Analysis of Pediatric Pulpotomy, Pulpectomy, and Extractions in Primary Teeth Revealed No Significant Association with Subsequent Root Canal Therapy and Extractions in Permanent Teeth: A Retrospective Study.

Recent evidence suggests that an ever-growing number of pediatric patients require invasive treatments such as root canal therapy (RCT) in their permanent dentition, albeit with little information about risk factors such as prior invasive treatments of pulpotomy or pulpectomy in their primary dentition. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study were to determine the number of pediatric patients who have had any type of invasive treatment in their primary teeth, to assess their association with any subsequent invasive treatment (root canal therapy, extractions) in their permanent dentition, and to assess these trends over time. This retrospective study utilized summary data from a clinical pediatric patient pool (ages 0-17) over the period of 2013-2022. This analysis revealed that pediatric patients requiring pulpotomies and pulpectomies in primary dentition declined between 2013 (n = 417, n = 156) and 2022 (n = 250, n = 12), while root canal therapy (RCT) in permanent dentition increased six-fold from n = 54 to n = 330. In addition, few (7.8%) patients with RCT had a previous history of pulpotomy or pulpectomy, which suggests that invasive treatments performed in primary dentition have no direct association with the subsequent need for invasive treatments in permanent dentition, although more research is needed to determine the explanations for these observations.

Downstream Target Analysis for miR-365 among Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas Reveals Differential Associations with Chemoresistance.

Expression of microRNAs, such as miR-365, is known to be dysregulated in many tumors, including oral cancers, although little is known about their role or functions. The objective of this project is to evaluate the downstream targets of miR-365 to determine any potential pathways or effects. Downstream targets for miR-365 (miRdatabase target scores > 90) were used for qPCR screening of oral cancer cell lines (SCC4, SCC9, SCC15, SCC25, CAL27). Each oral cancer cell line expressed miR-365 downstream targets molybdenum cofactor synthesis-2 (MOCS2), erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), IQ motif containing-K (IQCK), carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3), solute carrier family 24 member-3 (SLC24A3), and coiled-coil domain containing 47 (CCDC47)-although the expression levels varied somewhat. However, differential results were observed with ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component n-recognin-3 (UBR3), nudix hydrolase-12 (NUDT12), zinc finger CCHC-type containing-14 (ZCCHC14), and homeobox and leucine zipper encoding (HOMEZ). These data suggest that many of the miR-365 targets are expressed in the oral cancers screened, with the differential expression of UBR3, ZCCHC14, HOMEZ, and NUDT12, which may be correlated with chemoresistance among two specific oral cancer cell lines (SCC25, SCC9). These results suggest this differential expression may signal potential targets for patient treatment with tumors exhibiting miR-365 and chemotherapeutic resistance.

Higher Prevalence of the Periodontal Pathogen Selenomonas noxia among Pediatric and Adult Patients May Be Associated with Overweight and Obesity.

New evidence has suggested that oral and gut microflora may have significant impacts on the predisposition, development, and stability of obesity in adults over time-although less is known about this phenomenon in children. Compared with healthy-weight controls, overweight and obese adult patients are now known to harbor specific pathogens, such as Selenomonas noxia (S. noxia), that are capable of digesting normally non-digestible cellulose and fibers that significantly increase caloric extraction from normal dietary intake. To evaluate this phenomenon, clinical saliva samples (N = 122) from subjects with a normal BMI (18-25) and a BMI over 25 (overweight, obese) from an existing biorepository were screened using qPCR. The prevalence of S. noxia in samples from normal-BMI participants were lower (21.4%) than in overweight-BMI (25-29; 46.1%) and obese-BMI (30 and above; 36.8%) samples-a strong, positive correlation that was not significantly affected by age or race and ethnicity. These data strongly suggest that S. noxia may be intricately associated with overweight and obesity among patients, and more research will be needed to determine the positive and negative feedback mechanisms that may be responsible for these observations as well as the interventions needed to remove or reduce the potential effects of this oral pathogen.

Screening for Selenomonas noxia in a Pediatric and Adolescent Patient Population Reveals Differential Oral Prevalence across Age Groups.

Selenomonas noxia, a gram-negative anaerobe usually present in periodontitis, may be linked to overweight and obese adults. Recent advancements include a valid qPCR screening, enabling an effective prevalence study among pediatric patients aged 7 to 17 years. The aim of this study was to complete a retrospective screening of saliva samples from an existing biorepository using a validated qPCR screening protocol. The pediatric study sample (n = 87) comprised nearly equal numbers of males and females, mostly minority patients (67%), with an average age of 13.2 years. Screening for Selenomonas noxia revealed 34.4% (n = 30/87) positive samples, evenly distributed between males and females (p = 0.5478). However, an age-dependent association was observed with higher percentages of positive samples observed with higher ages (13.3% among 7 to 10 years; 34.6% among 11 to 13 years; 54.8% among 14-17 years), which was statistically significant (p = 0.0001). Although these findings revealed no noteworthy distinctions between males or females and minorities and non-minorities, the notable contrast between younger (7 to 10 years) and older (11 to 17 years) participants, possibly influenced by factors such as hormones and behavioral traits, will require further investigation of this patient population.

Screening for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Reveals HPV52 and HPV58 among Pediatric and Adult Patient Saliva Samples.

Previous research has demonstrated that the human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect a wide range of human tissues, including those within the oral cavity. High-risk oral HPV strains have been associated with the development and progression of oral cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinomas. Although many studies have examined the prevalence of the high-risk strains HPV16 and HPV18, far fewer have assessed the prevalence of other high-risk HPV strains. An approved study protocol was used to identify HPV52 and HPV58 among clinical samples (n = 87) from a saliva biorepository. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and validated primers for HPV52 and HPV58 were used to facilitate this screening. This screening demonstrated that a total of n = 4/45 or 8.9% of adult saliva samples harbored high-risk HPV52, and n = 2/45 or 4.4% tested positive for high-risk HPV58. In addition, a total of n = 6/42 or 14.3% of the pediatric saliva samples tested positive for high-risk HPV, including n = 5/42 or 11.9% with HPV52 and n = 3/42 or 7.1% for HPV58. These data demonstrate the presence of the high-risk oncogenic HPV52 and HPV58 strains among both adult and pediatric clinical patient samples. More detailed longitudinal research must be conducted to determine whether this prevalence may be increasing or decreasing over time. In addition, these data strongly support public health prevention efforts, such as knowledge and awareness of the nine-valent HPV vaccine covering additional high-risk strains, including HPV52 and HPV58.

Differential Expression of MicroRNA MiR-145 and MiR-155 Downstream Targets in Oral Cancers Exhibiting Limited Chemotherapy Resistance.

New evidence has suggested that non-coding microRNAs play a significant role in mediating and modulating chemotherapy resistance, particularly among oral cancers. One recent study found that the upregulation of miR-145 and the downregulation of miR-155 strongly correlated with a limited chemotherapy resistance to Cisplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, and Paclitaxel, although the mechanism(s) responsible for these observations remain unidentified. Using commercially available cell lines of oral squamous cell carcinoma, RNA was isolated, converted into cDNA, and subsequently screened for the expression of downstream targets of miR-145 and miR-155 using qPCR. These results demonstrated the upregulation of miR-21, miR-125, miR-133, miR-365, miR-720, and miR-1246, as well as the downregulation of miR-140, miR-152, miR-218, miR-221, and miR-224. This screening also confirmed the differential expression and regulation of mir-145 and miR-155 among the cell lines with limited chemotherapy resistance (SCC15). In addition, several downstream targets of these specific microRNAs were upregulated by all oral cancer cell lines, such as MBTD1 and FSCN1, or downregulated in all cell lines, such as CLCN3, FLI-1, MRTFB, DAB, SRGAP1, and ABHD17C. However, three miR-145 downstream targets were identified in the least chemotherapy-resistant cells, exhibiting the differential upregulation of KCNA4 and SRGAP2, as well as the downregulation of FAM135A, with this expression pattern not detected in any of the other oral cancer cell lines. These data strongly support that the differential regulation of these three downstream targets may be related to the chemosensitivity of this oral cancer cell line. The potential involvement of these targets must be further investigated to determine how and whether mechanisms of these cellular pathways may be involved in the observed lack of chemotherapy resistance. These data may be important to design targets or treatments to reduce chemotherapy resistance and improve patient treatment outcomes.

Differential Expression of MicroRNA (MiR-27, MiR-145) among Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) Following Neurogenic Differentiation Stimuli.

This study sought to evaluate the expression of previously identified microRNAs known to regulate neuronal differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including miR-27, miR-125, miR-128, miR-135, miR-140, miR-145, miR-218 and miR-410, among dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) under conditions demonstrated to induce neuronal differentiation. Using an approved protocol, n = 12 DPSCs were identified from an existing biorepository and treated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), which were previously demonstrated to induce neural differentiation markers including Sox1, Pax6 and NFM among these DPSCs. This study revealed that some microRNAs involved in the neuronal differentiation of MSCs were also differentially expressed among the DPSCs, including miR-27 and miR-145. In addition, this study also revealed that administration of bFGF and EGF was sufficient to modulate miR-27 and miR-145 expression in all of the stimulus-responsive DPSCs but not among all of the non-responsive DPSCs-suggesting that further investigation of the downstream targets of these microRNAs may be needed to fully evaluate and understand these observations.

Screening for High-Risk Oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV31, HPV33, HPV35) in a Multi-Racial Pediatric and Adult Clinic Patient Population.

Many human papillomavirus (HPV) strains induce cancer in the cervix and the oral cavity. Although high-risk strains including HPV16 and HPV18 are commonly known, additional high-risk strains including HPV31, HPV33, and HPV35 may also induce carcinogenesis, and much less is known about their prevalence. Using an approved protocol, samples from a salivary biorepository were screened to find pediatric and adult samples from a multi-ethnic, university-based patient clinic population. A total of N = 86 samples from the saliva biorepository met the quality and concentration standards and were screened for high-risk HPV. qPCR screening of adult samples revealed n = 10/45 or 22% were HPV31- or HPV33-positive. In addition, a total of n = 9/41 or 21.9% of pediatric samples were either HPV31- or HPV33-positive (or both). No samples harbored HPV35. Most samples were derived from patients within the recommended vaccination or catch-up age range (age 9-45 years). These results demonstrated that a significant percentage of patients harbor additional high-risk HPV strains within the oral cavity, including HPV31 and HPV33. These data support oral healthcare provider recommendations for the newer nine-valent vaccine, which includes both HPV31 and HPV33.

Administration of Clinical COVID-19 Mouthwashing Protocol and Potential Modulation of Pediatric Oral Bacterial Prevalence of Selenomonas noxia: A Pilot Study.

Dental office protocols to combat the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic include mouth washing for an extended 60 s, thereby reducing detectable oral virus. However, it is unclear whether this protocol has any effects on the newly identified periodontal pathogen and obesity-related bacterium often found among pediatric patients, Selenomonas noxia. To determine if the mouthwash protocol has any measurable effect on S. noxia amongst pediatric patients, clinical pediatric saliva samples were obtained from pediatric patients during routine visits for clinical care and treatment. Using an approved protocol, two saliva samples were collected on the same visit before and after chlorhexidine mouthwash (Sample A, Sample B). The third sample (Sample C) was taken at the recall appointment-usually between two and eight weeks later. A total of n = 97 pre-mouthwash samples, and an equal number of matching post-mouthwash samples (n = 97) were collected, with a small number of matching recall samples (n = 36) that were subsequently collected and identified. The demographic composition of the study sample was analyzed using Chi square statistics. Sample DNA from the matching pre-, post-, and recall collections (Sample A, Sample B, and Sample C) was isolated and screened using qPCR and validated primers, which revealed that 11.1% (n = 4/36) from Sample A tested positive for S. noxia with 0% (n = 0/36) of Sample B testing positive and 13.9% (n = 5/36) of the recall (Sample C) testing positive. In addition, comparative analysis of the qPCR cycle threshold data revealed relatively lower expression (quantity) of S. noxia DNA among the recall samples, as determined by two-tailed t-tests (p=0.004). These data and results provide new evidence for the oral prevalence of S. noxia among pediatric patients, while also demonstrating that the COVID-19 protocol of mouth washing prior to clinical treatment for periods extending up to 60 s may be sufficient to reduce the levels of detectable S. noxia-at least temporarily. More research will be needed to determine whether these effects may be limited to the short- or may exhibit more lasting effects in the long-term.

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Clinical Mouthwash Protocol and Prevalence of the Oral Pathogen Scardovia wiggsiae: A Pilot Study of Antibacterial Effects.

One protocol in healthcare facilities and dental offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic for reducing the amount of detectable oral SARS-CoV-2 has been gargling with mouthwash for 60 s. This protocol lasts longer than the daily routine for most patients and may have unexpected benefits in reducing oral microbes as a result. This project evaluated the prevalence of the newly identified oral pathogen Scardovia wiggsiae before and after this procedure to determine any measurable effects. Using an approved protocol, n = 36 pre-mouthwash patient samples, n = 36 matched post-mouthwash samples, and n = 36 matched recall samples were identified (total sample number n = 108). DNA was isolated from each sample (pre-, post-mouthwash, and recall). Screening using qPCR and validated primers revealed n = 10/36 or 27.8% tested positive for Scardovia among the pre-mouthwash (Sample A) isolates with n = 3/36 or 8.3% testing positive among the post-mouthwash (Sample B) isolates. Screening of the recall (Sample C) samples has revealed n = 10/36, or 27.8% once again tested positive for Scardovia, demonstrating that this pathogen was found among a significant proportion of pediatric patient samples. Moreover, the COVID-19-related procedure of requiring sustained mouth washing prior to clinical treatment appears to reduce the levels of detectable Scardovia, at least initially. However, this study found no long-term effects using this isolated protocol.

Prevalence of Oral Pathogen Slackia exigua among Clinical Orthodontic and Non-Orthodontic Saliva Samples.

Slackia exigua (SE) is a recently identified intestinal microbe, which recent oral surveys suggest may be associated with oral diseases including caries and periodontal disease. Based upon the lack of information regarding this organism, the primary objective of this study was to determine the oral prevalence of this microbe and any potential associations with patient characteristics such as age, sex, or the presence of orthodontic appliances. This retrospective study involved the screening of an existing saliva repository composed of previously collected unstimulated clinical saliva samples. More specifically, N = 266 were identified and screened using a spectrophotometer at absorbances of A260 and A280 nm to determine their DNA purity and concentration. qPCR screening of these samples revealed a higher prevalence of Slackia exigua positive samples among pediatric patients (63.1%) compared with adults (36.9%) in this clinic population, p = 0.0007. In addition, higher percentages of Slackia exigua were observed among orthodontic patients (71.2%) compared with non-orthodontic patients (28.8%), p = 0.0001. These results did not vary by sex with nearly equal percentages of Slackia exigua positive males and females among adult and pediatric patients, as well as orthodontic and non-orthodontic samples. These results suggest a strong potential for association between the prevalence of this organism with age as well as orthodontic status, given that younger patients and those with orthodontic brackets (regardless of age) were most likely to harbor this pathogen in sufficient levels to be detected in saliva. More research will be needed to determine any associations with specific outcomes, such as caries or periodontal disease, among Slackia exigua positive patients within these specific populations.

Administration of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) to Induce Neural Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC) Isolates.

The aging populations in many countries have developed many chronic illnesses and diseases, including chronic neurologic conditions such as Parkinson's and Azheimer's diseases. Many new lines of research and treatment are focusing on the potential for neurologic regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the rapidly growing field of regenerative medicine. This may include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which have recently been demonstrated to produce neuronal precursors. Based upon this evidence, the primary aim of this study was to determine if the growth factors used in MSC-based studies are sufficient to induce neuronal differentiation among DPSCs. Using an existing biorepository, n = 16 DPSC isolates were thawed and cultured for this study, which revealed several subpopulations of rapid-, intermediate-, and slowly dividing DPSCs. Administration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were sufficient to induce differential changes in growth and viability mainly among some of the rapidly growing DPSCs (n = 4). These phenotypic changes included expression of neural differentiation markers including Sox1, Pax6 and NF-M, which were observed only among those DPSC isolates not expressing early odontoblast-specific biomarkers such as ALP and DSPP. Future studies will be needed to confirm if these methods are sufficient to induce consistent and reliable induction of DPSCs towards neuronal specific differentiation.

Systematic Review and Meta Analysis of the Relative Effect on Plaque Index among Pediatric Patients Using Powered (Electric) versus Manual Toothbrushes.

Although many randomized controlled trials (RCT) have evaluated the efficacy of powered or electric toothbrushes compared with manual or traditional toothbrushes to remove biofilm and plaque, only one systematic review has been published for pediatric patients. The primary objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta analysis for this population. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol, N = 321 studies were initially identified. Three independent, blinded abstract reviews were completed resulting in a total of n = 38/322 or 11.8% for the final analysis (n = 27 non-orthodontic, n = 11 orthodontic studies). Meta analysis of these outcome data have revealed a strong reduction in plaque index scores among pediatric patients using electric toothbrushes of approximately 17.2% for non-orthodontic patients and 13.9% for orthodontic patients. These results provide strong clinical evidence for recommending electric toothbrushing to pediatric patients, as well as those patients undergoing orthodontic therapy and treatment.

Differential Effects of Extracellular Matrix Glycoproteins Fibronectin and Laminin-5 on Dental Pulp Stem Cell Phenotypes and Responsiveness.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with the potential to differentiate in a limited number of other tissue types. Some evidence has suggested the modulation of DPSC growth may be mediated, in part, by exogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins, including fibronectin (FN) and laminin-5 (LN5). Although preliminary research suggests that some ECM glycoproteins may work as functional biomaterials to modulate DPSC growth responses, the primary goal of this project is to determine the specific effects of FN and LN5 on DPSC growth and viability. Using an existing DPSC repository, n = 16 DPSC isolates were cultured and 96-well growth assays were performed, which revealed FN, LN5 and the combination of these were sufficient to induce statistically significant changes in growth among five (n = 5) DPSC isolates. In addition, the administration of FN (either alone or in combination) was sufficient to induce the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), while LN5 induced the expression of ALP only, suggesting differential responsiveness among DPSCs. Moreover, these responses appeared to correlate with the expression of MSC biomarkers NANOG, Oct4 and Sox2. These results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that functional biomaterials, such as ECM glycoproteins FN and LN5, are sufficient to induce phenotypic and differentiation-specific effects in a specific subset of DPSC isolates. More research will be needed to determine which biomarkers or additional factors are necessary and sufficient to induce the differentiation and development of DPSCs ex vivo and in vitro for biomedical applications.

Oral Prevalence of Akkermansia muciniphila Differs among Pediatric and Adult Orthodontic and Non-Orthodontic Patients.

Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) is one of many highly abundant intestinal microbes that influences homeostasis and metabolic disorders and may also play a role in oral disorders. However, there is little evidence regarding the oral prevalence of this organism. Based upon this lack of evidence, the primary goal of this project is to survey an existing saliva repository to determine the overall prevalence of this organism and any associations with demographic or patient characteristics (age, sex, body mass index, race/ethnicity, orthodontic therapy). Using an approved protocol,, a total n = 141 pediatric samples from an existing saliva repository were screened using qPCR revealing 29.8% harbored AM with nearly equal distribution among males and females, p = 0.8347. Significantly higher percentages of pediatric, non-orthodontic patients were positive for AM (42.3%) compared with age-matched orthodontic patients (14.3%)-which were equally distributed among non-orthodontic males (42.1%) and non-orthodontic females (42.5%). In addition, analysis of the adult samples revealed that nearly equal percentages of males (18.2%) and females (16.7%) harbored detectable levels of salivary AM, p = 0.2035. However, a higher proportion of non-orthodontic adult samples harbored AM (21.3%) compared to orthodontic samples (12.8%, p = 0.0001), which was equally distributed among males and females. These results suggest that both age and the presence of orthodontic brackets may influence microbial composition and, more specifically, are associated with reduction in AM among both pediatric and adult populations from their baseline levels.

Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance Associated with Differential miRNA Expression of miR-375 and miR-27 among Oral Cancer Cell Lines.

Recent advances have suggested that non-coding miRNAs (such as miR-21, miR-27, miR-145, miR-155, miR-365, miR-375 and miR-494) may be involved in multiple aspects of oral cancer chemotherapeutic responsiveness. This study evaluated whether these specific miRNAs are correlated with oral cancer responsiveness to chemotherapies, including Paclitaxel, Cisplatin and Fluorouracil (5FU). Commercially available and well-characterized oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC4, SCC9, SCC15, SCC25 and CAL27) revealed differing resistance and chemosensitivity to these agents-with SCC9 and SCC25 demonstrating the most resistance to all chemotherapeutic agents. SCC9 and SCC25 were also the only cell lines that expressed miR-375, and were the only cell lines that did not express miR-27. In addition, the expression of miR-375 was associated with the upregulation of Rearranged L-myc fusion (RLF) and the downregulation of Centriolar protein B (POC1), whereas lack of miR-27 expression was associated with Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) expression. These data have revealed important regulatory pathways and mechanisms associated with oral cancer proliferation and resistance that must be explored in future studies of potential therapeutic interventions.

Analysis of a Pediatric Dental School Patient Population Revealed Increasing Trends of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Patients: Implications for Pediatric Dental Public Health and Access to Care.

Based upon the lack of current information regarding the pediatric patient population at UNLV-SDM, the overall goal of this project was to analyze the demographic characteristics of this population, indicators for socioeconomic status (SES), such as enrollment in Medicaid, and other barriers to healthcare access, such as non-English/non-Spanish languages spoken. Using an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol, this analysis revealed the percentage of minority pediatric patients between 2010 and 2020 increased among African Americans, Asian Americans, and mixed or multiracial patients, while decreasing among Hispanics. Analysis of the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients and guardians found an overall increase in the number of non-English/non-Spanish languages spoken from n = 4 in 2010 to n = 21 in 2020 with no significant changes in Medicaid/CHIP enrollment identified between 2010 and 2020 (76.7%, 77.9%, p = 0.988). These data suggest the composition of the patient population has experienced significant shifts over time, with more patients of mixed racial backgrounds and increased numbers of Limited English Proficiency (non-English/non-Spanish foreign languages) spoken. These data may suggest there is an increased need for multilingual health materials, training, and translators for pediatric oral health within this population.

Assessment of Oral Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in Pediatric and Adult Patients within a Multi-Ethnic Clinic Population.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) encompasses a large family of oncogenic viruses responsible for increasing rates of both cervical and oral cancer, particularly among minority and low-income populations. Although this represents an increasingly significant public health risk, few studies have screened for oral HPV within Nevada. Based upon this information, the primary objective of this study was to provide a temporal analysis of oral HPV screening among a primarily low-income, minority patient population. Methods: This retrospective analysis was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). In brief, unstimulated saliva samples were previously obtained from clinical patient volunteers who provided informed consent and pediatric assent (if applicable). DNA was isolated and screened using spectrophotometry for quality (A260:A280 ratio > 1.70) and quantity (concentration > 100 ng). Validated qPCR primers were used to screen repository samples for high-risk HPV strains HPV16 and HPV18. Results: A total of N = 930 samples were identified for this study, which involved n = 555 samples from adults and n = 375 from pediatric patients treated between 2011 and 2019. A demographic analysis revealed nearly equal distribution between males and females with most derived from non-White (minority) patients. A qPCR screening revealed an overall increase in high-risk HPV of 3.17-fold from 5.7% in 2011 to 18.1% in 2019 and a coefficient of determination or R2 = 0.764, suggesting a strong, positive correlation between more recent sample years and HPV-positive results, which was observed among both pediatric (R2 = 0.671) and adult (R2 = 0.971) patients. In addition, although the average age among adult patients increased over time, a significant decrease was observed among pediatric patients from an average of 16.0 years to 14.81 years. Conclusions: These data suggest temporal changes and positive increases in the prevalence of oral HPV among both the pediatric and adult patient samples taken from this clinic population. These data are important as considerations are made regarding which HPV vaccination education and awareness programs are introduced and the specific populations most likely to benefit from these interventions.

Assessment of Sodium Diamine Fluoride (SDF) with Light Curing Technique: A Pilot Study of Antimicrobial Effects.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been useful in clinical dentistry for the purpose of caries arrest and prevention. Although methods for the application of SDF are well-known among dental professionals, such as microbrush applications, few studies have explored the effect of light curing, which accelerates precipitation onto dentin, and whether this has any effect on the antimicrobial properties of SDF. To assess this technique, single (Streptococcus gordonii) and polymicrobial (mixed salivary) colonies were grown and plated using SDF applied to hydroxyapatite discs with and without treatment with curing light. Kirby-Bauer Zone of Inhibition assay results revealed no significant differences in the areas between the two treatment groups (SDF: 1.27 mm, SDF plus curing light: 1.25 mm), p = 0.887 in the single culture (S. gordonii) experiments. In addition, no significant differences were found between the two treatment groups (SDF: 1.26 mm, SDF plus curing light: 1.24 mm), p = 0.771 in the polymicrobial culture experiments. Although there may be specific properties associated with SDF induced following light curing, these differences do not appear to be associated with the antimicrobial properties affecting gram-positive or polymicrobial films.

Changing Perspectives on Pediatric Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination among Dental Students and Residents Reveals Recent Increase in Vaccine Hesitancy.

This study was a retrospective analysis of previously collected anonymous survey data regarding vaccine awareness, beliefs, and knowledge among dental (DMD) students and postgraduate (PG) residents. The protocol for this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) as exempt. A total of 341 responses were collected from n = 293 DMD students and n = 48 PG residents. Although most respondents agreed that vaccines were necessary, safe, and effective, over the past 4 years (2017-2020) a growing percentage of respondents disagreed. In addition, although most respondents disagreed that there are too many required vaccines, vaccines can make you sick, or are dangerous, a growing percentage of respondents now agreed with these statements. Finally, although most respondents were aware of the HPV vaccine, recently a growing percentage of both students and residents reported they had insufficient information about this vaccine. These results provide novel insights into recent changes in attitudes and beliefs regarding vaccination among this population. Moreover, analysis of these shifts in attitudes and knowledge about HPV vaccination suggests that curricular integration of vaccine research and hesitancy may be needed to answer these questions in a supportive learning environment that fosters critical thinking and evidence-based practice and decision making.