ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of bevacizumab on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in Wistar rats. Materials and methods: The OTM model was constructed by placing an orthodontic coil spring between the maxillary first molar and anterior tooth. Bevacizumab (Avastin®; 10 mg/kg twice per week) was started one week before the OTM and continued for 3 weeks. After 1 and 2 weeks, OTM distance and anterior tooth mobility were measured. Thereafter, the maxilla was dissected for micro-CT microarchitectural analysis, followed by histological analysis, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. Moreover, the distributions of collagen fibers type-I and -III (Col-I and Col-III) were evaluated using Picro-Sirius red staining. Results: Orthodontic force prompted bone resorption and formation on the pressure and tension sides, respectively. Bevacizumab therapy resulted in a 42% increase of OTM, particularly after 2 weeks. Furthermore, bevacizumab disturbed the morphometric structure at both pressure and tension sites. The histological evaluation indicated about 35-44% fewer osteoblasts in the bevacizumab group, especially at the tension side, whereas the proportion of TRAP-positive osteoclasts at the pressure side was 34-37% higher than the control. The mature Col-I was reduced at the tension site by 33%, whereas the Col-III/Col-I ratio was enhanced by 20-44% at pressure and tension sites, after 2 weeks, in the bevacizumab group. Conclusion: Anti-vascular bevacizumab therapy accentuates OTM in rat model, possibly through the enhancement of bone resorption, at the pressure side, and the reduction of bone formation, at the tension side as well as dysregulation of collagen fibers distribution.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of medical conditions, oral hygiene practices, and dental visits among patients who attended a teaching dental hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials & Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study used patient records from 2009 to 2015 from the dental hospital of the College of Dentistry Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. Patients' demographics, medical history, oral hygiene practices, reasons for attending the facility, attendance patterns, and smoking habits were studied. RESULTS: The study included 1502 records of patients with 65.1% of males and 34.9% of females. The prevalence of medical conditions was 25.7% in the study. The most common medical conditions included diabetes mellitus (7.2%), hypertension (6.5%), and anemia (4.7%). Only 21.8% reported visiting the dental hospital in the past one year. The prevalence of smoking was 16.7%, and this did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P=0.165). Fillings were the most common (21.6%) reason for visiting a dental hospital, followed by treatment for periodontal problems (12.9%) and oral lesions (12.6%), whereas treatment for braces (orthodontics) was the least common (5%) reason for visiting the hospital. The reasons for visiting the hospital did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P > 0.05). The three most common barriers to dental visits included long waiting time (18.1%), fear of dental treatment (14.4%), and difficulty in getting an appointment (11.3%). CONCLUSION: The study showed that dental patients had a high prevalence of medical conditions. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent problem. Most patients visited the dental hospital to receive restorative treatment, and a long waiting time was the most common barrier to dental visits. Public health measures should be taken to improve the general health and oral care of patients.
