Case Report: Unusual association of gubernacular canal, supernumerary tooth and odontoma with an impacted canine on cone beam computed tomography

This report describes a clinical case of asymptomatic compound odontoma in the anterior left side of the maxilla associated with an impacted canine and supernumerary tooth with a gubernacular canal of a 47- year-old female with no relevant medical history. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed for precise three-dimensional localization of each structure and assessment of their spatial relationship with the associated structures before surgery. The treatment protocol involved surgical enucleation of the odontoma and open extraction of both impacted and supernumerary teeth. Patient had uneventful healing and proceeded with the prosthodontic treatment plan. An experienced clinician can accurately diagnose a compound odontoma, as it has distinctive clinical and radiographic features. Thus, early detection and management of odontomas can help correction of any dental irregularity and avoid further complications.Scopu

Case Report: An association of the gubernacular canal, supernumerary tooth and odontoma with an impacted canine on cone-beam computed tomography [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]

This report describes a clinical case of asymptomatic compound odontoma in the anterior left side of the maxilla associated with an impacted canine and supernumerary tooth with a gubernacular canal of a 47- year-old female with no relevant medical history. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed for precise threedimensional localization of each structure and assessment of their spatial relationship with the associated structures before surgery. The treatment protocol involved surgical enucleation of the odontoma and open extraction of both impacted and supernumerary teeth. The patient had uneventful healing and proceeded with the prosthodontic treatment plan. The dentist should be aware of the probability of a close relationship between the development of odontoma and presence of the gubernacular tract, which could be used as a future radiographic diagnostic criterion of an odontoma. Also, we recommend that more studies be performed in this field to deeply analyze the imaging characteristics of GT and its spatial association with various pathological lesions in the future.Grant information: This research was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University through the Fast-track Research Funding Program.Scopu

Association Between Smoking and Periodontitis in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2012

Aim & Hypothesis: The experimental aims of the study were to use the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset to test and confirm the following hypotheses: 1) Characterize the periodontal condition among never smokers, former smokers and current smokers, 2) Analyze the association of time since quitting smoking and the periodontal condition among former smokers as a function of smoking history, 3) Analyze the association of duration of smoking and the periodontal condition among current smokers as a function of smoking history. Materials & Methods: This study analyzed data collected in the NHANES 2012 survey and included respondents for whom a periodontal exam and smoking status were obtained. Aim 1 was a descriptive analysis were used to characterize the sample. For Aim 2, unconditional logistic regression was conducted with time since quitting as the exposure and presence of periodontitis as the outcome, and included adjustment for confounders. Aim 3 analyses also used unconditional logistic regression, but included only current smokers, with duration of smoking habit as the exposure and periodontitis status as the outcome, adjusted for confounders. Results: Smoking status was statistically significantly associated with periodontal status (chi-square p < 0.0001). Among former smokers, after adjusting for confounders, each additional year since quitting smoking was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds ratio (OR) for periodontitis by 2.5%. Among current smokers, duration of smoking was not statistically significantly associated with periodontal status. Conclusions: Rates of periodontitis were highest in current smokers, lower in former smokers, and lowest in never smokers. Among former smokers, longer time since quitting was associated with lower likelihood of periodontitis. Among current smokers, the duration of smoking was not associated with likelihood of periodontitis. These findings support the notion that dental practitioners have a public health mandate to help their periodontal patients quit smoking. Future research should determine the best strategies for facilitating smoking cessation in dental patients

Assessment of Knowledge towards Radiation Protection Measures among Newly Graduated Dentists from Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: It is hypothesized that knowledge towards ionizing radiation (IR) protection measures is lacking among newly graduated dentists from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the present questionnaire-based study was to compare the IR protection knowledge among newly graduated dentists from Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: The present investigation was a questionnaire-based study and had a cross-sectional observational analytical design. Newly graduated dentists were defined as individuals who had graduated from a credentialed dental institution within the past 36-months.&nbsp;The questionnaire was related to knowledge about radiation safety, awareness and practices. The questionnaire comprised of 17 multiple choice questions. Questionnaires in which all the 17 questions were not answered or had missing pages were excluded. Odds ratios were computed for the number of correct and incorrect responses and 95% confidence intervals were determined. Individuals that provided up to 40%, 41% to 70% and &gt;70% correct answers were categorized as having &ldquo;low competence&rdquo;; &ldquo;moderate competence&rdquo; and &ldquo;high competence&rdquo; in IR knowledge. p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean percentage of correct answers provided by dentists from Egypt and KSA were 56.9% and 67.4%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentages of correct responses for the 17 questions submitted by respondents from Egypt and KSA. The overall percentage of correct responses ranged between 40.2&ndash;71.2% and 45.4&ndash;81.4% for respondents from Egypt and KSA, respectively. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals showed no statistically significant correlation in the responses from respondents from Egypt and KSA for each of the 17 questions addressed. Conclusion: Newly graduated dentists from Egypt and KSA are moderately competent regarding IR doses and related safety measures. It is recommended that modifications in the undergraduate dental education curriculum with emphasis on IR safety and practice would help enhance the knowledge and competence of students and newly graduated dentists. Moreover, routine continuing dental education seminars/programs may help enhance the IR knowledge of dental students and dentists

Periodontal and peri-implant status and whole salivary interleukin 1-beta levels among individuals using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: an observational study

Objective: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are commonly used for managing psychological diseases such as depression. These disorders are also directly associated with periodontal and peri-implant diseases, namely periodontitis and peri-implantitis, respectively. It is hypothesized that there is no difference in periodontal and peri-implant clinicoradiographic status and unstimulated whole salivary interleukin (IL)-1β levels in participants using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and controls (individuals not using SSRI). The aim of the present observational case-control study was to compare periodontal and peri-implant clinicoradiographic statuses and whole salivary IL-1β in participants using SSRI and controls. Methods: Users of SSRI and controls were included. In all participants, periodontal (plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], probing depth [PD], clinical attachment loss [AL] and marginal bone loss [MBL]) and peri-implant (modified PI [mPI], modified GI [mGI], PD and crestal bone loss [CBL]) were assessed. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected and IL-1β levels were determined. Information related to duration of implants in function, duration of depressive symptoms and treatment of depression was retrieved from healthcare records. Sample-size was estimated using 5% error and group comparisons were performed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Thirty-seven SSRI users and 35 controls were assessed. Individuals using SSRI had a history of depression of 4.2 ± 2.5 years. The mean age of SSRI-users and controls were 48.7 ± 5.7 and 45.3 ± 5.1 years, respectively. Tooth brushing twice daily was reported by 75.7% and 62.9% SSRI-users and controls, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in PI, mPI, GI, mGI, PD, clinical AL, numbers of MT and mesial and distal MBL and CBL among individuals using SSRI compared with controls (Tables 3 and 4). The unstimulated whole salivary flow rate in individuals using SSRI and controls was 0.11 ± 0.003 and 0.12 ± 0.001 ml/min, respectively. Whole salivary IL-1β levels in individuals using SSRI and controls were 57.6 ± 11.6 pg/ml and 34.6 ± 5.2 pg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Users of SSRI and controls demonstrate healthy periodontal and peri-implant tissue statuses with no marked differences in whole salivary IL-1β levels provided oral hygiene is stringently maintained.Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University - grant No. [PNURSP2022R63, PNURSP2023R63