Periapical status in patients affected by osteoporosis: A retrospective clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the periapical status in patients with osteoporosis (OP) treated with denosumab (D), bisphosphonates (BPs), or not on medication, and to understand if these conditions influence the prevalence and the progression of apical periodontitis (AP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients with OP alone or treated with D, or BPs, formed the study group (O), and those from 76 patients matched for age and sex, without diseases, and not taking medications, constituted the control (C) in this retrospective case-control study. The data from the complete clinical and radiographic examination, medical history, decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), and periapical index score (PAI) were recorded for each patient. Wilcoxon rank test, χ2 , and Student's t test were used as appropriate. RESULTS: The prevalence of AP was similar in O and C. Furthermore, AP was significantly more frequent in root canal-treated teeth in O patients (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: OP does not appear to be associated with the development of AP. Moreover, the increased prevalence of AP in root canal-treated teeth in O patients highlights a possible relationship between the healing dynamics of the disease post-therapy and the patients' medication. A larger sample is needed to confirm these findings.

Prevalence of Apical Periodontitis in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases under Immunomodulators: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) in patients affected by autoimmune diseases (ADs) taking biologic medications (BMs). METHODS: Ninety-nine patients (2440 teeth) with ADs referred to the university clinic for dental evaluation were investigated. The controls included 99 patients (2655 teeth) with no systemic diseases and taking no medications. The patients underwent a complete oral, dental, and radiographic examination for the presence of AP. The periapical index and the status of endodontic and restorative treatments were obtained. Statistics were based on descriptive analysis and continuous variables for the total sample and by subgroups. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of AP was 65.7% in the autoimmune diseases group (AI) and 46.5% in the controls (P ≤ .05). The association between smoking and AP was significant (P ≤ .05). Among the AI subgroups, rheumatoid arthritis patients at the tooth level had a lower probability of developing AP than patients with inflammatory bowel disease (P ≤ .05). Furthermore, each additional year of age implied a +1% risk of AP; women had a lower periapical index than men in both groups (P ≤ .05), and tocilizumab was associated with a reduced risk of AP compared with infliximab (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ADs taking BMs had a higher prevalence of AP. These results indicate that the status of the patients' immune system may have an effect on the development and prevalence of AP.

Combined Management of Apical Root Fracture and Avulsion of Two Maxillary Permanent Central Incisors: A Case Report.

As a result of a skiing accident, a ten-year-old girl suffered combined injuries to both maxillary central incisor teeth (#1.1 and #2.1). The injuries were uncomplicated crown fractures, apical horizontal root fractures, and a severe extrusive luxation of the coronal segments of the teeth. Her mother repositioned the teeth immediately, resulting in good initial healing. Nine months later, the patient was referred to a specialist to manage the endodontic consequences of the trauma. The apexification treatment of the fractured roots, using a preformed apical barrier technique with bioactive cement, was the treatment of choice, administered to both the avulsed roots at two separate recall visits. The best option for managing the fractured apical segments was to continue with the follow-up, which was conducted to assess the overall case at 30 months. The fractured apexes remained normally positioned inside the socket and were asymptomatic (as they presumably maintained a physiological vascular-nerve supply and, consequently, their vitality), while the apexification treatment led to the healing of the periodontal tissues and to hard tissue formation in the area of the interrupted roots in the avulsed portion of the teeth. The management of traumatic injuries in teeth often requires multiple treatment approaches, because these injuries rarely represent one single type of trauma.

Management of the Sequelae of a Sport-Related Traumatic Dental Injury Using Ultrasound Examination in the Diagnosis and Follow-Up.

About a quarter of all oral pathologies involving the oral cavity and dental apparatus are traumatic injuries, and a substantial number of these cases are the result of sports injuries affecting adolescents and young adults. Here, we report the case of a 25-year-old healthy female referred to the department of Endodontics for the evaluation and management of teeth 1.2 and 1.1 because of a chronic apical abscess in an area involved in a sport-related dental trauma in the past. A multi-modular diagnostic assessment, comprising conventional periapical radiographs, CBCT imaging, ultrasound, and histopathologic examination, led to a final diagnosis of an apical granulomatous lesion connected to both teeth, and an associated sinus tract. During the follow-up period of three years, the patient was reviewed twice a year and showed progressive healing of the bone and absence of the sinus tract. The present report shows the challenges of diagnosing complications arising from past dental trauma. Furthermore, it is the first documented traumatic case where ultrasound examination was fruitfully used. Emphasis should be put on introducing diagnostic ultrasound for the management of both apical periodontitis and the related sinus tract.

Use of Orthodontic Methods in the Treatment of Dental Luxations: A Scoping Review.

(1) Background: Treating dental luxation injuries is challenging for the clinician. Dental luxations account for 18-33% of injuries to permanent teeth and can be addressed using different therapeutic approaches. The present work was conducted with two aims: (i) to evaluate, through a scoping review, current knowledge of the orthodontic methods (repositioning and stabilization splinting) that can be used at the time of the trauma, and (ii) to investigate the frequency and type of pulp consequences arising after these traumatic injuries. (2) Methods: The literature search was conducted in the period June 2020-December 2020 using the PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. The research questions were formulated according to the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes) method and considered the following aspects: type of luxation injury and stage of root development; use of orthodontic repositioning and splinting techniques; frequency and type of pulp consequences; and compliance of treatments with international guidelines. (3) Results: The initial screening of the databases, using the selected search keywords, yielded a total of 587 articles, just 8 fully met the inclusion criteria. Closer analysis of these 8 publications revealed that they would not produce clear meta-analytical data. This made it necessary to limit the data collected to the following six items: number and type of injuries, initial therapeutic intervention, duration of follow-up, number, and type of different pulp consequences. (4) Conclusions: While orthodontic techniques are commonly used to treat dental intrusions, in the case of extrusive and lateral luxation injuries, they are less frequently used and the orthodontic approach is generally confined to the stabilization phase. Among the various possible pulp consequences, many authors consider only pulp canal obliteration (PCO) and pulp necrosis (PN), often tending to overlook physiological healing (pulp survival) and the possible development of PN after PCO. There is therefore a clear need for new, high-quality clinical studies of this topic based on systematic and standardized data collection.

Healing of Apical Periodontitis in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and under Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated healing after nonsurgical primary/secondary endodontic treatment of apical periodontitis (AP) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha biologic medications (BMs). METHODS: Nineteen patients with 22 teeth affected by AP from the gastroenterology unit of the hospital with IBDs under treatment with BMs formed the study group (the IBD group). Fourteen patients with 22 teeth with AP, matched by age and sex, without systemic diseases and not taking medications formed the control group. Teeth underwent primary or secondary root canal treatments and clinical and radiographic follow-up every 3 months for 24 months. The periapical index score was recorded, and 2 trained and calibrated endodontists evaluated and compared radiographs (weighted kappa values, κ = 0.8). The Mann-Whitney, t, chi-square, Fisher, and Bruner-Langer tests and analysis of variance-type statistics were used as appropriate. RESULTS: The recall rate was 100%. All teeth in the IBD patients and 81% in the control patients healed (P = .108). Initial healing was appreciable at 3 months in the IBD group and 6 months in the control group (P = .174). Overall healing was reached at 6 and 10.5 months in the IBD and control groups, respectively (P = .106). At any time of the experiment, teeth in the IBD patients showed a higher probability of healing (P < .05). Both groups exhibited a similar decrement of the periapical index (P = .291), more significant for the IBD at the 3-month follow-up (P < .05). The 2 BMs used showed a similar trend of healing (P = .628). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of AP in patients taking BMs had no complications; furthermore, it was associated with faster healing than the controls. These results support the possible therapeutic aid of BMs in treating AP.

Prevalence of Apical Periodontitis in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

AIM: We evaluated the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and the oral health status in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) treated with immunomodulators, with particular attention to biologic medications (BMs). METHODS: One hundred ten patients, 49 men and 61 women (average age, 46 ± 13.8 years), from the Gastroenterology Unit of the University Hospital with IBDs who were treated with BMs or corticosteroids were included in the study. One hundred ten patients who registered for a dental check-up at the Dental Clinic were matched for age, sex, and physical characteristics with the study group without systemic diseases and not taking medications who were the control. Patients underwent a complete oral, dental, and radiographic examination. Decayed, missing, and filled teeth and periapical index score indexes were recorded. Student t test, χ2, and Mann-Whitney U test were used as appropriate. RESULTS: The prevalence of AP was 64% in IBD patients and 59% in the control; according to the gender-stratified analysis, the difference was not significant among the male groups, whereas the number of teeth with AP was significantly higher in female patients with IBDs than in the controls (P ≤ .05). The prevalence of AP in patients treated with BMs was 65%; women showed 69% higher risk for AP and presented a significantly higher number of teeth with AP (P ≤ .05). Decayed, missing, and filled teeth index was similar in both groups, whereas patients with IBDs had a higher periapical index score than the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Women with IBDs and taking immunomodulators had a higher prevalence of AP. All patients with IBDs had larger lesions than healthy subjects. These data emphasize the influence of the status of the immune system in the onset of AP and the need for further studies to confirm these findings.