Evaluation of the Genotoxicity of Tobacco and Alcohol in Oral Mucosa Cells: A Pilot Study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To define the genotoxic potential of tobacco and alcohol in the oral mucosa through a micronuclei (MN) test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of exfoliative cells from oral mucosa were collected using superficial scraping of the right- and left-cheek mucosa of 83 patients divided into four groups, namely: (G1) 24 individuals abstaining from tobacco and alcoholic beverages; (G2) 23 individuals who smoke and abstain from alcoholic beverages; (G3) 24 smokers and alcoholics; and (G4) 12 individuals who consume alcohol and abstain from tobacco. The samples were stained with Giemsa-Wright, and the frequencies of MN, binucleated cells, and metanuclear changes were recorded in the samples of each group (1,000 cells per patient). RESULTS: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a difference between groups for changes concerning karyorrhexis (p = 0), pycnosis (p = 0.002), karyolysis (p = 0.003), and binucleated cells (p = 0.046). As for the total number of changes, G3, G2, and G4, respectively, were significantly higher than G1. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the influence of smoking and drinking on exfoliating cells of oral mucosa may cause metanuclear changes due to genetic changes that these products cause, and the MN test is effective in detecting and monitoring such changes. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: MN test may work for constantly monitoring the oral mucosa of smokers and/or alcoholic patients, so that early cell changes may be diagnosed, preventing the genesis of oral cancer.

Evaluation of a Series of Overdentures Made in a Higher Education Dental Institution in Southern Brazil.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological profile, oral health self-perception index, and level of satisfaction of users of complete implant-supported overdentures that had been used for at least 1 year and were made at the School of Dentistry of the University of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (FO/UPF), between 2014 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 patients with overdentures, who were selected from the dental records filed at the institution. Data on general health and the dental implants involved (brand, type of prosthetic connection, number of implants, and additional overdenture retention system) were collected from the medical records. The 30 patients were invited to answer the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaires, and due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it was possible to contact 15 patients. RESULTS: Most of the prostheses studied were mandibular overdentures, and 66.66% of the cases were retained by the O-ring system. As for the oral health self-perception of the individuals, it was concluded that male patients had a lower mean overall score (p = 0.047) and functional domain (p = 0.042) in the OHIP-14. The number of implants and the installation arch interfered with functional domain and psychological capacity (p <0.05). The VAS showed that women have greater esthetic satisfaction with prostheses (p = 0.048) and that the bar-clip retention system is more satisfactory than the O-ring (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of overdentures, it was noted that, when properly indicated, they are a viable option for oral rehabilitation on implants. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Oral rehabilitation well-indicated with overdentures, especially those retained by the bar-clip system, results in an improvement in the patients' quality of life.

Histopathological Classifications of Oral Leukoplakia and its Relation to Cell Proliferative Activity: A Case Series.

AIM: This study relates the average number of nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) obtained in a series of cases of oral leukoplakia, with three methods of histopathological classification of such lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a histopathological-histochemical laboratory cross-sectional study. The 18 cases of leukoplakia analyzed were filed at Pathology Service of the Biological Sciences Institute of the University of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (SDH/ICB/UPF) (2017 and 2018), from which epidemiological data were extracted. New histological sections were performed for impregnation by the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) technique. The histopathological slides were analyzed by photon microscopy (1,000×), and the nuclei of 100 epithelial cells were photographed to count the number of NORs. Three methods were used for the lesions' histopathological classification [World Health Organization (WHO), Brothwell, and binary system]. The means of NORs were compared with the three histopathological classifications by means of the t or analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests, at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: According to the WHO classification method, most cases (11-61.1%) had a moderate classification. Evaluations by the Brothwell method showed moderate and mild classification in 50 and 38.9% of cases, respectively. According to the binary system, most cases (10-55.6%) had low risk. The average NORs found in 100 nuclei of each of the 18 lesions ranged from 2 to 4. When crossing the average NORs with the histopathological classification methods of the lesions by means of the t test or ANOVA, no significant relationship was noted. CONCLUSION: The average of NORs is not associated with the histological classifications of leukoplakias. Thus, the AgNOR method should be used with caution when differentiating different histological grades of leukoplakias. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The AgNOR method should be used with caution to determine the clinical treatment of oral leukoplakias, since no agreement was observed between this method and the histopathological classifications available for such lesion.

Oral Lesions found in a Dental School in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform an epidemiological survey of the cases of oral lesions diagnosed in a Brazilian dental school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An epidemiological survey was carried out at the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Passo Fundo (FOUPF), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between March 2015 and June 2017, characterizing the patients in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity. A total of 3,200 records were evaluated, from which 716 presented information on oral lesions diagnosed and treated at the clinics of the FOUPF. The data were evaluated by descriptive statistics of frequency. RESULTS: The most frequent change was the coated tongue (13.83%). The majority of the patients were female (56%), white (31.57%), in the sixth decade of life (21.65%). Regarding the classification of lesions, the most frequent group was developmental changes (25%). CONCLUSION: It is considered that the sample studied presented a significant index of oral lesions and normality changes, considering that 716 (22.38%) patients studied showed some type of change in the oral cavity. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The sample studied presents peculiar characteristics regarding the number of oral lesions/conditions diagnosed. It is also considered that Schools of Dentistry are valuable environments for carrying out epidemiological surveys in stomatology, providing the diagnostic exercise, as long as the students are stimulated for this purpose.

Most Frequent Oral Lesions in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

AIM: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is a chronic disease caused by the underproduction of insulin in the organism and it is considered a risk factor to periodontal disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study performed a cross-sectional research on the main oral changes in patients with DM2 and nondiabetics, in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The sample included 116 patients examined at the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic of the School of Medicine of the University of Passo Fundo (UPF) and 134 nondiabetic patients examined at the Examinations, Triage, and Emergency Sector of the School of Dentistry of UPF. Inclusion criteria for the study were patients over 35-years old, diagnosed with DM2 for more than 2 years. The same criteria were used for the control group, except for the presence of diabetes. Data collected were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 18.0 for Windows™ software and the Chi-square test at 5% significance. This study showed that, overall, oral lesions were more prevalent in diabetic patients. RESULTS: The stomatological manifestations observed more frequently in such patients were pseudomembranous candidia-sis, lichen planus, lingual varices, xerostomia, and prosthetic stomatitis (p > 0.001). CONCLUSION: Therefore, based on the sample investigated, it is concluded that patients with DM2 present higher prevalence of oral lesions when compared with nondiabetics. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is important for the dentist to know about oral lesions because they may allow either early diagnosis in patients unaware of this condition or help diagnosing a potential decompensation. Moreover, oral lesions may represent a potential gateway for infectious agents, and the dentist may restrain this condition by performing treatment as early as possible.

Adesão bacteriana em função da rugosidade superficial em discos de titânio: Estudo in situ / In situ evaluation of bacterial adhesion according to surface rugosity of titanium discs

Objetivo: o presente estudo avaliou in situ a adesão bacteriana em função da rugosidade superficial das superfícies de titânio. Material e métodos: 24 discos de titânio (titânio grau 4; 4 mm de diâmetro x 3 mm de altura) foram divididos em quatro grupos: A) controle (liso/sem polimento); B) lixa 320; C) lixa 600; e D) lixa 1.200. Após tratamento, os discos foram fixados na região palatina de aparelhos ortodônticos, utilizados por três voluntários durante quatro horas para formação de biofilme. A adesão bacteriana foi avaliada quantitativamente por meio de imagens obtidas em microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Resultado: a rugosidade superficial foi alterada pelos tratamentos com as lixas, variando entre 0,084 µm e 0,324 µm (p < 0,05). A adesão bacteriana foi significativamente maior no grupo B (p=0,0082), apresentando uma área do titânio recoberta com biofilme de 67,68 pixels/µm2, enquanto o grupo A apresentou uma adesão 3,7 x menor. Conclusão: o aumento da rugosidade superficial aumentou significativamente a adesão bacteriana do biofilme dental in situ, após quatro horas. Futuros estudos são necessários para avaliar a maturação e futura colonização bacteriana por outras espécies que sucedem a colonização inicial.

Objective: the present study evaluated, in situ, the bacterial adhesion based on the titanium roughness surface. Material and methods: 24 titanium disks (titanium grade IV, 4 mm diameter and 3 mm high) were divided in 4 groups: A) control (smooth/without treatment); B) 320 grit sandpaper; C) 600 grit sandpaper, and D) 1.200 grit sandpaper. After treatment, all the disks were fixed at palatal area of orthodontic appliances on 3 volunteers during 4 hours after biofilm formation. The bacterial adhesion was quantitatively evaluated during the first hours using scanning electron microscopy images. Results: the superficial roughness was altered by the sandpaper treatment between 0.084 and 0.324 µm (p < 0.05). The bacterial adhesion was statistically higher for the group B (p=0.0082), depicting titanium area cover by biofilm of 67.68 pixels/µm2, while in group A the adhesion was a 3-fold lower. Conclusion: the superficial roughness increases significantly in situ bacterial adhesion four hours later. Further studies are need to evaluate the maturation and future succession bacterial colonization by other species in the succession after the early events.

Fumo: fator de risco no periodonto e na implantodontia? / Smoke: risk factor in the periodontium and implantodology?

Em torno de 30 por cento dos pacientes adultos säo fumantes, de forma que os dentistas envolvidos em tratamentos periodontais ou em implantes devem considerar o hábito, discutindo com eles os aspectos clínicos de tratamento e diagnóstico. A osseointegraçäo e o reparo ósseo necessitam de uma circulação eficiente e rápida, requisitos que säo afetados pelos efeitos deletérios do hábito de fumar. Nos trabalhos que analisaram a influência e o papel do fumo na doença periodontal destrutiva, no aumento da probabilidade de falhas em implantes dentais endósseos, encontrou-se uma percentagem maior desses problemas, com taxas nos usuários muitas vezes superiores a 25 por cento (máximo aceitável de acordo como a literatura). Isso ocorreu principalmente na região da maxila, com implantes curtos (7 mm) e osso de qualidade tipo IV. Também é importante a constataçäo de que o abandono do hábito, mesmo que por curto tempo, aumenta significativamente o índice de sucesso nos implantes