Somatosensory and Gustatory Profiling in the Orofacial Region.

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a standard procedure in medicine to describe sensory patterns in various pathologies. The aim of this prospective clinical study was to define reference values of the trigeminal nerve (V3), including taste qualities, to create a compatibility for sensory loss or gain in pathologies. Fifty-one patients were included, and a standardized testing battery with 11 QST parameters according to the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS) was applied complemented by quantitative gustatory assessments. Significant somatosensory differences were found between the test sites (MDT at the chin, WDT at the lower lip) but no effect was detected for gender, age, and between body types. Taste sensitivity was dependent on concentration, gender (females being more sensitive) and increasing age (for bitter and sour taste). We provide reference values for somatosensory and gustatory testing of the facial area. Our data facilitate the detection of neurosensory abnormalities in the orofacial region. This might also serve as a control setting for COVID-19.

Needle tip deformation in local dental anesthesia - A technical note.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the mechanical deformation rate of dental cannula tips after injection simulation in a new developed animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A new mechanical device was designed to define forces (100 g for 60 s) to impact a pigs jaw bone with different cannulas (25-Gauge/27-Gauge) from dental local anaesthesia syringes. 8 different products (100 cannulas each) were evaluated. Cannula tips were examined for deformation under the digital microscope VHX-100 (500-fold magnification). RESULTS: 27G and 27G free flow showed a significantly lower likelihood of bending (OR 0.05; p = 0.0001). Comparing 27G cannulas of the same outer diameter but different inner diameter, large inner diameter produced a significantly higher deformation rate than those of cannulas with a standard inner diameter. 12-38% of the cannulas showed manufacturing defects and production-related deformation. CONCLUSIONS: Cannula deformation seems to depend on the inner diameter, bevel and cutting profile. Multiple use of the same cannula could result in more pronounced deformation, increasing the risk of complications during local anesthesia.

Neurophysiological changes and chronic pain in cleft patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate if patients after orofacial cleft repair experience neurophysiological changes with consecutive chronic pain states after surgery. Patients (n = 48) with a repaired orofacial cleft (CLP) recruited in a support group took part in a survey including five questionnaires. They revealed pain states, described cleft situation and history, and epidemiological data. Patients' quality of life and psychological comorbidity after the surgical procedures were assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GSCL) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Furthermore, psychosocial impairment was documented. 39 out of 48 subjects with CLP reported to have experienced pain during the last 6 months. Pain was proven to be already chronic for 36 persons. Locations of pain were the orofacial region, back and limbs. Neurophysiological perception to cold, warmth, pressure and touch were found to be inhomogeneous. Local disturbances of subjective sensitivity in hard and soft tissues in the operated region are suspicious for neuropathic disorders and peripheral and central sensitization. 16 participants also reported that during dental interventions higher doses of local analgesia were necessary to achieve a pain free condition. Overall participants with CLP demonstrated elevated levels for anxiety and depression. As a conclusion for daily routine, CLP patients are considered to be at a higher risk to develop chronic pain states. To avoid these, proper pain and psychological management must be performed from early childhood. Further clinical studies examining patients with neurophysiological diagnostic tools are needed.

Neurophysiological changes associated with implant-associated augmentation procedures in the lower jaw.

BACKGROUND: Neurophysiological changes after oral and maxillofacial surgery remain one of the topics of current research. PURPOSE: This study evaluated if implant placement associated with augmentation procedures increases the possibility of sensory disturbances or result in impaired quality of life during the healing period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who had obtained an implant placement in the lower jaw in combination with augmentation procedures were examined by implementing a comprehensive Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) protocol for extra- and intraoral use. As augmentation procedures, we used Guided Bone Regeneration (Group A) and Customized Bone Regeneration (Group B) techniques. Patients were tested bilaterally at the chin and mucosal lower lip. Results were compared to a group without augmentation procedures (Group C). Patients' quality of life and psychological comorbidity after the surgical procedures was assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: For groups A (n = 20) and B (n = 8), mechanical QST parameters showed no significant differences in all qualities of the inferior alveolar nerve compared to the contralateral side and compared to the nonaugmentation control group (n = 32) as well. Evaluation of quality of life and psychological factors showed no statistical differences. CONCLUSIONS: Augmentation procedures did not increase sensory disturbances, indicating no changes in the neurophysiological pathways. Extended augmentation procedures did not lead to sensory changes either or result in an impaired quality of life or modified anxiety and depression scores.

Profiling intraoral neuropathic disturbances following lingual nerve injury and in burning mouth syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to analyse intraoral neurophysiological changes in patients with unilateral lingual nerve lesions as well as patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) by applying a standardized Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) protocol. METHODS: The study included patients suffering from a peripheral lesion of the lingual nerve (n = 4), from BMS (n = 5) and healthy controls (n = 8). Neurophysiological tests were performed in the innervation areas of the tongue bilaterally. For BMS patients the dorsal foot area was used as reference. RESULTS: For patients with peripheral lesion of the lingual nerve the affected side of the tongue showed increased thresholds for thermal (p < 0.05-0.001) and mechanical (p < 0.01-0.001) QST parameters, indicating a hypoesthesia and thermal hypofunction. In BMS patients, a pinprick hypoalgesia (p < 0.001), a cold hyperalgesia (p < 0.01) and cold/warmth hypoesthesia (p < 0.01) could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study verified the lingual nerve lesion in our patients as a peripheral dysfunction. The profile showed a loss of sensory function for small and large fibre mediated stimuli. A more differentiated classification of the lingual nerve injury was possible with QST, regarding profile, type and severity of the neurologic lesion. BMS could be seen as neuropathy with variable central and peripheral contributions among individuals resulting in chronic pain.

Effectiveness and safety of phentolamine mesylate in routine dental care.

BACKGROUND: Phentolamine mesylate (PM) is widely used to reverse local anesthesia after dental procedures. Limited knowledge is available regarding effectiveness and safety in routine dental practice. METHODS: The authors conducted 2 national, prospective, noninterventional, postauthorization effectiveness studies (OraVerse Post-Authorization Efficacy Study [ORAPAES] controlled, OraVerse Non-Interventional Study [ORANIS] uncontrolled) in patients receiving a local anesthetic as part of their dental treatment. They investigated time to recovery of normal sensation and function and the frequency of adverse events (AEs). The authors used Kaplan-Meier methods to analyze times to recovery; in ORAPAES, they used hazard ratios based on Cox models using the control group as a reference. RESULTS: In ORAPAES (n = 856), PM reduced the time to recovery of normal sensation and function with a difference in the median time of 70 and 79 minutes, respectively, with similar results observed in ORANIS (n = 445). In ORAPAES, patients in the PM group had, at any time point, a 2.77-fold higher chance of recovery to normal sensation (hazard ratio, 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.35-3.26; P < .001) and for normal function 2.94-fold higher chance of recovery to normal sensation (95% CI, 2.49-3.47; P < .001) than in the control group. The observed incidence of AEs with PM treatment was 8.4% in ORAPAES (95% CI, 6.2-10.9) and 9.7% (95% CI, 7.1-12.7) in ORANIS. No serious AEs occurred. CONCLUSIONS: PM substantially reduced the time to recovery of normal sensation and function after local anesthesia in routine dental treatment. The results confirm the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of PM used in patients with routine dental conditions in Germany, and that PM augments the safety of dental treatments. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The authors determined that PM is well suited to reverse local anesthesia after routine dental procedures.

Neurophysiological changes associated with implant placement.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of a standardized Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) protocol extra- and intraoral in patients to detect and quantify sensory disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve due to the proximity of implantation procedures to the inferior alveolar nerve canal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who had obtained an implant placement were examined by implementing a comprehensive QST protocol for extra- and intraoral use. The study included 33 patients after implant placement in the lower jaw and one patient suffering from an inferior alveolar nerve injury. Patients were tested bilaterally (chin and mucosal lower lip). RESULTS: Comparing the implanted vs. the control side, QST parameters revealed no significant neurophysiological changes in all parameters. Evaluating the development of sensory disturbances in dependency of the proximity of the implant to the inferior alveolar nerve canal, mechanical QST parameters showed no significant correlation. The mean distance of the inserted implant to the inferior nerve canal was 2.65 ± 1.75 mm. In the case of one patient suffering from impairment of the nerve function due to implant placement, we found abnormal sensory responses to touch coexisting with numbness and temperature algesia. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring of trigeminal nerve fiber functions by QST intra- and extraoral is feasible to evaluate oral sensory pattern after implantation procedures. Sensory disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve were shown to be avoided by keeping an average safety zone of 2.65 mm between implant and nerve.

Hypnosis and Local Anesthesia for Dental Pain Relief-Alternative or Adjunct Therapy?-A Randomized, Clinical-Experimental Crossover Study.

This prospective randomized clinical crossover trial was designed to compare hypnosis and local anesthesia for experimental dental pain relief. Pain thresholds of the dental pulp were determined. A targeted standardized pain stimulus was applied and rated on the Visual Analogue Scale (0-10). The pain threshold was lower under hypnosis (58.3 ± 17.3, p < .001), maximal (80.0) under local anesthesia. The pain stimulus was scored higher under hypnosis (3.9 ± 3.8) than with local anesthesia (0.0, p < .001). Local anesthesia was superior to hypnosis and is a safe and effective method for pain relief in dentistry. Hypnosis seems to produce similar effects observed under sedation. It can be used in addition to local anesthesia and in individual cases as an alternative for pain control in dentistry.

Effectiveness of Self-Hypnosis on the Relief of Experimental Dental Pain: A Randomized Trial.

This randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluates the effectiveness of self-hypnosis on pain perception. Pain thresholds were measured, and a targeted, standardized pain stimulus was created by electrical stimulation of the dental pulp of an upper anterior tooth. Pain stimulus was rated by a visual analogue scale (VAS). The pain threshold under self-hypnosis was higher (57.1 ± 17.1) than without hypnotic intervention (39.5 ± 11.8) (p < .001). Pain was rated lower on the VAS with self-hypnosis (4.0 ± 3.8) than in the basal condition without self-hypnosis (7.1 ± 2.7) (p < .001). Self-hypnosis can be used in clinical practice as an adjunct to the gold standard of local anesthesia for pain management, as well as an alternative in individual cases.

Comparison of two epinephrine concentrations in an articaine solution for local anesthesia in children.

Painless dental treatment is of major interest in pediatric dentistry. Local anesthesia contains epinephrine, which prolongs soft tissue anesthesia.This, however, is often a source of iscomfort for children and is responsible for certain side effects (e.g., self-inflicted soft tissue lesions). The aim of this study was to investigate whether an epinephrine-reduced articaine solution could reduce the duration of soft tissue anesthesia and thereby reduce the risk of self-inflicted soft tissue lesions, while still providing an adequate anesthesia. In a non-interventional clinical study, routine dental treatment was performed on children and adolescents. An articaine 4% solution with an epinephrine-reduced solution (Ubistesin™ mite, 1:400,000) and a conventional epinephrine solution (Ubistesin™ forte, 1:100,000) were compared in terms of duration of soft tissue anesthesia. One hundred and fifty-eight patients (mite: 75, forte: 83) were treated (80% with infiltration anesthesia). In both groups, the average volume of the injection was comparable (mite: 1.2 ml, forte: 1.1 ml). One patient from each group showed unwanted side effects. In both groups, the local anesthesia was complete or sufficient (96%) to perform the planned treatment. The average treatment time was 24 minutes in the mite group and 28 minutes in the forte group. The difference in mean duration of soft tissue anesthesia was statistically significant (p = 0.001, mite: 2.1 h, forte: 2.8 h). Thanks to its high efficacy, tolerance, and reduced soft tissue anesthesia, the articaine 4% solution with the reduced epinephrine concentration (1:400,000) was considered a safe and suitable drug for routine treatments in pediatric dentistry.

Oral health-related quality of life of patients with oral lichen planus, oral leukoplakia, or oral squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP), oral leukoplakia (OL), or oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three patients with OLP, 44 with OL, and 37 with OSCC participated in this prospective study. The German version of the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G 14) was used to measure OHRQoL. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of clinical forms, age, gender, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits were evaluated. RESULTS: No association to cumulative OHIP-14 score (P = .086) among the 3 groups was found. However, patients with OLP showed a higher "physical pain" score and a lower "social disability" score (P = .026) than patients with OSCC, followed by patients with OL. Women with OLP had a lower OHRQoL than men. After differentiation of clinical forms of OLP (symptomatic vs asymptomatic), an impact on these patients' OHRQoL in the dimensions "physical pain" and "physical disability" was found. CONCLUSION: Patients with OLP or OSCC and high OHIP-G 14 scores reported physical pain, which emphasizes the need for physical therapy. For improved OHRQoL, patients with symptomatic forms of OLP would gain more from a treatment compared with those with asymptomatic forms. In contrast, patients with asymptomatic OLP or OL and thus with a minimal impact on their OHRQoL might be at risk of delayed consultation, diagnosis, and treatment of their condition.

Comparison of 4% articaine with epinephrine (1:100,000) and without epinephrine in inferior alveolar block for tooth extraction: double-blind randomized clinical trial of anesthetic efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this clinical prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to compare the anesthetic efficacy of 4% articaine with epinephrine (1:100,000) and without epinephrine in inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia for extractions of mandibular teeth. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty-eight patients received intraoral inferior alveolar nerve blocks using 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine (n = 41; group 1) or without epinephrine (n = 47; group 2) for extractions of mandibular teeth. The primary objectives were differences in onset as well as in length of soft tissue anesthesia. The amount of anesthetic solution, need of a second injection, pain while injecting, pain during treatment, postoperative pain, and possible complications were surveyed. RESULTS: In both groups, anesthesia was sufficient for dental extractions. In group 1, a significantly faster onset of the anesthetic effect (7.2 min vs. 9.2 min; P = .001) and a significantly longer duration of soft tissue anesthesia (3.8 h vs. 2.5 h; P < .0001) were seen. There was no significant difference in the amount of anesthetic solution needed, in the need for a second injection, in the injection pain, in pain during treatment, or in postoperative analgesia. In both groups, no complications were seen. CONCLUSIONS: To minimize the epinephrine-induced side effects, 4% articaine without epinephrine is a suitable anesthetic agent for dental extractions in the mandible after inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia. There could be less postoperative discomfort due to the shorter duration of anesthesia without increased postoperative pain.

Clinical use of an epinephrine-reduced (1/400,000) articaine solution in short-time dental routine treatments--a multicenter study.

The addition of epinephrine in dental local anaesthesia results in a longer and deeper anaesthesia under almost ischemic conditions. For short-time dental treatments, epinephrine-reduced anaesthetics may offer shorter and more individual anaesthesia with reduced potential side effects. The aim of this study was a clinical evaluation of anaesthetic potency and adverse effects of an epinephrine-reduced articaine formulation in dental patients undergoing short-time routine treatment. In a prospective clinical, not interventional, study between January 2008 and February 2009, 908 patients undergoing short-time dental treatment in five medical centers were anaesthetized with 4% articaine 1:400,000 epinephrine (Ubistesin, 3M/ESPE, Seefeld, Germany). Efficacy and safety in clinical use were evaluated. A follow-up after 1 day was conducted by telephone survey. A mean amount of 1.3-ml anaesthetic solution was needed to achieve a complete or sufficient anaesthesia in 97% (n = 876) of cases. A second injection had to be done in 3.7% (n = 34) before and in 11.9% (n = 108) during treatment. Here, the second injection had to be applied after a mean of 48.6 min. The mean duration of soft tissue anaesthesia after infiltration was 146.6 min, after nerve block 187.7 min. The painful treatment took a mean of 50.2 min and the total treatment time summed up to 68.8 min. In 1.7% cases (n = 15), unwanted side effects were observed. The results indicate that a lower concentration of epinephrine in combination with the 4% articaine solution leads to a high success rate of efficacy. The clinical use of a 4% articaine 1:400,000 epinephrine solution can be stated as safe and effective in short dental routine treatments. Reconsiderations concerning limitations of indication or additional contraindications are not necessary.

Intraoral cameras as a computer-aided diagnosis tool for root canal orifices.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic advantage of a new software tool in combination with an intraoral camera for automatic detection of root canal orifices in life videos via the access cavity of extracted human molars. The performance of a predoctoral dental student analyzing the images of the camera (without automatic detection) was compared with that of an experienced observer. Sensitivity and confidence intervals were provided and compared with histological slices of 200 teeth used for evaluation. The software's sensitivity for detection of root canal orifices was 0.957 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.936 to 0.972). The sensitivity for the observer was 0.906 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.877 to 0.929) compared to 0.847 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.813 to 0.877) achieved by the predoctoral student. The tested software reaches a high sensitivity for automatic real-time detection of root canal orifices with intraoral cameras in direct comparison to histological images. The system might be a useful help for both pre-and postdoctoral students as an aid for the detection of second mesiobuccal root canal orifices.