Influence of smoking heating up tobacco products and e-cigarettes on the microbiota of dental plaque.

Electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDDs) are getting more and more popular among adolescents and young people under 25, signifying the beginning of tobacco product use for many of them. The state of the local microbiota can be affected by a large number of factors, namely the inhaled aerosol temperature, the oral cavity ph, the diet nature, genetics, etc. AIM: The aim of the study was to identify the changes of dental microbiocenosis among adolescents who use devices for heating tobacco products and vape. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was perfomed in 65 adolescents, aged 14 to 18, who were divided into three groups: the first (control) group consisted of 20 non-smokers, the second group comprised 25 patients who used a tobacco heating system, and the third group - 20 subjects who used electronic vape cigarettes. For microbiological examination, the swabs from the teeth cervical region plaque were taken. RESULTS: The control group was dominated by S. mitis (10 strains - 35.7%), followed by E. faecium (5 strains - 17.9%) and E. coli (4 strains - 14.3%). For heating tobacco, the most common were S. mitis (11 strains - 23.9%), S. aureus (6 strains - 13.0%) and E. faecium and C. xerosis (5 strains - 10.9%). Among the vape systems users, the most common species was S. pneumoniae (17.9%), followed by S. mitis, E. faecium and C. xerosis (12.8% each). CONCLUSIONS: The use of electronic smoking systems reduces the number of resident plaque microflora by increasing the excretion frequency and the emergence of opportunistic transient streptococci, namely S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes with an epidemiologically significant level of colonization.

The Epidemiologic Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak: Spreading Beyond Expectations.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak started in late 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, and quickly spread to the surrounding regions and neighboring countries. A novel coronavirus, the so-called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was found to be responsible for this outbreak potentially originating from pangolins. In China, the outbreak lasted for 1 month until it seemed to be controlled after affecting over 81,000 individuals and causing deaths in over 4200 patients. Subsequently, and after affecting over 118,000 individuals and causing over 4200 deaths, the condition was officially announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the meantime, the epidemic curve took a downtrend in China, the original epicenter of the pandemic, but started to rise in other countries with a steep slope. Among over 215 affected countries, the USA, European countries (Italy, Germany, Spain, France, the UK), Iran, and South Korea had the highest frequencies in the matters of infected patients and deaths. Importantly, different countries took different policies when encountered with an outbreak, especially in the matter of accuracy of the report and timing of the action. A part of the delays in reporting was expected, including the lag in the chain of reporting, the shortcomings of tests, missed patients, and inadequate testing facilities. However, there were also political and nontechnical reasons that caused the reporting to be inaccurate. Surveillance seems to be less of a reason for the observed in poor management, and it mostly originated from human decision-making failures and political issues. Besides, the culture of populations and their trust in their governments played an important role on how they reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic and acquired policies. Finally, the characteristics of the world today indicate the danger of probable upcoming outbreaks, and policymakers should utilize the existing opportunities, particularly the advancements in technology and media, to prevent or adequately manage them.