Periostin and matrix stiffness combine to regulate myofibroblast differentiation and fibronectin synthesis during palatal healing.

Although the matricellular protein periostin is prominently upregulated in skin and gingival healing, it plays contrasting roles in myofibroblast differentiation and matrix synthesis respectively. Palatal healing is associated with scarring that can alter or restrict maxilla growth, but the expression pattern and contribution of periostin in palatal healing is unknown. Using periostin-knockout (Postn-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice, the contribution of periostin to palatal healing was investigated through 1.5 mm full-thickness excisional wounds in the hard palate. In WT mice, periostin was upregulated 6 days post-wounding, with mRNA levels peaking at day 12. Genetic deletion of periostin significantly reduced wound closure rates compared to WT mice. Absence of periostin reduced mRNA levels of pivotal genes in wound repair, including α-SMA/acta2, fibronectin and ßigh3. Recruitment of fibroblasts and inflammatory cells, as visualized by immunofluorescent staining for fibroblast specific factor-1, vimentin, and macrophages markers Arginase-1 and iNOS was also impaired in Postn-/-, but not WT mice. Palatal fibroblasts isolated from the hard palate of mice were cultured on collagen gels and prefabricated silicon substrates with varying stiffness. Postn-/- fibroblasts showed a significantly reduced ability to contract a collagen gel, which was rescued by the exogenous addition of recombinant periostin. As the stiffness increased, Postn-/- fibroblasts increasingly differentiated into myofibroblasts, but not to the same degree as the WT. Pharmacological inhibition of Rac rescued the deficient myofibroblastic phenotype of Postn-/- cells. Low stiffness substrates (0.2 kPa) resulted in upregulation of fibronectin in WT cells, an effect which was significantly reduced in Postn-/- cells. Quantification of immunostaining for vinculin and integrinß1 adhesions revealed that Periostin is required for the formation of focal and fibrillar adhesions in mPFBs. Our results suggest that periostin modulates myofibroblast differentiation and contraction via integrinß1/RhoA pathway, and fibronectin synthesis in an ECM stiffness dependent manner in palatal healing.

[Correlation analysis of standardized palatal sensory threshold with airway obstruction and hypoxia during sleep].

Objective: To study the correlation between the standardized palatal sensory threshold and airway obstruction and hypoxia during sleep, and to infer its role in the pathogenesis of OSAHS. Methods: From August 2016 to May 2017, 92 OSAHS patients as experimental group and 48 non-OSAHS volunteers as control group were recruited in Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Changhai Hospital Affiliated to the Naval Medical University. The tactile sense was measured by Smmes-Weinstein Monofilaments in the middle of uvula and both side of hard palate,then the threshold of the uvula minus, the average threshold of the hard palate as the standardized palatal sensory threshold(SPST). The control point of both groups was located in the central underlip. Mann-Whitney U test for comparing two independent samplesand partial correlation analysis. Results: There was no difference in tactile threshold of underlip between the experimental group and the control group(0.020[0.008,0.020] g/mm(2) vs. [0.020(0.008,0.020] g/mm(2), Z=293.0, P=0.221); the tactile sense of the experimental group was larger than that of the control group in thehardpalate(0.040[0.140,0.055] g/mm(2) vs. 0.138[0.064,0.400] g/mm(2), Z=4.5, P=0.000), soft palate(0.400[0.280,0.400] g/mm(2) vs. 1.400[1.000,4.000] g/mm(2), Z=0, P=0.000) and SPST(0.355[0.125,0.373] g/mm(2) vs. 1.285[0.896,3.025] g/mm(2), Z=0, P=0.000). The SPST was positive correlation with apnea hypopneaindex(AHI)(r=0.835, P=0.000) and negative correlation with the nadir oxyhemoglobin saturation (r=-0.636, P=0.000). Conclusion: The greater the standardized palatal sensory threshold, the worse the condition of OSAHS, the lower, the lowest blood oxygen at night, and the impaired upper airway sensory function plays an important role in the pathogenesis of OSAHS.

The relationship between oral tori and bite force.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between bite force and torus palatinus or mandibularis remains to be explained. The major aim of this study was to determine the correlation between bite force and oral tori. METHODS: The bite force of 345 patients was measured with a bite force recorder; impressions of the shape and size of the oral tori were taken on plaster models prior to orthodontic treatments. Subsequently, the relationship between oral tori and bite force was analyzed. RESULTS: The size, shape, and incidence of torus palatinus was not significantly correlated with bite force. However, the size of torus mandibularis increased significantly in proportion to the bite force (p = 0.020). The occurrence of different types of oral tori was not correlated with the bite force. DISCUSSION: The size of torus mandibularis provides information about bite force and can thus be used to clinically assess occlusal stress.

The Effects of Palate Features and Glossectomy Surgery on /s/ Production.

Purpose: The aims of this article were to determine the effects of hard palate morphology and glossectomy surgery on tongue position and shape during /s/ for patients with small tumors. The first expectation was that laminal /s/ would be more prevalent in patients, than apical, due to reduced tongue tip control after surgery. The second was that patients would hold the tongue more anteriorly than controls to compensate for reduced tongue mass. Method: Three-dimensional tongue volumes were calculated from magnetic resonance imaging for the whole tongue and the portion anterior to the first molar during the /s/ in /əsuk/ for 21 controls and 14 patients. These volumes were used to calculate tongue anteriority and cross-sectional shape. Dental casts were used to measure palate perimeter, height, and width of the hard palate. Results: Palate height correlated with tongue height in controls (p < .05), but not patients. In patients, tongue anteriority correlated negatively with canine width and cross-sectional tongue shape (p < .05). Controls with a high palate favored laminal /s/. Patients preferred laminal /s/ regardless of palate height (p < .01). Conclusions: For controls, hard palate height affected tongue height; a higher palate yielded a higher tongue. For patients, hard palate width affected tongue width; a narrower palate yielded a more anterior tongue. Tongue shape was unaffected by any palate features. Preference for /s/ showed an interaction effect between subject and palate height. Controls with high palates preferred a laminal /s/. All patients preferred a laminal /s/; glossectomy surgery may reduce tongue tip control.

Acquired palatal groove and delayed oral feeding in preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Acquired palatal groove has been reported in the 1970s and 1980s, but its current incidence in Japanese newborns is unclear. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of palatal groove in preterm infants and to evaluate whether this condition affects oral feeding ability. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study among very low-birthweight infants born at Takatsuki General Hospital, Osaka, between March and October in 2010. The shape of the hard palate was classified into three types: normal, narrow high-arched palate, and palatal groove. RESULTS: Among the 37 enrolled infants, 14 (38%) had palatal groove. In particular, among the 29 infants with birthweight <1000 g, palatal groove was observed in 48% of these patients, and only 10% were normal. Infants with palatal groove were ventilated for considerably more days with oral endotracheal tube than those without palate groove, even after adjustment for gestational age, birthweight, and duration of oral duodenal tube placement (OR, 1.11). Establishment of oral feeding and disappearance of choking on milk were considerably delayed in infants with palatal groove. Transient oral feeding difficulty requiring thickened-feed intervention was observed only in infants with palatal groove; on multi-regression analysis this difficulty seemed to be induced by the palatal groove. CONCLUSIONS: Palatal groove formation induced by oral endotracheal intubation occurs with a high frequency in preterm infants, and this is likely to affect oral feeding ability.

The differential influence of vowels and palatal covering on nasalance scores.

Objective : To investigate whether nasalance scores would differ when the hard palate and soft palate were covered during speech. Design : Nasalance scores were obtained during production of sentence stimuli loaded with differing vowel content across three conditions: (1) hard and soft palate uncovered (U); (2) hard palate covered by acrylic appliance (H); (3) both hard and soft palate covered by acrylic appliance (B). Sentences were loaded with high front, low front, high back, low back, or mixed vowels. Velopharyngeal closure was verified by nasoendoscopy. Participants : Six female adults with normal speech and resonance provided the speech samples. Main Outcome Measures : Nasalance scores for each of five sentences in each of three palatal conditions. Results : Mixed and high front sentences had significantly higher mean nasalance scores in the U (P < .01) and H (P < .05) conditions but not in the B condition. For all sentence stimuli combined across palatal conditions, there was a significant difference in mean nasalance scores between H and B conditions (P < .05) but not between the U condition and either the H or B conditions (P > .05). Conclusions : Data suggest that the primary place of transpalatal transfer of acoustic energy was the soft palate but only sentences with high-front vowels were affected by this phenomenon.

Palatal ulceration.

Palatal ulcers are a common presentation and can be conveniently divided into developmental and acquired causes, the latter of which is subdivided into acute and chronic causes. Most commonly seen dermatologic causes have associated skin manifestations. Acute and multiple ulcers are usually infectious or drug induced in origin. Recurrent ulcers are largely dominated by aphthosis, while chronic ulcers are seen in immunocompromised patients and can occasionally be malignant. It is essential to involve the oral and maxillofacial surgeons early in the therapeutic management to tackle the inevitable complications that may ensue in the chronic cases.

Mandibular tori are associated with mechanical stress and mandibular shape.

PURPOSE: The influence of mechanical stimulation on the formation of torus mandibularis (TM) is still poorly understood. We sought to understand the etiology of TMs by investigating the role of parafunctional activity and mandibular morphology on the formation of TMs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a case-control study for patients attending the dental clinic of the present study (University of São Paulo School of Dentistry, São Paulo, SP, Brazil). Patients presenting with TMs were defined as cases, and those without TMs were defined as controls. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used in 3-dimensional mandibular models to examine the stress distribution in the mandibles with and without TMs. In addition, the associations of mandibular arch shape, mandibular cortical index, and parafunctional activity with the presence of T were assessed using odds ratio analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients with TMs and 37 without TMs were selected (22 men and 25 women, mean age 54.3 ± 8.4 years). FEA showed a stress concentration in the region in which TMs form during simulation of parafunctional activity. The radiographic assessment showed that those with TMs were more likely to have a square-shaped mandible with sharp angles (P = .001) and a normal mandibular cortex (P = .03). The subjects without TMs had a round-shaped mandible with obtuse angles and an eroded mandibular cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Parafunctional activity could be causing the formation of TMs by concentrating mechanical stress in the region in which TMs usually form. Thus, mandibular geometries that favor stress concentration, such as square-shaped mandibles, will be associated with a greater prevalence of TMs.

An earplug technique to reduce the gag reflex during dental procedures.

BACKGROUND: The gag reflex is a frequent problem occurring during dental treatment procedures, especially while making impressions of the maxillary teeth. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a simple earplug as an external auditory canal stimulator to supress the profound gag reflex and as a second step, to map areas of the oropharynx suppressed by this technique. METHODS: In the first step of the study, 90 patients who had a gag reflex during the impression procedure were allocated to a study group, a sham group, and a control group for evaluating the efficacy of the earplug technique. Second, 20 new patients with a gag reflex were included in order to map the oropharnygeal areas suppressed by this technique. RESULTS: The severity of the gag reflex was reduced in the earplug group (but not in the sham or the control group). The affected area included the hard palate, uvula, and the tongue but not the posterior wall of oropharynx. CONCLUSION: An earplug technique can be a useful, practical, and effective tool to overcome the gag reflex during oral procedures, such as impression procedures of maxillary teeth.

[Study of tongue pressure on the hard palate during exercises of swallowing rehabilitation]. / Etude de la pression de la langue sur le palais osseux au cours desexercices de rééducation de la déglutition.

INTRODUCTION: The exercises performed during the reeducation of swallowing seek to improve forces of propulsion of the bolus and airway protection during the course of swallowing. The objective of this study was to objectify the effect of pronunciation praxis of posterior phonemes /aka/ and /akra/, and swallowing maneuvers (super-supraglottic swallow with or without superimposed effort swallowing effort) on the time of the oral swallowing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four healthy volunteers participated in the experiment. They are called "experts" because they have a good knowledge of physiology and rehabilitation of swallowing. The dynamic palatography setup measured continuously the different pressures from the tongue on the hard palate through three force sensors arranged in a sagittal plane during the implementation of articulatory and swallowing tasks. RESULTS: Articulatory praxis created significant pressure on the posterior sensor for 2 of the 4 subjects. All the swallowing maneuvers increased the contact pressure and the contact duration compared to the control swallowing for the anterior and posterior pressure sensor. A large inter-individual variability was found. CONCLUSION: The complexity of instruction, the inter-individual variability in their performance, and the non-invasive nature of the instrument make the dynamic palatography a potentially useful tool in routine practice of swallowing reeducation.

Relationship between palate-vomer development and maxillary growth in submucous cleft palate patients.

Objective : Experimental and clinical findings suggest that the vomer is involved in facial development and might contribute to the short and retrusive maxilla in cleft patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between vomer development and maxillary growth in unoperated submucous cleft palate (SMCP) patients. Design : Retrospective cohort study. Participants : Thirty unoperated SMCP patients were included. The criteria for clinical diagnosis were: bifid uvula, a translucent zone in the midline of the soft palate, and a touchable "V" notch on the posterior border of the bony palate. There were 19 female and 11 male patients, with an age range from 3 to 25 years. Interventions : All patients were imaged using spiral computed tomography (CT) while in centric occlusion before the surgeries. Main Outcome Measures : Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction models were created, and dentoalveolar relationships were rated by three experienced doctors according to the GOSLON score principles. The patients then were divided into three groups: 1 - normal occlusion, 2 - edge-to-edge bite, and 3 - crossbite. The vomer-palate fusion rate was calculated on 3D CT images and represented the vomer development. Results : The sagittal extent of the palatal cleft and the malformation of vomer in SMCP were greatly varied. The vomer-palate fusion rate in the crossbite group (occlusal score = 3) was significantly lower than that in the normal occlusion group (P = .027). Conclusions : Our findings suggest that correlation exists between vomer development and sagittal maxillary growth in unoperated SMCP patients.

Treating the patient with oral motor dysfunction using intraoral prosthetic therapy.

Included in this article are discussions of normal growth and development of the oral cavity and new treatment available for grossly damaged oral structures, along with a case study demonstrating successful treatment. This treatment approach can be a useful addition to dental office practice.

Perfuração de septo nasal em paciente com pioderma gangrenoso / Nasal septum perforation in patient with pyoderma gangrenosum

Introdução: A cocaína é extraída das folhas do arbusto da coca (Erythroxylon coca), podendo ser consumida de várias formas, mas o modo mais comum é pela aspiração da droga, sendo absorvida pela mucosa nasal, causando vasoconstricção, levando o seu uso crônico à perfuração de septo nasal. Pioderma gangrenoso é uma doença inflamatória rara, idiopática que se caracteriza pela presença de úlceras destrutivas principalmente em membros inferiores. Seu diagnóstico clínico é muitas vezes de exclusão. Objetivo: Descrever a raridade de associação entre Pioderma Gangrenoso e cocaína. Relato de Caso: E. A., 27 anos, com apresentação atípica de Pioderma Gangrenoso com perfurações de septo nasal e palato duro usuária de grande quantidade de cocaína, sendo necessário diferenciar qual patologia causou esse dano. Comentários Finais: Além da necessidade dessa diferenciação, apenas existem três casos relatados na literatura, envolvendo o Pioderma Gangrenoso complicado com perfuração de septo nasal em usuários de cocaína...

Introduction: The cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca (Erythroxylon coca). It can be used in many ways, but the most common is the drug inhalation. The Cocaine also causes vasoconstriction at nasal mucous membrane and its chronic use can cause necrosis and nasal septum perforation. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon idiopathic disease characterized by ulcerations, usually observed on the legs. Its diagnosis is most common an exclusion of others diseases. So far, there is no specific treatment based on evidence by randomized controlled trials. Objective: Describe the rare association between Pyoderma gangrenosum and cocaine. Case Report: E. A., 27-year-old woman with destruction of nasal septum and palate who has been using a big amount of cocaine, been necessary note the difference from which disease cause de damage. Final Comments: Also there are only three cases of Pyoderma gangrenosum complicated with nasal septum perforation in cocaine users...

Morphological study of the palatal gingiva of the maxillary first molar in the type 2 diabetes mellitus model rat.

SUMMARY: We studied morphological changes at the maxillary first molar in a model rat for type 2 spontaneous diabetes mellitus (DM), the Goto-Kazizaki (GK) rat, vs. the normal 8-week-old Wistar rat. Serial frontal sections of the gingiva of the maxilla with the bone were prepared from the rats. Image analyses, performed on light micrographs of the hematoxylin-eosin stained specimens, allowed comparison of the thickness of the keratinized, granular, prickle, and basal layers. In addition, the cell population of the granular and prickle layers and the cross-sectional area of the connective tissue beneath the mucosal epithelium were examined. The thickness of the capillary of the maxillary first molar was determined by image analysis of scanning electron micrographs of microvascular corrosion cast specimens. We found that the thickness of the keratinized, granular, and prickle layers was significantly higher in the DM vs. normal group, as were the cell population of the granular and prickle layers. In contrast, the cross-sectional area of the connective tissue beneath the mucosal epithelium, and the thickness of the capillary were significantly lower in the DM vs. normal sections. Therefore, we consider that the DM-associated hyperglycemia causes hypertrophy of the mucosal epithelium, atrophy of the connective tissue beneath the mucosal epithelium, and microangiopathy of the capillary of the palatal gingiva of the maxillary first molar in the GK rat.

Bone density of the midpalatal suture 7 months after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion in adults.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to analyze changes in bone density of the midpalatal suture after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) with the bone-borne Dresden Distractor (DD; ITU, Dresden, Germany) via computed tomography (CT) and to compare of preoperative surgical findings with a control group. METHODS: Sixteen adult patients (mean age 24.5 years) underwent axial CT scans before and 7 months after SARPE. CT image fusion was performed for the midpalatal suture bone. Sixty-six controls (mean age 25.7 years) served for comparing age-related bone density. Bone structure and density were assessed in the coronal plane at the anterior, median, and posterior levels. RESULTS: Highest density was found in the posterior part (1046 Hounsfield units [HU]) before expansion. Seven months after SARPE, bone density was 48% (anterior), 53% (median), and 75% (posterior) compared with preoperative values. The control group showed fairly equal Hounsfield units (889 HU to 900 HU) in all parts. CONCLUSIONS: Seven months after SARPE, the midpalatal suture's density achieves just one half to three quarters of the pretreatment values. To maintain the resistance against forces from the unsplit posterior part, the retention time should be lengthened.

Controvérsias sobre a Sutura Palatina Mediana e a Expansão Maxilar: Revisão da Literatura / Controversies about Midpalatal Suture and Maxillary Expansion: Literature Review

Introdução: Do que é formada a Sutura Palatina Mediana (SPM)? Quais são suas funções? Em qual época da vida ocorre sua obliteração? Além destas questões, a literatura frequentemente entra em discordância a respeito de vários detalhes associados ao tratamento da deficiência maxilar transversal utilizando-se a expansão ortopédica. Pesquisas recentes têm fornecido resultados que ajudam a compreender a fisiologia e o comportamento da SPM durante e após a expansão maxilar, tanto no período pré quanto pós puberal, permitindo, em alguns casos, uma interpretação absolutamente diversa de aspectos apresentados por trabalhos de relevância publicados anteriormente. Novos conhecimentos sobre a SPM contrastam em vários pontos com antigos conceitos.Objetivo: Analisar, mediante revisão da literatura, dados e suposições existentes para elucidar a possibilidade da total obliteração da SPM após a puberdade, a influência da densidade mineral na região da SPM durante o processo de expansão maxilar e o papel da idade do paciente frente à mesma.Conclusão: A hipótese de que em determinada fase da vida ocorra total obliteração da SPM provavelmente pode ser abandonada, pois não condiz com os recentes dados literários e com o comportamento fisiológico demonstrado pela sutura. A densidade mineral da SPM, que varia de acordo com a idade do indivíduo, pode ser capaz de intervir na capacidade fisiológica de reparação óssea e na elasticidade sutural. O alto índice de densidade mineral da SPM, já descrito como normal nos indivíduos de meia idade, pode ser o responsável pela contraindicação da expansão maxilar na vida adulta

Introduction: Which is the composition of the midpalatal suture (MPS)? Which are its functions? At which moment of life does its obliteration occur? In addition to these questions, disagreement is frequently found in the literature about several details associated with the treatment of transverse maxillary deficiency using orthopedic expansion. The results of recent studies have helped understanding the physiology and behavior of MPS during and after maxillary expansion, in the prepubertal and post-pubertal periods, leading, in some cases, to an absolutely diverse interpretation of aspects presented in previously published relevant studies. New knowledge of MPS contrasts in several points with old concepts.Objective: To analyze, by means of a literature review, actual data and assumptions to elucidate the possibility of total obliteration of MPS after puberty, the influence of mineral density in the MPS region during maxillary expansion, and how patientÆs age affects it.Conclusion: The hypothesis that total obliteration of MPS occurs in a certain phase of life could probably be abandoned because it is not supported by the recent data and the physiological behavior of the suture. The mineral density of MPS, which varies according to the personÆs age, could affect the physiological capacity of bone repair and the elasticity of suture. The high density mineral of MPS, which has been described as normal in middle-aged individuals, could be responsible by the contraindication of maxillary expansion in adult life

[Simultaneous surgery of total cleft palate in early stage]. / Teljes ajak-szájpadhasadék korai idoszakban történo egyideju" korrekciója.

On the basis of the literature data and authors' own experience, the methods and optimum time for simultaneous surgery on penetrating unilateral clefts of the upper lip, nose, alveolar process, and hard and soft palates are discussed. The advantages of simultaneous surgery are presented: such operations were performed on 109 of 191 patients with total cleft palate. The main advantages are considered to be as follows: the children's face harmonically develops, their speech improves, the facial appearance becomes more favorable, accompanying diseases associated with a cleft palate disappear, and the duration of the medical and social rehabilitation shortens.

Comparison of oral mucosal pH values in bulimia nervosa, GERD, BMS patients and healthy population.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the oral mucosal pH in healthy individuals to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Bulimia nervosa (BN) and burning mouth syndrome (BMS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using a flat pH meter sensor, pH levels were established in eight mucosal sites in 26 healthy individuals, 26 GERD patients, 22 BN patients and 29 BMS patients. RESULTS: A significantly lower pH was found in the BN and GERD groups (6.38 ± 00.45, 6.51 ± 0.32 respectively, P < 0.05) and a higher, but non-significant, pH level in the BMS group (7.01 ± 0.34, P > 0.05) compared with the control (C) group (6.82 ± 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: BMS patients showed no pH differences from C group. The mucosa of BN and GERD patients was significantly acidic relative with controls; thus this simple technique may serve as a diagnostic tool for identifying gastro-esophageal conditions.

A comparison of the sialochemistry, oral pH, and oral health status of Down syndrome children to healthy children.

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of low caries incidence in Down syndrome (DS) children is not entirely clear. Aim. To compare sialochemistry and oral mucosal pH between Down syndrome children with caries (DS-Ca) and caries free (DS-CaF), and healthy children with caries (C-Ca) and caries free (C-CaF). DESIGN: The study group comprised 70 children with DS (mean age 4.41 +/- 1.9 years); 32 healthy children (mean age 9.22 +/- 2.7 years) served as control. Groups were further subdivided according to caries status: DS-Ca, DS-CaF, C-Ca and C-CaF. Sialochemistry analysis included calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chloride (Cl). Mucosal pH, plaque and gingival indices (PI and GI), and caries status were recorded. RESULTS: DMFT/dmft were significantly lower in the DS group. Cl and Ca levels were significantly higher in the DS-Ca compared to the C-Ca and the C-CaF children. Na and K were significantly higher in DS-Ca group compared to DS-CaF group. PI and GI were significantly higher in DS-C children compared to DS-CaF children. CONCLUSIONS: DS may manifest itself in the salivary glands. Consequently, different electrolyte salivary environment may form, leading to lower caries rates among DS children.