The effect of social media on patient acceptance of temporary anchorage devices.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between the use of social networking sites (SNSs) on patient perceptions, acceptance, and expectations of treatment using temporary anchorage devices (TADs) and to compare differences between patients from the United Kingdom and Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional questionnaires were administered to 39 participants at orthodontic practices in the United Kingdom and Brazil about patients' use of SNSs, exposure to TADs on SNSs, and thoughts on extractions, jaw surgery, or TADs as treatment options. RESULTS: UK patients prefer for clinicians to have SNS profiles (P = .022). Most UK and Brazilian patients want to see their clinician's work online (76.7%) and use SNSs to get information about treatment options (76.6%). There was a statistically significant difference in Brazilian patients' acceptance of TADs as a treatment option compared with UK patients, particularly if it meant avoiding extractions (P = .002), avoiding jaw surgery (P = .004), or reducing treatment time (P = .010). Knowledge of TADs was greater in Brazilian patients (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients use SNSs to obtain information about treatments and prefer clinicians to have social media accounts. Patients exposed to TADs on SNSs are more likely to accept them as an orthodontic treatment option. UK patients have less knowledge of TADs and are therefore less sure to consider TADs as an option. Brazilian patients are more confident in considering the use of TADs. Clinicians should consider increasing their social media presence to accommodate patients' expectations and acceptance of TADs.

Post-processing open-source software for the CBCT monitoring of periapical lesions healing following endodontic treatment: technical report of two cases.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of open-source software for the post-processing of CBCT imaging for the assessment of periapical lesions development after endodontic treatment. METHODS: CBCT scans were retrieved from endodontic records of two patients. Three-dimensional virtual models, voxel counting, volumetric measurement (mm3) and mean intensity of the periapical lesion were performed with ITK-SNAP v. 3.0 software. Three-dimensional models of the lesions were aligned and overlapped through the MeshLab software, which performed an automatic recording of the anatomical structures, based on the best fit. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the changes in lesions size after treatment were performed with the 3DMeshMetric software. RESULTS: The ITK-SNAP v. 3.0 showed the smaller value corresponding to the voxel count and the volume of the lesion segmented in yellow, indicating reduction in volume of the lesion after the treatment. A higher value of the mean intensity of the segmented image in yellow was also observed, which suggested new bone formation. Colour mapping and "point value" tool allowed the visualization of the reduction of periapical lesions in several regions. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers and clinicians in the monitoring of endodontic periapical lesions have the opportunity to use open-source software.

Adenoma canalicular em lábio superior / Canalicular Adenoma in Upper Lip

O adenoma canalicular é uma neoplasia benigna incomum de glândulas salivares, que acomete principalmente as glândulas menores, com acentuada predileção pelo lábio superior. Essa neoplasia é mais prevalente em pacientes do sexo feminino, acima de 50 anos de idade. O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar um caso clínico de adenoma canalicular no lábio superior de uma paciente de 68 anos de idade, bem como rever a literatura pertinente. As características clínicas, hipóteses de diagnóstico, histopatologia, tratamento e prognóstico dessa neoplasia são apresentados e discutidos.

The canalicular adenoma is a rare benign salivary gland tumor that affects mainly the minor glands, with a marked predilection for the upper lip. This tumor is more prevalent in female patients above 50 years old. The objective of this study is to report on a case of canalicular adenoma in the upper lip of a 68 years old female patient and to review the pertinent literature. The clinical features, diagnostic hypotheses, histopathology, treatment and prognosis of this tumor are presented and discussed.

An unusual glycoform of human salivary mucin MG2.

Since in a previous study we encountered a subject with an unusual split MG2 banding pattern, the aim of this study was to investigate the molecular basis of this observation. Submandibular/sublingual secretion was collected under resting and stimulated conditions and examined on Western blots probed with anti-MG2 antibodies or on gels stained with periodic acid-Schiff reagent. Genomic DNA was isolated and the N-, tandem repeat (TR), and C-terminal regions of MUC7 were amplified by PCR since MG2 is known to display a genetic polymorphism. Although the typical appearance of MG2 on blots and gels is a single 180 kDa band, salivary secretions from the subject exhibited doublet immunoreactive bands of approximately 180 and 125 kDa. Additionally, under resting conditions the 180 kDa band was predominant whereas upon stimulation the 125 kDa band became predominant. Genomic DNA analysis showed that MUC7 in the individual with split MG2 bands was not truncated and that the MUC7 genotype in this individual was (6/6) where both alleles encoded six TRs. The MG2 split banding pattern observed in this subject was not derived from proteolytic degradation of this salivary mucin in whole saliva or from genetic polymorphism. The expression of two isoforms of MG2 could in principle improve or reduce the activity of this key component of the oral host defense system.

Genetic polymorphism of MUC7 in individuals with aggressive or chronic periodontitis.

Individuals with periodontitis exhibit differential expression of mucin-glycoprotein-2 (MG2), a protein encoded by the MUC7 gene. It is well known that MG2 exerts bactericidal activity as well as exhibiting genetic polymorphism involving a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR). In the present study, we assessed the distribution of allelic variants of the MUC7 gene in 22 individuals with aggressive periodonitis, 68 with chronic periodonitis, and 87 without periodonitis. Oral mucosal cells were collected, the DNA was extracted, and specific primers were used to amplify the region encoding the MUC7 tandem repeats (TRs). Polymerase chain reaction products were subjected to electrophoresis and analyzed on polyacrylamide gels stained with silver nitrate. Although the percentage distribution of homozygosity (6-6TR) and heterozygosity (5-6TR) showed variation among the groups, the observed differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05; Fisher's Exact Test). The present results indicate that the expression of different numbers of TRs in this salivary mucin in the oral environment does not interfere with the etiopathogenesis of aggressive or chronic periodontitis.

Periodontal abscess during supportive periodontal therapy: a review of the literature.

AIM: The aim of this review is to present the current status of the occurrence and management of a periodontal abscess during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). BACKGROUND: A periodontal abscess depicts typical features and has been described in patients under SPT in clinical trials. Common periodontal pathogens have been observed in this lesion and some etiologic factors may be responsible for its recurrence. This condition can be isolated or associated with factors that can change the prognosis of affected teeth. REVIEW RESULTS: Although it has been frequently noticed in untreated periodontitis, the periodontal abscess can also occur in patients under SPT and has been regarded as one of the possible complications of SPT. Patients with a high susceptibility to periodontal disease lost more teeth than those with a healthy periodontium. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and appropriate intervention for periodontal abscesses in patients under SPT are extremely important for the management of the periodontal abscess since this condition can lead to loss of the involved tooth. A single case of a tooth diagnosed with periodontal abscess that responds favorably to adequate treatment does not seem to affect its longevity. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: An accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment can preserve the longevity of affected teeth.

Gingival overgrowth in renal transplant subjects medicated with tacrolimus in the absence of calcium channel blockers.

BACKGROUND: The results from reports analyzing the occurrence of gingival overgrowth (GO) induced by tacrolimus are controversial. In addition, the role of pharmacological and periodontal variables on the development and severity of GO have not been well-established. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of potential risk variables for GO in a Brazilian population comprising renal transplant recipients medicated with tacrolimus in the absence of calcium channel blockers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic, pharmacological, and periodontal data, recorded from 125 subjects selected to participate in the study, was analyzed with the use of the independent sample t test, the chi-squared statistic, or Mann-Whitney test. The effects of risk variables on GO scores were subsequently examined using multivariate regression analysis and general linear model. RESULTS: The prevalence of clinically significant GO (> or =30%) in the study population was of 7.25%. These subjects showed greater averages of plaque scores (P=0.0043) as well as papillary bleeding index (P=0.0026) when compared to subjects with GO <30%. Papillary bleeding index, time since transplant and azathioprine dosage were significant in the univariate and multivariate models (adjusted R=43.8%), whereas plaque index was significant only in the univariate model. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that, in the absence of calcium channel blockers, gingival inflammation, represented by the papillary bleeding index, was a variable associated with Tcr-induced GO, indicating the importance of periodontal maintenance of subjects under Tcr immunosuppressive regimens.

Idiopathic gingival fibromatosis: a case report.

Idiopathic or hereditary gingival fibromatosis is a benign oral disorder characterized by enlargement of the oral gingival tissues. This article describes a case of a female child who exhibited a generalized gingival overgrowth in both arches at birth. Other causes of gingival overgrowth and the clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic characteristics are discussed. Treatment consisted of surgical removal of the hyperplastic fibrous tissue in a series of gingivectomies. Medical history, clinical examination, and histopathologic and genetic findings were essential to rule out other systemic abnormalities. This unusual case of nonsyndromic idiopathic gingival fibromatosis was followed for 5 years, and no recurrence was seen.

Nitric oxide levels in saliva increase with severity of chronic periodontitis.

The aims of this study were to compare nitric oxide (NO) levels in stimulated whole saliva from individuals with and without generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP), and to evaluate correlations between these levels with a clinical diagnostic parameter. According to specific criteria, 30 individuals were divided into three groups: one comprising individuals without periodontitis (GC), a second comprising individuals with moderate GCP (GM), and a third comprising individuals with advanced GCP (GA). Samples were collected and NO levels measured. NO in the GCP group (GM: 7.78 microM; GA: 15.79 microM) was higher than in the GC group (5.86 microM). NO levels in the GA group were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than in the GC group, and could also differentiate (P < 0.0001) the moderate and advanced forms of the disease. In addition, positive correlations between NO level and the number of teeth with a probing depth of > or = 4 mm (r = 0.54) and > or = 7 mm (r = 0.68) were observed. In conclusion, NO levels are elevated in individuals with GPC and are correlated with a periodontal clinical parameter. These results reveal that this form of periodontal disease and its severity are related to salivary nitrite concentration, indicating that NO may serve as a potential biological marker for detection and/or monitoring of GCP.