Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Osseointegration of Immediately Loaded Implants with a Connective Tissue Graft: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: This study assessed the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the osseointegration of immediately loaded implants with a connective tissue graft (CTG). Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on patients with buccal bone dehiscence requiring dental implants. A CTG was harvested from the palate and placed in the labial side by considering the 2 mm distance between the implant thread and bone. Autogenous bone was harvested from the tuberosity, mixed with the allograft, and implanted at the site. After sufficient torquing of the implant, a customized abutment was fabricated and placed. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups (n=5) of intervention and control. The patients in the intervention group received LLLT with a 940 nm gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser while those in the control group received placebo irradiation. The primary implant stability was measured before the delivery of customized abutment while the secondary implant stability was measured after 12 weeks by Osstell® and reported as the implant stability quotient (ISQ). Results: No significant difference was found in secondary ISQ between the laser and control groups (P>0.05). In the intervention group, a significant difference was found between the primary and secondary ISQ in the buccolingual dimension (P<0.05) but not in the mesiodistal dimension (P>0.05). The two groups had no significant difference in gingival thickness or vertical bone gain (P>0.05). All implants were successful with no complications. Conclusion: LLLT had a significant positive efficacy for the enhancement of secondary stability of implants in the buccolingual dimension. CTG showed optimal efficacy for the treatment of buccal bone dehiscence.

Accidental finding prior to rhinoplasty: Rhinolith-A rare case report.

Through this case report, we review a rare radiographic finding within the nasal cavity and its histopathological findings in order to emphasize the importance of familiarizing oneself with all radiographic findings, regardless of their rarity.

Solitary median maxillary central incisor in association with taurodontism and oligodontia: A case report.

In this case report, we have highlighted the probability of coinciding multiple dental anomalies, such as SMMCI, taurodontism, and oligodontia. Thus, further research is necessary to establish a correlation between oligodontia, taurodontism, and SMMCI.

Diagnostic Performance of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Detection of Acute Appendicitis in Pregnant Women; a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: The diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in pregnant women is commonly challenging owing to the normal results of laboratory tests, organ displacement, and normal physiological inflammatory alterations. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosis of AA in pregnant women. Methods: Two investigators independently performed a comprehensive systematic literature search of electronic databases including MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify studies that reported accuracy of MRI for diagnosis of AA in pregnant women from inception to April 1, 2022. Results: Our systematic search identified a total of 525 published papers. Finally, a total of 26 papers were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of MRI in diagnosis of AA in pregnant women were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.95) and 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.98), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 29.52 (95% CI: 21.90-39.81) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.04-0.25), respectively. The area under hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve indicated that the accuracy of MRI for diagnosis of AA in pregnant women is 99%. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that MRI has high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosis of AA in pregnant women and can be used as a first-line imaging modality for suspected cases of AA during pregnancy. Furthermore, it should be noted that when the result of ultrasonography is inconclusive, the use of MRI can reduce unnecessary appendectomy in pregnant patients.

Does maxillomandibular fixation affect skeletal stability following mandibular advancement? A single-blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The stability of the results remains a significant concern in orthognathic surgeries. This study aimed to assess the amount of relapse following mandibular advancement with/without maxillomandibular fixation (MMF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-blind clinical trial was conducted on patients with mandibular retrognathism who underwent BSSO for mandibular advancement and Lefort I maxillary superior repositioning. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of treatment (MMF) and control (no MMF). In the treatment group, MMF was performed for 2 weeks; meanwhile, MMF was not performed in the control group, and only guiding elastics were applied postoperatively. Lateral cephalograms were obtained preoperatively (T1), immediately after surgery (T2), and at 1 year postoperatively (T3). The distance from points A and B to the X and Y plane were measured to identify the amount of vertical and horizontal relapse in 1 year as a primary outcome. An independent t-test was applied in order to find differences in outcomes between the control and treatment groups. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients were evaluated in two groups (28 patients in the MMF group and 30 in the no-MMF group). The magnitude of mandibular advancement following BSSO was 7.68±1.39 mm and 7.53±1.28, respectively, without significant difference among the groups (p= 0.68). The mean sagittal and vertical changes (relapse) at point B were significantly different between the two groups at 1-year follow-up after the osteotomy (p=0.001 and p=0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, patients with short-term MMF following BSSO for mandibular advancement benefit from significantly greater skeletal stability in the sagittal and vertical dimensions.

Sophisticated polycaprolactone/gelatin nanofibrous nerve guided conduit containing platelet-rich plasma and citicoline for peripheral nerve regeneration: In vitro and in vivo study.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a devastating condition that may result in loss of sensory function, motor function, or both. In the present study, we construct an electrospun nerve guide conduit (NGC) based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin filled with citicoline bearing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) gel as a treatment for PNI. The NGCs fabricated from PCL/Gel polymeric blend using the electrospinning technique. The characterizations demonstrated that the fabricated nanofibers were straight with the diameter of 708 ±â€¯476 nm, the water contact angle of 78.30 ±â€¯2.52°, the weight loss of 41.60 ±â€¯6.94% during 60 days, the tensile strength of 5.31 ±â€¯0.97 MPa, and the young's modulus of 3.47 ±â€¯0.10 GPa. The in vitro studies revealed that the PCL/Gel/PRP/Citi NGC was biocompatible and hemocompatible. The in vivo studies conducted on sciatic nerve injury in rats showed that the implantation of PCL/Gel/PRP/Citi NGC induced regeneration of nerve tissue, demonstrated with histopathological assessments. Moreover, the sciatic function index (SFI) value of -30.3 ±â€¯3.5 and hot plate latency time of 6.10 ±â€¯1.10 s revealed that the PCL/Gel/PRP/Citi NGCs recovered motor and sensory functions. Our findings implied that the fabricated NGC exhibited promising physicochemical and biological activates favorable for PNI treatment.

Improved Wound Remodeling Correlates with Modulated TGF-beta Expression in Skin Diabetic Wounds Following Combined Red and Infrared Photobiomodulation Treatments.

Diabetic wounds are a major cause of morbidity among patients with poorly controlled blood glucose levels. Conventional empirical wound care strategies have shown limited efficacy, and there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Photobiomodulation treatments have shown positive therapeutic effects in several cell culture and animal models. In this study, we examined wound healing in diabetic rats following treatments with two laser wavelengths, namely red (660 nm) and infrared (808 nm) individually and in combination as compared to routine wound dressings. Immunostaining for TGF-ß expression was performed at various times postwounding. We noted that the combination of red and infrared laser treatments correlated with decreased TGF-ß1 levels at late stages in healing. There was no statistical significance with any treatments at an earlier time point. This study emphasizes the role of appropriate laser treatment protocols in modulating wound healing and remodeling responses.