Evaluation of dental and maxillary development in patients with cleft lip alveolus.

Our purpose was to determine in 20 unilateral cleft lip and alveolus subjects characteristics of the maxillary permanent teeth and maxillary arch development. Clinical and radiographic examinations have been carried out to identify congenitally missing teeth and sagittal skeletal patterns. Study cast assessment was undertaken to evaluate mesiodistal widths of individual teeth, intercanine and intermolar distances for the maxillary arch, as well as dental relationships. We observed that the congenital absence of the upper incisors was higher on the cleft side than on the non-cleft side. There was a statistically significant difference between the mesiodistal widths of cleft-side permanent upper lateral incisors, and their antimeres (p<0.05). Most of the patients presented a class II dental relationship on the affected side comparing to class I/class III Angle on the unaffected side. We concluded that patients with isolated cleft lip and alveolus present perturbations in dental and maxillary arch development, a more severe disruption being recorded on the cleft side.

Oxidative stress markers in oral lichen planus.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common disorder whose cause is still unknown. Oral cancer is preceded in most cases by pre malignant lesions-leukoplasia, submucous fibrosis and lichen planus. Free radicals and reactive oxygen species play important roles in both pathogenesis of lichen planus and carcinogenesis. Thus monitoring systemic and saliva compounds important for the antioxidant defence (oxidative balance) could be important for the clinician's treatment strategy. Thorough medical management and early active treatment are necessary to improve symptoms and might also be a relevant prevention strategy from squamous cell carcinoma risk, although data to fully support this statement still need investigation. The principal aim of this study was to determine the systemic uric acid, GGT, and albumin levels as well as the levels of uric acid and albumin in 20 patients diagnosed with lichen planus and 20 controls. Extensive medline search failed to reveal any study of this type. Our results showed a significant decrease of saliva (p < 0.005) uric acid and an increase in serum gamma glutamyl transpherase (GGT) (p < 0.01) as well as in the total antioxidant capacity of saliva in patient group with respect to the control one. The preliminary conclusion of our study is that uric acid, the most important salivary antioxidant and GGT could be considered in the future as useful markers of oxidative stress for elaboration of treatment strategy and monitoring.

Could constitute saliva the first line of defence against oxidative stress?

The oral cavity, a very complex and unique milieu due to its dual function, respiratory and digestive, is the only place in the body where the mineralized tissue is exposed to the external environment. In this environment there are complex interactions between various surfaces: host soft and hard tissues, food, air and microorganisms. Saliva is in the middle of this environment and tries to cope with an ever-changing milieu. It includes a large number of inorganic and organic compounds, which act as a "mirror of the body's health". In addition to its other functions, saliva could constitute the first line of defence against oxidative stress. The body contains a number of protective antioxidant mechanisms. Saliva is also rich in antioxidants. We review the current available data and from our laboratory concerning antioxidant capacity of saliva. Substantial data are available in literature on the role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in diseases, but few information is available on oral pathology. Due to its composition and functions, saliva could have a significant role in controlling and/or modulating oxidative damages in the oral cavity.

Salivary cortisol-marker of stress response to different dental treatment.

UNLABELLED: The measurement of salivary cortisol provides a stress-free, non-invasive collection procedure, which reflects the changes in the hormone plasma levels. The aims of the present study were to determine the level of stress displayed by healthy patients who underwent different types of routine dental treatment procedures and to detect a possible correlation between cortisol and oxidative stress in periodontal disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 36 subjects took part in this study. Patients received routine dental procedures or underwent oral surgery. The physiologic stress response was determined using salivary cortisol assessment. Total antioxidant capacity of saliva and uric acid was also measured. Salivary cortisol assessment was made in whole saliva by an ELISA extraction-free technique using a Serozyme Cortisol kit (ADALTIS, Italy) for serum and urine and adapted to saliva. Method's sensibility for saliva is 0.55 ng/mL. Uric acid was measured by uricase using a kit from Diamedix and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using the spectrophotometric assay, also called "Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity" (TEAC). This method is an adaptation of the ABTS assay. RESULTS: Cortisol levels are influenced by the duration and types of treatment and anesthesia. The results indicate that saliva of healthy individuals is significantly more effective than that of patients with periodontal diseases in scavenging a wide variety of generated free radicals. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, there is a relationship between salivary cortisol levels, time and intensity of various dental treatment procedures. Periodontal diseases are associated with oxidative stress and a defect in the total antioxidant activity of saliva.