The relationships of inflammatory blood markers with maternal periodontal and dental states and their effects on preterm membrane rupture development.

BACKGROUND: The influence of maternal oral and dental health on the occurrence of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (P-PROM) and its underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. This research seeks to investigate the impact of maternal oral and dental health on the incidence of P-PROM and its association with inflammatory markers in the blood. METHODS: This study adopts a prospective case-control design methodology. The study involved 70 women diagnosed with P-PROM and delivered by an obstetrician and 79 women who had healthy deliveries with no prenatal complications. The values for DMFT (Number of decayed, missing and filled teeth) index, Gingival Index (GI), Plaque index (PI), Pocket depth (PD), Clinical attachment loss (CAL) and medical history were recorded. Mann-Whitney U test and hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis were applied. It was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The case group's DMFT, PI, GI, PD values were statistically significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001). There was no relationship between DMFT, GI, PD, CAL and inflammatory blood markers (p > 0.05). In the regression analysis for possible risk factors that may be effective in P-PROM, oral and dental health parameters were the most effective. CONCLUSIONS: Oral and dental health of women with P-PROM was found to be worse than that of the control group. Oral and dental health may be a potential risk factor that may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with P-PROM.

Evaluation of the effect of sickle cell disease on the mandibular bone of children and adolescents by image texture and radiomorphometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Sickle cell disease (SCD) can cause osteoporotic changes in the jaw bones. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate possible bone changes using fractal analysis (FA) and morphometric analyses in dental panoramic radiographs of children and adolescents diagnosed with both homozygous and heterozygous forms of SCD. METHODS: Sixty-five individuals (33 SCD, 32 controls) aged 6-17 years were included in the study. Four separate areas of interest (ROI) were selected for the right and left sides of all panoramic radiographs, and the FA value of the ROIs was calculated. Mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) and were evaluated. Data were statistically analyzed and p < 0.05 was accepted for statistical significance. RESULTS: Fractal values of right and left ROI1 (the center of the mandibular angle.) and ROI4 (the cortical bone), and right ROI2 (the middle of the mandibular ramus) were statistically lower in the case group (p < 0.05). Right ROI2 and ROI4 fractal values of individuals in the case group were lower than those on the left side (p < 0.05). While MCI categories did not differ from the case-control group (p > 0.05), PMI and MCW values were lower in the case group (p < 0.05). All evaluated parameters did not differ according to age and gender (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that SCD affects the mandible. FA, MCW and PMI parameters can be used to detect early osteoporotic changes in the disease.

A retrospective comparative fractal and radiomorphometric analysis of the effect of 3 generations of anti-epileptic drugs on the mandible.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the possible impacts of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on trabecular and cortical bone in the mandible. STUDY DESIGN: Fractal dimension (FD) and the radiomorphometric parameters of mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI), and mandibular cortical index (MCI) were assessed on 497 dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) of patients in the case group and controls. AEDs were compared according to 3 generations, duration of use, and patient age and sex. RESULTS: FD of the angle and body of the mandible and MCW were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (P < .001). FD values in the ramus and angle were lower in first-generation and third-generation AEDs than in second-generation drugs (P ≤ .011). FD in the mandibular body was lower in first-generation and second-generation AED users than in third-generation drugs (P = .017). Drug use for at least 1 year resulted in significantly lower values for all FDs and MCW values and more class 3 MCI assessments than short-duration use, but PMI was higher with more than 1 year of AED use (P ≤ .020). Age and sex had no significant effects. CONCLUSIONS: AEDs caused significant changes in bone compared with controls in some FD values, MCW, and MCI. The effect of drug generation is pronounced in trabecular bone. Anti-epileptic drug use for more than 1 year had a greater effect than short-term use.