Improving Patient Well-Being as a Broader Perspective in Dentistry.

Patient well-being encompasses the physical, mental, psychological, and social health of an individual. To adequately treat an individual and increase their quality of life, whole-person, patient-centred care needs to be utilised. This review aims to concisely summarise ways to improve patients' well-being through and in dentistry. Oral health is tied to one's quality of life through oral function, overall health, self-perception, social acceptance, and social interaction. These relationships demonstrate the importance of utilising oral health to increase patient quality of life, unify health professions in patient treatment, use preventative medicine, and empower patients about their health. To do so, the dental profession can increase the scope of practice to provide preventative health screening and education on general health, have more open communication, collaborate with other health care professionals, and have broader consultations. This will allow for better continuity of care and shift the focus of treatment to the whole person instead of a symptom. Whilst there are barriers that need to be resolved and cost feasibility requires more exploration, the potential benefit to patients is apparent.

Critical analysis of the reporting quality of case reports focusing on dental traumatology using the Preferred Reporting Items for Case reports in Endodontics 2020 checklist: A baseline evaluation prior to checklist publication.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Case Reports in Endodontics (PRICE) 2020 guidelines were published to help authors produce high-quality case reports. The aim of this study was to use the PRICE 2020 guidelines to appraise a sample of 50 case reports related to dental traumatology that were published before the guidelines were available in order to assess various parameters influencing the reporting quality. METHODS: Fifty case reports published between 2015 and 2019 and related to dental traumatology were randomly selected from the PubMed database. Reports were assessed by two independent evaluators using the PRICE checklist. Each item received a score of "1" if the manuscript met all pertinent criteria, "0" if it was not reported, and "0.5" if it was reported insufficiently. "Not Applicable" (NA) was assigned to items that were irrelevant to a specific report. The estimated total PRICE score for each case report was computed by adding all the scores, with a maximum score of 47 minus any "NA" scores. Descriptive and Inferential statistics (Student's t-test and ANOVA) were used for analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of case reports that fully met each applicable criteria ranged from 0% to 100%. The percentage of case reports partially satisfying each applicable criterion varied from 0% to 88%. There was a significant difference in scores for case reports published in journals with an impact factor compared with those without (p = .042). No significant difference was observed between the mean scores that compared the period of publication. There was no significant difference between journals that followed the CARE guidelines and those that did not. CONCLUSION: Several items within the PRICE 2020 guidelines were either not reported or only partially reported in case reports related to dental traumatology prior to the checklist publication. It is recommended that authors follow the PRICE 2020 guidelines to improve the overall quality of their case reports.

Implications of Post-Traumatic Treatment of Immature Maxillary Incisors.

The aim of this review was to discuss traumatic dental injuries in view of their treatment implications to provide an evidence-based resource for clinicians when planning treatment for traumatised immature maxillary incisors. Dental trauma to immature maxillary incisors can result in various complications, such as critical fractures, resorptions, or ankylosis, and might lead to tooth loss. Traumatised teeth may exhibit various unaesthetic discolourations as a result of different dental trauma sequelae or materials used for treatment. All of the above can influence patients' social experience, including self-esteem, confidence, eating and speaking abilities, as well as proper development and growth of the jaw bones. Treatment of traumatised immature incisors should focus not only on the acute phase but on the long-term consequences. Any time gained with the tooth in the jaw bone, free of infection, is an achievement, as it allows normal growth and development. All these aspects are discussed in this narrative review, and an evidence-based summary resource is suggested for clinicians to use when planning treatment for traumatised immature maxillary incisors.

Multidisciplinary Approach for Autotransplantation and Restoration of a Maxillary Premolar into an Area of an Avulsed Anterior Tooth: A Case Report with a 6-Year Follow-up.

The loss of an anterior tooth because of avulsion has been reported in up to 3% of dental injuries. Management alternatives, such as implant-supported restorations and a fixed partial denture, are contraindicated in growing patients because of the continuous growth of the alveolar process. At the same time, orthodontic treatment for gap closure will result in asymmetry and will require adjustment of the adjacent healthy teeth. Therefore, restoring a missing tooth imposes a treatment challenge, especially in children and young adults. Tooth autotransplantation is a treatment modality with high reported survival and success rates that overcome these mentioned limitations. It might also help to preserve the alveolar bone and the soft tissues. This case report describes a multidisciplinary approach for managing a 13-year-old boy who lost his right maxillary central incisor because of a fall. Management included autotransplantation of the left maxillary second premolar to the site of the lost right maxillary central incisor, management of external inflammatory resorption with an endodontic treatment, orthodontic treatment, and aesthetic restoration of the area with composite resin crowns that can be adapted to the expected changes of the jaws during the craniofacial growing period. At the 6-year follow-up, the teeth demonstrated a positive outcome.

Factors Associated with the Need for a Primary Endodontic Treatment after Single-Unit Crown Cementation: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: This case-control study aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk for endodontic treatment after single-unit crown cementation and to describe the timeline of such events. METHODS: After evaluating the electronic records of all single-unit crowns placed on nonendodontically treated teeth between 1999 and 2019 and excluding teeth with preexisting questionable or confirmed endodontic disease, "cases" were identified as teeth requiring primary endodontic treatment after crown cementation. This was not examined in the current study because the cases and controls were matched by tooth type. RESULTS: Overall, 69 teeth without any suspected or confirmed past endodontic disease required an endodontic intervention after crown cementation. The mean number ± standard deviation of restorations in a tooth before crown cementation was significantly higher among the cases than the matched controls (2.16 ± 0.99 vs 0.78 ± 0.78, P < .05). Teeth with ≥2 and ≥3 previous restorations had an almost 4 (odds ratio = 3.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-9.29; P < .05) and almost 6 (odds ratio = 5.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.230-28.95; P < .05) times higher risk, respectively, for endodontic treatment after crown cementation compared with teeth with ≤1 restoration present before crown cementation. The majority (65%, n = 45) of teeth in the cases group required endodontic treatment during the first 3 years after crown cementation. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of multiple restorations at the time of crown cementation was identified as a significant predictive factor for the need for endodontic treatment after crown cementation in teeth with no preexisting questionable or confirmed endodontic disease. Therefore, clinicians should be aware and inform patients about the increased risk of primary endodontic treatment in teeth with a history of more than 1 restoration, especially during the first 3 years after permanent crown cementation.

Tooth and root size as determined from 0.25- and 0.30-mm voxel size cone-beam CT imaging when contrasted to micro-CT scans (0.06 mm): An ex vivo study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify tooth volume differences from extracted teeth when using three different three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT)-based imaging modalities. DESIGN: Ex vivo study. SETTING: Laboratory and clinics of the University of Alberta. METHODS: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) of 12 extracted teeth were scanned using 0.25- and 0.30-mm voxel size from CBCT and a 0.06-mm voxel size from micro-CT (reference standard). 3D reconstructions for each tooth from each imaging modality were made through the software ITK-SNAP®. The mean volume differences between each pair of scanning modalities were calculated and then compared and analysed through a repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The average overestimations of the teeth volume were 15.2% for the high-resolution CBCT and 28.1% for the low-resolution CBCT compared to micro-CT measurements. The differences in absolute volume were 81.6 mm3 and 152.8 mm3, respectively. All differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontists and researchers who assess root resorption through CBCT imaging should be aware that the depicted volumes may likely be overestimating tooth volume and camouflaging real root volumetric treatment changes.

Dental Implant Success and Endodontic Condition of Adjacent Teeth: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Placement of dental implants adjacent to teeth with inflammation, such as periapical lesions, may have implications on the implant prognosis. The aim of this study was to systematically collect the available evidence regarding the influence of endodontic status of adjacent teeth on dental implant prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic electronic search was conducted using the MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, EBSCO, CINHAL, COCHRANE, and SCOPUS databases in August 2019. The search was further supplemented with a hand-search citation mining process. All types of studies that addressed the endodontic condition of the adjacent tooth and evaluated dental implant success or survival were analyzed and evaluated according to the PRISMA and NOS guidelines. RESULTS: Overall, seven human studies were included in the final analysis. Those included a total of 1,914 implants placed adjacent to teeth with periapical lesions or root canal treatments. Four studies included implants placed adjacent to teeth with periapical lesions (1,634 implants), and three studies included implants placed adjacent to teeth with root canal treatments (280 implants). Lower success rates of dental implants placed adjacent to teeth with periapical lesions or to endodontically treated teeth were reported; however, the results were inconsistent. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence to support an association between the endodontic condition of the adjacent tooth and the success of dental implants, but it is not enough to support a causative relationship. Nevertheless, clinicians should treat any active sources of infection and inflammation in adjacent teeth prior to insertion of dental implants.

Occurrence and risk factors of dental root perforations: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic root perforations are an unfortunate accident that can occur during dental treatment and can lead to peri-radicular damage, poor treatment outcome and extraction of the tooth. The aim of this review was to analyse the occurrence and risk factors for root perforation. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, Medline and SCOPUS in May 2019. Additional literature was identified through a hand search. Clinical studies enrolling adults with permanent dentition were included. Single case studies and case reports were excluded. Duplicate articles were removed, titles and abstracts were screened and studies were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected and reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. RESULTS: A total of 916 articles were screened, from which 47 full-text articles were analysed and 22 articles were finally included in the study. The data were analysed qualitatively because meta-analysis could not be conducted owing to lack of heterogeneity among the studies. Most of the articles were retrospective cross-sectional studies on root canal treatments performed by undergraduate students. The occurrence of perforation ranged from 0.6% to 17.6%. Risk factors for perforation included experience of the practitioner, tooth type, and tooth morphology. The risk of bias in most of the studies included was assessed as low. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests a need for additional studies on the risk factors associated with iatrogenic root perforation as the current literature is insufficient. Educational efforts in dental schools should address the issue of perforations and provide more clinical experience prior to graduation in order to improve the clinical skills of graduates.

Apical periodontitis and atherosclerosis: Is there a link? Review of the literature and potential mechanism of linkage.

Atherosclerosis is a progressive narrowing of arteries that may lead to occlusion as a consequence of lipid deposition. It underlies coronary heart disease, as well as myocardial and cerebral infarctions. Recent attention has been directed towards the potential contribution of chronic inflammatory processes that may amplify vascular inflammation in atherosclerosis, as it is recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease. In this category are two of the most prevalent oral diseases: periodontal disease and apical periodontitis (AP). There is increasing epidemiologic evidence for a positive association between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as between AP and CVD. A review of the literature, as well as a potential mechanism for the linkage between AP and atherosclerosis, are presented in this article.

Pain prevention and management during orthodontic treatment as perceived by patients.

AIM: The experience of pain is considered a major issue during active orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. The objective of this study was to indirectly and retrospectively evaluate patients' perceptions of orthodontists' awareness to their pain during active orthodontic treatment. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was distributed to 100 patients undergoing active orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. The patients were treated by at least 35 orthodontists. The questionnaire accessed information regarding instructions the patients received from their orthodontist concerning pain management during and following treatment. RESULTS: Most of the patients (83%) reported that their orthodontist informed them about expected pain during orthodontic treatment. Fifty-nine percent informed their orthodontist of pain during treatment (64% girls and 33% boys). Only 21% of the patients were recommended to take analgesic to relieve the pain and only 7% patients received a prescription for an analgesic to relieve their pain. CONCLUSION: Orthodontists should consider prescribing analgesics more frequently.