Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Major Complications and Refractory Course in Patients with Osteomyelitis of the Jaw: A Retrospective Study.

Despite improved knowledge regarding the diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis of the jaw (OMJ), it remains a clinical challenge for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with severe forms of OMJ, i.e., related to the occurrence of major complications or the refractory course of the disease. A retrospective study was performed based on the medical records of all patients diagnosed with OMJ from the past 20 years. Collected data included demographic information, medical and dental history, clinical, radiological, and bacterial findings as well as treatment modalities. The main outcome variables were the onset of major complications and treatment results. Fifty-four patients were included. Our results showed that alcohol and smoking habits, as well as malnutrition, were significantly associated with the occurrence of major complications. We also established that dental implant-induced OMJ should be considered an aggressive subtype of OMJ. Finally, clinical bone exposure was significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes, whereas dental causes or radiological evidence of periosteal reaction were predictive of successful outcomes. Identifying such factors could be useful in preventing serious complications and informing patients about the refractory course of the disease based on the presence of these factors.

The Use of Equimolar Mixtures of Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen in Oral Surgery-A Retrospective Study of Patients in a Swiss University Hospital Setting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the success of procedural conscious sedation using inhaled equimolar nitrous oxide-oxygen (NOIS-EMONO) in patients undergoing routine dental and oral surgery procedures in a Swiss university hospital setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients that underwent NOIS-supported procedures between 2018 and 2022 at the oral surgery department of the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland. The primary outcome was the measurement of the procedure's success and efficacy as defined by the European Society of Anesthesiology. Secondary objectives included the analysis of the types of treatments performed, their indications, patient behavior, and the patient-clinician satisfaction score. RESULTS: 55 patients were included in the study; 85% underwent surgical procedures, and the remaining 15% underwent restorative and preventive procedures. The overall treatment success rate was 98.2% and 97.9% for surgically treated patients. Out of the patients, 62% appeared relaxed, calm, and serene, while 16% expressed pain or fear during the procedure. Infiltrative administration of local anesthesia caused stress in 22% of patients. This portion was significantly lower in sub-cohorts who received local topical anesthetics (0%) or a combination of systemic and local topical analgesics (7%). Patients (75%) and clinicians (91%) were satisfied with the procedure. CONCLUSION: Inhaled equimolar nitrous oxide-oxygen procedural sedation used during dental procedures and oral surgery results in high treatment success and satisfaction rates. The administration of additional topical anesthetics helps to reduce the anxiety and stress related to infiltrative anesthesia. Further dedicated studies and prospective trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Contribution of 3D printing for the surgical management of jaws cysts and benign tumors: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is now a widely recognized surgical tool in oral and maxillofacial surgery. However, little is known about its benefits for the surgical management of benign maxillary and mandibular tumors and cysts. PURPOSE: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the contribution of 3D printing in the management of benign jaw lesions. METHODS: A systematic review, registered in PROSPERO, was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases, up to December 2022, by following PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting 3D printing applications for the surgical management of benign jaw lesions were considered. RESULTS: This review included thirteen studies involving 74 patients. The principal use of 3D printing was to produce anatomical models, intraoperative surgical guides, or both, allowing for the successful removal of maxillary and mandibular lesions. The greatest reported benefits of printed models were the visualization of the lesion and its anatomical relationships to anticipate intraoperative risks. Surgical guides were designed as drilling locating guides or osteotomy cutting guides and contributed to decreasing operating time and improving the accuracy of the surgery. CONCLUSION: Using 3D printing technologies to manage benign jaw lesions results in less invasive procedures by facilitating precise osteotomies, reducing operating times, and complications. More studies with higher levels of evidence are needed to confirm our results.

The lockdown effect: The impact of the COVID-19-related confinement on the nature of dental emergencies and the number of patients seen at the Geneva university hospital's dental clinic.

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective case study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 confinement on consultation number and nature of dental emergencies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The investigators implemented a retrospective case-control study and enrolled a sample of patients who presented to the University Hospital of Geneva for dental emergencies during the COVID-19 confinement from March 16 to April 26, 2020. They were compared to a matched case-control group treated in 2018 and 2019. The predictor variable was the COVID-19 confinement. The outcome variables were consultation number and nature of dental emergencies. Other study variables included age, gender, socio-economic status, delay from symptoms to consultation and type of treatment. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and significance level was set at ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 1104 patients, with 386 in the case-study and 718 in the control group. No significant change in patient numbers was observed. In the case-study group patients were significantly younger (P= 0.004), had a significantly higher proportion of acute toothache and dental infections (P= 0.01), the main reason for consultation was pain or swelling (P= 0.01) and the delay from first symptoms to consultation was shorter compared to the controls (P=0.008). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 confinement had no impact on the consultation number of dental emergencies. However, changes in emergency type were noted, with an increase in acute toothaches and infections and patients waited less time between the onset of symptoms to consultation.