Influence of the Sanitary, Economic, and Social Crisis of COVID-19 on the Emotional State of Dentistry in Galicia (Spain).

The main objective of this research was to analyze the economic, social, and emotional repercussions among Galician dentists (Spain) as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was filled out by 347 professionals. After verifying the survey's reliability using Cronbach's alpha = 0.84, the professional activity and emotional state of the participants were assessed based on aspects related to their personal and family data. The economic impact of the pandemic was considerable, and all participants experienced a decrease in income. In total, 72% of the participants considered that working with personal protective equipment (PPE) made their clinical activities difficult, and 60% expressed concern about being infected during their professional practice. Among the professionals, women (p = 0.005), and separated, divorced, or single professionals (p = 0.003) were the most strongly affected. Separated or divorced professionals were the group that most frequently raised the need to make a radical change in their lives. Finally, it was observed that the emotional consequences varied substantially in the lives of these professionals, mainly among female dentists (p = 0.010), separated and divorced men (p = 0.000), and those with fewer years of professional practice (p = 0.021). The COVID-19 pandemic had an economic impact, due to the decrease in the number of patients and hours of attention, as well as an emotional impact, mostly expressed in the form of sleep disorders and stress. The most vulnerable professionals were women and professionals with fewer years of experience.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as a risk factor for dental implant failure: a retrospective clinical study.

The trend in recent decades in Europe and the United States points to an exponential increase in the consumption of antidepressant drugs and, in particular, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between SSRI intake and dental implant (DI) failure or survival and, secondarily, to investigate the influence of other systemic and local factors. This retrospective cohort study was done in accordance with the the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for observational studies. A total of 170 patients received 573 DIs between 2014 and 2020.The reported DI failure rate was 6.11% (n = 35 DIs). Of these 18.31% failed in patients treated with SSRIs while 4.38% failed in patients who were not prescribed SSRIs (p < 0.001). Specifically, use of these drugs was associated with a hazard ratio rate of DI failure that was 4.53 times higher (95% CI: 1.93 to 10.61), and in the multivariate analysis, a 3.70 times higher adjusted risk was found. A lower DI survival rate at 90 months' follow up was also observed in these patients compared with those not taking them (84.30% vs 96%, respectively; p = 0.00014). With the limitations of the present study it can be affirmed that there is a relation between the intake of SSRIs and DI failure, as well as a lower survival rate in these patients.

Marginal Bone Loss and Pink Esthetic Evaluation of Narrow-Diameter Dental Implants for Single Crowns: 1-Year Prospective Clinical Study.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were: (1) to quantify the marginal bone loss (MBL) of 3.3-mm narrow-diameter, bonelevel, titanium-zirconia (Ti-Zr) implants with two different surfaces in single restorations after a 1-year follow-up; (2) to analyze the combinations of different variables that may influence MBL; and (3) to record the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) value and its correlation with MBL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective longitudinal clinical study with a 1-year follow-up after crown placement. Two different implant surfaces (sandblasted acid-etched and modified sandblasted acid-etched) were used. All bone-level and bone level-tapered implants had a diameter of 3.3 mm. Different healing and prosthetic abutments were used. Clinical, radiographic, and photographic records were taken 6 months and 1 year after placement of the restorations, and the survival rate, MBL, PES, clinical parameters, and biologic and/or mechanical complications were assessed. The correlations between the variables and MBL were verified. RESULTS: A total of 30 narrowdiameter implants were placed in 30 patients; 18 implants had a sandblasted acid-etched surface, and 12 implants had a modified sandblasted acid-etched surface. The measured MBL at 1 year after implant function had a mean value of -0.36 mm, ranging from 0 mm to -1.77 mm. There was no implant loss. A statistically significant relationship was observed between implant shape (design and length), implant placement level, healing abutment, prosthetic abutment size, gingival thickness, and MBL. The mean PES values recorded at the beginning and end of the study were 7.58 and 11.37, respectively. CONCLUSION: Narrow-diameter implants showed reduced MBL values, with the surrounding tissues remaining stable after 1 year of follow-up. The MBL did not show different values on two implant surfaces. MBL does not seem to influence esthetic outcome.

Genetic connectivity between Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae spawned in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The highly migratory Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) is currently managed as two distinct stocks, in accordance with natal homing behavior and population structuring despite the absence of barriers to gene flow. Larval fish are valuable biological material for tuna molecular ecology. However, they have hardly been used to decipher the ABFT population structure, although providing the genetic signal from successful breeders. For the first time, cooperative field collection of tuna larvae during 2014 in the main spawning area for each stock, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED), enabled us to assess the ABFT genetic structure in a precise temporal and spatial frame exclusively through larvae. Partitioning of genetic diversity at nuclear microsatellite loci and in the mitochondrial control region in larvae spawned contemporarily resulted in low significant fixation indices supporting connectivity between spawners in the main reproduction area for each population. No structuring was detected within the GOM after segregating nuclear diversity in larvae spawned in two hydrographically distinct regions, the eastern GOM (eGOM) and the western GOM (wGOM), with the larvae from eGOM being more similar to those collected in the MED than the larvae from wGOM. We performed clustering of genetically characterized ABFT larvae through Bayesian analysis and by Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) supporting the existence of favorable areas for mixing of ABFT spawners from Western and Eastern stocks, leading to gene flow and apparent connectivity between weakly structured populations. Our findings suggest that the eastern GOM is more prone for the mixing of breeders from the two ABFT populations. Conservation of this valuable resource exploited for centuries calls for intensification of tuna ichthyoplankton research and standardization of genetic tools for monitoring population dynamics.

Early life trophodynamic influence on daily growth patterns of the Alboran Sea sardine (Sardina pilchardus) from two distinct nursery habitats (bays of málaga and almería) in the western Mediterranean Sea.

The Alborán Sea sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is the most abundant small pelagic fish in the Mediterranean Sea. Along the northern coast of the Alborán Sea, Málaga and Almería Bay are two important nursery grounds with contrasting oceanographic characteristics. Post-larval stages of S. pilchardus were collected during the late autumn and late winter along with the mesozooplankton community. We examined the influence of feeding behavior on larval growth using environmental variables, daily growth metrics, otolith biometry, stable isotope analysis and trophodynamics. Trophic positions were calculated using mesoozooplankton as potential prey for S. pilchardus. During both seasons, we observed faster growth in larger otoliths that also corresponded to higher trophic positions. Our results indicate that the isotopic signature of larvae is highly influenced by the mesozooplankton community structure. Moreover, the trophic variables showed a significant linear relationship with the estimated ages for all larvae indicating dietary changes throughout ontogenic development.

Trophic ecology of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) [corrected] larvae from the Gulf of Mexico and NW Mediterranean spawning grounds: A Comparative Stable Isotope Study.

The present study uses stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon (δ15Nandδ13C) as trophic indicators for Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae (BFT) (6-10 mm standard length) in the highly contrasting environmental conditions of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the Balearic Sea (MED). These regions are differentiated by their temperature regime and relative productivity, with the GOM being significantly warmer and more productive. MED BFT larvae showed the highest δ15N signatures, implying an elevated trophic position above the underlying microzooplankton baseline. Ontogenetic dietary shifts were observed in the BFT larvae from the GOM and MED which indicates early life trophodynamics differences between these spawning habitats. Significant trophic differences between the GOM and MED larvae were observed in relation to δ15N signatures in favour of the MED larvae, which may have important implications in their growth during their early life stages.These low δ15N levels in the zooplankton from the GOM may be an indication of a shifting isotopic baseline in pelagic food webs due to diatrophic inputs by cyanobacteria. Lack of enrichment for δ15N in BFT larvae compared to zooplankton implies an alternative grazing pathway from the traditional food chain of phytoplankton-zooplankton-larval fish. Results provide insight for a comparative characterization of the trophic pathways variability of the two main spawning grounds for BFT larvae.

Identification of medically compromised dental patients in a Portuguese population.

PURPOSE: The age of the patients, the presence of one or more chronic disorders and the patients' drug regimens can influence dental treatment and oral health. This is a prospective, descriptive study to identify subjects with compromised health who received dental treatment between November 2010 and June 2011 at private dental practices run by graduates of the Portuguese Catholic University. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Application software in Microsoft Excel was developed containing the questionnaire, based on the EMRRH (European medical risk related history), which allowed the collection of data from 1603 adult patients. Microsoft Excel, G*Power and SPSS V.18 were used for statistical treatment. RESULTS: The five most frequent medical conditions found were: 1) hypertension, 21.0%; 2) arrhythmias, 11.2%; 3) Angina pectoris, 8.3%; 4) allergies, 77%; 5) thyroid disease, 6.2%. The medications taken related to these were: a) antihypertensives, 11.0%; b) antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics, 10.6%; c) acetylsalicylic acid, 4.2%; d) antiarrhythmic and sympathomimetic drugs, 4.1%; e) haemostatic treatment, 3.6%. 42.7% of the patients had no medical risks, 32.9% were classified as ASA II, 11.7% as ASA III and 12.7% as ASA IV. CONCLUSION: This study emphasises the importance of often-neglected anamnesis in oral care. The high prevalence of patients with medical conditions should be continuously studied to verify the changes over time and should be expanded to other regions and countries.