Two Cases of COVID-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: A New and Worrying Entity Is Emerging.

Many people were affected by COVID-19 in its severe form. Some intercurrences are still emerging. We here report two cases of COVID-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (CRONJ). Two retrospective cases were admitted into Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran with suspected CRONJ. One patient escaped from hospital while the other showed a positive result after our proposed treatment. A new aftermath to COVID-19 infections is emerging. Maxillofacial and orthopedic surgeons should be aware of this situation. CRONJ should be on the suspect list in patients with COVID-19. Measures that are useful in the treatment carried out, as well as some measures recommended in the literature, were discussed. Surgical treatment of CRONJ appears to be an effective alternative, especially in the more aggressive cases.

Assessing the Utility of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Posters as Educational Aids in Dental Education for Undergraduate Students: Is it Useless or Helpful?

Background: Educational posters play a crucial role in education, information dissemination, and awareness. Their visual appeal efficiently communicates condensed yet vital information on significant topics, making them valuable for teaching sequential concepts. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department for student education. Methods: The study was carried out during the fall semester of 2022 at Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad, Iran utilizing a questionnaire-based approach. The questionnaire gathered demographic information and assessed students' perspectives on educational posters. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 with a significance level set at 0.05. Results: This study was conducted on 70 students (35 females and 35 males). Gender-based analysis demonstrated significant differences in beauty, adaptability, and learning, with male students scoring lower than females (P values = 0.036 and 0.031, respectively). Further analysis by academic year unveiled higher beauty and adaptability scores among third-year students compared to second-year students, showing statistical significance (P value = 0.035). A two-by-two comparison highlighted that the average beauty score of third and fifth-year students surpassed that of second-year students (P values = 0.041 and 0.038, respectively). In summary, higher academic years correlated with superior performance, emphasizing the potential impact of educational posters on academic outcomes. Conclusion: Posters in the oral and maxillofacial surgery department received commendable ratings in various areas, positively impacting the teaching and learning process.

What is the Most Prevalent Type of Third Molar Impaction in Patients with Pericoronitis?

Background: Pericoronitis is a common pathological condition related to mandibular third molar teeth (wisdom teeth). It is an inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding the crown of an erupted or partially erupted tooth that causes pain and discomfort. We aimed to investigate the relation between third molar impaction types and pericoronitis. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 60 patients referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran in 2022 for totally and partially impacted mandibular third molar tooth surgery with pericoronitis. Their demographic data, including age and gender, was recorded. The impacted tooth's side and the symptoms of pericoronitis were identified using clinical examination and panoramic radiography imaging, based on the Pell & Gregory criteria and Peterson's classification. Third-molar tooth surgery was performed according to standard protocol. Patients' data were recorded and were analyzed using Excel 2019 and SPSS ver 21. Results: The prevalence of pericoronitis symptoms in women was higher than in men (P< 0.001). The Class B type of third molar teeth impaction had a relation with the majority of pericoronitis cases (P< 0.001). Pericoronitis and systemic symptoms were more likely to occur in Class II than in Class I type of third molar teeth impaction (P< 0.001). The most frequent kind of impaction linked to pericoronitis and systemic symptoms such as malaise was mesio-angular (P< 0.001). The symptoms of pericoronitis were substantially correlated with smoking (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Class B, Class II, and mesio-angular types of third molar impaction are linked with a higher risk of pericoronitis. This information might help in the early diagnosis and management of pericoronitis in patients with impacted third molar teeth.

Analysis of diurnal to seasonal variations and trends in air pollution potential in an urban area.

Air pollution is the world's largest environmental health threat to humans and has wide-ranging adverse effects on the environment. The term ventilation coefficient (VC), which is a function of the average wind speed through the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the PBL height (PBLH), can be used to estimate air pollution potential. We analyzed PBLH, wind speed through PBL, and VC over Tehran using ERA5, and PM2.5 surface concentration using MERRA-2 during 1991-2020. Both PBLH and VC undergo substantial diurnal variations, with higher values during the day and much lower values at night. As a result, PM2.5 concentration in Tehran is the maximum in the early morning, while it is relatively lower in the afternoon. The average wind speed through PBL shows the same diurnal variation in all seasons, except in winter when winds in PBL are stronger at night than during the day. Both PBLH and VC over Tehran show substantial seasonal variations, with much higher values in summer followed in decreasing order by spring, autumn, and winter, highlighting an extremely high air pollution potential in winter. Hence, due to high pollutant emissions, the occurrence of severe air pollution is expected to be a common feature in Tehran in winter. PBLH has significantly increased over Tehran both during the day and at night for the period 1991-2020, primarily in response to the surface warming in recent decades, while wind speed through PBL has significantly declined only at night. The overall impact of such changes is an increase in VC over Tehran both during the day and at night, although the increasing trend of VC is statistically significant only at night. Our results highlight the urgent need for the implementation of effective sustainable policies to reduce air pollution and its adverse effects in winter when air pollution potential is high in Tehran.

Dust in Western Iran: the emergence of new sources in response to shrinking water bodies.

We detected sources of dust in the Middle East that contribute to dust events in Western Iran in different seasons. By the analysis of the synoptic data, we identified 309 dusty days in Western Iran during the period 2000-2016. A dusty day is diagnosed if under low horizontal visibility (< 1 km), the dust in suspension is reported at least once a day in at least three synoptic stations. We identified dust sources in the Middle East based on the analysis of the MOD04L2 data from MODIS, the backward HYSPLIT trajectory model, and synoptic conditions. The most influential sources affecting Western Iran are located on the shore and northwest of Lake Tharthar, Hour-al-Azim Marsh, the shore of Razzaza, Habbaniyah Lakes, and West Hammar Marsh, which contributed to 110, 79, 59, 56, and 51 dusty days, respectively. The fluctuation of the surface water area largely contributes to the variability of dusty days in Western Iran. Indeed, the peak dust activity in Western Iran was during the period 2008-2012 in response to the substantial shrinkage of the main water bodies in Iraq. The main sources of dust influencing Western Iran are located in northern and eastern Saudi Arabia in spring, Deir ez-Zur in Syria's Aleppo and Raqqa in summer, and Syria's Homs and Al-Hasakah in winter and spring. Sources of dust in Western Iraq and in most parts of entire Iraq have, respectively, led to the formation of summer and spring dust events in Western Iran. Decreased precipitation in the Middle East from autumn 2007 to 2012 and the occurrence of severe droughts have also contributed to the shrinkage of lakes and wetlands, as well as the reduced agricultural productivity in the Middle East, all of which contributed to the intensification of dust activity in Western Iran in recent decades.

Etiology, Epidemiology, and Treatment Type of Maxillofacial Traumas in Razavi Khorasan Province with Certain Insurance between 2016 and 2021.

Background: Trauma is a leading cause of death and disability in developing countries, with maxillofacial fractures being a significant part of such cases. This study focuses on maxillofacial traumas among insured patients in Razavi Khorasan province (2016-2021), exploring the impact of gender, age, and trauma causes on injury prevalence and treatment approaches. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized the records of the patients who were treated for maxillofacial fractures in Mashhad Shahid Kamyab Hospital or a Private Trauma Center, from 2016 to 2021. Demographic characteristics of the patients (age and gender), educational backgrounds of surgeons, accident causes, year and location of the fractures, and reasons for referrals were recorded. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 20, and the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: We examined the records of 60 patients (44 males, 16 females). Males (73.4%) exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of maxillofacial traumas compared to females (26%) (P Value < 0.05). Falling was identified as the most common cause of fractures (51.7%), followed by impacts from hard objects and motor vehicle accidents (MVA) (P Value = 0.63). Mandible fractures were observed in 48% of patients, followed by zygomaticomaxillary and panfacial fractures, subsequently (P Value < 0.05). Conclusion: The study findings highlight the impact of age, gender, and trauma causes on maxillofacial fractures and treatments among patients with certain insurance. Understanding the origins and patterns of these fractures offers crucial insights for shaping effective health policies, providing valuable guidance for addressing such injuries in this population.

What Is the Effect of Maxillary Impaction Orthognathic Surgery on Voice Characteristics? A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Regarding the impact of orthognathic surgery on the airway and voice, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of maxillary impaction surgery on patients' voices through acoustic analysis and articulation assessment. Methods: This quasi-experimental, before-and-after, double-blind study aimed at examining the effects of maxillary impaction surgery on the voice of orthognathic surgery patients. Before the surgery, a speech therapist conducted acoustic analysis, which included fundament frequency (F0), Jitter, Shimmer, and the harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), as well as first, second, and third formants (F1, F2, and F3). The patient's age, sex, degree of maxillary deformity, and impaction were documented in a checklist. Voice analysis was repeated during follow-up appointments at one and six months after the surgery in a blinded manner. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 23, and the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: Twenty two patients (18 females, 4 males) were examined, with ages ranging from 18 to 40 years and an average age of 25.54 years. F2, F3, HNR, and Shimmer demonstrated a significant increase over the investigation period compared to the initial phase of the study (P <0.001 for each). Conversely, the Jitter variable exhibited a significant decrease during the follow-up assessments in comparison to the initial phase of the study (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Following maxillary impaction surgery, improvements in voice quality were observed compared to the preoperative condition. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the relevancy.