COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on dental students: A multi-institutional survey.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate dental students' perceptions and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, their coping strategies and support resources, and their perceived stress levels. METHODS: A customized 19-item survey and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were applied to undergraduate dental students from the US, Spain, Ireland, Chile, India, and Brazil between April 10 and July 5, 2020. Linear modeling and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationships among demographics, stressors, coping mechanisms, social support, and stress RESULTS: A total of 4475 students responded to the survey. The majority (72.4%) were women, and 52.3% had no COVID-19 training at the time of the survey. The students reported that they had to accommodate to changes in patient care (96.6%) and didactic learning (95.2%) activities, while 88.5% of the respondents indicated at least one of their courses moved online. Transition to online courses went "smoothly with some troubles" for 51.8% of the respondents, and 48.3% perceived the faculty as prepared for the online transition; however, 45.9% reported feeling extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their education. The average PSS score was 21.9 of 40 (moderate stress). Multivariate models were built for participants with full data (n = 3899). Being male, having completed more dental coursework, and perceiving a smoother transition were associated with lower PSS scores; more concern about academic progress was associated with higher PSS. Faculty support mediated the relationship between a smoothness of transition and concern about academic progress and PSS scores CONCLUSION: Stress caused by the pandemic may be alleviated by smoother transition and good faculty support.

Matrix metalloproteinase gene polymorphisms and oral cancer.

Since oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignant cancer in the oral cavity, several researches have been performed to study the role of important enzymes in this disease. Among them, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are highlighted, due to the fact that they are proteinases responsible to degrade many extra-cellular matrix components, making possible the invasion of neoplasic cells. Important tools in cancer prognosis have been utilized aiming to correlate high levels of MMPs and OSCC, such as immunohistochemical, zymographic and mRNA detection methods. However, these techniques are usually applied after cancer detection, characterizing a curative but not a preventive medicine. Trying to make interventions before the development of the disease and making possible the identification of people at high risk and, analysis of modifications in MMP genes has been a chance for modern medicine. Recently, polymorphisms in MMP genes have been related to different neoplasias, including OSCC. Despite investigation is beginning, MMP gene polymorphisms seems to have a promising future in oral cancer research and some of the present results have shown that there are MMP polymorphisms related to an increased risk for developing oral cancer. Key words:Oral cancer, polymorphism, matrix metalloproteinase.

Estudo retrospectivo de tumores benignos bucais: análise de 42 anos / Retrospective study of oral benign tumours: a forty-two year analysis

Avaliar a prevalência de tumores benignos de tecido molediagnosticados no Serviço de Patologia Cirúrgica da FOSJCUNESPe comparar os resultados com a literatura.O estudofoi realizado a partir dos laudos histopatológicos do Serviçode Patologia Cirúrgica da FOSJC-UNESP entre 1962-2004.Foram considerados dados como sexo, etnia, idade, localizaçãoanatômica e diagnóstico histopatológico. Foram avaliados 8413laudos histopatológicos e encontradas 775 lesões, sendo o fibromamais frequente (36,64%), ocorrendo principalmente na mucosajugal (58,10%) e na 5a década de vida (23,24%). O papiloma foi asegunda lesão mais comum (25,55%), localizada principalmenteem lábio inferior (18,70%), entre a 1ª e a 5a décadas de vida(74,74%). O fibroma de células gigantes representou 13,30%dos casos, ocorrendo mais em língua (33,00%) entre a 1a e a5ª décadas de vida (84,45%). Os casos de hemangioma (8,64%)ocorreram com maior frequência em lábio inferior (25,37%) entrea 1a e a 6a décadas de vida (89,55%) e os de lipoma (4,26%)localizaram-se principalmente em mucosa jugal (39,40%)acometendo 7a década de vida (27,27%). Todos os casos forammais prevalentes na população branca (69,55%) e em mulheres(53,68%), exceto o lipoma que mostrou discreta predileção pelosexo masculino (51,51%). O estudo dos aspectos epidemiológicosdos tumores benignos orais é importante para confrontar nossacasuística com os resultados da literatura. O detalhamento dascaracterísticas epidemiológicas é de fundamental importância,pois essas informações são de real valor para o estabelecimentodo diagnóstico histopatológico e da melhor conduta terapêutica aser instituída.

Neoplasias malignas orais: estudo retrospectivo de 1962 a 2009 / Oral malignant neoplasias: retrospective study from 1962 to 2009

Introdução: O carcinoma de células escamosas representaa neoplasia maligna mais comum em cavidade bucal. Noentanto, os tecidos moles da boca são afetados por outrasalterações malignas que embora ocorram em uma frequênciasignificativamente inferior àquela apresentada pelo carcinomade células escamosas, merecem destaque por sua importânciaclínica. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a frequênciadestas lesões na cavidade bucal, sua distribuição quanto aogênero, etnia e idade, bem como sua localização anatômica, apartir dos exames anatomopatológicos arquivados no laboratóriode Patologia Cirúrgica do Departamento de Biociências eDiagnóstico Bucal da Faculdade de Odontologia de São José dosCampos (FOSJC-UNESP) no período compreendido entre 1962 e2009. Método e Resultados: Dos 10.401 laudos histopatológicosavaliados, foram diagnosticados 335 casos de neoplasiasmalignas bucais de tecido mole (3,22%), sendo o carcinoma decélulas escamosas a lesão mais prevalente (85,07%), seguidapelo linfoma (4,17%), carcinoma basocelular (2,98%) e carcinomaverrucoso (2,38%). Os indivíduos do sexo masculino (76,42%)e da etnia branca (78,50%) foram os mais acometidos. Houvepredomínio de casos entre a 5ª e a 8ª décadas de vida (86,85%)e o local de maior acometimento foi o lábio inferior (19,40%).Conclusão: Concluiu-se que os achados deste trabalho foramconsistentes com os relatos da literatura, permitindo traçarum perfil dos pacientes acometidos e contribuindo com açõespreventivas de neoplasias malignas bucais.

Intraosseous foreign-body granuloma in the mandible subsequent to a 20-year-old work-related accident

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The purpose of this article was to describe the clinical and microscopic features of an intraosseous foreign-bodygranuloma in the mandible that developed after the traumatic implantation of metal fragments during a work-related accident. A 65-year-old male patient had a severe pain in the body of mandible. Clinical examination showed facial asymmetry and a scar, extending to the left mental region. Intraoral examination revealed a soft mass involving theleft alveolar bone with normal appearance of the mucosa surface. Panoramic radiographs showed a radiolucent lesion along the mandible extending from the central incisive to the first molar. Computed tomography revealed an osteolytic mass in the same area. His medical history included a work-related accident twenty years prior to evaluation. During the biopsy an important amount of bright metal-like pieces surrounded by soft tissue were found. A microscopic examination showed a foreign body associated with an aggregation of multinucleated giant cells. The final diagnosiswas a foreign body granuloma. Even though foreign-body granulomas in the mandible are rare lesions, dentists should be familiar with their features and include them in the differential diagnosis of tissue masses (AU)