The study of dental status through determination of the degree of preservation of paleoanthropological material.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To introduce a simple classification system for the degree of preservation and quality of the dentoalveolar apparatus into scientific circulation to further investigate dental diseases in ancestral populations.. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The sample analyzed consisted of the remains of 499 individuals from the human populations that existed in the territories of Ukraine from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Teeth and jaws were examined macroscopically under bright light; dental changes were evaluated by probing. Dental radiographic examinations were performed using retroalveolar and panoramic X-ray films in adult individuals. RESULTS: Results: The authors divide the dentoalveolar apparatus of fossil and subfossil skeletons into ten levels for further medical investigation of dental diseases. These levels depend on the preservation degree and changes in jaws and teeth. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The study of bone and tooth preservation, determination of skeletal sex, and age characteristics is a separate section and stage in reconstructing the physical type of individuals and the health status of a community. Studying the taphonomic features of odontologic anthropological material should be a mandatory prerequisite preceding its analysis in paleopathology. The condition of the dentoalveolar system can be classified into ten levels for paleopathological conclusions. This classification will be helpful to doctors specializing in forensic medicine and anthropologists.

The phenomenological approach in dentistry - a narrative review.

PURPOSE: Phenomenology is a branch of philosophy that focuses on human lived experience. Illness including dental diseases can affect this living experience. Within the dental literature, there is very little reported on the use of phenomenology compared to other healthcare sciences. Hence, the aim was to review the literature and provide an overview of various applications of phenomenology in dental research. METHODS: This study was a narrative review using literature in the last 10 years identified by web-based search on PubMed and Scopus using keywords. A total of 33 articles that were closely related to the field and application in dentistry were included. The methodology, main results, and future research recommendations, if applicable, were extracted and reviewed. RESULTS: The authors in this study had identified several areas such as orofacial pain and pain control research, dental anxiety, dental education, oral healthcare perceptions and access, living with dental diseases and dental treatment experience in which the phenomenological method was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic. CONCLUSIONS: There are several advantages of using the phenomenological research method, such as the small sample size needed, the diverse and unique perspective that can be obtained and the ability to improve current understanding, especially from the first-person perspective.

Dental disease in companion rabbits under UK primary veterinary care: Frequency and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Some prior evidence has suggested that lop-eared rabbits and those with brachycephalic skull conformations have a higher dental disease risk. This retrospective cohort study reports the frequency and conformational risk factors for primary-care veterinary diagnosis with dental disease in companion rabbits in the UK. METHODS: Anonymised VetCompass clinical records were manually reviewed to confirm dental disease cases. Risk factor analysis used multivariable binary logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: From 161,979 rabbits under primary veterinary care in 2019, the 1-year period prevalence of overall dental disease was 15.36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.78-15.96). The prevalence of dental disease affecting incisors was 3.14% (95% CI: 2.87-3.44), and for cheek teeth it was 13.72% (95% CI: 13.17-14.29). Neither lop-eared conformation nor brachycephalic skull conformation was significantly associated with increased odds of dental disease. Dental disease odds increased as age increased and decreased as bodyweight increased. LIMITATIONS: This study retrospectively accessed clinical records, so breed names may sometimes be imprecise. CONCLUSION: The high overall prevalence of dental disease represents a major welfare concern for all companion rabbits, regardless of conformation. This information can be used to encourage regular routine dental assessment of rabbits of all conformations to promote earlier diagnosis, paying particular attention to older rabbits and those with low bodyweight.

Common Oral Conditions: A Review.

Importance: Dry mouth, oral candidiasis, and recurrent aphthous ulcers are 3 of the most common oral conditions that may be associated with patient discomfort, decreased quality of life, and morbidity. Observations: In a meta-analysis of 26 population-based cohort and cross-sectional studies, the global prevalence of dry mouth symptoms was 23% (95% CI, 18% to 28%), placing individuals at risk of oral candidiasis, dental caries, dysgeusia, masticatory/speech impairment, and oropharyngeal dysphagia. Dry mouth is associated with using more than 3 oral medications per day (odds ratio [OR], 2.9 [95% CI, 1.4 to 6.2]), head and neck radiation, and Sjögren disease. Symptoms may include difficulty swallowing and speaking, thirst, and halitosis. Dry mouth is associated with an 11.5% (95% CI, 3.6% to 27%) higher risk of oral candidiasis, based on a meta-analysis of 6 observational cohorts. Management of dry mouth includes mechanical salivary stimulants, oral moisturizers, and/or systemic sialagogues. Oral candidiasis is an opportunistic fungal infection caused by overgrowth of the Candida genus with C albicans, which accounts for 76.8% of infections. The prevalence of oral candidiasis is higher in patients who are immunosuppressed, for example, those with HIV (35% [95% CI, 28% to 42%]) and those with salivary gland hypofunction (OR, 3.02 [95% CI, 1.73 to 5.28]). Common risk factors associated with oral candidiasis include use of antibiotics (P = .04) and oral mucosal disorders such as lichen planus. Oral burning and dysgeusia are common symptoms of oral candidiasis. Treatment includes addressing risk factors and use of topical and/or systemic antifungal medications. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is characterized by symptomatic round or oval oral ulcers, which are covered by a gray-white fibrin layer and encircled by an erythematous ring. A meta-analysis of 10 case-controlled studies revealed an increased risk of recurrent aphthous stomatitis associated with polymorphism of IL-1ß (+3954C/T) (OR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.07 to 2.17]) and IL-1ß (-511C/T) (OR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.09 to 1.67]). Another meta-analysis of 9 case-control studies reported that patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis had a higher frequency of nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12 (OR, 3.75 [95% CI, 2.38 to 5.94]), folic acid (OR, 7.55 [95% CI, 3.91 to 14.60]), and ferritin (OR, 2.62 [95% CI, 1.69 to 4.06]). Recurrent aphthous stomatitis can be associated with systemic diseases. A meta-analysis of 21 case-control studies revealed that celiac disease is associated with a higher incidence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (25% vs 11%; OR, 3.79 [95% CI, 2.67 to 5.39]; P <.001). Topical corticosteroids are first-line agents to manage recurrent aphthous stomatitis; however, systemic medications may be necessary in more severe cases. Conclusions and Relevance: Dry mouth, oral candidiasis, and recurrent aphthous ulcers are common oral conditions that may be associated with patient discomfort, decreased quality of life, and morbidity. First-line treatment includes over-the-counter sialagogues for dry mouth, topical antifungals for oral candidiasis, and topical corticosteroids for aphthous ulcers. Oral conditions that do not improve with first-line treatment may require treatment with systemic medications.

Isolation of phages against Streptococcus species in the oral cavity for potential control of dental diseases and associated systemic complications.

Dental infections and systemic complications caused by Streptococcus species in the oral cavity are increasingly exhibiting resistance to commonly used antibiotics, posing a potential threat to global public health. Phage therapy may offer a superior alternative, given that bacteriophages can be easily isolated and rapidly replicate in large numbers. In this study, six Streptococcus species from the oral cavity were characterized. Bacteriophages isolated from wastewater using five of these species as hosts produced plaques ranging from 0.2 to 2.4 mm in size. The phages demonstrated stability within a temperature range of 4 â„ƒ to 37 â„ƒ. However, at temperatures exceeding 45 â„ƒ, a noticeable reduction in bacteriophage titer was observed. Similarly, the phages showed greater stability within a pH range of 5 to 10. The isolated phages exhibited latency periods ranging from 15 to 20 min and had burst sizes varying from 10 to 200 viral particles. This study supports the potential use of bacteriophages in controlling infections caused by Streptococcus species.

Optimizing an adaptive digital oral health intervention for promoting oral self-care behaviors: Micro-randomized trial protocol.

Dental disease continues to be one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States. Although oral self-care behaviors (OSCB), involving systematic twice-a-day tooth brushing, can prevent dental disease, this basic behavior is not sufficiently practiced. Recent advances in digital technology offer tremendous potential for promoting OSCB by delivering Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs)- interventions that leverage dynamic information about the person's state and context to effectively prompt them to engage in a desired behavior in real-time, real-world settings. However, limited research attention has been given to systematically investigating how to best prompt individuals to engage in OSCB in daily life, and under what conditions prompting would be most beneficial. This paper describes the protocol for a Micro-Randomized Trial (MRT) to inform the development of a JITAI for promoting ideal OSCB, namely, brushing twice daily, for two minutes each time, in all four dental quadrants (i.e., 2x2x4). Sensors within an electric toothbrush (eBrush) will be used to track OSCB and a matching mobile app (Oralytics) will deliver on-demand feedback and educational information. The MRT will micro-randomize participants twice daily (morning and evening) to either (a) a prompt (push notification) containing one of several theoretically grounded engagement strategies or (b) no prompt. The goal is to investigate whether, what type of, and under what conditions prompting increases engagement in ideal OSCB. The results will build the empirical foundation necessary to develop an optimized JITAI that will be evaluated relative to a suitable control in a future randomized controlled trial.

Diagnostic accuracy of bone SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging in the diagnosis of unilateral condylar hyperplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Imaging with bone scans plays an important role in the diagnostic path of patients with unilateral condylar hyperactivity or unilateral condylar hyperplasia (UCH). The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of the diagnostic performance of the bone SPECT and SPECT/CT scan for the diagnosis of UCH. PubMed, SCOPUS and EMBASE were searched electronically to identify diagnostic accuracy studies that assessed the diagnostic value of bone SPECT and SPECT/CT for the diagnosis of UCH, Meta-analyses were performed with Metadisc 1.4 and 2.0. A total of 14 studies, with a total number of 887 patients, were included in the qualitative analysis and 11 studies qualified for meta-analyses. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for the SPECT scan were 0.814 (95 % CI: 0.639-0.915) and 0.774 (95 % CI: 0.655-0.861), for the SPECT/CT scan these were 0.818 (95 % CI: 0.749-0.874) and 0.901 (95 % CI: 0.840-0.945). The summary receiver operating characteristics of the SPECT scan showed an area under the curve of 0.847 (95 % CI: 0.722-0.972) and that of the SPECT/CT scan was 0.928 (95 % CI: 0.876-0.980). CONCLUSION: Both bone SPECT scan and SPECT/CT scan provide a high diagnostic accuracy for UCH. The added value of the SPECT/CT scan is questionable and given the potential disadvantages of the SPECT/CT scan, including the increased radiation dose and costs, the diagnostic modality of first choice in patients with UCH should be a SPECT scan.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-based Scaffolds in Regenerative Medicine of Dental Diseases.

Biomedical engineering breakthroughs and increased patient expectations and requests for more comprehensive care are propelling the field of regenerative dentistry forward at a fast pace. Stem cells (SCs), bioactive compounds, and scaffolds are the mainstays of tissue engineering, the backbone of regenerative dentistry. Repairing damaged teeth and gums is a significant scientific problem at present. Novel therapeutic approaches for tooth and periodontal healing have been inspired by tissue engineering based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Furthermore, as a component of the MSC secretome, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown to contribute to periodontal tissue repair and regeneration. The scaffold, made of an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM), acts as a supporting structure for new cell development and tissue formation. To effectively promote cell development, a scaffold must be non-toxic, biodegradable, biologically compatible, low in immunogenicity, and safe. Due to its promising biological characteristics for cell regeneration, dental tissue engineering has recently received much attention for its use of natural or synthetic polymer scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties, such as small pore size and a high surface-to-volume ratio, as a matrix. Moreover, as a bioactive material for carrying MSC-EVs, the combined application of scaffolds and MSC-EVs has a better regenerative effect on dental diseases. In this paper, we discuss how MSCs and MSC-derived EV treatment may be used to regenerate damaged teeth, and we highlight the role of various scaffolds in this process.

CLINICAL FINDINGS OF DENTAL DISEASE AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN PYGMY SLOW LORISES (NYCTICEBUS PYGMAEUS) UNDER HUMAN CARE.

Dental disease is a common finding in pygmy slow lorises (Nycticebus pygmaeus) under human care, but the etiology is not fully understood. The small oral cavity in this species can make diagnosis of dental disease difficult. This retrospective study evaluated medical records and diet and husbandry protocols from 18 participating institutions with the objective of describing the signalment, clinical signs, physical exam findings, tooth type, tooth location, diagnostics used, and treatments performed to help guide care for dental disease. In addition, the study aimed to identify potential contributing factors to dental disease in this species. Of 59 animals with medical records evaluated, 42 (71.2%) had dental disease: 19 (44.2%) males, 20 (46.5%) females, and 3 (9.3%) without gender documented. Average age at onset of dental disease was 7.6 yr in males and 9 yr in females. Multiple lorises with dental disease (n = 12; 28.6%) had no premonitory clinical signs, and dental disease was found incidentally on examination. On dental examination, 30 lorises (71.4%) had evidence of gingivitis. In 13 cases skull radiographs were taken, but the majority of images (n = 8; 61.5%) were nondiagnostic for pathologic dental changes. A small proportion of cases with dental abnormalities (n = 4; 9.5%) were diagnosed using computed tomography. In total, 175 teeth were extracted from 31 patients; molars were the most frequently extracted tooth (n = 55; 31.4%). No substantial differences in diets were noted among many of the participating institutions, and not all slow lorises evaluated developed dental disease (n = 17; 28.8%). This retrospective study provides clinical findings on slow loris dental disease and guidance for the veterinary care and management of slow lorises under human care.

Utilizing Electronic Dental Records to Predict Neuro-Degenerative Diseases in a Dental Setting: A Pilot Study.

Limited research demonstrates the possible correlations between dental diseases and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, dental diseases are often overlooked while assessing the risk of AD and PD in clinical settings. It is unknown whether AD/PD risk can be predicted using electronic dental record (EDR) data collected in a routine dental setting. This pilot study determined the feasibility of predicting AD/PD using 84 features routinely captured in the EDR. We utilized the Temple University School of Dentistry clinic data of 27,138 patients. Using a natural language processing (NLP) approach (accuracy=97%), we identified patients with AD/PD and their matched controls (matched by age and gender). XGBoost machine learning model with 10-fold cross-validation was applied for prediction. With 77% accuracy, we found 53 features significantly associated with AD/PD that could be utilized to predict the risk of AD/PD. Further studies are warned to confirm these findings.

The environmental consequences of oral healthcare provision by the dental team.

OBJECTIVES: To undertake a comparative ecological impact (Total lifetime carbon footprint and single use plastics (SUP) waste generation) derived from the provision of professional oral healthcare (Dentists and hygienist) to five different patient categories up to the age of 50 years, representative of different levels of progressive dental disease and treatment experience. METHOD: CO2e and SUP waste generated was calculated for five patient categories with common preventable diseases; that are representative of different levels of progressive dental disease and treatment experience. The assessment is based on the average restorative care levels for 50-year-olds in the UK. The number of appointments for each procedure was calculated using current evidence-based guidelines. The total lifetime carbon and the SUP waste analysis was calculated using published peer-reviewed data. RESULTS: The total carbon footprint follows a progression with low impacts for individual persons with very low disease and treatment experience (285 KgCO2e), escalating to very high impacts (approximately 2,170 KgCO2e) for people with high levels of disease and treatment experience. SUP waste follows a similar linear rise across the different cohorts of dental experience over a lifetime (6-50 years), from 1,382 items and 4.6 Kg for patients in a the very low dental experience, to 12,200 items and 33.8 Kg for patients in the cohort of very high dental experience. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of all oral healthcare carries an environmental impact in the form of carbon footprint and SUP waste. The cumulative lifetime environmental impact of oral healthcare is proportional to the disease and treatment experience of the individual person for these preventable diseases; with a x8 difference between the two extremes of experience. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: All forms of oral healthcare have an environmental impact. The most effective way to mitigate these impacts is through the promotion and provision of effective evidence-based preventive oral healthcare.

Screening and Preventive Interventions for Oral Health in Children and Adolescents Aged 5 to 17 Years: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance: Oral health is fundamental to health and well-being across the lifespan. Oral health conditions affect the daily lives of school-age children and adolescents, leading to loss of more than 51 million school hours every year. Untreated oral health conditions in children can lead to serious infections and affect growth, development, and quality of life. Objective: The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate screening and preventive interventions for oral health conditions in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. Population: Asymptomatic children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. Evidence Assessment: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for oral health conditions (eg, dental caries) performed by primary care clinicians in asymptomatic children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of preventive interventions for oral health conditions (eg, dental caries) performed by primary care clinicians in asymptomatic children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. Recommendations: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of routine screening performed by primary care clinicians for oral health conditions, including dental caries, in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. (I statement) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of preventive interventions performed by primary care clinicians for oral health conditions, including dental caries, in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. (I statement).

Chronic mandibular osteomyelitis associated with a novel probable Kocuria sp in a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps).

Dental disease in sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) is understudied, with only limited clinical and pathological data available. An approximately 7-year-old female sugar glider presented to its primary care veterinarian for a decline in food intake, rapid weight loss and a mass involving the rostral mandible. At necropsy, the mandibular mass effaced most of the rostral mandible and adjacent musculature. Histologically, the mandible was disrupted by nodular infiltrates of variably degenerate neutrophils and macrophages encased in granulomatous inflammation and fibrous connective tissue. Within the neutrophilic cell population were segments of fragmented, necrotic bone and cloud-like colonies of gram-positive cocci. Aerobic culture yielded a heavy, pure growth of a gram-positive coccus morphologically consistent with those identified in the lesions, which was identified as a presumptively novel Kocuria sp by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. This is the first description of Kocuria infection in association with clinically significant pathology in an animal. Although isolated as a pure growth, Kocuria sp cannot be confirmed as the sole cause of lesion formation due to the case chronicity and potential for unculturable, polymicrobial infections. This report adds to our understanding of the clinical and pathological aspects of dental disease in sugar gliders.

MicroRNAs Function in Dental Stem Cells as a Promising Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Dental Diseases.

Undifferentiated, highly proliferative, clonogenic, and self-renewing dental stem cells have paved the way for novel approaches to mending cleft palates, rebuilding lost jawbone and periodontal tissue, and, most significantly, recreating lost teeth. New treatment techniques may be guided by a better understanding of these cells and their potential in terms of the specificity of the regenerative response. MicroRNAs have been recognized as an essential component in stem cell biology due to their role as epigenetic regulators of the processes that determine stem cell destiny. MicroRNAs have been proven to be crucial in a wide variety of molecular and biological processes, including apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, and necrocytosis. MicroRNAs have been recognized to control protein translation, messenger RNA stability, and transcription and have been reported to play essential roles in dental stem cell biology, including the differentiation of dental stem cells, the immunological response, apoptosis, and the inflammation of the dental pulp. Because microRNAs increase dental stem cell differentiation, they may be used in regenerative medicine to either preserve the stem cell phenotype or to aid in the development of tooth tissue. The development of novel biomarkers and therapies for dental illnesses relies heavily on progress made in our knowledge of the roles played by microRNAs in regulating dental stem cells. In this article, we discuss how dental stem cells and their associated microRNAs may be used to cure dental illness.

Compliance with oral hygiene and dietary advice for the prevention of post-radiotherapy dental disease among head and neck cancer patients - a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: To elicit head and neck cancer (HANC) patients' views about their oral health and to identify potential issues regarding compliance with clinical oral hygiene and dietary advice for the prevention of post-radiotherapy dental disease. METHODS: A purposive sample of twelve HANC patients between 6- and 12-months post-radiotherapy were recruited to undergo a semi-structured interview with a qualitative researcher. A pre-piloted topic guide was used to frame each interview. Qualitative data were analysed via thematic analysis. RESULTS: Data were categorised into four main themes - 'How HANC patients perceive oral health', 'Cancer diagnosis and cancer care pathway', 'Impact of oncology treatment (radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy)', and 'Post-oncology treatment recovery', with 14 subthemes. Oral health was viewed as an important component of HANC patients' overall physical and mental health post-treatment. Patients' non-compliance with adequate oral hygiene practice was related to oral mucositis, a "burning" sensation associated with high fluoride toothpaste, forgotten or inconsistent clinical advice, and an inadequate supply of preventive oral hygiene products. The potentially highly cariogenic nature of prescribed nutritional supplements for patients at risk of malnutrition did not tend to be communicated to patients in advance of their prescription. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate oral health is essential for the overall physical and mental well-being of post-treatment HANC patients. Non-compliance with preventive clinical advice increases the risk of post-treatment oral health deterioration and was related to miscommunication, inadequate supplies of oral hygiene products, and treatment-related oral discomfort. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Post-treatment HANC patients are at increased risk of dental disease. Educational and behavioural techniques should be employed to enhance patients' compliance with clinical oral hygiene and dietary advice for the prevention of post-radiotherapy dental disease. Patients should be informed about the potentially highly cariogenic nature of nutritional supplements, and these patients should undergo frequent dental recall. Clinical advice regarding oral hygiene and dietary practices needs to be given consistently to HANC patients by different specialists of the HANC multidisciplinary team.

Comprehensive evaluation of methods for differential expression analysis of metatranscriptomics data.

Understanding the function of the human microbiome is important but the development of statistical methods specifically for the microbial gene expression (i.e. metatranscriptomics) is in its infancy. Many currently employed differential expression analysis methods have been designed for different data types and have not been evaluated in metatranscriptomics settings. To address this gap, we undertook a comprehensive evaluation and benchmarking of 10 differential analysis methods for metatranscriptomics data. We used a combination of real and simulated data to evaluate performance (i.e. type I error, false discovery rate and sensitivity) of the following methods: log-normal (LN), logistic-beta (LB), MAST, DESeq2, metagenomeSeq, ANCOM-BC, LEfSe, ALDEx2, Kruskal-Wallis and two-part Kruskal-Wallis. The simulation was informed by supragingival biofilm microbiome data from 300 preschool-age children enrolled in a study of childhood dental disease (early childhood caries, ECC), whereas validations were sought in two additional datasets from the ECC study and an inflammatory bowel disease study. The LB test showed the highest sensitivity in both small and large samples and reasonably controlled type I error. Contrarily, MAST was hampered by inflated type I error. Upon application of the LN and LB tests in the ECC study, we found that genes C8PHV7 and C8PEV7, harbored by the lactate-producing Campylobacter gracilis, had the strongest association with childhood dental disease. This comprehensive model evaluation offers practical guidance for selection of appropriate methods for rigorous analyses of differential expression in metatranscriptomics. Selection of an optimal method increases the possibility of detecting true signals while minimizing the chance of claiming false ones.

Factors affecting oral and dental services` utilization among Elderly: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Regular use of oral and dental services by the elderly is one of the important factors in reducing oral and dental diseases. This study aimed to identify the factors affecting oral and dental services` utilization among elderly. METHODS: The published articles on the factors affecting oral and dental services` utilization among elderly were found through a scoping search and using related keywords in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases within January 2000 - December 2022 according to the PRISMA guidelines. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. RESULTS: Among the 2381 articles retrieved from the databases, forty-two were extracted. The factors affecting oral and dental services` utilization among elderly were classified into five main components as follows: access, demographic factors, social factors, health level, and mental factors. The results showed that income, education level, living area, number of teeth, and importance of care were the most frequent in the main components of access, demographic factors, social factors, health level, and mental factors, respectively. CONCLUSION: Equitable utilization of oral and dental services is the right of all members of the society, especially the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the elderly with suitable conditions to utilize such services, which are mostly luxury items. Furthermore, increasing the elderly's awareness and encouraging them to use oral and dental services regularly can help reduce the burden of oral and dental diseases.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) diagnostic accuracy in active unilateral condylar hyperplasia: Retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in unilateral condylar hyperplasia (UCH). To this end, 3D morphometric changes of the mandibles in one year were assessed (T0 vs. T1) and compared over SPECT results in T1, in a sample of 40 patients. A contingency table was constructed based on these results for SPECT diagnostic accuracy evaluation, classifying patients as SPECT true-positive, true-negatives, false positives and false-negatives. Additionally, the morphometric analysis was used to describe the presentation of mandibular changes using principal component analysis (PCA) and non-parametric statistics. We obtained diagnostic accuracy results of sensitivity 81%, specificity 63%, positive predictor value (PPV) 59%, negative predictor value (NPV) 83% and accuracy 70%, showing that SPECT yields poor results regarding accuracy diagnostic performance. The morphometric analysis showed that individuals without progress of asymmetry and those with more progress differ particularly in a group of landmarks representing the mental region and the right mandibular body. Based on these landmarks, difference among the four SPECT-accuracy groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001), where the landmark showing the largest change within a year had a mean increase of 1.13 + 0.66 mm. Within the limitations of the study, it seems that SPECT alone is not suitable for making surgical decisions regarding condylectomy in active UCH. Follow up with morphological assessment methods are recommended for confirming an active UCH in combination with SPECT.

A internação da gestante pode afetar a condição bucal do filho no terceiro ano de vida? / Can a pregnant woman's hospitalization affect the child's oral condition in the third year of life?

Objetivo: Avaliar se a hospitalização na gestação pode influenciar na condição bucal do filho no terceiro ano de vida. Métodos: Estudo longitudinal com bebês de gestantes internadas e acompanhadas no setor da Obstetrícia de um Hospital Escola em Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Os dados referentes a hospitalização e ao parto foram coletados do prontuário hospitalar e no terceiro de vida do filho (a) de um questionário aplicado a mãe e do exame bucal da criança. Cada agravo bucal foi avaliado com critérios específicos, por uma examinadora calibrada e analisado no programa IBM SPSS Statistics com 5% de nível de significância. Resultados: Participaram 20 díades mãe-filho (a). Alterações da oclusão acometeram 95% das crianças, sendo a mordida aberta anterior (MAA) a principal. Ainda, 25% das crianças apresentaram opacidades demarcas e/ou hipoplasia do esmalte, sendo significativamente maior em filhos de mães mais jovens e 20% tinham cárie da primeira infância (CPI), estando relacionada à ausência de creme dental fluoretado e à qualidade da higiene bucal. Conclusão: O reflexo mais evidente da hospitalização na gestação na saúde bucal no terceiro ano de vida do filho (a) foi a oclusão alterada, especialmente a MAA.(AU)

Objective: To assess whether hospitalization during pregnancy can influence the child's oral condition in the third year of life. Methods: Longitudinal study with babies of pregnant women hospitalized and followed up in the Obstetrics sector of a Teaching Hospital in Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Data referring to hospitalization and childbirth were collected from the hospital records and in the child's third of life through a questionnaire applied to the mother and the child's oral examination. Each oral condition was evaluated with specific criteria, by a calibrated examiner and analyzed in the IBM SPSS Statistics program with a 5% minimum significance level. Results: 20 mother-child participated. Occlusion alterations affected 95% of the children, with anterior open bite (AOB) being the main. Still, 25% of the children had opacities and/or enamel hypoplasia, which was significantly higher in children of younger mothers, and 20% had early childhood caries, which is related to the absence of fluoride toothpaste and the quality of oral hygiene. Conclusion: The clearest reflection of hospitalization during pregnancy on oral health in the third year of the child's life was altered occlusion, especially the AOB.(AU)