Correlation Between Height and Impacted Third Molars and Genetics Role in Third Molar Impaction.

AIM: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between height of an individual and the presence of impaction of maxillary and mandibular third molars, and to determine the role of genetics in third molar impaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case-control study, with cases consisted of 200 subjects with third molar impactions; and 200 controls without third molar impactions. Height of subjects was measured, and saliva samples were collected from all the subjects. DNA was extracted from saliva samples. To investigate the role of selected genes in the etiology of third molar impactions, Taqman Genotyping using SNPs identified for jaw growth, height and tooth agenesis was employed. Five candidate genes were investigated using 11 markers (SNPs). RESULTS: The mean height of cases was significantly lower than that of the control subjects (p = 0.04). No difference was found in allele frequency between cases and controls for 10 of the 11 SNPs. However, for rs6504591 the p value was near significance (p = 0.07) with odd ratio of 2.131. Subjects with lower third molar impactions were significantly shorter than those who have fully erupted third molars. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with lower third molar impactions were significantly shorter than those who have fully erupted third molars. We observed that individuals with third molar impaction tend to have T allele at the locus, suggesting that the T allele at the locus may increase the risk for having an impacted third molar. The rs6504591 G/T variation on human chromosome 17 (WNT9B gene) appears to increase risk by twofolds for impaction albeit with inability to detect significance due to small sample size.

Genomic analyses in African populations identify novel risk loci for cleft palate.

Orofacial clefts are common developmental disorders that pose significant clinical, economical and psychological problems. We conducted genome-wide association analyses for cleft palate only (CPO) and cleft lip with or without palate (CL/P) with ~17 million markers in sub-Saharan Africans. After replication and combined analyses, we identified novel loci for CPO at or near genome-wide significance on chromosomes 2 (near CTNNA2) and 19 (near SULT2A1). In situ hybridization of Sult2a1 in mice showed expression of SULT2A1 in mesenchymal cells in palate, palatal rugae and palatal epithelium in the fused palate. The previously reported 8q24 was the most significant locus for CL/P in our study, and we replicated several previously reported loci including PAX7 and VAX1.

Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or silk suture for closure of surgical wound following removal of an impacted mandibular third molar: A randomized controlled study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to compare postoperative sequelae and wound healing outcome following closure of surgical wound with either cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or silk suture. METHODS: Subjects with mesio-angularly impacted mandibular third molar were allocated randomly into 2 equal groups. The control group had wound closure with silk suture and study group with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive. Subjects were followed up for 7 postoperative days. Postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, bleeding, wound dehiscence and wound infection were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty subjects in each group completed the study. No significant difference was observed in the mean postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, wound dehiscence and infection between the 2 groups. There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative bleeding between the 2 groups on postoperative day 1, with more bleeding in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive compares favourably with silk suture as a wound closure material. In addition, cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive seems to have beneficial haemostatic effect on postoperative bleeding.