Prevalence of symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, oral behaviors, anxiety, and depression in Dentistry students during the period of social isolation due to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), anxiety, and depression are disorders that, due to the current lifestyle, are affecting an increasing portion of the population. Investigating the prevalence of the symptoms of these disorders during the quarantine due to the coronavirus 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) is important to outline clinical strategies for patient care. This study assessed the prevalence of TMD symptoms, anxiety, depression, and oral behaviors and their associations during the social isolation due to COVID-19. METHODOLOGY: Questionnaires were used to assess TMD symptoms in accordance with the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders: clinical protocol and assessment instruments, a questionnaire to verify oral behaviors and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression in students of dentistry at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Brasília in May 2020. Qualitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics and chi-squared analysis (p<0.05). The relationship between quantitative and qualitative data was evaluated using Spearman's rho correlation (p<0.05). RESULTS: There was a high prevalence of TMD symptoms, anxiety, and depression in the participants, resulting in association between gender and anxiety symptoms (p=0.029). There was a positive correlation between oral behaviors and TMD symptoms (r=0.364; p<0.001), between oral behaviors and anxiety symptoms (r=0.312; p=0.001), and between oral behaviors and symptoms of depression (r=0.216; p=0.021). CONCLUSION: Social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on the prevalence of TMD symptoms, anxiety, and depression.

A Conservative Approach for Localized Spongiotic Gingivitis Hyperplasia Using Photodynamic Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Objective: To describe a clinical case of successful conservative management of Localized Juvenile Spongiotic Gingivitis Hyperplasia (LJSGH) using photodynamic therapy (PDT) and reviews the current literature on this pathology. Background data: LJSGH is a recently described rare disease with controversial treatment results. As of today, 13 publications report surgical treatment approaches. The use of CO2 laser and cryotherapy was reported only in one study. The use of PDT was not previously reported. Patients and methods: A 9-year-old male patient was referred to our institution with the chief complaint of asymptomatic "inflamed gingiva" starting 1 year before. Clinical examination revealed an erythematous line accompanying the gingival contour, with a certain degree of hyperplasia. The diagnosis of LJSGH was performed based on clinical features and later confirmed histopathologically. A novel approach using PDT was then proposed. The photosensitizer was methylene blue, and a semiconductor laser diode was used. Results: One week after starting PDT, gingival hyperplasia was partially reduced. Immediately after the end of treatment, a significant reduction of gingival hyperplasia was observed. PDT proved to be safe, quick and painless, with no esthetic harm. Conclusions: This case illustrates the benefit of a more conservative approach as opposed to surgical procedure, with good clinical response and decreased morbidity over a 2-year follow-up period.

A Conservative Approach for Localized Spongiotic Gingivitis Hyperplasia Using Photodynamic Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a clinical case of successful conservative management of Localized Juvenile Spongiotic Gingivitis Hyperplasia (LJSGH) using photodynamic therapy (PDT) and reviews the current literature on this pathology. BACKGROUND DATA: LJSGH is a recently described rare disease with controversial treatment results. As of today, 13 publications report surgical treatment approaches. The use of CO2 laser and cryotherapy was reported only in one study. The use of PDT was not previously reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 9-year-old male patient was referred to our institution with the chief complaint of asymptomatic "inflamed gingiva" starting 1 year before. Clinical examination revealed an erythematous line accompanying the gingival contour, with a certain degree of hyperplasia. The diagnosis of LJSGH was performed based on clinical features and later confirmed histopathologically. A novel approach using PDT was then proposed. The photosensitizer was methylene blue, and a semiconductor laser diode was used. RESULTS: One week after starting PDT, gingival hyperplasia was partially reduced. Immediately after the end of treatment, a significant reduction of gingival hyperplasia was observed. PDT proved to be safe, quick and painless, with no esthetic harm. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the benefit of a more conservative approach as opposed to surgical procedure, with good clinical response and decreased morbidity over a 2-year follow-up period.

Effectiveness of FDG-PET/CT for evaluating early response to induction chemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: F-Fluoro-Deoxy-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) may be a powerful tool to predict treatment outcome. We aimed to review the effectiveness of F-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of early response to induction chemotherapy (IC) in patients with advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer (HNSCC) without previous treatment. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched to May 2016. Reference lists of the included articles and additional studies identified by one nuclear medicine expert were screened for potential relevant studies that investigated the effectiveness of F-FDG PET/CT performed before and after IC. Three authors independently screened all retrieved articles, selected studies that met inclusion criteria and extracted data. The methodology of the selected studies was evaluated by using the risk of bias checklist of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). RESULTS: Seven out of 170 eligible studies met our inclusion criteria. A total of 207 advanced HNSCC patients were evaluated with F-FDG PET/CT at baseline and after IC in the selected articles. Six from seven studies concluded that F-FDG PET/CT allowed early evaluation response to IC and predicted survival outcomes. CONCLUSION: The present systematic review confirms the potential value of F-FDG PET/CT as a diagnostic tool for early IV response assessment in HNSCC patients. However, the lack of standard definitions for response criteria and heterogeneous IC protocols indicate the need to further studies in order to better define the role of F-FDG PET/CT in these patients.