Humanities in Predoctoral Dental Education: A Scoping Review.

Health humanities usually includes such disciplines as philosophy, ethics, history, literature, performing arts, and cultural anthropology. The aims of this scoping review were, first, to search the published literature for references to the humanities in predoctoral dental education and, second, to determine if any research studies found that introducing humanities in dental education improved the overall profile of dental graduates. Literature searches were run in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, CINAHL, and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source. A total of 248 articles were included in the review, with inclusion criteria comprising the areas of the curriculum, the scope of humanities, and predoctoral dental education. Of those articles, 101 referred in a targeted way to ethics in predoctoral dental education, while others mainly referred to the humanities in general or pointed out the role and place of humanities topics in predoctoral dental curricula. Topics covered included professional ethics, music, narrative learning, theater, art, communication skills, empathy, emotional intelligence, and cultural competence in the context of general humanistic education. The review found limited evidence of a clear impact, either short-term or long-term, of humanities education in predoctoral dental education. Reflections on humanistic education in the practice of clinical dentistry were sparse, as mainly documented by development of the ideal dentist-patient relationship, enhancement of empathy for patients, and most importantly, construction of professional moral values.

Cranio-maxillofacial injuries in Homer's Iliad.

INTRODUCTION: Homer's Iliad, being one of the oldest and greatest European epic poems, is divided into 24 "books" or "rhapsodies", in which war injuries in general, and in particular cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) injuries, are described in a unique and detailed manner. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Homer's Iliad, Loeb Classical Library, translated by A.T. Murray, and revised by W.F. Wyatt, Harvard University Press, 2nd ed., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999, as well as the modern Greek translation by I. Polylas of Homer's Iliad, Publishing Organization for Educational Material, 4th ed., Athens, 1975, was studied for descriptions of CMF injuries, aiming at the presentation of their total number, received area of the head and neck, outcome, cause of injuries, and the engaged warriors. RESULTS: Forty-eight references regarding CMF injuries are found in the 24 books of Homer's Iliad. Forty-four of the CMF injuries were fatal, among them five were decapitations. The causes of the CMF injuries were usually strokes with weapons, while other means such as rocks and stones were also used. In the aforementioned injuries the engaged striking warriors were 17 Greeks and four Trojans, while the fallen warriors were eight Greeks and 38 Trojans. CONCLUSIONS: One could get an idea about the practice of Medicine and particularly of Surgery, in the 10th century BC in Ancient Greece, through the epic poems of Homer. The unique description of CMF injuries leads us to the conclusion that the anatomy of the head and neck was quite well known in those very old times, since the heroes and warriors of the Iliad knew exactly where to strike to achieve a fatal outcome.

Ewing's sarcoma of the maxillofacial region in Greek children: Report of 6 cases and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The rarity of Ewing's sarcoma (ES) in the maxillofacial region of children, coupled with the technical challenge of resection and associated functional and cosmetic impairment has resulted in deficient data regarding the optimal local control of the disease. OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience in the management of primary maxillofacial ES in children, focusing on the therapeutic modalities for local control of the disease. STUDY DESIGN: Single institution observational study. METHODS: This is a single institution review of patients, treated between 2007 and 2016. RESULTS: Six primary maxillofacial ES were treated according to the EURO-EWING 99 protocol, consisting of a uniform chemotherapy regimen, combined selectively with surgery and radiotherapy as local treatment. Patients' mean age was 9.42 years (range 6-12.5 years). One patient initially suffered from metastasis and succumbed to the disease; another refused further treatment following chemotherapy and was lost to follow-up. Four patients underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy successfully. At a mean follow-up of 3.78 years relapse-free and overall survival rates were 60% and 80% respectively. The aesthetic and functional outcome was satisfactory in all treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: In eligible cases the combination of chemotherapy with surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy results in optimal oncological and functional outcome for children with ES of the maxillofacial region. Metastasis and poor response to chemotherapy are the most important adverse prognostic factors.

Cerebral abscess of odontogenic origin.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral abscess is a rare but serious and life-threatening infection. Dental infections have occasionally been reported as the source of bacteria for such an abcess. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 54-year-old man was admitted with a right hemiparesis and epileptic fits. After clinical, laboratory and imaging examination, the diagnosis of a cerebral abscess of the left parietal lobe was made. The intraoral clinical examination as well as a panoramic radiograph confirmed the presence of generalized periodontal disease, multiple dental caries, and periapical pathology. The treatment included: (i) Immediate administration of high-dose intravenous antibiotics and (ii) surgical procedures consisting of craniotomy and resection of the abscess cavity first, and secondly removal of the periodontal, decayed and periapically involved teeth of the patient, in an effort to eradicate all the possible septic foci, presuming the cerebral abscess to be of odontogenic infection. RESULTS: The patient made an uneventful recovery, and 29 months postoperatively he had completely recovered from the hemiparesis.

Cranio-maxillofacial surgery in Corpus Hippocraticum.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of the medical thoughts and practice through the ages constitutes a particular qualification for every practicing physician and surgeon, in order to become a participant of Medicine's continuity and a conscientious practitioner. Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery constitutes a significant part of the surgical writings of Corpus Hippocraticum. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The original texts of the Hippocratic Collection written in ancient Greek, as they were published along with a translation into modern Greek in G. Pournaropoulos 'Hippocrates' Works', (edited by A. Martinos), Athens 1968, were studied for any account referring to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. RESULTS: The medical views and opinions of Hippocrates regarding Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology in particular, as well as Dental Medicine in general, are disseminated in the various books of Corpus Hippocraticum, and although they are almost 3000 years old, they are still in line with current thinking to a great extent. The scope of Hippocratic perspicacity and experience regarding Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery includes dentoalveolar surgery, orofacial infections, maxillofacial trauma, dentofacial abnormalities and orthognathic surgery, as well as cranio-maxillofacial injuries. CONCLUSION: Corpus Hippocraticum in spite of time remains a unique and unrivalled work, where one can realize the power of observation, sagacity and the clinical judgement of Hippocrates regarding every aspect of Medicine, and in particular Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.

Superficial parotidectomy: technical modifications based on tumour characteristics.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of partial superficial parotidectomy and tumour enucleation in the surgical management of patients with pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 62 patients were treated for pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid during the years 1995-1999; 17 patients were treated with conventional superficial parotidectomy, whereas 42 patients were subjected to partial superficial parotidectomy. In three patients, tumour size and facial nerve proximity essentially resulted in enucleation of the parotid mass. In partial superficial parotidectomy, only the tumour-bearing area of the gland parenchyma was excised with identification of the main trunk and preservation of the facial nerve division that was adjacent to the tumour site with no need for more extensive facial nerve dissection. RESULTS: There was no incidence of recurrence or facial nerve injury in our group of patients. The incidence of Frey's syndrome was 4.8%.

Oral and cranio-maxillofacial surgery in Byzantium.

INTRODUCTION: Byzantine physicians (4th-7th and 8th-12th centuries A.D.), especially those interested in Surgery, developed a number of interesting concepts, views and opinions referring to the field now recognized as Oral and Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The original texts of Byzantine physicians, written in ancient Greek, and now preserved in the electronic platform Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, at the University of California, Irvine, CA, USA, were investigated in relation to Oral and Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology. RESULTS: The most eminent physicians of the Early (4th-7th century A.D.) and Middle (8th-12th century A.D.) Byzantine Period, in particular Oribasius Pergamenus, Aëtius Amidenus, Alexander Trallianus, Theophilus Protospatharius, Paulus Aegineta, Meletius Monachos, and Leo Medicus, in their works deal with topographic and surgical anatomy of the head and neck, and a large list of related topics, including dentoalveolar surgery, oral and cervicofacial infections, trauma of viscerocranium and neurocranium as well as the biomechanics of traumatic brain injuries, temporomandibular joints dysfunction as a consequence of mandibular dislocation, surgical oncology and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, oral pathology, surgical pathology of salivary glands, therapeutic management of facial nerve dysfunction, preprosthetic surgery, craniofacial surgery, and deformities of the facial skeleton involving anthropologic and craniometric observations. Clinical examination of patients presenting corresponding functional and esthetic problems is considered, using recognizable orthodontic and orthognathic surgical approaches. Finally, specific bandages of the head and neck are described, for treating traumatic injuries of the viscerocranium and neurocranium, diastasis of the cranial sutures, dislocations of the mandible (unilateral and bilateral), as well as inflammatory diseases of the parotids and the neck. CONCLUSIONS: Byzantine physicians had been particularly interested in various subjects of the mouth, jaws, face, and head and neck in general, in the frame of course of their general surgery practice.