Common conditions associated with displacement of the inferior alveolar nerve canal: A radiographic diagnostic aid

PURPOSE: This study reviewed the common conditions associated with displacement of inferior alveolar nerve canal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: General search engines and specialized databases including Google Scholar, Pub Med, Pub Med Central, Science Direct, and Scopus were used to find relevant studies by using keywords such as “mandibular canal”, “alveolar canal”, “inferior alveolar nerve canal”, “inferior dental canal”, “inferior mandibular canal” and “displacement”. RESULTS: About 120 articles were found, of which approximately 70 were broadly relevant to the topic. We ultimately included 37 articles that were closely related to the topic of interest. When the data were compiled, the following 8 lesions were found to have a relationship with displacement of mandibular canal: radicular/residual cysts, dentigerous cyst, odontogenic keratocyst, aneurysmal bone cyst, ameloblastoma, central giant cell granuloma, fibrous dysplasis, and cementossifying fibroma. CONCLUSION: When clinicians encounter a lesion associated with displaced mandibular canal, they should first consider these entities in the differential diagnosis. This review would help dentists make more accurate diagnoses and develop better treatment plans according to patients' radiographs.

Common conditions associated with mandibular canal widening: A literature review

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the common conditions associated with mandibular canal widening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: General search engines and specialized databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Scopus were used to find relevant studies by using the following keywords: “mandibular canal,” “alveolar canal,” “inferior alveolar nerve canal,” “inferior dental canal,” “inferior mandibular canal,” “widening,” “enlargement,” “distension,” “expansion,” and “dilation.” RESULTS: In total, 130 articles were found, of which 80 were broadly relevant to the topic. We ultimately included 38 articles that were closely related to the topic of interest. When the data were compiled, the following 7 lesions were found to have a relationship with mandibular canal widening: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, osteosarcoma, schwannoma, neurofibroma, vascular malformation/hemangioma, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes, and perineural spreading or invasion. CONCLUSION: When clinicians encounter a lesion associated with mandibular canal widening, they should immediately consider these entities in the differential diagnosis. Doing so will help dentists make more accurate diagnoses and develop better treatment plans based on patients' radiographs.

Review of common conditions associated with periodontal ligament widening

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to review a group of lesions associated with periodontal ligament (PDL) widening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search was performed using specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Scopus to find relevant studies by using keywords such as “periodontium”, “periodontal ligament”, “periodontal ligament space”, “widened periodontal ligament”, and “periodontal ligament widening”. RESULTS: Out of nearly 200 articles, about 60 were broadly relevant to the topic. Ultimately, 47 articles closely related to the topic of interest were reviewed. When the relevant data were compiled, the following 10 entities were identified: occlusal/orthodontic trauma, periodontal disease/periodontitis, pulpo-periapical lesions, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, progressive systemic sclerosis, radiation-induced bone defect, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis, and osteomyelitis. CONCLUSION: Although PDL widening may be encountered by many dentists during their routine daily procedures, the clinician should consider some serious related conditions as well.

Jaw lesions associated with impacted tooth: A radiographic diagnostic guide

This review article aimed to introduce a category of jaw lesions associated with impacted tooth. General search engines and specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, MedLine Plus, Science Direct, Scopus, and well-recognized textbooks were used to find relevant studies using keywords such as "jaw lesion", "jaw disease", "impacted tooth", and "unerupted tooth". More than 250 articles were found, of which approximately 80 were broadly relevant to the topic. We ultimately included 47 articles that were closely related to the topic of interest. When the relevant data were compiled, the following 10 lesions were identified as having a relationship with impacted tooth: dentigerous cysts, calcifying odontogenic cysts, unicystic (mural) ameloblastomas, ameloblastomas, ameloblastic fibromas, adenomatoid odontogenic tumors, keratocystic odontogenic tumors, calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors, ameloblastic fibro-odontomas, and odontomas. When clinicians encounter a lesion associated with an impacted tooth, they should first consider these entities in the differential diagnosis. This will help dental practitioners make more accurate diagnoses and develop better treatment plans based on patients' radiographs.

Radiolucent rim as a possible diagnostic aid for differentiating jaw lesions

In this study, we formulate a new proposal that complements previous classifications in order to assist dental practitioners in performing a differential diagnosis based on patients' radiographs. We used general search engines and specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, MedLine Plus, Science Direct, Scopus, and well-recognized textbooks to find relevant studies by using keywords such as "jaw disease," "jaw lesions," "radiolucent rim," "radiolucent border," and "radiolucent halo." More than 200 articles were found, of which 70 were broadly relevant to the topic. We ultimately included 50 articles that were closely related to the topic of interest. When the relevant data were compiled, the following eight lesions were identified as having a radiolucent rim: periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia, focal cemento-osseous dysplasia, florid cemento-osseous dysplasia, cemento-ossifying fibroma, osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, odontoma, and cementoblastoma. We propose a novel subcategory, jaw lesions with a radiolucent rim, which includes eight entities. The implementation of this new category can help improve the diagnoses that dental practitioners make based on patients' radiographs.

Position of impacted mandibular third molar in different skeletal facial types: First radiographic evaluation in a group of Iranian patients

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the position of impacted mandibular third molars in different skeletal facial types among a group of Iranian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 400 mandibular third molars in 200 subjects with different types of facial growth were radiographically investigated for their positions according to their types of facial growth on the basis of the beta angle. The subjects were divided into three groups (class I, II, and III) according to ANB angle, representing the anteroposterior relationship of the maxilla to the mandible. Meanwhile, the subjects were also divided into three groups (long, normal, and short face) according to the angle between the stella-nasion and mandibular plane (SNGoGn angle). ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean beta angle showed no significant difference among class I, II, and III malocclusions (df=2, F=0.669, p=0.513). The same results were also found in short, normal, and long faces (df=1.842, F=2, p=0.160). The mesioangular position was the most frequent one in almost all of the facial growth patterns. Distoangular and horizontal positions of impaction were not found in the subjects with class III and normal faces. In the long facial growth pattern, the frequency of vertical and distoangular positions were not different. CONCLUSION: In almost all of the skeletal facial types, the mesioangular impaction of the mandibular third molar was the most prevalent position, followed by the horizontal position. In addition, beta angle showed no significant difference in different types of facial growth.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with systemic sclerosis: a case report

Objective: Systemic sclerosis [SS] is a chronic autoimmune disease of connective tissue, which involves skin and internal organs, and results in collagen deposition and fibroblasts activation. Studies have reported a higher risk of malignancy in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis [PSS].The aim of this study is to report a case of tongue squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] in a patient with PSS

Case: A 46-year-old woman with SS presented to the Department of Oral Medicine of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Dental School with chief complaint of an ulcer on her tongue. During intraoral examination, an asymptomatic ulcer measuring 2.0×1.5 cm was discovered on the right lateral border of the tongue. Incisional biopsy under local anesthesia was performed and histopathological report confirmed presence of squamous cell carcinoma. After further evaluation, surgery was performed, followed by three sessions of brachytherapy and six sessions of chemotherapy. After 26 months of follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence

Conclusion: Periodic screening examinations are necessary to discover possible malignancies in primary stages in patients with SS

Prevalence and characteristics of pneumatized articular tubercle: First large series in Iranian people

PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of pneumatized articular tubercle or eminence among a defined group of Iranian people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital panoramic radiographs of 1694 patients in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Hamadan Dental School, Iran were evaluated retrospectively to detect the above lesion. Finally, 1563 radiographs were selected according to inclusion criteria. Then, a review was done of 10 large case series found using a MEDLINE search of the literature. Chi-squared test was used to analyze the differences in variables such as age, gender, laterality, and locularity in our case series. RESULTS: The average age of our samples was 32.6+/-7.63 years. Pneumatized articular tubercle was found in 98 cases, representing a prevalence of 6.2% with a mean age of 22.8+/-7.9 and a range of 8 to 60 years. Sixty-four (65.3%) pneumatized articular tubercles were unilateral, with 30 lesions on the right and 34 on the left side. Bilateral lesions were found in 34 (34.7%) patients. 52 (53.06%) of the pneumatized articular tubercles were of the unilocular type and 46 (46.94%) were multilocular. The results showed no statistically significant differences regarding age (p=0.454), gender (p=0.634), laterality (p=0.252), or locularity (p=0.807) among the samples. CONCLUSION: Among ten large case series from other countries, the prevalence of pneumatized articular tubercle (6.2%) in Iranian patients was higher than that of all eight of the case series that used the same detection method as the present study of panoramic radiography.

Oral microflora in patients on hemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients

We aimed to determine oral microflora of patients on long-term hemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients, and to compare them with individuals without kidney disease. We studied on 3 groups including patients on at least 6 months of hemodialysis, kidney transplant recipients for more than 2 years, and controls with a normal kidney function. Staining and culture were applied for samples from the dorsum of the tongue and the oral floor in order to detect aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and Candida. The participants were 49 patients on hemodialysis, 50 kidney transplant recipients, and 50 volunteers in the control group. The abundance of Candida was significantly higher in the hemodialysis and transplant groups compared with the control group. The mean of various microorganisms was found to be significantly higher in the hemodialysis group than the control group [P = .03]; however, the frequency of these microorganisms in the transplant group was lower than that in the hemodialysis group. Adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of having Candida in the hemodialysis and transplant groups were 3.54 [95% CI, 1.21 to 10.41] and 3.49 [95% CI, 1.27 to 9.18] times higher compared to the control group, respectively. Hemodialysis and kidney transplantation could affect oral microflora. Candida was significantly more frequent in these patients compared to healthy adults. Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli, Porphyromonas, and Candida is seen slightly less frequently after kidney transplantation, which might be in favor of promising effects of kidney transplantation on oral microflora

Prevalence of referred pain with pulpal origin in the head, face and neck region

This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of referred pain with pulpal source in the head, face and neck region among patient referred to Dental school of Shahid Beheshti University MC, Tehran, Iran in 2004. In this cross-sectional study, 100 patients [55 males and 45 females] referred to oral medicine department of Shahid Beheshti Dental School evaluated via clinical and radiographic examination to seek their pain sources and sites. Inclusion criteria were report of pain and a dental clinician accomplished detection of pain origin. Exclusion criteria were non-odontogenic painful diseases, advanced periodontal disease, and substantial carious lesions. Visual analogue scale[VAS] was used to score pain intensity; meanwhile the patients were asked to mark the painful sites on an illustrated head and neck mannequin. Sixty-five percent of patients reported pain in sites which diagnostically differed from the pain source. According to statistical analysis, duration [P 0.05]. The prevalence of referred pain with pulpal origin in the head, face and neck region is moderately high which requires precise diagnosis by dental practitioners. Some hallmarks of irreversible pulpitis [e.g. spontaneous and persistent pain after elimination of stimulus] are related to pain referral