Use of Antimicrobial Silver Coatings on Fixed Orthodontic Appliances, Including Archwires, Brackets, and Microimplants: A Systematic Review.

Orthodontic treatments, while essential for achieving optimal oral health, present challenges in infection control due to the propensity for bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on orthodontic appliances. Silver-coated orthodontic materials have emerged as a promising solution, leveraging the potent antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Antibacterial coatings are used in orthodontics to prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms. This systematic review evaluated the literature on antimicrobial silver coatings on fixed orthodontic appliances, including archwires, brackets, and microimplants. Two evaluators, working independently, rigorously conducted a comprehensive search of various databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. This systematic review comprehensively examined in vitro studies investigating the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-coated orthodontic archwires, brackets, and microimplants. The review registered in PROSPERO CRD42024509189 synthesized findings from 18 diverse studies, revealing consistent and significant reductions in bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and colony counts with the incorporation of AgNPs. Key studies demonstrated the effectiveness of silver-coated archwires and brackets against common oral bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus. Microimplants coated with AgNPs also exhibited notable antimicrobial activity against a range of microorganisms. The systematic review revealed potential mechanisms underlying these antimicrobial effects, highlighted implications for infection prevention in orthodontic practice, and suggested future research avenues. Despite some study heterogeneity and limitations, the collective evidence supports the potential of silver-coated orthodontic materials in mitigating bacterial complications, emphasizing their relevance in advancing infection control measures in orthodontics.

Antimicrobial efficacy and bonding properties of orthodontic bonding systems enhanced with silver nanoparticles: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) incorporated to different orthodontic bonding systems. Additionally, the review investigated the impact of AgNPs on the bonding properties of these materials. The hypothesis posed that the addition of AgNPs would enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of orthodontic bonding systems while maintaining their bonding properties. The systematic review employed a PICO-based search strategy, targeting in vitro studies focusing on the integration of nano silver particles into orthodontic bonding systems with potential antimicrobial activity. The intervention involved the use of nano silver in orthodontic bonding systems, with a comparison to systems lacking nano silver. The primary outcomes assessed were antimicrobial activity and shear bond strength (SBS). The search process, conducted without publication date restrictions, yielded 551 potential articles: 34 from PubMed, 360 from PubMed Central, 42 from Embase, 54 from Scopus, and 61 from Web of Science. Ultimately, a qualitative synthesis was conducted on 13 papers. The PRISMA diagram, visually represented the search strategy, screening process, and inclusion criteria. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO CRD42023487656 to enhance transparency and adherence to systematic review guidelines. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, revealing that the 13 articles meeting the inclusion criteria demonstrated a high level of evidence. Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis regarding shear bond strength. In summary, the synthesized findings from these studies strongly underscore the promising potential of orthodontic materials modified with AgNPs. These materials exhibit effective resistance against cariogenic bacteria without compromising bonding properties below clinical acceptability. Such innovative materials hold significant implications for advancing oral health within the realm of orthodontics.

Electromyographic Assessment of Muscle Activity in Children Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment-A Systematic Review.

Background: Surface electromyography (sEMG) can provide an objective and quantitative image of the functional state of neuromuscular balance in the stomatognathic system. The objective of this systematic review is to examine current scientific evidence regarding the effects of orthodontic treatment on muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity in children. Methods: The search strategy included the PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases. The inclusion criteria were studies assessing EMG muscle activity in children undergoing orthodontic treatment compared with untreated children. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB2) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The quality of evidence assessment was performed using GRADE analysis. The PRISMA diagram visually represented the search strategy, as well as screening and inclusion process. Results: The search strategy identified 540 potential articles. Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria. Six studies were judged at a low risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was rated as moderate to low, according to the GRADE criteria. Studies showed alterations in EMG muscle activity in children undergoing orthodontic treatment. Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment appears to affect muscle activity in children undergoing orthodontic treatment. However, the quality of evidence is low and, therefore, it is not possible to definitively state this effect. Further long-term studies are needed to confirm the findings of this review. Study protocol number in PROSPERO database: CRD42023491005.

Laryngeal cartilage calcifications on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age and gender on the incidence of calcification in laryngeal cartilage diagnosed on lateral cephalometric radiographs routinely taken for orthodontic diagnosis. The lateral cephalometric radiographs of 957 patients who met the study criteria were analyzed from among the 1000 lateral radiographs originally collected. The images were evaluated independently by two investigators. Given the dichotomous dependent variable (calcification or no calcification), a mixed logistic regression model was used to test how age and gender affected calcification. The effect of age and gender reliably determined the likelihood of laryngeal cartilage calcification. The greatest differences in the degree of calcification by gender were found at ages 20-25 years. The degree of calcification increased with age, reaching 100% in women at age 30 and in men at age 50. In women, the degree of calcification was higher than in men from the age of 13 years and levelled off at the age of 50 years. The interrater agreement was strong k = 0.97, z = 30.0, p < .001. Calcification can be detected by orthodontists trained in lateral cephalogram analysis and can be used as a screening or diagnostic tool to detect calcified areas in the larynx.

Surface electromyography in the assessment of masticatory muscle activity in patients with pain-related temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a set of painful conditions affecting the orofacial region that are prevalent and constitute the most frequent type of non-dental pain complaint in the maxillofacial area. Pain-related TMD (TMD-P) is characterized by ongoing pain in the masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint, or surrounding structures. Due to the multiple factors that contribute to the development of this condition, it can be challenging to accurately diagnose. One of the useful method for assessing patients with TMD-P is surface electromyography (sEMG). The aim of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current scientific literature on the evaluation of masticatory muscle activity (MMA) in individuals diagnosed with TMD-P, through the utilization of sEMG. Methods: To gather relevant information, electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase were searched using specific keywords including: "pain" AND ("temporomandibular disorder*" OR "temporomandibular dysfunction*") AND "surface electromyography" AND "masticatory muscle activity." The inclusion criteria were studies assessing MMA in patients with TMD-P using sEMG. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was utilized to evaluate the quality of the studies that were included in the review. Results: The search strategy identified 450 potential articles. Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria. Global quality rating for significant part of the articles was weak. Most studies showed greater sEMG activity of the masseter (MM) and temporal anterior (TA) muscles at rest in TMD-P subjects than in the asymptomatic controls, while the MM and TA muscles were less active in the pain-related TMD group compared to the non-TMD group during maximal voluntary clenching (MVC). Conclusion: There were differences in MMA in the TMD-pain population compared to a healthy control group during various tasks. The diagnostic efficacy of surface electromyography in assessing individuals with TMD-P remains unclear.

Candida Species in Children Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment with Removable Appliances: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of orthodontic treatment with removable appliances on the growth of Candida spp. in children undergoing orthodontic treatment. The study included 60 patients of equal numbers as to gender from the orthodontics department of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. All patients were aged 6-12 years and were qualified for orthodontic treatment with removable appliances. The following examinations were performed on the day of treatment initiation (T1) and 6 months after the start of treatment (T2); a collection of oral swabs for culture on Sabouraud's medium and the identification of fungal colonies using the VITEK®2 YST. At T1, 42 (70%) subjects, were free of Candida, while after 6 months of treatment, the number decreased to 25 (41.67%). Two types of fungi, C. albicans and C. parapsilosis, predominated in the test performed at T1. The study at T2 showed that C. albicans most frequently colonized the oral cavity in 23 children (38.33%). Three new strains C. dubliniensis, C. kefyr, and C. krusei were identified at T2. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between the culture results and the age of the patient at T2. Patients older than 9 years had significantly more positive tests. Orthodontic treatment with removable appliances contributes to increased oral colonization by Candida spp.

Predicting Interest in Orthodontic Aligners: A Google Trends Data Analysis.

Aligners are an example of how advances in dentistry can develop from innovative combinations of 3D technologies in imaging, planning and printing to provide new treatment modalities. With increasing demand for esthetic orthodontic treatment, aligners have grown in popularity because they are esthetically more pleasing and less obstructive to oral hygiene and other oral functions compared to fixed orthodontic appliances. To observe and estimate aligner treatment interest among Google Search users, Google Trends data were obtained and analyzed for the search term, "Invisalign". A prediction of interest for the year 2022 for three European Union countries with the highest GDP was developed. "Invisalign" was chosen to represent all orthodontic aligners as the most searched term in Google Trends for aligners. This is the first study to predict interest in the query "Invisalign" in a Google search engine. The Prophet algorithm, which depends on advanced statistical analysis methods, positions itself as an automatic prediction procedure and was used to predict Google Trends data. Seasonality modeling was based on the standard Fourier series to provide a flexible model of periodic effects. The results predict an increase in "Invisalign" in Google Trends queries in the coming year, increasing by around 6%, 9% and 13% by the end of 2022 compared to 2021 for France, Italy and Germany, respectively. Forecasting allows practitioners to plan for growing demand for particular treatments, consider taking continuing education, specifically, aligner certification courses, or introduce modern scanning technology into offices. The oral health community can use similar prediction tools and methods to remain alert to future changes in patient demand to improve the responses of professional organizations as a whole, work more effectively with governments if needed, and provide better coordination of care for patients.

The Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Interest in Orthodontic Treatment and Perspectives for the Future. Real-Time Surveillance Using Google Trends.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak may have a large impact on orthodontic treatment. Regular orthodontic visits were strongly and widely interrupted by the unprecedented epidemiological threat. METHODS: The data regarding orthodontic queries were investigated in a real-time surveillance using Google Trends. Search terms "braces", "invisalign", "get braces", "get braces off", "braces pain" and the phrase "social distancing" were analyzed regarding the year preceding the pandemic outbreak and the time of the pandemic. Moreover, the five-year trend for queries "braces" vs. "invisalign", as an example of different types of orthodontic appliances, was compared. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in orthodontics phrase queries in the spring of 2020, connected with the worldwide restrictions and lockdowns announced all over the world. There was a lower interest in the "braces pain" query during the first lockdown in 2020. The number of searches for "invisalign" increased steadily over time, while the number of searches for "braces" was relatively stable across the investigated time period. CONCLUSIONS: The course of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the orthodontic-related search queries. Orthodontists must be better-prepared for any sudden changes in the possible future in the epidemiological situation that may change accessibility to dental offices.

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Oral Health and Teledentistry Interest during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has significantly changed access to dental treatments. METHODS: The data related to oral health and teledentistry topics were collected from the open database Google Trends. The analyzed material was collected from 19 June 2016 to 6 June 2021 among anonymous search engine users. The following expressions were analyzed: "dental care", "emergency dental care", "oral health", "periodontitis", "teledentistry", "is it safe to go to the dentist", and "COVID-19" and "PPE dentist". RESULTS: During the first lockdown in 2020, a significant increase in "emergency dental care" phrase queries was detected, with a simultaneous decrease in regular "dental care" questions, as well as a peak in the queries for "periodontitis" preceded by lower interest in "oral health." The number of searches stated for "teledentistry" increased during the time of the pandemic 5 times and for and "PPE dentist" 30 times. The risk of visiting the dental studio was seen in almost 40 times increase in the query "is it safe to go to the dentist." CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 imprinted a stigma on oral health care. In this difficult epidemiological situation, teledentistry might become a helpful solution.

Dental Challenges and the Needs of the Population during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period. Real-Time Surveillance Using Google Trends.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to changes in the dental needs of the population and new challenges concerning oral health care. METHODS: The Google Trends tool was used to collect data on the Internet search interest. The investigated material was collected from 1 January 2020 to 23 August 2020. Search terms "toothache", "dentist" and "stay at home" were retrieved for the whole world as well as for the US, the UK, Poland, Italy and Sweden. RESULTS: During the lockdown, correlation analysis indicates the lowest public interest in the word "dentist" one week preceding the peak for "toothache", followed by an increase in the word search for "dentist". On 12 April, worldwide, the maximum of Google Trends Relative Search Volume (RSV) for "toothache" was observed. CONCLUSION: Decrease in "dentist" queries during lockdown followed by an increase in "toothache" search predicts greater dental needs in the post-pandemic period. The surveillance shows significant changes in queries for dental-related terms during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to prepare for future pandemic outbreaks teledentistry programs should be taken into consideration.