Mixed-dust pneumoconiosis in a dental technician: a multidisciplinary diagnosis case report.

BACKGROUND: In dental laboratories, exposure to crystalline silica can occur during procedures that generate suspended mineral dusts, e.g. dispersion of mixing powders, removal of castings from molds grinding, polishing of castings and porcelain, and use of silica sand for blasting. There is also a large list of toxic agents (acrylic resins, polymeric materials, etc.) used to produce removable and fixed prostheses, but also impression materials and more. Using personal protective equipment and other aids reduces the exposure to these potentially harmful agents. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 42-year-old male dental technician who began to suffer from a dry cough and exertional dyspnea after approximately 15 years of work. The operations he conducted for his job resulted in the generation of crystalline silica, aluminum, chromium and titanium dust. The worker did not regularly wear personal protective equipment and some of the above operations were not carried out in closed circuit systems. The Chest X-ray showed diffused micronodules in the pulmonary interstitium of the upper-middle lobes, bilaterally, and a modest left basal pleural effusion. Simple spirometry showed small airway obstruction in its initial stage. High Resolution Computerized Tomography of the chest showed bilateral micronodulation of a miliariform type, with greater profusion to the upper lobes, also present in the visceral pleura, bilaterally. Histological examination showed aggregates of pigment-laden macrophages forming perivascular macules or arranged in a radial pattern around a core of sclerohyalinosis. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry revealed several mineral particles, typically characterized by the presence of crystalline silica and metal aggregates. The environmental concentrations of total dust and its respirable fraction were all lower than the relative TLV-TWA-ACGIH, yet not negligible. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings and a multidisciplinary assessment led to the diagnosis of mixed dust pneumoconiosis s/q with 2/2 profusion of occupational origin. This diagnosis in a dental technician was supported for the first time in literature by environmental exposure analysis.

Benefits and Implications of Resveratrol Supplementation on Microbiota Modulations: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol that has been shown to possess many applications in different fields of medicine. This systematic review has drawn attention to the axis between resveratrol and human microbiota, which plays a key role in maintaining an adequate immune response that can lead to different diseases when compromised. Resveratrol can also be an asset in new technologies, such as gene therapy. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched to find papers that matched our topic dating from 1 January 2017 up to 18 January 2022, with English-language restriction using the following Boolean keywords: ("resveratrol" AND "microbio*"). Eighteen studies were included as relevant papers matching the purpose of our investigation. Immune response, prevention of thrombotic complications, microbiota, gene therapy, and bone regeneration were retrieved as the main topics. The analyzed studies mostly involved resveratrol supplementation and its effects on human microbiota by trials in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo. The beneficial activity of resveratrol is evident by analyzing the changes in the host's genetic expression and the gastrointestinal microbial community with its administration. The possibility of identifying individual microbial families may allow to tailor therapeutic plans with targeted polyphenolic diets when associated with microbial dysbiosis, such as inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, degenerative diseases, tumors, obesity, diabetes, bone tissue regeneration, and metabolic syndrome.

Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines for Short- and Long-Term Immunity: A General Overview for the Pandemic Contrast.

BACKGROUND: The recent COVID-19 pandemic produced a significant increase in cases and an emergency state was induced worldwide. The current knowledge about the COVID-19 disease concerning diagnoses, patient tracking, the treatment protocol, and vaccines provides a consistent contribution for the primary prevention of the viral infection and decreasing the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 disease. The aim of the present investigation was to produce a general overview about the current findings for the COVID-19 disease, SARS-CoV-2 interaction mechanisms with the host, therapies and vaccines' immunization findings. METHODS: A literature overview was produced in order to evaluate the state-of-art in SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses, prognoses, therapies, and prevention. RESULTS: Concerning to the interaction mechanisms with the host, the virus binds to target with its Spike proteins on its surface and uses it as an anchor. The Spike protein targets the ACE2 cell receptor and enters into the cells by using a special enzyme (TMPRSS2). Once the virion is quietly accommodated, it releases its RNA. Proteins and RNA are used in the Golgi apparatus to produce more viruses that are released. Concerning the therapies, different protocols have been developed in observance of the disease severity and comorbidity with a consistent reduction in the mortality rate. Currently, different vaccines are currently in phase IV but a remarkable difference in efficiency has been detected concerning the more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants. CONCLUSIONS: Among the many questions in this pandemic state, the one that recurs most is knowing why some people become more seriously ill than others who instead contract the infection as if it was a trivial flu. More studies are necessary to investigate the efficiency of the treatment protocols and vaccines for the more recent detected SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Treatment of Class III Malocclusion and Anterior Crossbite with Aligners: A Case Report.

The article describes the orthodontically treated case of a 25-year-old patient with skeletal and dental class III malocclusion, anterior crossbite, which caused functional and aesthetic problems, occlusal trauma, and incisor wear. Treatment with transparent aligners was proposed to meet the patient's needs, using the sequential distalization protocol. While sequential distalization is well documented for class II malocclusion treatment in maxillary arch teeth, further investigations are necessary for class III malocclusions. In fact, lower teeth movements are more complex due to mandibular bone density and the presence of the third molars, which are often extracted to perform distalization. In addition, the use of intermaxillary elastics helps control the proclination of the anterior teeth as a reaction to distalizing forces. At the end of the treatment, the patient reached molar and canine class I and positive overjet and overbite. The inclination of lower incisors and the interincisal angle have improved, resulting in aesthetic and functional enhancement.

Genetic Pattern, Orthodontic and Surgical Management of Multiple Supplementary Impacted Teeth in a Rare, Cleidocranial Dysplasia Patient: A Case Report.

Background: Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is a rare, autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia with a prevalence of one per million births. The main causes of CCD are mutations in the core-binding factor alpha-1 (CBFA1) or runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2), located at the 6p21 chromosomal region. RUNX2 plays important roles in osteoblast differentiation, chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, and tooth formation. The disease is characterized by clavicular aplasia or hypoplasia, Wormian bones, delayed closure of cranial suture, brachycephalic head, maxillary deficiency, retention of primary teeth, inclusion of permanent teeth, and multiple supernumerary teeth. Materials and Methods: A 22-year-old girl suffering from cleidocranial dysplasia with short stature, narrow shoulders, craniofacial manifestations (short face, broad forehead, etc.) and dental anomalies (different lower dental elements under eruption, supernumerary and impacted multiple teeth, etc.) was examined at our service (Complex Operative Unit of Odontostomatology of Policlinico of Bari). RX Orthopantomography (OPG) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) were requested to better assess the position of the supernumerary teeth and their relationships with others and to evaluate the bone tissue. Results: Under eruption was probably caused by dental interferences with supernumerary teeth; hence, extractions of supernumerary upper canines and lower premolars were performed under general anaesthesia. Surgery outcome was excellent with good tissue healing and improvements in the therapeutic possibilities with future orthodontics. Conclusions: The objective of this article is to give an update about radiological, clinical, and molecular features of CCD and to alert the health team about the importance of establishing an early diagnosis and an appropriate treatment in these patients to prevent impacted teeth complications and to offer them a better quality of life.

Predictability and Effectiveness of Nuvola® Aligners in Dentoalveolar Transverse Changes: A Retrospective Study.

Nowadays, many people use clear aligners to address their dental issues. The efficacy of transparent dental aligners must be investigated even though they are more aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and tidy than permanent tools. Thirty-five patients in this study's sample group who used Nuvola® clear aligners for their orthodontic therapy were prospectively observed. Initial, simulated, and final digital scans were analysed with a digital calliper. The actual results were compared with the prescribed ending position to evaluate the efficacy of transversal dentoalveolar expansion. Aligner treatments in Groups A (12) and B (24), particularly in the dental tip measures, demonstrated high adherence to the prescription. On the other hand, the gingival measures exhibited a greater level of bias, and the differences were statistically significant. However, there was no difference in the outcomes between the two groups (12 vs. 24). Within specific parameters, the evaluated aligners were shown to be helpful in predicting movements in the transverse plane, particularly when considering movements linked to the vestibular-palatal inclination of the dental elements. This article compares the expansion effectiveness of Nuvola® aligners compared with other work in the literature using competitor companies.

Therapeutic Strategies of Primary Molar Infraocclusion: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Infraocclusion of deciduous molars is a clinical disturbance that occurs during primary and mixed dentition and has some orthodontic implications. Infraoccluded teeth are believed to be potential sites of malocclusion, with a risk of tipping neighbouring teeth and losing space. This systematic review aims to analyse the management of primary molars infraocclusion and to provide updated guidelines. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from 1 January 2017 to 28 November 2022. The inclusion criteria were: studies only on human subjects, open access studies, case reports, randomised trials, retrospective, observational studies, and English language. RESULTS: A total of 372 publications were identified from the databases and a final number of nine studies were included in the review for qualitative analysis. CONCLUSION: Management of patients suffering from infraocclusion depends on the severity, age at diagnosis, and presence of succeeded premolars. Early diagnosis of infraoccluded primary elements is fundamental and cannot be postponed. Preservation of the primary molars may be a valid option with long-term stability if there is no or moderate primary molar infraocclusion, root resorption of less than half of the root, and no decay or restoration.

Cavernous Sinus Involvement and Near Miss Mediastinitis following Mandibular Tooth Infection Treated during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment.

Odontogenic infections represent a frequent condition that in some cases, if not treated promptly, can spread quickly to the rest of the body and turn into life-threatening infections. In this work, the case is reported of a 59-year-old woman, diabetic and overweight, who presented to the Odontostomatology and Otolaryngology Section of the Policlinic of Bari with mandibular tooth infection that had developed into a deep neck space infection leading to the involvement of cavernous sinuses and near mediastinum. The diagnosis, the surgical drainage of the phlegmon and removal of infection foci, appropriate control of the airways, and a correct antibiotic therapy made it possible to avoid a potentially fatal condition. Prompt management and early diagnosis of deep space neck infections, such as phlegmon and/or necrotizing fasciitis, with the auxilium of CT scans and tools such as LRINEC (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis), NLR (Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio), and LRINECxNLR scores (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio), are advised to evade delays and complications that could potentially worsen the patient's outcome.

Rapid Maxillary Expansion on the Adolescent Patient: Systematic Review and Case Report.

Aim: In the literature, many studies and articles are investigating new devices and approaches to achieve rapid palate expansion through the opening of the palatal suture, and evaluating the skeletal, dental, and soft tissue effects. The purpose of this review was to assess how palatal expansion is performed in adolescent patients with permanent dentition. Furthermore, it was reported as an example of successful orthodontic treatment of an 11-year-old female patient affected by maxillary skeletal transverse deficiency, in permanent dentition. Methods: A search of the literature was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Inclusion criteria were the year of publication between 2017 and 2022, patients aged 10 to 16 years in permanent dentition, with transversal discrepancy, treated with tooth-borne, bone-borne, hybrid palatal expanders. Results: A total of 619 articles were identified by the electronic search, and finally, a total of 16 papers were included in the qualitative analysis. Conclusions: From this study, it was assessed that MARPE is more predictable, and it determines a more significant expansion of the suture than the Hyrax expander, with fewer side effects.

Innovative Application of Diathermy in Orthodontics: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Several strategies have been proposed in the literature to accelerate tooth movement, many of which are invasive and have numerous side effects, such as surgical techniques (corticotomy and piezocision technique). This research investigates to what extent diathermy can accelerate the orthodontic alignment phase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A patient with lower teeth crowding index of the same magnitude was selected. The orthodontic treatment with Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) thermal arc 0.015 in the lower arch was performed, associated with a weekly application of diathermy using the intraoral handpiece. The total duration of treatment was three weeks. During each session, an intraoral transducer was employed to stimulate the hard and soft tissues of the left dental hemiarch, which was also orthodontically aligned like the right one. RESULTS: Comparing the tooth movements of four elements of the two hemiarchies, it was found that, overall, the two teeth examined on the treated side underwent a more significant number of changes than on the untreated side, although not by a significant amount. CONCLUSIONS: The use of diathermy, according to the authors, is a non-invasive approach that may speed up the orthodontic alignment phase and reduce treatment duration, resulting in a lower risk of caries, gingival recessions, root resorptions, and patient compliance improvement, without side effects. Further studies and an adequate sample size will be needed to confirm the findings.

Experimental Analysis of the Use of Cranial Electromyography in Athletes and Clinical Implications.

BACKGROUND: Cranial surface electromyography is assumed to analyze the correlation between the stomatognathic apparatus and the muscular system and its implications on the physical status of professional athletes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate surface cranial electromyography as an aid in the diagnosis and treatment of occlusal and muscular disorders in professional athletes. METHODS: A sample of 25 athletes (mean age 23 years, 20 men and 5 women) underwent electromyographic recording; among them, 13 had a sports injury condition (symptomatic athletes), while 12 were in perfect physical condition (asymptomatic athletes). At odontostomatological examination, 6 showed cranio-mandibular disorders (dysfunctional athletes), while 19 showed no disorders (functional athletes). The treatment plan to resolve the symptoms of the dysfunctional athletes was chosen based on the electromyographic data. One month after the start of therapy with an occlusal splint, a follow-up was performed, and the results were compared with the initial data. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that the chosen therapy following the use of electromyography was effective in 72% of cases, while 28% of patients did not respond to therapy (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The use of cranial electromyography in competitive athletes is a valuable tool in therapeutic choice aimed at balancing occlusal loads and improving the patient's global tonic postural attitude, resulting in positive feedback in the qualitative assessment of sports performance.

The Efficacy of a New AMCOP® Elastodontic Protocol for Orthodontic Interceptive Treatment: A Case Series and Literature Overview.

BACKGROUND: Elastodontics is a specific interceptive orthodontic treatment that uses removable elastomeric appliances. They are functional appliances that produce neuromuscular, orthopedic and dental effects. Thus, these devices are useful in the developmental age, when skeletal structures are characterized by important plasticity and adaptation capacity, allowing to remove factors responsible for malocclusions. Elastomeric devices are generally well tolerated by patients requiring simple collaboration and management. This work can be useful to update all orthodontists already adopting these appliances or for those who want to approach them for the first time. This study aimed to describe four cases treated with new elastomeric devices called AMCOP Bio-Activators and to provide an overview of elastodontics, its evolution, indications and limits. METHODS: A total of four clinical cases were presented after a treatment period of 16-20 months to evaluate the clinical and radiological effects of the elastodontic therapy. RESULTS: The effectiveness of Bio-Activators on clinical cases was evidenced with a significant improvement in skeletal and dentoalveolar relationship, and malocclusion correction in a limited treatment period (16-20 months). CONCLUSIONS: The Bio-Activators showed clinical effectiveness to achieve therapeutic targets according to a low impact on the patient's compliance.

Oralbiotica/Oralbiotics: The Impact of Oral Microbiota on Dental Health and Demineralization: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The oral microbiota plays a vital role in the human microbiome and oral health. Imbalances between microbes and their hosts can lead to oral and systemic disorders such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this review is to investigate the literature evidence of oral microbiota dysbiosis on oral health and discuss current knowledge and emerging mechanisms governing oral polymicrobial synergy and dysbiosis; both have enhanced our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and aided the design of innovative therapeutic approaches as ORALBIOTICA for oral diseases such as demineralization. PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EMBEDDED, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source via EBSCO, APA PsycINFO, APA PsyArticles, and DRUGS@FDA were searched for publications that matched our topic from January 2017 to 22 April 2022, with an English language constraint using the following Boolean keywords: ("microbio*" and "demineralization*") AND ("oral microbiota" and "demineralization"). Twenty-two studies were included for qualitative analysis. As seen by the studies included in this review, the balance of the microbiota is unstable and influenced by oral hygiene, the presence of orthodontic devices in the oral cavity and poor eating habits that can modify its composition and behavior in both positive and negative ways, increasing the development of demineralization, caries processes, and periodontal disease. Under conditions of dysbiosis, favored by an acidic environment, the reproduction of specific bacterial strains increases, favoring cariogenic ones such as Bifidobacterium dentium, Bifidobacterium longum, and S. mutans, than S. salivarius and A. viscosus, and increasing of Firmicutes strains to the disadvantage of Bacteroidetes. Microbial balance can be restored by using probiotics and prebiotics to manage and treat oral diseases, as evidenced by mouthwashes or dietary modifications that can influence microbiota balance and prevent or slow disease progression.

COVID-19 Infection in Children and Infants: Current Status on Therapies and Vaccines.

Since the beginning in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak appeared to affect mostly the adult population, sparing the vast majority of children who only showed mild symptoms. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the status on the mechanisms that give children and infants this variation in epidemiology compared to the adult population and its impact on therapies and vaccines that are aimed towards them. A literature review, including in vitro studies, reviews, published guidelines and clinical trials was performed. Clinical trials concerned topics that allowed a descriptive synthesis to be produced. Four underlying mechanisms were found that may play a key role in providing COVID-19 protection in babies. No guidelines are available yet for therapy due to insufficient data; support therapy remains the most used. Only two vaccines are approved by the World Health Organization to be used in children from 12 years of age, and there are currently no efficacy or safety data for children below the age of 12 years. The COVID-19 clinical frame infection is milder in children and adolescents. This section of the population can act as vectors and reservoirs and play a key role in the transmission of the infection; therefore, vaccines are paramount. More evidence is required to guide safely the vaccination campaign.

Antispike Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) Titer Response of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-Vaccine (BNT162b2): A Monitoring Study on Healthcare Workers.

The secretion of IgG SARS-CoV-2 antispike antibodies after vaccination with BNT162b2 and the protection represent the response of the human organism to the viral vector symptomatic infections. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the immune reaction in health workers of the Polyclinic of Bari to identify the relationship of antispike titers with blood type, sex, age, and comorbidities. This prospective observational study (RENAISSANCE) had as its primary endpoint the assessment of serologic response to BNT162b2 at three blood titers: the first at 60 days after the second dose (3 February 2021); the second titer at 75 days after the first titer; and the third titer at 130 days after the second titer. Out of 230 enrolled staff members, all responded excellently to the mRna Pfizer (BNT162b) vaccine. Only one patient, 40 days after the second dose (3 February 2021), was positive on the swab control performed on 15 March 2021, although completely asymptomatic, and was negative on the subsequent molecular swab performed on 30 March 2021. All the patients responded to the mRNA Pfizer (BNT162b) vaccine with an antispike IgG level above 500 BAU/mL at the first antispike protein essay (60 days after the second dose on 3 April 2021); at the second titer (75 days after the first titer on 20 June 2021), 4 (1.7% of 230 enrolled) patients showed an antispike IgG level under 500 BAU/mL; at the third titer (130 days after the second titer on 30 June 2021, which means 9 months after the second dose), 37 (16.1% of 230 enrolled) patients showed an antispike IgG level under 500 BAU/mL. The data analysis demonstrated that patients belonging to blood group 0, regardless of their rhesus factor, showed the strongest level of antibodies compared to the other groups. No dependency was found between low antibodies level and sex or age. Molecular swab controls were performed every 15th of the month continuously. However, the enrolled patients' activity was at high risk because they carried out medical activities such as dental and surgical as well with droplets of water vaporized by the effect of turbines, piezosurgery. The vaccination campaign among health workers of the Policlinico of the University of Bari "Aldo Moro" led to an excellent serological response and the complete absence of COVID-19 incident cases, so the antibody response was excellent. The COVID-19 vaccine booster shot should be administered after 9 months and not without prompt antispike titer detection to assess if any sign of waning immunity is present in that specific patient.