The therapeutic effects of a modified palatal memory plate on oral motor function in children with Trisomy 21 at age 3 and 4 years: Case Reports

ABSTRACT People with Trisomy 21 (T21) have generalized hypotonia, also manifesting in oral structures. The palatal memory plate (PMP) is a removable appliance to improve tongue and lip posture. The evidence of research elucidates an improvement in oral motor function in children with T21 up to the age of 2 who received PMP-based therapy, with only limited, scanty reports in the literature concerning older children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of modified PMP on an oral motor function in patients over 2 years old. Two patients with T21, aged 4 and 3, with absence of lip seal and tongue malposition, were subjected to PMP-based therapy for 6 months. The patients were evaluated for an extra and intra oral exam; their parents answered a questionnaire about their children's habitual tongue and lip position. Two-minute footage to record orofacial motor functions was performed monthly, during follow-up appointments to assess the changes. The substantial improvement of tongue and lip posture was observed after 6 months of plate regular use. PMP has proved to be clinically effective in children over 2 years old, presented with T21, leading to improvement of lip and tongue posture, observed by parents and professionals.

Long-term prevalence of taste and olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to investigate the long-term prevalence of taste disorder (TD) and olfactory disorder (OD) and associated risk factors in the non-hospitalized southeastern Brazil population of COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional open survey evaluated possible long-term OD and TD in non-hospitalized patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 for more than 30 days, through an online self-report questionnaire. Demographic data, comorbidities, symptoms, and the intensity of OD and TD at the time of diagnosis and at the time of completing the questionnaire were evaluated. RESULTS: Three hundred five responses were included. The reported prevalence of OD and TD was 72.9% and 67.4%, respectively, in the moment of diagnosis; after a mean follow-up period of 179 days, 45% and 50% still had some degree of the symptoms. There was a positive correlation between age and the high prevalence of OD (p = 0.02). However, there was no correlation between age and TD (p = 0.961) and weight in relation to OD/TD (p = 0.500 and p = 0.636, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study observed a high long-term prevalence of OD and TD associated with COVID-19, with a low recovery rate during the study period. There was a positive association between older participants and the prevalence of OD.

Levantamento do seio maxilar com xenoenxerto: resultados clínicos e histológicos preliminares / Lifting of the maxillary sinus with xenografts: preliminary clinical and histological results

O levantamento do assoalho do seio maxilar com a finalidade de reabilitar a região posterior da maxila devido a sua pneumatização é uma excelente opção terapêutica. Geralmente o material mais utilizado para a elevação do seio maxilar é o enxerto autógeno devido as suas propriedades biológicas, porém esse procedimento apresenta um desconforto causado pela coleta do enxerto durante o ato cirúrgico, aumentando a morbidade e o tempo deste. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar comparativamente a eficiência de dois xenoenxertos de origem bovina utilizados no levantamento do assoalho do seio maxilar em humanos. Este projeto foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa e vinte pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos Bio-Oss® (grupo 1) e Osseus® (grupo 2) para a realização dos procedimentos de elevação do assoalho do seio maxilar. Seis meses após os procedimentos cirúrgicos foi removido uma amostra cilíndrica (2X6 mm) trefinada da crista óssea alveolar previamente a instalação do implante para análise histopatológica descritiva. A reabilitação protética iniciou-se três meses após a instalação dos implantes. Cada biopsia foi processada para inclusão em parafina e cortes de 5 μm foram realizados e corados com hematoxilina e eosina. Os resultados histológicos revelam osso neoformado limitando as partículas do enxerto e intimamente integrado ao osso pré-existente. A análise clínica após um ano da reabilitação protética mostrou aspecto de gengiva saudável, ausência de inflamações, reabilitação estética e funcional. Concluiu-se que ambos xenoenxertos são biocompatíveis e osteocondutores, alternativas favoráveis ao osso autógeno para preenchimento de seio maxilar previamente a instalação de implantes.

The lifting of the maxillary sinus floor in order to rehabilitate the posterior maxilla due to pneumatization is an excellent therapeutic option. Generally the most common material used for sinus floor elevation is the autograft because of its biological properties, but this procedure presents a collection of discomfort caused by graft during surgery, increasing morbidity and time of this. The objective of this study was to comparatively assess the efficiency of two bovine xenografts used in the survey of the maxillary sinus floor in humans. This project was approved by the Ethics and twenty patients were divided into two groups Bio-Oss® (group 1) and osseus® (group 2) for carrying out the procedures for elevating the maxillary sinus floor. Six months after the surgical procedures was removed from a cylindrical sample (2X6 mm) trephine crest alveolar bone prior to implant installation for descriptive histopathology. The prosthetic rehabilitation was initiated three months after installation of implants. Each biopsy was processed for embedding in paraffin and 5 mm cuts were made and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The histological results show limited new bone graft particles and closely integrated with pre-existing bone. Clinical analysis after one year showed the prosthetic rehabilitation aspect of healthy gingiva, no inflammation, aesthetic and functional rehabilitation. It was concluded that both xenografts are biocompatible and osteoconductive, friendly alternatives to autogenous bone to fill the maxillary sinus prior to implant placement.