The effects of enoxaparin treatment in a xenograft mouse model of oral squamous cell carcinoma: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that enoxaparin may have therapeutic effects on oral squamous cell carcinoma. We aimed to assess this effect utilizing xenograft mouse model through evaluations of proliferation and angiogenesis markers at the RNA and protein levels. METHODS: Mice were divided into enoxaparin treatment (n = 4), positive control (n = 4) and negative control (n = 3) groups. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed utilizing Bcl-2, Bax and Ki-67 antibodies. Expression levels of proliferation and apoptosis related genes were calculated utilizing qRT-PCR. Time-dependent proliferation assays were performed in OSC-19 and HEK293 cell-lines. RESULTS: Bax antibody showed positive staining in the cytoplasm and nuclei of tumor cells, while Bcl-2 antibody displayed staining only in the cytoplasm. A proliferation index of 15%-20% was found in all groups with the Ki-67 marker indicating no metastasis. Enoxaparin treatment caused decrease in BCL2, BAX and CCNB1 genes' expressions. Compared to HEK293, proliferation assays demonstrated higher division rates in OSC-19 with a significant decrease in viability after 96 h. CONCLUSION: Reduced BCL-2 expression indicates a regression of tumor growth, but reduced BAX expression is not correlated with increased apoptosis. Despite the aggressive nature of OSC-19, our results showed a low cell viability with a high division rate when compared with the control HEK293. This paralleled our in vivo findings that showed absence of lymph node metastasis across all mice groups. This discrepancy with the literature suggests that further investigations of the underlying mechanisms and protein-level analyses are needed to draw definitive conclusions about the effect of enoxaparin on OSC-19 behavior.

Prevalence and predictors of bruxism in two university clinic patient populations with dental implants: A cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence, predictors, and prosthetic complications of bruxing patients with dental implants in two tertiary clinics in Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: Patients with at least one dental implant and with a fixed prosthesis were examined for the evidence of probable bruxism. Factors that could be related to bruxism were analyzed in relation to patient-specific variables. Technical and mechanical complications were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 1688 patients were analyzed. The overall rate of probable bruxism was 19.72%. Besides self-reported bruxism (p < 0.022), antidepressant use (p < 0.002), frequent headaches (p < 0.014), and observation of linea alba (p < 0.028) were the predictors for probable bruxism. Technical and mechanical complications were frequent in the probable bruxers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall prevalence of bruxism was 19.72%, and bruxism was associated with general and gender-specific predictors.

Evaluation of different fixation methods with finite element analysis in total mandibular subapical osteotomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the stress distribution in various miniplates that were used in cases that underwent advancement with total mandibular subapical osteotomy (TMSO) using finite element analysis (FEA). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of a patient with appropriate bone tissues were used as a reference for the modeling of the mandible. In all mandibular models, horizontal TMSO was performed in a region 5 mm away from the apex of the teeth and vertical TMSO was performed in the retromolar region, 10 mm posterior to the second molar tooth. After TMSO, the dentoalveolar segment was advanced 3 mm and miniplates were placed symmetrically at four points for fixation. Four different miniplates with 2.0 mm thickness were used. Three different forces were applied to the models. Stress distribution on the models was evaluated using maximum von Mises stress values. RESULTS: The maximum von Mises stress occurred in Y + I and Y + L models following the application of 300 N force from the incisal. An evaluation of posterior unilateral force indicated that the stress was remarkably high in the models with a posterior I-plate. The stress in the Y + I model was higher under unilateral force compared to the stress in other models. Under posterior bilateral force, the maximum von Mises stress values ​​occurred in the I-plates of T + I, Y + I, and L + I models (1006, 1012, and 1004 MPa, respectively). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of our study, we found that the ideal stress distribution was in the T + L and L + L plate combinations in the plates used for fixation after advancement with TMSO.

Evaluation of the effect of conscious sedation on patient satisfaction and pain after wisdom tooth extraction.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of sedation on postoperative pain and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing the extraction of wisdom teeth with mucosal retention under conscious sedation + local anesthesia versus local anesthesia alone. METHODS: The study included patients aged 18-78 years who presented to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department for the extraction of impacted mandibular wisdom teeth. Patients were divided into two groups based on the anesthetic technique used for the procedure: (i) local anesthesia (Control group, n=71) and (ii) Conscious sedation + local anesthesia (Experimental group, n=69). Postoperative pain was assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Relationship between VAS scores and age groups was analyzed in both experimental and control groups. Patient satisfaction was assessed via face-to-face or telephone interviews 14 days after surgery in both groups. RESULTS: The VAS scores were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group in all three measurements (p<0.05). A significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to their responses in the satisfaction questionnaire (p<0.0001), whereby 68.97% of the patients in the experimental group replied as "Absolutely yes". In the experimental group, the VAS scores were significantly higher in women than in men in the measurements performed on days 2, 7, and 14. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the pain levels were lower in patients that underwent wisdom tooth extraction under conscious sedation with local anesthesia compared to patients that underwent local anesthesia alone.

Is Perioperative Antibiotic Necessary in Straightforward Implant Placement Procedures?

The purpose of this nonrandom retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the impact of perioperative antibiotic on early outcomes, including postoperative pain, swelling, bleeding, and cyanosis, in patients undergoing dental implant placement before prosthetic loading. Seventy-five patients (45 men, 30 women) who had completed dental implant placement were included in the study. Patients who used perioperative antibiotics comprised the experimental group, and those who did not comprised the control group. The experimental group received 2 g amoxicillin + clavulanic acid 1 hour before surgery and 1 g amoxicillin + clavulanic acid twice a day for 5 days after surgery. The control group received no perioperative antibiotic therapy. Data on pain, swelling, bleeding, cyanosis, flap dehiscence, suppuration, and implant failure were analyzed on postoperative days 2, 7, and 14 and at week 12. No statistically significant difference was detected between the 2 groups with regard to pain and swelling on postoperative days 2, 7, and 14 and week 12 (P > .05), while the severity of pain and swelling were greater on day 2 than on days 7 and 14 and week 12 in both groups (P = .001 and P < .05, respectively). Similarly, no significant difference was found between the 2 groups with regard to postoperative bleeding and cyanosis. Although flap dehiscence was more severe on day 7 in the experimental group, no significant difference was found between the 2 groups with regard to the percentage of flap dehiscence assessed at other time points. Within the limitations of the study, it has been demonstrated that antibiotic use has no effect on implant failure rates in dental implant surgery with a limited number of implants. We conclude that perioperative antibiotic use may not be required in straightforward implant placement procedures. Further randomized controlled clinical studies with more patients and implants are needed to substantiate our findings.

A case of multiple dental anomalies: a variant of Ekman-Westborg-Julin trait.

Simultaneous occurrence of multiple dental anomalies is relatively common and has been reported particularly in cases with systemic alterations or syndromes. However, in 1974, Ekman-Westborg and Julin described a unique case of multiple macrodontia and multituberculism of posterior teeth accompanied by multiple dental malformations without other systemic anomalies. Here we report the case of a 20-year-old female patient who presented with macrodontia affecting her maxillary lateral teeth, mandibular incisors, and impacted multituberculated wisdom teeth accompanied by other dental anomalies that manifested itself as a variant of the Ekman-Westborg-Julin trait.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and biphasic calcium phosphate in the endosseous healing of femoral defects: An experimental rat study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The presence of adequate bone volume is a critical factor in rehabilitative dentistry. Despite the use of many promising alloplasts, success in stimulating bone formation has been limited, mostly due to poor local biological response. Growth factors have been introduced to stimulate angiogenesis and new bone formation. This histologic and histomorphometric study aimed to evaluate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and a biphasic alloplastic graft material (BA) on the healing of endosseous defects in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty male Wistar rats were used. Two critical-sized bone defects were created in both the right and left femurs of each rat. Each defect was randomly assigned to be treated with VEGF, BA, or VEGF + BA, or to be left empty as a control. Half of the animals were sacrificed after 1 week, and the remaining half were sacrificed after 2 weeks. Inflammation, necrosis, and new bone areas were evaluated by means of histologic and histomorphometric analyses. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, defects treated with VEGF alone or in combination with BA showed higher rates of bone formation (33.10-46.60%) on Day 7. Additionally, VEGF significantly reduced inflammation and necrosis (P < 0.001). However, the differences were no longer discernable on Day 14. CONCLUSION: VEGF makes a significant contribution to angiogenesis and osteogenesis in the early stages of bone defect healing, and its combination with an osteoconductive grafting material (BA) may further enhance new bone formation.

Comparison of Bone Resorption Rates after Intraoral Block Bone and Guided Bone Regeneration Augmentation for the Reconstruction of Horizontally Deficient Maxillary Alveolar Ridges.

Purpose. Bone atrophy after tooth loss may leave insufficient bone for implant placement. We compared volumetric changes after autogenous ramus block bone grafting (RBG) or guided bone regeneration (GBR) in horizontally deficient maxilla before implant placement. Materials and Methods. In this retrospective study, volumetric changes at RBG or GBR graft sites were evaluated using cone-beam computed tomography. The primary outcome variable was the volumetric resorption rate. Secondary outcomes were bone gain, graft success, and implant insertion torque. Results. Twenty-four patients (28 grafted sites) were included (GBR, 15; RBG, 13). One patient (RBG) suffered mucosal dehiscence at the recipient site 6 weeks after surgery, which healed spontaneously. Mean volume reduction in the GBR and RBG groups was 12.48 ± 2.67% and 7.20 ± 1.40%, respectively. GBR resulted in significantly more bone resorption than RBG (P < 0.001). Mean horizontal bone gain and width after healing were significantly greater in the GBR than in the RBG group (P = 0.002 and 0.005, resp.). Implant torque was similar between groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Both RBG and GBR hard-tissue augmentation techniques provide adequate bone graft volume and stability for implant insertion. However, GBR causes greater resorption at maxillary augmented sites than RBG, which clinicians should consider during treatment planning.

Evaluation of the autogenous bone block transfer for dental implant placement: Symphysal or ramus harvesting?

BACKGROUND: The absence of sufficient bone volume is the most relevant problem in implant dentistry. Grafting from exogenous sources may provide a limited gain but exhibits poor performance in large bone defects. Autogenous bone block transfer (ABBT) from the mandibular symphysis and ramus has been used with varying rates of success. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of symphysal and ramus ABBT for the restoration of lost horizontal alveolar bone volume in the anterior maxilla. Implants placed in the augmented areas were also evaluated. METHODS: The maxillary alveolar bone deficits of 32 patients were treated by similar-sized autogenous bone blocks (7 × 7 × 4 mm) harvested from the symphysis or ramus area. After 4 to 5 months of healing, implants were inserted. At the end of the osseointegration period, the implants were restored by fixed prostheses. Baseline bone thickness was determined by Cone beam computed tomography and was compared to post-op and one-year post-loading bone thickness values where the implants were inserted. Any complications or consequences were noted. The success and survival of the 45 implants were evaluated. The results were analyzed using the Student t-test and Fisher's exact test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Post-op complications were frequent in both groups. Baseline bone thickness values were similar at the beginning of the study (p = 0.71) and exhibited a significant increase after the ABBT surgery (6.29 (SD 0.86) and 6.01 (SD 0.92) mm in the symphysis and ramus groups, respectively). The amount of bone thickness gain was 4.34 mm (SD: 0.92) and 4.36 mm (SD: 1.01) in the symphysis and ramus groups, respectively. After one year, the mean surface resorption was 0.6 mm (SD: 0.78) and 0.80 mm (SD: 0.56) for the symphysis and ramus groups, respectively (p = 0.089). The success and survival rates of the implants were 94.11 and 96.42 %, respectively. No graft failures were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Both symphysal and ramus ABBT procedures were successful for the restoration of a horizontal bone defect in the anterior maxilla. Ramus harvesting may be advisable due to fewer complications. Implants placed in the grafted regions exhibited a high success and survival rate within the one-year follow-up period.