The effect of mindfulness meditation on dental anxiety during implant surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Dental implant surgery is almost always associated with patient anxiety. Anxiety during dental surgical procedures triggers an increase in sympathetic activity. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is often associated with high levels of relaxation in the form of increased parasympathetic tone and decreased sympathetic activity. However, the effect of MM on dental anxiety is not clear. The current study aimed to show the effects of a MM as a sedative technique during dental implant surgery by examining the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), bispectral index (BIS), cortisol levels (CL), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR) and saturation (SpO2) parameters. HR, SBP, DBP, SpO2, BIS score and CLs were compared at the baseline, immediately before-, during-, and immediately after surgery between the test and control groups. We found that the MM resulted in significant decrease in BIS together with positive effects on hemodynamic parameters (decrease of HR, SBP, DBP and increase of SpO2), psychological findings (improvement on STAI-S scores) and biochemical outcomes (decreased CL). In conclusion, the results demonstrate that MM appeared to be a reliable strategy for managing stress during dental implant operation with benefits in psychological, physiological and biochemical outcomes.

Effects of Platelet-Rich Fibrin on Palatal Wound Healing After Free Gingival Graft Harvesting: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on palatal wound healing after free gingival graft (FGG) harvesting. A total of 125 patients were randomized after FGG: PRF with butyl-cyanoacrylate (BC) adhesive (PRF group; n = 42), BC adhesive alone (BC group; n = 42), and sterile wet gauze compression (WG group; n = 41). Bleeding, pain, epithelialization, feeding habits, and sensation scores were recorded for different time points. Statistically significant differences were found for all parameters in favor of the PRF group (P = .0001). PRF may provide significant benefits for wound healing parameters and patients' postoperative course after palatal graft harvesting.

Microsurgical Instruments in Laterally Moved, Coronally Advanced Flap for Miller Class III Isolated Recession Defects: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the laterally moved coronally advanced flap (LMCAF) technique in which magnified vision was used in conjunction with microsurgical instruments (LMCAF-M), and to compare the results with conventional LMCAF technique (LMCAF-C) in Miller Class III isolated recession-type defects. A total of 50 patients with recessions located at incisors and canines were treated with LMCAF-M or LMCAF-C. Outcome parameters (complete root coverage [CRC] and mean root coverage [MRC]) were assessed 6 months postoperatively. Of the 25 defects in each group, 13 in the LMCAF-M (92.0%) and 17 in the LMCAF-C group (68.0%) exhibited CRC (P < .007). MRC scores were 90.48% for the LMCAF-C group and 97.64% for the LMCAF-M group (P < .04). Patient satisfaction with esthetics and postoperative morbidity were better in the LMCAF-M group (P < .032). This study indicates that performing LMCAF with microsurgical instruments offers definite advantages in terms of CRC and MRC, decreased postoperative morbidity, and increased acceptance by patients.

Prediction of root coverage for single recessions in anterior teeth: a 6-month study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive values of baseline inter-dental papilla height (IPH), loss of inter-dental papilla height (LPH), avascular exposed root surface area (AERSA) and inter-dental clinical attachment level (ICAL) measurements on complete root coverage (CRC) of single recession defects treated with coronally advanced flap and connective tissue graft technique (CAF+CTG). MATERIAL & METHODS: A total of 122 patients with one isolated gingival recession were enrolled. All recession defects without loss of ICAL (ID-CAL) (RT1) and with an amount of ID-CAL equal or smaller to the buccal attachment loss (RT2), located at upper and lower anterior teeth were treated with CAF+CTG. IPH, LPH, AERSA and ICAL parameters were analysed for possible correlation with CRC after 6 months. RESULTS: The CRC was 86.7% for RT1, 74.2% for RT2 groups. The ROC analyses revealed acceptable cut-off points for baseline AERSA, IPH and LPH for achieving CRC. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that having baseline AERSA≥19 mm(2) (OR:23.7), IPH lower ≤1 mm (OR:97.3) and belonging to RT2 group (OR:15.0) were found to be independent risk factors related with not achieving final CRC. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that AERSA and IPH may be used to predict the final CRC outcomes in RT1 and RT2 defects treated with CAF+CTG.

An explorative study to develop a predictive model based on avascular exposed root surface area for root coverage after a laterally positioned flap.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of the avascular exposed root surface area (AERSA) as a prognostic test for gingival recessions (GRs) and to compare the predictive value of the avascular root surface area calculation and Miller classification on the final root-coverage outcomes. METHODS: Ninety-one patients with 91 isolated single GRs (32 Miller Class I, 29 Miller Class II, and 30 Miller Class III defects) located at the upper and lower incisors and canines were treated with a laterally positioned flap. Clinical parameters were recorded and correlated with the achievement of complete root coverage (CRC) after 6 months. RESULTS: From all clinical parameters used, AERSA showed the highest sensitivity and specificity for predicting CRC. Receiver operating characteristic curves analyses revealed three acceptable cutoff points based on baseline AERSA for achieving CRC with higher sensitivity and specificity values compared to GR depth, GR width, and gingival thickness. Both univariate and multiple linear regression analyses reported that the models could explain the 86% of the mean root coverage with AERSA. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective longitudinal study indicates that AERSA may be used to classify GR defects. The newly developed prognostic model may be used to predict the final root coverage outcomes.

Periodontal disease in men.

In relation to periodontal diseases associated with sex-steroid hormones, men have been the forgotten sex. It is not surprising that there has been less scrutiny of the effects of sex-steroid hormones in men considering the more striking changes that occur in women during different periods of their life. Despite the gingival inflammatory changes reported in women, men have been reported to have a higher prevalence of destructive periodontal diseases. The information presented in this review will provide a contemporary evaluation of male susceptibility to periodontal diseases.

Treatment of multiple gingival recessions using a coronally advanced flap procedure combined with button application.

AIM: The purpose of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new treatment approach, which consists of coronally advanced flap (CAF) procedure combined with orthodontic button application (CAF+B) for the treatment of multiple recession-type defects in patients with aesthetic demands. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one healthy subjects presenting at least three adjacent Miller Class I or II multiple gingival recessions were treated with a CAF technique. Twenty-one patients were randomly assigned to the test group, and the other 20 patients were assigned to the control group. On the test group, orthodontic buttons were used for the stabilization of advanced flaps. Clinical and patient centered parameters were measured at baseline, 7 days and 6 months after the surgery. RESULTS: A total of 155 recessions were treated. Complete root coverage from baseline to 6 months post-surgery was 61% for the control group and 84% for the test group. There was no difference on visual analog scale-pain measurements among the treatment groups. Patient satisfaction with aesthetics was very high in CAF+B group when compared with CAF group. CONCLUSION: Six months results showed that the CAF+B approach was effective for the treatment of multiple gingival recessions in patients with aesthetic demands.

The immunohistochemical analysis of vascular endothelial growth factors A and C and microvessel density in gingival tissues of systemic sclerosis patients: their possible effects on gingival inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: In systemic sclerosis (SSC), certain abnormalities can occur in fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune system cells. Severe pathological changes such as visceral fibrosis and obliteration of the lumen of arteries may develop due to functional alterations of these cells. Because the vascular abnormality is a central mechanism of sclerosis, the aim of this study was to further investigate the impaired vascularity in the gingival tissues of SSC patients by means of immunohistochemistry using vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), VEGF-C, and CD34 staining. STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen SSC patients and 11 systemically healthy controls who had moderate gingivitis were included in the study. Gingival biopsies were obtained from the interdental papilla, and VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and CD34 analyses were done by using immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Patients with scleroderma had higher levels of inflammatory infiltrate (P = .041) and microvessel density (P = .003) in their gingival biopsy samples. In contrast, when compared with the controls, the expressions of VEGF-A and VEGF-C were significantly lower in scleroderma patients (P = .033 and P = .015, respectively). CONCLUSION: These findings may reflect the defective vascularity and the pronounced histological inflammation of the gingival tissues in systemic scleroderma and may provide a novel target for treatment methods for the gingival involvement in these patients.

Epileptic seizures triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush.

BACKGROUND: Reflex epilepsy is characterized by seizures that are triggered in response to a specific stimulus and tooth-brushing epilepsy is an extremely rare form of reflex epilepsy in which the seizures are mainly induced by the act of tooth brushing. In this report, we describe an epilepsy patient whose seizures were exclusively triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 31-year old female had been treated for partial epilepsy of left temporal or frontal lobe for 20 years and she did not have seizures for the last 3 years. However, she experienced periods of auras, partial complex seizures, and nocturnal generalized seizures after she started using a powered toothbrush. The interictal electroencephalography revealed slow wave paroxysm over the left temporal or frontal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: This case report is, to our knowledge, the first report of reflex epilepsy in which the seizures were triggered by the use of a powered toothbrush. Possible mechanisms to explain the novel type of this rare disorder are discussed.

Immediate post-operative effects of different periodontal treatment modalities on oral health-related quality of life: a randomized clinical trial.

AIM: Oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) characterizes a person's perception of how oral health influences an individual's life quality. The aim of this study is to investigate how the treatment modalities may affect the immediate post-operative quality of life of patients with periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty psychologically and socio-demographically matched periodontitis patients were randomly divided into three groups [20 non-surgical (NS), 20 surgical (SG), 20 surgical plus enamel matrix protein derivative (S+EMD)]. The OHQoL was assessed with two patient-centred outcome measures [Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)] in the post-operative period of 1 week. RESULTS: Whereas there were no differences of OHQoL at the baseline, the patients treated by surgery had reported that they had experienced a worse OHQoL compared with the NS and S+EMD groups both in the OHIP-14 and GOHA indexes (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study clearly indicated that patient perceptions on the immediate post-operative period were significantly better in the NS and S+EMD groups when compared with the SG group. These findings need to be confirmed in further studies with larger populations.

Oral mucormycosis in children with leukemia: report of 2 cases.

Mucormycosis is a rare acute opportunistic infection caused by a saprophytic fungus, which belongs to the order Mucorales. This report describes intraoral mucormycosis in 2 children with acute leukemia who were undergoing chemotherapy and had febrile neutropenia. A 7-year-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia and a 9-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were referred to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Cukurova University for their intraoral soft tissue lesions, which were diagnosed as mucormycosis by histologic examination. While, for the first case, the lesion was debrided under general anesthesia and medical antifungal therapy was performed, only medical management was done, without any debridement, for the second case. Early recognition of mucormycosis is necessary to limit the spread of infection, which can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, health practitioners should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of the disease.

The phenotypic overlap of syndromes associated with hereditary gingival fibromatosis: follow-up of a family for five years.

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is characterized by the slowly progressive fibrous enlargement of gingival tissue. It usually develops as an isolated disorder but can also be one feature of various syndromes. The currently preferred terminology of these syndromes mainly describes the clinical features of the disorder without identifying the cause. In this report, we present the 5-year follow up of a family with HGF and features of 3 previously described syndromes: Jones syndrome, Zimmerman-Laband syndrome, and HGF-hypertrichosis syndrome. The 45-year-old father had HGF, hypertrichosis, hearing loss, and short stubby fingers and toes with hypoplasia of the terminal phalanges and hypoplasia of the nails on the thumbs. The features of 13-year-old son were almost identical to those of his father except for hypertrichosis, but in addition he was mentally retarded. Although the 10-day-old son had HGF and defective fingers, the mother and 7-year-old daughter were unaffected. Owing to the overlap of these syndromes, we argue that the identification of the genetic pathways and mechanisms will be the most important factor in classifying these disorders, with the phenotype playing a minor role.

Atypical streptococcal infection of gingiva associated with chronic mouth breathing.

Streptococcal infections of oral tissues are mainly seen in young children who experience a variety of upper respiratory tract infections. The disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, and ulcers on the gingiva, lips, and tonsils. This case report presents an atypical streptococcal infection of the gingiva in an 18-year-old man. The patient was referred to the periodontology department complaining of a 2-month history of gingival enlargement. He had persistent fever (39.5 degrees C) and general malaise for 2 weeks. Intraoral examination revealed extremely inflamed and enlarged gingiva with spontaneous bleeding and suppuration. Based on the otolaryngologic consultation and the hematologic, immunologic, and microbiologic tests, the final diagnosis was an atypical streptococcal gingivitis with chronic adenoid-related mouth breathing and oral hygiene neglect as contributing factors. Treatment consisted of a broad-spectrum antibiotic regimen, supragingival and subgingival debridement, adenoidectomy, and scaling and root planing. A good response to nonsurgical therapy was achieved despite poor patient compliance, and no recurrence of gingival enlargement was observed after 1 year. Streptococcal gingivitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of suppurative gingival enlargements. Furthermore, chronic mouth breathing may initiate and/or contribute to this disease.

Evaluation of patient perceptions after frenectomy operations: a comparison of carbon dioxide laser and scalpel techniques.

BACKGROUND: A frenum that encroaches on the margin of the gingiva may interfere with plaque removal and cause tension. Frenectomy is the complete removal of the frenum that can be made by scalpels or with soft tissue lasers. The aim of this article was to compare the degree of postoperative pain, such as discomfort and functional complications (eating and speech), experienced by patients after two frenectomy operation techniques. METHODS: Forty patients requiring frenectomy were randomly assigned to have treatment either with a conventional technique or with a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. The postoperative pain and functional complication ratings of each patient were recorded using a visual analog scale on days 1 and 7. RESULTS: The results indicated patients treated with the CO2 laser had less postoperative pain and fewer functional complications (speaking and chewing) (P <0.0001 each) and required fewer analgesics (P <0.001) compared to patients treated with the conventional technique. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical study indicates that CO2 laser treatment used for frenectomy operations provides better patient perception in terms of postoperative pain and function than that obtained by the scalpel technique. Considering the above advantages, when used correctly, the CO2 laser offers a safe, effective, acceptable, and impressive alternative for frenectomy operations.

The effects of anabolic androgenic steroid abuse on gingival tissues.

BACKGROUND: Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) is the familiar name for synthetic derivatives of the male sex hormone, testosterone. A large number of young adults abuse AAS to enhance performance and physical appearance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of AAS abuse on the gingival tissues in a group of bodybuilders and weight lifters. METHODS: The test group was composed of 24 athletes aged between 17 and 29 years who had been using AAS for >1 year. All subjects were clinically examined for plaque levels (plaque index), gingival inflammation (gingival index), and gingival enlargement. The results were compared to a control group of 20 bodybuilders who had never used AAS drugs and who matched for age, educational level, and oral habits according to the data obtained from the test group. RESULTS: Although there were no statistical differences between the plaque index (P>0.05) and gingival index (P>0.05) scores of the study group and the control group, the AAS abusers had statistically higher scores of gingival thickness, extent of gingival encroachment, and total gingival enlargement scores (P<0.001 each) compared to non-users. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have revealed that the prolonged use of AAS is closely associated with significant levels of gingival enlargement. Because recreational abuse and abuse in non-competitive sports seem to increase despite legislation, dentists and periodontists should be familiar with the adverse effects of these synthetic derivatives of testosterone on the gingival tissues.

The oral health status of street children in Adana, Turkey.

AIM: To determine the oral health status of street children and compare the results with a group of non-working children in Adana, Turkey. Street children are generally defined as any boy or girl for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood; and who is inadequately protected, supervised, or directed by responsible adults. STUDY DESIGN: Demographic data including education, employment and social insurance of parents and number of siblings, was obtained. A formal interview with structured questions was used in order to determine the oral health behaviour of the children. Oral examinations were performed according to the criteria of the WHO oral examination form. RESULTS: The oral health behaviour of street children was significantly different from non-working children. While DMFT and dmft scores of the street youths were significantly lower than the control group, they had higher CPITN scores (p< or =0.001). CONCLUSION: Street children are commonly faced with oral health problems, especially periodontal problems. Therefore, the dental and periodontal needs of this particular population must be addressed. Oral health policies and preventive services including oral health promotion programmes which aim to give information about dental issues and to make positive changes in behavioural and environmental factors should be developed. The priority should be to control the factors which result in the occurrence of new dental problems.

Oral challenge test for the diagnosis of gingival hypersensitivity to apple: a case report.

Food intolerance is the term used to describe a hypersensitivity reaction to a food component. These reactions refer to the drug-like side effects caused by a range of chemicals that may be present in food as natural or added components. The range of symptoms which can be induced by food intolerance are very similar to those caused by food allergy, oral allergy syndrome, acute infectious diseases and vesiculobullous disorders; so that on initial presentation, it can be difficult to differentiate between these conditions. A 48-year-old woman with complaints of allergic symptoms was examined with skin prick test (SPT), specific IgE analysis, and oral challenge test for definitive allergen determination. The patient was negative in both specific IgE detection and SPT with commercial extracts of apple, whereas the oral challenge test revealed positive objective symptoms with blister and ulcer formation. Apple has been reported to be the cause of food allergy. To our knowledge, there is no report of apple intolerance in which the lesions are only confined to gingival tissues.

Multidisciplinary approach to the rehabilitation of a crown-root fracture with original fragment for immediate esthetics: a case report with 4-year follow-up.

Dental practitioners frequently encounter dentoalveolar traumas. According to the severity of the trauma, a large spectrum of complications such as isolated tooth fracture, dentoalveolar fracture or fracture at maxillofacial region may occur. If the isolated tooth fracture occurs particularly at anterior region, the rehabilitation should satisfy both esthetic and functional problems. An unrestorable tooth should be extracted and this leads to more complex treatments such as implant or conventional prosthetic rehabilitations, which will restore the function, but impair the esthetics. Recently, powerful new generation dual-cured resin composites have been produced for reattachment of original fractured fragments. In this case, we presented treatment of oblique crown-root fracture of a maxillary central tooth from enamel-cement junction by the reattachment technique. We used dual cured resin composite (Panavia F) and a self-tapping screw-post (Dentatus) for reattaching the crown fragment. Orthodontic treatment was applied for intruding and leveling the tooth. Four years after treatment, the tooth exhibited good esthetics, good periodontal health and normal function. However, minimal relapse occurred in spite of orthodontic treatment. In conclusion, the reattachment technique is an alternative method, which offers satisfactory esthetic and functional rehabilitation of the fractured teeth.

Iatrogenic trauma to oral tissues.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic trauma can be defined as any trauma that has been induced by the dentist's activity, manner, or therapy. The aim of this article is to present traumatic oral tissue lesions of iatrogenic origin. METHODS: Thirteen cases of chemical (due to ferric sulfate and formocresol), physical (due to orthodontic wires and appliances), and thermal (due to electrosurgery) injuries to the oral tissues are reported. RESULTS: Chemical, physical, and thermal injuries in the oral, gingival, or palatinal mucosa of iatrogenic origin can exhibit various clinical features. The management of traumatic injuries is dependent on the severity of the involvement in the periodontal tissues. While, in most cases, the elimination of the offending agent and symptomatic therapy were sufficient, in severe cases, or when the injury resulted in permanent defects, periodontal surgery and regenerative therapy may be necessary. CONCLUSIONS: The skill, experience, and up-to-date knowledge of dentists are the main factors to prevent possible iatrogenic traumas. Although "To err is human," careful practice is very important for the principle "Primum non nocere" ("First do no harm").

Gingival melanin pigmentation and its treatment with the CO2 laser.

OBJECTIVE: There are only a few reports in the literature evaluating the effects of the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser on gingival melanin pigmentation (GMP). This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the CO2 laser at superpulse mode, applied for gingival depigmentation. STUDY DESIGN: GMP at the anterior maxillary and mandibular gingiva of 10 patients was treated using the superpulsed CO2 laser (10 watts, 0.8 mm spot size, 20 Hz, 10 milliseconds). Pigmented areas were measured on pre- and postoperative standard digital images by the aid of an image- analyzing software. Statistical analysis of the data was performed by Mann Whitney U test. RESULTS: Ablation of the hyperpigmented gingiva was accomplished with minimal carbonization and almost no bleeding. Postoperative healing was uneventful with no significant postoperative pain. Two cases of partial repigmentation were observed during 24-month follow-up. Statistical analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between pre- and postoperative measurements of pigmented area. CONCLUSION: Application of the superpulse mode of CO2 laser appears to be an effective and safe method for the elimination of GMP.