontal treatment in conjunction with ozone gas therapy in reducing glycated hemoglobin level in type 2 diabetic patients and standard periodontal treatment. METHODS: This study was a 12-month unmasked randomized trial and included 100 patients aged 40-74 years older, with type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed. All the patients received conventional periodontal treatment, or periodontal treatment in conjunction with ozone gas therapy in a randomly assigned order (1:1). The primary outcome was a clinical measure of glycated hemoglobin level at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from randomization. Secondary outcomes were changes in periodontal inflammatory parameters. RESULTS: At 12 months, the periodontal treatment in conjunction with ozone gas therapy did not show significant differences than standard therapy in decreasing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) level and the lack of significant differences in balance is evident. CONCLUSIONS: Although the change was not significant, periodontal treatment in conjunction with the gaseous ozone therapy tended to reduce the levels of glycated hemoglobin. The study shows a benefit with ozone therapy as compared to traditional periodontal treatment.

Polarized Polychromatic Noncoherent Light (Bioptron Light) as Adjunctive Treatment in Chronic Oral Mucosal Pain: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of polarized polychromatic noncoherent light (Bioptron light) in the treatment of chronic oral mucosal pain (COMP). Patients and methods: Twenty-two patients affected by COMP were treated with standardized pharmacological protocols in association with Bioptron light (90 W; light wavelength = 480-3400 nm; degree of polarization = 95%; specific power density = 40 mW/cm2; energy density = 2.4 J/cm). The outcome measures were intensity of pain [measured by visual analog scale (VAS) score] and signs reduction (measured by Eisen score) recorded at baseline (t0), after 4 weeks (t1), and after 8 weeks (t2). Signs and symptoms scores were compared with those of a cohort of comparable patients selected from institutional medical record files. Results: Patients in pharmacological treatment associated with Bioptron showed a significant VAS score decrease at t1 and t2 (t0 = 6.9, t1 = 3.9, t2 = 1.8, p < 0.05), whereas the patients in exclusive pharmacological treatment showed a significant VAS score improvement only at t2. Comparing the VAS score at t1 and t2 in the two groups, a significant improvement was recorded in patients undergoing Bioptron adjunctive treatment (t1 = 3.9 vs. 5.9; p < 0.05 and t2 = 1.8 vs. 3.6; p < 0.05). In both groups Eisen score improved at t1 and t2, but in the Bioptron-treated patients the improvement was statistically better at t1 (1.9 vs. 0.8; p < 0.05) and at t2 (2.7 vs. 1.4; p < 0.05). Conclusions: In COMP patients, Bioptron use associated with pharmacological treatment allows a better and faster signs and symptoms reduction when compared with the exclusive pharmacological treatment. Further controlled studies are needed to establish the relative and absolute effectiveness of Bioptron in COMP management.