Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
Volume:10 Issue: 4, Autumn 2021

Early detection of premalignant oral lesions, especially in high-risk patients, is important to prevent mortality. Dysplastic changes are one of the elements of premalignant lesions which can be perceived in histopathologic examinations. The use of saliva is a promising method for diagnosing epithelial dysplasia, because it is non-invasive and easy to collect. This review evaluated the salivary biomarkers in patients with oral epithelial dysplasia (OED).

In this systematic review study, all English articles were searched in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until February 2021. The searches were done using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and free keywords. Textual data were analyzed manually and significant differences in salivary levels of biomarkers between patients with dysplastic lesions and healthy controls were reported and analyzed.

Originally, 1726 articles were found, of which 17 case-control articles were selected according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. In 85% of studies, proinflammatory cytokine levels were significantly increased in the groups with epithelial dysplasia compared to the control groups. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1α showed an increase in all OED cases, but IL-1β showed no significant difference between epithelial dysplasia and control groups. Salivary levels of 14 types of micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) were studied, the most important of which were miRNAs 21 and 31, indicating a significant increase in the epithelial dysplasia groups compared to the control groups.

Based on the results of this systematic review, evaluation of salivary cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1α) and miRNAs 21 and 31 may be a non-invasive method in the early detection and prognosis of epithelial dysplasia and may also be useful in developing new prevention and treatment strategies.

Determining the reasons for the extraction of primary teeth is of high importance for countries in terms of taking precautions while establishing their health policies. The aim of this study was to investigate the main causes of primary tooth extraction and the most commonly extracted tooth type in children aged 0-13 years. The records of patients aged 0-13 years admitted to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey‎, between 2016 and 2020 were collected. The patients' age, gender, number of extracted teeth, and causes of extraction were analyzed retrospectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U, independent samples t-test, Welch ANOVA with post-hoc Tamhane, and Pearson's chi-square test were used for analyses. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. In this study, 3076 deciduous teeth of 1363 pediatric patients aged 0-13 years (mean age of 7.8 ± 2.1 years) were evaluated. No difference was found between the genders in terms of the number of extractions (P = 0.489). The most common reasons for extraction were caries and mobility/root resorption, which constituted 55.1% and 42.4% of the extractions, respectively. In this study, the teeth extraction in patients aged 0-13 years were investigated. Dental caries (55.1%) was the most common cause of deciduous teeth extraction. Moreover, it was the most common reason for deciduous teeth extraction in the age groups of 0-5 and 6-9 years. Primary molar teeth were the most commonly extracted teeth. Although there was no significant difference between genders, striking results were recorded regarding teeth types in different age groups. According to the results obtained in this study, steps should be taken regarding the implementation of preventive dentistry programs.

Everyday lives of individuals can be affected by dental treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of coronal restorations of endodontically treated posterior teeth (ETPT) on the patient's satisfaction and quality of life (QoL). This cross-sectional clinical study was conducted at School of Dentistry, Istanbul Okan University, Istanbul, Turkey, using the semantic differential scale, Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and clinical assessments. Electronic charts and files of patients who received endodontic treatment and coronal restoration from June 2018 to January 2019 were reviewed. The patients included in the study had been treated by the same endodontist and restorative dental specialist. The coronal restoration of the ETPT had to be either direct composite restoration (DCR) or indirect ceramic restoration (ICR). 123 patients were deemed fit for this study. A rendezvous was created for the patients who agreed to participate in the study (n = 115) and those who came to the appointment were checked for the inclusion criteria. After clinical examinations, 68 patients filled in the questionnaires. Demographic information, the semantic differential scale, and the OHIP-14 scores-provided data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test, independent samples t-test, and the chi-square test. Statistical significance level was considered at P < 0.05. 68 patients (n = 34 in each group) participated in the study. DCR and ICR groups had similar mean OHIP-14 scores (5.03 ± 3.36 and 5.15 ± 6.17, respectively) and general satisfaction scores (9.76 ± 0.43 and 9.88 ± 0.33, respectively) (P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the satisfaction values of the two groups regarding cost, time involved, pain, aesthetics, chewing ability, pleasantness, and general satisfaction (P > 0.05). According to the results of the present study, both treatment options have created similar satisfaction for patients and offered high QoL.

Preventive orthodontics aids in the formation of normal occlusion. There have been numerous studies on this topic published in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess final-year dental students' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy perceptions of preventive and interceptive orthodontic applications (PIOA). Data were collected from 410 dental students from eight different faculties in this cross-sectional study using a predesigned and validated self-administered, structured questionnaire. SPSS software was used to analyze the data, which included descriptive statistics, the independent samples t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Kuder-Ritchardson Formula 20 (KR-20) reliability coefficient. The statistical significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. The vast majority of students (71.0%) did not believe that they were qualified to perform PIOA after graduation. With a rate of 80.5%, preventive treatment was chosen as the most important treatment type. The most correctly answered question, with a score of 92.4%, was about space maintainers. The total score was calculated to be 9.13 ± 2.73. There was a significant difference in total scores between men and women (P = 0.0340). There was a significant difference in total scores between those who thought and those who did not think that enough time had been allocated to theoretical education (P = 0.0001). The total score differed significantly from the responses to the question "Do you believe you have sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge about PIOA?" (P = 0.0001). The women' knowledge level was higher than that of the men, and the students valued preventive measures. Experts should consider these findings when developing the core curriculum.

Oral health is one of the components of public health with a significant effect on quality of life (QOL). Dental caries can lead to irreversible damage, pain, public health concerns, loss of self-confidence, and lower QOL. Furthermore, nutrition plays an important role in preventing oral diseases, such as developmental defects, dental caries, oral mucosa pathologies, and periodontal problems. The present study was conducted with the aim to investigate the relationship between nutrition and dental caries in the armed forces personnel and their families in Tehran Province, Iran.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 800 armed forces personnel and their families. Individuals referring to the dentistry examination units in 3 ETKA chain stores in the north, middle, and south of Tehran were included in the study. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index was used for reporting dental caries. The standard Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to evaluate nutrition intake. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used to compare the study groups.

Mean DMFT/dmft in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles was 2.85, 6.6, 10.85, and 17, respectively, and the mean DMFT/dmft was 9.32. The majority of the study population consisted of married women, 63.4% of the participants brushed their teeth with a toothpaste, and 48.5% brushed their teeth once a day. After adjusting for the confounding factors, carbohydrates, fruits, and lipids showed a significant relationship with the DMFT index.

According to the mean DMFT/dmft in this study, it can be concluded that the prevalence of dental caries in the subjects was moderately severe. According to this study, changes in nutritional patterns and oral health care education are crucial for the Iranian armed forces. A diet with a low carbohydrates and cariogenic fruits content and high lipids content is suggested based on the findings of this study.

The impacted teeth are an important matter in dental science and one of the most common reasons of surgery in dental offices. Impacted teeth may lead to decay, pulp and periodontal disease, root resorption of adjacent teeth, and odontogenic cysts and tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of pathological lesions associated with impacted teeth.
In this descriptive-analytical study, all registered samples with the lesions related to impacted teeth in the patients who referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, were reviewed from 1991 to 2020. All necessary information including age, gender, location of the lesion in the jaw, clinical and radiographic features (if described), differential diagnosis, and type of the lesion was recorded from the files. Then, the obtained information was entered in SPSS statistical software and statistically analyzed using chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Statistical significance level was considered at P < 0.05.
Out of 11964 cases in the 30-year period, 576 cases (4.81%) were related to impacted teeth lesions. The highest frequency of pathologic lesions accompanied with impacted teeth was dentigerous cyst (76.6%) and the lowest frequency was related to ameloblastic fibroodontoma (0.2%). The most common odontogenic tumors were odontoma (6.6%) and ameloblastoma (1.6%), respectively. The frequency of lesions was higher in mandible (64.6%) than maxilla. Most lesions were observed in patients less than 20 years of age.
Although the frequency of odontogenic lesions with impacted teeth was low, many patients did not have any sign or symptom. Therefore, clinical assessment and follow-up are not sufficient and radiographic and clinicopathological analysis is necessary for correct diagnosis and treatment.

Impacted third molars tend to pose certain problems varying from pain, repeated pericoronitis, bone loss with adjacent teeth, etc. The surgical removal of impacted teeth requires appropriate planning to avoid complications. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an important radiographic tool that facilitates appropriate treatment planning. This retrospective analysis of the existing orthopantomographs (OPG) and CBCT images of third molars was conducted to assess the topographic relationship between impacted mandibular third molar and the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) canal. In this study, 124 OPGs and CBCT images were used to assess the type of impactions and evaluate the relationship of impacted teeth with the IAN. Mesioangular impaction was the most commonly observed type of impaction followed by vertical, horizontal, and distoangular impactions. The most commonly observed relationship was mandibular canal running apically or buccally with respect to the impacted tooth but without being in contact with it. The classification utilizing the topographic relationship of the impacted mandibular third molar with the IAN canal gives a clear position of the IAN to the impacted teeth. The use of digital volume tomography (DVT) for radiographic assessment reveals the relationship in axial, coronal, and sagittal dimensions, which facilitates appropriate treatment planning to avoid post-operative complications.

Mandibular condyle fractures are the injuries to the head and face in various accidents, especially traffic accidents, which have a significant impact on the quality of life, jaw bone function, and beauty. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of condylar fractures in patients who referred to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during 2005-2016.

In this cross-sectional study, all patients with a maxilla fracture who were admitted to and treated at Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan from March 2005 to March 2016, were included. The data were collected through reading medical records. The prevalence of mandibular condyle fractures, demographic factors and epidemiological characteristics of patients, and performed diagnostic and therapeutic measures were recorded. Finally, the data were entered into SPSS software and analyzed using Fisher's exact test and chi-square test.

During 2005 to 2016, a total of 908 patients with jaw fractures were admitted to and treated in the hospital, of whom 214 (23.7%) patients were with mandibular condyle fractures, 121 (56.5%) with subcondylar fractures, 42 (19.6%) with bilateral fractures, 35 (16.4%) with condylar neck fractures, and 16 (7.5%) patients with condylar head fractures. Besides, the most common cause of fractures was traffic accidents with a frequency of 53.7%. The frequency distribution of dental involvement was significantly different in terms of the cause of fracture (P < 0.050); however, no significant difference was found in terms of the fracture site (P = 0.070).

According to the results of the present study, the prevalence of mandibular condyle fractures was more than 20%, which was associated with dental involvement in some patients. In addition, dental involvement had a significant relationship with the cause of fracture. Considering the effect of mandibular condyle fractures on the patients' quality of life, it is necessary to raise the level of public awareness about the causes and factors affecting maxilla fractures, especially condylar fractures, pay careful attention to initial examinations of traumatic patients, and do essential therapeutic measures for these patients.