Does the topical use of epinephrine for sinus floor augmentation affect systemic hemodynamics?

PURPOSE: Although epinephrine is one of the most commonly used vasoconstrictor in association with local anesthesia in dentistry, systemic effects of topical admission of epinephrine for sinus augmentation have not been investigated yet. The purpose of this study was to reveal the safety of epinephrine as a topical vasoconstrictor in sinus augmentation procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three healthy patients who require sinus floor augmentation for dental implant placement were included in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the application of either epinephrine-soaked cottonoid or saline-soaked cottonoid for sinus floor augmentation, and heart rate, systolic, and diastolic pressures were evaluated and compared before, during, and after the procedure. RESULTS: Although there were changes in heart rate, systolic, and diastolic blood pressures, no statistical significance was observed for neither heart rate nor systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the topical use of 1/100,000 epinephrine ensures efficacy by helping the clinician to elevate the sinus membrane and keeps the changes in systemic hemodynamics within safe limitations.

Bone lid technique with piezosurgery to preserve inferior alveolar nerve.

The inferior alveolar nerve is at risk during surgical removal of impacted mandibular teeth and excision of benign tumors of mandible. Manual and/or mechanical instruments used in the close proximity of delicate structures do not allow the control of the cutting depth and can damage these structures by accidental contact. Piezoelectric surgery is a new and innovative bone surgery technique using the microvibrations of special scalpels at ultrasonic frequency so therefore soft tissue will not be damaged even upon accidental contact with the cutting tip. This article presents an alternative technique that uses piezoelectricity to minimize trauma to the inferior alveolar nerve, vascular tissues, or surrounding dental tissues.

Prevalence of tongue lesions among Turkish schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVES: To collect data on the prevalence of tongue lesions of Turkish schoolchildren in 3 different population samples in Ankara, and to analyze the relationship between tongue lesions and gender, oral hygiene, and income levels. METHODS: Nine hundred and six schoolchildren aged 6-12 participated in this study between March 2004 and July 2004 in Ankara, Turkey. Of the 906 schoolchildren, 442 were girls and 464 were boys from 3 primary schools. We examined all the children for the presence of the following tongue lesions: 1) ankyloglossia, 2) bifid tongue, 3) fissured tongue, 4) geographic tongue, 5) median rhomboid glossitis, 6) lingual thyroid nodule, 7) atrophic tongue, 8) hairy tongue, 9) crenation tongue, 10) furred tongue, 11) macroglossia, 12) microglossia, and 13) lingual or sublingual varicosities. RESULTS: Of the 906 subjects, we detected 45 subjects with tongue lesions with a prevalence of 4.95%. We found lesions more frequently in boys (6%) than in girls (4.5%). However, these results were statistically insignificant. Oral lesions commonly found were geographic tongue (1.8%), ankyloglossia (1.3%), fissured tongue (0.9%), bifid tongue (0.4%), hairy tongue (0.2%) and macroglossia (0.2%), lingual thyroid nodule (0.1%). We did not find any of the following lesions: median rhomboid glossitis, atrophic tongue, crenation tongue, furred tongue, microglossia, lingual, or sublingual varicosities. CONCLUSION: The tongue has a special importance due to its localization. It can readily affect a patient's social life because of lesions and various symptoms. The localization of tongue may also play important role in diagnosis for systematic, hormonal, and allergic disorders.