Awareness of orthodontic patients towards smartphone orthodontic apps.

BACKGROUND: Mobile phone applications (apps) can potentially enhance patient care as they are easy to use and offer multifunctions. In 2019, 305 orthodontic apps were documented, many of which were patient-focused; however, there was little information on how popular these applications are with orthodontic patients. The main aim of this study was to evaluate how well patients were now aware of orthodontic applications. METHODS: A survey asking 700 orthodontic patients about their knowledge of, access to, and use of orthodontic apps to facilitate their treatment resulted in 615 responses. RESULTS: The results showed that a smartphone was owned by 96% of patients. Apple (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) was the most used platform, followed by Android (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). Seventy-five percent of patients have previously used social media to research information, with YouTube (YouTube, San Mateo, CA, USA) being the most popular site. Only 3% of patients knew that applications were available to aid with orthodontic therapy and 12 patients had utilized an app linked to orthodontics. Nevertheless, 88% of patients said they would be open to using an app to supplement their treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although 88% of patients said they would be prepared to use an app to help with orthodontic treatment, there is currently a low level of knowledge of the existence of apps. Given the availability of applications geared toward those patients, it is necessary to evaluate these apps' quality and, when critical, direct patients toward high-quality, efficient apps.

Comparative effectiveness of low-level laser therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in symptomatic Temporomandibular Disorders: A Randomised Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain is one of the most common facial region pains, presenting itself with various signs and symptoms like tenderness of masticatory muscles and difficulty in mouth opening. Considering its multifactorial aetiology various treatment modalities are present. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for the patients of temporomandibular disorders (TMDS). METHODS: The study was conducted with 20 patients diagnosed with TMDS. Group A received LLLT at 660 nm, 6 J/point, two sessions/week for 4 weeks and group B received TENS at 2-250 Hz, two sessions/week for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Pain Score decreased and mouth opening increased in both groups with time, however, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Right and left lateral excursions showed improvement at different intervals in both groups. However, the LLLT group showed significant improvement. CONCLUSION: Clinical trial showed improvement in visual analogue scale (VAS), maximum mouth opening (MMO) and lateral excursion in the different time intervals in both the groups with LLLT showed more improvement with lateral excursions movements.

Telemedicine in the diagnosis and management of temporomandibular disorders: A systematic review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine (T-Med) has always been an important tool in the arsenal of clinicians worldwide. This technique has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult for some people to access traditional dental care. The current review aimed to analyse the usage of telemedicine in the diagnosis and management of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and its impact on general health. METHODS: An extensive search of databases was conducted using keywords such as, "telemedicine," "teledentistry," "TMJ" and "temporomandibular disorders," resulting in a total of 482 papers to be available from which eligible studies were selected. The Risk of Bias in Observational Studies of Exposures (ROBINS-E) tool was used to evaluate methodological quality of included studies. RESULTS: Two studies were selected which fulfilled the eligibility criteria. All assessed studies indicated varying degrees of positive outcomes for patients who were intervened for TMDs using T-Med. CONCLUSION: T-Med shows promising results for the diagnosis and management of TMDs, especially since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter. Long-term clinical trials with larger samples are needed to further ascertain validity in this regard.

Teledentistry in the Management of Patients with Dental and Temporomandibular Disorders.

Telemedicine is a subunit of telehealth, and it uses telecommunication technology, video, digital images, and electronic medical records to allow the exchange of clinical information and images over remote distances for dental consultation, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Dental clinical practice requires face-to-face interaction with the patients, and therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has mostly been suspended. In this view, teledentistry offers the opportunity to continue dental practice, avoiding the face-to-face examination that put patients and healthcare professionals at infection risk. Teledentistry encompasses several subunits such as teleconsultation, telediagnosis, telemonitoring, and teletriage. To date, there are several experiences described in literature that suggest that teledentistry could be applied to support traditional care of different oral diseases. However, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Reimbursement concerns, costs, license regulations, limits in physical examinations, and expert equipment are principal issues that should be overcome in telemedicine and in teledentistry. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the different teledentistry approaches in the care of patients with dental and temporomandibular disorders, as well as discussing the issues that need to be addressed to implement this approach in clinical practice.

Craniofacial Evolution: From Australopithecus to Modern Man.

ABSTRACT: Through the analysis and evaluation of the size and morphology of teeth and jaws, it is possible to differentiate animal species including man, allowing the theory of human evolution to be established. Hominin evolution is characterized by two main features, the transition to bipedality and the increase in brain size. This had an important impact on the structure and function of the hominine skull. The aim of this article is to retrace the evolutionary steps that led to Homo Sapiens, the direct ancestor of modern man. For the following paper, scientific articles from Medline (PubMed) and Google Scholar database were used from 1929 to 2018. Hominid evolution is characterized by 2 main features, the transition to bipedality and the increase in brain size. The fossils found show that both trends have had an important impact on the morphology and function of the skull of modern man. The basicranial flexion and growth have led to the facial modifications typical of modern man. The main changes concern the mandibular evolution with the appearance of the chin, the formation of the Spee curve due to mandibular arch growth, the formation of the temporomandibular joint as a hinge joint with a sliding socket as the condyle and a better function and maximum efficiency than its predecessors thanks to respect for the divine proportions of the face. Knowledge of ontogenesis allows us to know the factors underlying human form and function, analyze and evaluate them in the clinical context.

The Effect of Different Condition of Pulpal Pressure on Microtensile Bond Strength of Several Dentin Bonding Agents on Deep and Superficial Dentin.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of different conditions of simulated hydrostatic pulpal pressure on the µTBS of HEMA-based and HEMA-free dentin bonding agents (DBAs). The influence of dentin location (deep and superficial) on µTBS was also evaluated. Flat coronal dentin surfaces of extracted human molars were prepared. Three groups of resin-bonded specimens were exposed to different pulpal pressures. Pulpal pressure was maintained for 20 min for each group. A flowable resin composite was used for coronal build-up. The bonded teeth were sectioned and, after 24 h of water storage, stressed to failure using the microtensile tester (µTBS). Failed samples were analyzed by SEM inspection. HEMA-based DBAs were much more sensitive to pulpal pressure conditions than non-HEMA-containing DBAs. Pulpal pressure had a greater influence in deep dentin. The HEMA-free DBA was insensitive to the presence or absence of pulpal pressure condition. SEM inspection confirmed a relationship between the presence of voids inside the HEMA-based DBAs layer and the lower µTBS results. HEMA-based DBAs are more sensitive to pulpal pressure conditions than HEMA-free DBAs. Interestingly, HEMA-free DBA showed a greater number of water droplets at resin-dentin interface in all tested conditions.

Dental Pulp Stem Cells on Implant Surface: An In Vitro Study.

In the field of biology and medicine, one hears often about stem cells and their potential. The dental implant new surfaces, subjected to specific treatments, perform better and allow for quicker healing times and better clinical performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate from a biological point of view the interaction and cytotoxicity between stem cells derived from dental pulp (DPSCs) and titanium surfaces. Through the creation of complex cells/implant, this study is aimed at analyzing the cytotoxicity of dental implant surfaces (Myth (Maipek Manufacturer Industrial Care, Naples, Italy)) and the adhesion capacity of cells on them and at considering the essential factors for implant healing such as osteoinduction and vasculogenesis. These parameters are pointed out through histology (3D cell culture), immunofluorescence, proliferation assays, scanning electron microscopy, and PCR investigations. The results of the dental implant surface and its interaction with the DPSCs are encouraging, obtaining results increasing the mineralization of the tissues. The knowledge of this type of interaction, highlighting its chemical and biological features, is certainly also an excellent starting point for the development of even more performing surfaces for having better healing in the oral surgical procedures related to dental implant positioning.

Human Papilloma Virus: Current Knowledge and Focus on Oral Health.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for different pathological manifestations in humans. This agent gives rise to lesions of different types and in different areas of the organism, including the oral cavity. The aim of this study is to show which are the main diseases for which HPV is responsible and to bring to light some of the interceptive and therapeutic strategies. The analysis was conducted by consulting the major scientific databases with the aim of obtaining information on the characteristics of oral HPV and its management; furthermore, the literature was supported by some clinical cases proposed by the authors. The role of dentistry is essential in the early diagnosis of this type of pathologies and above all in knowing how to direct patients towards a path that can lead to patient management, especially in the event that these lesions have a malignant potential. Enhancing the knowledge and role of dentistry can lead to early diagnosis of this type of injury, intercepting a pathology that could have multiorgan implications.

Growth Factors in Oral Tissue Engineering: New Perspectives and Current Therapeutic Options.

The present investigation is aimed at systematically analyzing the recent literature about the innovative scaffold involved in the reconstructive surgeries by applying growth factors and tissue engineering. An extensive review of the contemporary literature was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines by accessing the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus Elsevier databases. Authors performed the English language manuscript research published from 2003 to 2020. A total of 13 relevant studies were included in the present review. The present systematic review included only papers with significant results about correlation between scaffold, molecular features of growth factor, and reconstructive surgeries in oral maxillofacial district. The initial research with filters recorded about 1023 published papers. Beyond reading and considering of suitability, only 42 and then 36 full-text papers were recorded for the revision. All the researches recorded the possibility of using growth factors on rebuilding atrophic jaws. Different growth factors like morphogenetic factors, cytokines, and inflammatory ones and their application over different scaffold materials were recorded. Further investigations should be required in order to state scientific evidence about a clear advantage of applying tissue engineering for therapeutic purpose.

Stannous Fluoride Effects on Enamel: A Systematic Review.

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about toothpastes with a particular chemical compound: stannous fluoride (SnF2). Its presence is currently still highly controversial, as the latter could have negative health effects. The different companies that produce toothpastes express its dosage in ppm. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to analyze all randomized clinical trials in the literature over the last 10 years and to draw clear results on the function of stannous fluoride, for this purpose the authors performed a Mann-Whitney U Test. MATERIALS: The first analysis of the literature produced a number greater than 800 results, subsequently applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and following a manual analysis of the results, 26 manuscripts have been obtained. RESULTS: From the results analyzed in this review, it could be shown that stannous fluoride does not present important contraindications, if not those commonly reported for fluorine. A meta-analysis on enamel loss has been conducted, it shows that SnF2 products provide better results with a p < 0.05 value. CONCLUSION: This compound could have significant effects in favor of erosion and recalcification of the enamel, on the biofilm formation, gingival inflammation, and in addition, it could be an important aid in the removal of tooth stains and halitosis.

Piezoelectric bone surgery compared with conventional rotary instruments in oral surgery and implantology: Summary and consensus statements of the International Piezoelectric Surgery Academy Consensus Conference 2019.

PURPOSE: Piezoelectric bone surgery was introduced into clinical practice almost 20 years ago as an alternative method for cutting bone in dental surgical procedures, in an attempt to reduce the disadvantages of using conventional rotary instruments. The aim of this Consensus Conference was to evaluate the current evidence concerning the use of piezoelectric surgery in oral surgery and implantology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three working groups conducted three meta-analyses with trial sequential analysis, focusing on the use of piezoelectric surgery in impacted mandibular third molar extraction, lateral sinus floor elevation and implant site preparation. The method of preparation of the systematic reviews, based on comprehensive search strategies and following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, was discussed and standardised. RESULTS: Moderate/low evidence suggests that piezoelectric surgery is significantly associated with a more favourable postoperative course (less pain, less trismus) after impacted mandibular third molar extraction than conventional rotary instruments. Moderate evidence suggests that implants inserted with piezoelectric surgery showed improved secondary stability during the early phases of healing compared with those inserted using a drilling technique. Strong/moderate evidence suggests that piezoelectric surgery prolongs the duration of surgery in impacted mandibular third molar extraction, sinus floor elevation and implant site preparation, but it is unclear whether the slight differences in duration of surgery, even if statistically significant, represent a real clinical advantage for either operator or patient. Weak evidence or insufficient data are present to draw definitive conclusions on the other investigated outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Further well-designed trials are needed to fully evaluate the effects of piezoelectric surgery, especially in implant site preparation and sinus floor elevation.

Biological and Chemo-Physical Features of Denture Resins.

In the dental field, the study of materials has always been the basis of the clinical practice. Over the years, with the evolution of materials, it has been possible to produce safe and predictable prosthetic devices, with ever better aesthetic features, biocompatibility and patient satisfaction. This review briefly analyzes the features of dental resin materials to underline the biological, microbiological and chemo-physical characteristics. The main aim of prosthodontics is to rehabilitate patients and therefore improve their quality of life. Dental resins are the main materials used for the production of dentures. Once solidified, these polymers have different mechanical or surface characteristics. The results of the literature on these characteristics were analyzed and some new brand dental resins, known as modern resin, were subsequently evaluated. The new materials are undoubtedly a step forward in the creation of dental prostheses, and also in all subsequent maintenance phases. This review shows how changing the chemical structure of the resins could have microbiological influences on the growth and management of the biofilm, and also physical influences in terms of its mechanical characteristics. The development of new materials is a constant goal in dentistry in order to obtain increasingly predictable rehabilitations.

Oral health in patients with Marfan syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The role of this study is to highlight a correlation between patients with Marfan syndrome and oral health status by evaluating and reviewing the relevant scientific literature. The syndrome is characterized by an abnormal production of the fibrillin1 protein. The manifestations of Marfan syndrome affect organs that contain connective tissue such as the skeletal system, the eyes, the heart and the blood vessels, the lungs and the fibrous membranes that cover the brain and the spine. The facial bony and soft structures can therefore be affected, influencing the stage of tooth formation and the structure of the teeth, we also want to analyze in this study, the periodontal complications and the management of the latter, with the use of surgical techniques that include the use of biomaterials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. After a careful analysis of the work obtained by two independent academics, there have been 18. All data from the studies were compared and many of these highlighted the presence of abnormalities in the oral district. RESULTS: The studies taken into consideration a whole series of oral manifestations related to the Marfan syndrome. Oral mucosa, periodontal, dental abnormalities, bone abnormalities or joint dysfunction are frequently involved in patients affected by this disease. CONCLUSIONS: All the research have given positive results in terms of dental or oral anomalies. This information may be essential to limit and intervene early improving the oral health of syndromic patients.

3D Digital Impression Systems Compared with Traditional Techniques in Dentistry: A Recent Data Systematic Review.

The advent of new technologies in the field of medicine and dentistry is giving improvements that lead the clinicians to have materials and procedures able to improve patients' quality of life. In dentistry, the last digital techniques offer a fully digital computerized workflow that does not include the standard multiple traditional phases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate all clinical trials and clinical randomized trials related to the digital or dental impression technique in prosthetic dentistry trying to give the readers global information about advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. Data collection was conducted in the main scientific search engines, including articles from the last 10 years, in order to obtain results that do not concern obsolete impression techniques. Elsevier, Pubmed and Embase have been screened as sources for performing the research. The results data demonstrated how the working time appears to be improved with digital workflow, but without a significant result (P = 0.72596). The papers have been selected following the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) question, which is related to the progress on dental impression materials and technique. The comparison between dentists or practitioners with respect to classic impression procedures, and students open to new device and digital techniques seem to be the key factor on the final impression technique choice. Surely, digital techniques will end up supplanting the analogical ones altogether, improving the quality of oral rehabilitations, the economics of dental practice and also the perception by our patients.

Early Diagnosis on Oral and Potentially Oral Malignant Lesions: A Systematic Review on the VELscope® Fluorescence Method.

The fluorescence method is an innovative technique used by pathologists for examining body mucosa, and for the abnormalities tissue screening, potentially leading to the earlier discovery of pre-cancer, cancer or other disease processes. The early detection is one of the best mechanisms for enabling treatment success, increasing survival rates and maintaining a high quality of life. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the clinical efficiency of this diagnostic tool applied to the oral cavity (VELscope®). A literature systematic review has been performed. The initial research provided 53 results after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and after a manual screening of the abstracts by the authors, only 25 results were eligible for review. The results and data contained in all the researches, no older than 10 years, were manually evaluated, and provided useful information on this diagnostic method. The VELscope® mean value about sensitivity and specificity resulted of 70.19% and 65.95%, respectively, by results analysis, but despite this some studies disagree about its clinical effectiveness, and this diagnostic method is still much debated in scientific and clinical medical literature. Surely being able to have efficient and effective tools from this point of view could help the clinician in the diagnosis, and also make timelier the pharmacological or surgical therapy, improving the quality of life of the patient, and in some cases guaranteeing a longer survival term.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Third Molar Extraction: Systematic Review of Recent Data.

The aim of this paper was to highlight the most widely antibiotic protocols applied to the dental field, especially in the surgical treatment of impacted wisdom teeth. Once these protocols were screened, all the possible advantages or disadvantages for each drug and each posology were recorded in this review. In recent years, the need to use these protocols has been debated in the literature. The data obtained by this review underlined how antibiotic protocols applied to oral surgery treatments only included surgeries performed on patients who did not present other systemic pathologies. The first literature review obtained 140 results, and then after the application of the inclusion criteria, 12 papers were selected. The results showed that the most commonly used protocol involved the use of penicillin and clavulanate, obtaining safe clinical and prophylactic results in the management of infections. This widely used protocol seems to guarantee high predictability and safety. The presented review highlights the current possibility of antibiotic resistance affecting patients due to drug misuse. Further clinical studies are required to state specific guidelines; however, oral surgeons involved in third molar surgery should evaluate the local and general health conditions of the patients before suggesting any drug measures for patients.

Advances in Antiplatelet Therapy for Dentofacial Surgery Patients: Focus on Past and Present Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, patients involved in antiplatelet therapy required special attention during oral surgery procedures, due to the antiplatelet drugs assumption. The motivations of the assumption may be different and related to the patient's different systemic condition. For this reason, accordingly to the current international guidelines, different protocols can be followed. The aim of this work is to analyze how the dentist's approach to these patients has changed from the past to the present, evaluating the risk exposure for the patients. METHODS: This review paper considered different published papers in literature through quoted scientific channels, going in search of "ancient" works in such a way as to highlight the differences in the protocols undertaken. The analyzed manuscripts are in the English language, taking into consideration reviews, case reports, and case series in such a way as to extrapolate a sufficient amount of data and for evaluating the past therapeutic approaches compared to those of today. RESULTS: Colleagues in the past preferred to subject patients to substitution therapy with low molecular weight anticoagulants, by suspending antiplatelet agents to treatment patients, often for an arbitrary number of days. The new guidelines clarify everything, without highlighting an increased risk of bleeding during simple oral surgery in patients undergoing antiplatelet therapy. CONCLUSION: Either patients take these medications for different reasons, because of cardiovascular pathologies, recent cardiovascular events, or even for simple prevention, although the latest research shows that there is no decrease of cardiovascular accidents in patients who carry out preventive therapy. Surely, it will be at the expense of the doctor to assess the patient's situation and risk according to the guidelines. For simple oral surgery, it is not necessary to stop therapy with antiplatelet agents because the risk of bleeding has not increased, and is localized to a post-extraction alveolus or to an implant preparation, compared to patients who do not carry out this therapy. From an analysis of the results it emerges that the substitutive therapy should no longer be performed and that it is possible to perform oral surgery safely in patients who take antiplatelet drugs, after a thorough medical history. Furthermore, by suspending therapy, we expose our patients to more serious risks, concerning their main pathology, where present.

Molecular Biomarkers Related to Oral Carcinoma: Clinical Trial Outcome Evaluation in a Literature Review.

BACKGROUNDS: The objective of the present research was to systematically revise the international literature about the genetic biomarkers related to oral cancer (OC) evaluating the recent findings in clinical studies. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the current literature was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines by accessing the NCBI PubMed database. The authors conducted the search of articles in the English language published from 2008 to 2018. The present systematic review included only papers with significant results about correlation between wound healing, genetic alteration, and OC. Prognostic capacity of genetic markers was not evaluated in vivo. RESULTS: The first analysis with filters recorded about 1884 published papers. Beyond reading and consideration of suitability, only 20 and then 8 papers, with case report exclusion, were recorded for the revision. CONCLUSION: All the researches recorded the proteomic and genetic alterations in OC human biopsy cells. The gene modification level in the different studies, compared with samples of healthy tissues, has always been statistically significant, but it is not possible to associate publications with each other because each job is based on the measurement of different biomarkers and gene targets. Further investigations should be required in order to state scientific evidence about a clear advantage of using these biomarkers for diagnostic purpose.

Surgical Risk on Patients with Coagulopathies: Guidelines on Hemophiliac Patients for Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Haemophilia is a disease of genetic origin, which causes a defect in blood coagulation. Under normal conditions, in the case of leakage from the blood vessels, the blood forms a clot that reduces or blocks the bleeding. This process involves the activation of several plasma proteins in a cascade-like species. Two of these proteins, produced in the liver, factor VIII and factor IX, are deficient or present a functional defect in people with haemophilia. Because of this deficit, the haemophiliacs easily suffer external and internal bleeding. Surgical treatment of these patients is to be observed, and often their treatment is delayed due to unclear guidelines and risks in treating these patients. The aim is to provide clear guidelines in the case of surgical treatment of these patients. METHODS: In this study, we have considered all the guidelines that refer to the gold-maxillofacial surgery, focusing on the literature of the last 10 years. RESULTS: Surely, this collection of guidelines will favor the choice of the clinician towards safer and predictable protocols. This study does not want to create a guideline but evaluates the literature of the last 10 years, and highlights the latest for the treatment of these patients., with the aim of informing the pathology and at the same time making the surgical maneuvers safer. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the research of literature has produced few results, it was nevertheless possible to draw up a guideline thanks to additional information extrapolated from textbooks and other scientific articles. According to the guidelines, it is possible to proceed to the treatment of these patients, if with appropriate therapy in a safe and risk-free manner.

Oral and Psychological Alterations in Haemophiliac Patients.

Haemophiliacs are hereditary coagulopathies whose basic anomaly consists of the quantitative or qualitative alteration of one or more plasma proteins in the coagulation system. The objective of this review is to analyse all risk factors, predispositions and alterations to the oral-maxillofacial district in patients with haemophilia. The broader assessment also includes the psychological aspects that could affect the treatment and maintenance of oral conditions. The study takes into consideration all the works in the literature in the last 10 years. Works that present oral, dental and psychological changes in haemophilia patients have been combined. A total of 16 studies were analysed carefully evaluating and explaining all the alterations and risk factors that this disease provides. The aim of the review is to report all the anomalies reported in the literature for these patients, and to direct and update the clinician in the treatment of haemophilia patients.