Benefits in Oral Health during Orthodontic Treatment of Patients Aged 17 to 21 Years.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of orthodontic treatment on patients' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a population aged 17 to 21 years. The influence of gender and malocclusion severity was also investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, 108 patients were enrolled. Each patient completed a questionnaire about oral health impact profile (OHIP)-14 before treatment and after 12 months of treatment. The severity of the initial malocclusion was evaluated through the index for orthodontic treatment need (IOTN). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was performed to assess the presence of difference in OHRQoL score before and after the treatment, and the influence of gender and IOTN score on the observed outcomes. RESULTS: We found no significant differences related to gender regarding their perception of how malocclusion affects the quality of life before orthodontic treatment. Moreover, no significant differences were found between males and females regarding their perception of how orthodontic treatment affects the quality of life 12 months after orthodontic treatment. Also, the analysis showed no statistically significant difference between males and females in the correlation IOTN-OHIP for Grades 2 and 3. A statistically significant difference between males and females was found only in Grade 4, both before (p = 0.046) and after treatment (p = 0.051). CONCLUSION: Finally, OHIP-14 can be a valuable instrument to assess the perceptions and the expectations of patients toward orthodontic treatment.

Hyaluronic Acid: A New Approach for the Treatment of Gingival Recession-A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the clinical treatment outcomes of patients with gingival recession. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies up to 15 August 2022. Two reviewers separately selected the papers for eligibility after conducting a thorough search. The study includes randomized controlled clinical trials in which participants were given HA in addition to periodontal treatment surgical procedures. The changes following the treatment protocol were evaluated for complete and mean root coverage as a primary outcome and gingival recession gain as the secondary outcome. Three articles met the eligibility criteria out of 557 titles. In periodontal surgery, HA exhibited better results in complete root coverage and mean root coverage when compared to the control group. Gingival recession reduction, clinical attachment level, and keratinized tissue gain were significantly increased compared to the control groups. However, the comparison presented in the following study might show heterogeneity among the studies and risk of bias in general. Given the scope of this analysis, results suggest that adjunctive treatment with HA gel for root coverage could be clinically beneficial.

The Link between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Cephalometric Assessment of Upper Airways and Hyoid Bone Position.

Background and Objectives: To determine whether there are changes in the cephalometric characteristics of the upper airways and hyoid bone, in patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) compared to a healthy control group. Material and Methods: This retrospective case−control study included 24 patients diagnosed with OSAS (apnea−hypopnea index (AHI) > 5 obtained after polysomnography) and 24 healthy subjects as a control group that completed the STOP-Bang questionnaire to determine whether they had OSAS. Lateral cephalometric examinations were recommended for all these patients. The software used for the cephalogram interpretation was CS 3D Imaging and CS Airway imaging from Carestream Dental. Results: The subjects with OSAS had a smaller superior posterior airway space (SPAS), with an average of 10.32 mm compared to a 12.20 mm mean in the control group (p = 0.03). Patients with OSAS, had a lowered middle airway space (MAS) with a mean of 7.96 mm in the OSAS group and a 10.96 mm mean in the control group (p = 0.00). All the measurements made for the hyoid bone, such as­H-MnP, H-C3, and H-B­showed increased values (means of 26.31 mm, 39.08 mm, 60.05 mm, respectively), for the OSAS group (p = 0.00). Conclusions: Patients suffering from OSAS had reduced dimensions of the SPAS and MAS values. The hyoid bone had a more inferior position in the study group (with increased values for H-MnP, H-C3, and H-B) compared to the control group.

White Spots Prevalence and Tooth Brush Habits during Orthodontic Treatment.

White spots (WS) are one of the most undesirable side effects in patients undergoing orthodontic therapy and are usually located around bracket bases and even detected under the molar bands. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the WS lesion during orthodontic therapy and the correlation between WS and oral hygiene habits. Patients requiring orthodontic treatment with a fixed appliance were screened for the inclusion/exclusion criteria, and 74 subjects were finally enrolled. Each patient received three examinations: at T0, the day of the application of the fixed appliance; at T1, three months later; and at T2, six months after treatment start. After calculating descriptive statistics, differences between groups were evaluated with an independent sample t-test. The first type error was set as p ≤ 0.01. The observed prevalence of WS lesions was 59.5% on T1 and 60.8% on T2. The most affected teeth result to be upper molars, lower left first molar, upper right central incisor and upper left lateral incisor, upper right canine, upper left first premolar, and lower right first molar. A higher frequency of daily tooth brushing was accompanied by a lower prevalence of WS. No significant effect of sex was observed.

Effectiveness of Two Different Fluoride-Based Agents in the Treatment of Dentin Hypersensitivity: A Prospective Clinical Trial.

Hyperesthesia is related to increased sensitivity of dental tissues to mechanical, chemical and thermal stimuli. The aim of this prospective clinical trial was to compare the effectiveness of a calcium-fluoride-forming agent (Tiefenfluorid®, Humanchemie GmbH, Alfeld, Germany) with that of a fluoride varnish (EnamelastTM, Ultradent Inc., Cologne, Germany) in the treatment of dental hyperesthesia in adult patients. In total, 176 individuals (106 females and 70 males, aged 18-59 years old) diagnosed with dental hyperesthesia (DH) were enrolled. The main clinical symptoms were hyperesthesia from coldness and sweetness during chewing; the types of clinical lesions were also determined and recorded. The patients were selected randomly and divided into two groups: (i) the first group of 96 patients was treated with Tiefenfluorid® applied in three appointments at 7-day intervals; (ii) the second group of 80 patients was treated with EnamelastTM, applied seven times at 7-day intervals. All the patients were recalled 7 days, 14 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months from the last application. At the baseline and during every follow-up visit, the DH was measured with a pulp tester. A random intercept/random slope model was used to evaluate the effect of the treatment, at various times with respect to the initial diagnosis. Within the limits of the present study, Tiefenfluorid® was more effective than EnamelastTM against DH in that it provided long-lasting results, with a significant improvement still detected at the latest 6-month follow-up.

Role of "Video Assisted Lecture" on Changing Albanian Undergraduate Students' Opinion Regarding Pain-free Dental Injections in Children.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of video assisted lecture in changing the opinions of dental students toward pain-free dental injections in children. METHODS: The fifth-year students (n:62) of University of Medicine of Tirana, Faculty of Dental Medicine participated in the study. The study was conducted in two stages: first a Theoretical lecture (Stage 1), "Pain-free Local Analgesia Techniques in Children" was provided, and was followed by a second lecture supported by video recordings of real clinical cases (Stage 2). Students' opinions were evaluated by means of a short survey administered before the lectures, after the theoretical lecture, and after the video assisted lecture. RESULTS: Before the study, only 47.9% of students believed in the possibility (agree and definitely agree) of pain-free local anesthesia in children, whereas after the study, the percentage had risen to 67.7% (p=0.0001). Baseline opinions of students changed significantly after the video-assisted lecture (p=0.0001). However, there is no statistical difference between mean scores of theoretical lecture (Stage 1) and video-assisted lecture (Stage 2). CONCLUSIONS: Theoretical lecture (Stage 1) was found to be significantly effective in changing the opinions regarding "Pain-free dental injections in children," however, a video based dental education (Stage 2) was found to be relatively effective in supporting the change in dental students' opinion.