BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF Melolontha melolontha L. LARVAE WITH ENTOMOPATHOGENIC BIOINSECTICIDE BASED ON Beauveria brongniartii

From 2010 to 2013 tests were conducted with entomopathogenic bioproduct based on Beauveria brongniartii, in nurseries of the Botosani, Neamt and Suceava Forest Departments. At RDPP Bucharest a technology for multiplication on nutrtive solid substrate of entomopathogenic fungus B. brongniartii was developed, on the basis of which the experimental bioinsecticide BioMelCon (G) was obtained. Soil treatments were performed with the BioMelCon (G) in doses ranging from 100 to200 kg/ha. The tested dosages were achieved by applying two treatments per year. Application of biological product held generally early spring on surfaces free from crops, to ensure a uniform distribution and to create the possibility of periodic inspection of the treatment effect by soil surveys. Checking the effectiveness of treatment was carried out in several stages, in different site conditions. The paper presents results concerning the effect of applying several biological treatments on Melolontha melolontha larvae (L2-L3). The cumulative effect of the biological product and the agricultural practices of experimental fields have led to a decreased density of larval populations under economic threshold level

ERGONOMICS AND PREVENTION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL – WORK RELATED PATHOLOGY IN DENTISTRY: A PILOT STUDY

Dentistry is acknowledged as an outstandingly practical domain of medicine, with an excessive and extensive role of the hand acting in a professional dental environment, with specific working postures, repetitive movements and using different dental instruments. The main objective of our study was to evaluate occupational-hand pathology in dentists and potential trigger factors and to highlight the role of physical therapy in preventing and management of different musculoskeletal issues in dentistry settings. We performed a prospective 12-months study on 30 dentists (20 women), aged between 30 and 60 years, working in private practice aiming to assess professional hand involvement. Enrolled dentists were classified in two equal groups, according to their participation in a kinetic program: group A, dentists performing an individual kinetic program on a daily basis, and group B, dentists without being involved in a physical therapy program. All subjects were followed-up for 12 months. A specific questionnaire derived from the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire was applied in all cases, evaluating different musculoskeletal items such as pain, paresthesias, muscle spasm and amyotrophy, but also joint mobility (wrist, metacarpophalangeal joints).Work-related hand pathology is widely confirmed among dentists, specifically connected to different professional factors such as working postures and movements, number of working hours, cumulative time and experience, as well as type of devices and tools handled. Moreover, dentistry performed according to ergonomic settings is essential in order to reduce the burden of musculoskeletal features and to improve related disability and working performance. Work-related hand pathology accounts for significant morbidity and physical discomfort among dental professionals. With a multifaceted pathobiology ranging from inflammatory to degenerative damage of both soft tissue, nerve and joints (wrist and fingers), musculoskeletal issues are typically linked to professional triggers during routine practice in dentistry

MUSCULOSKELETAL ISSUES AMONG DENTAL MEDICINE STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

The burden of work-related musculoskeletal pathology among dental professionals is widely recognized, particularly associated with specific risk factors in routine practice. Aim of the study: The main objective of our study was to evaluate musculoskeletal issues in students in dentistry based on their participation in different levels of professional activities, and to identify potential risk factors. Material and methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 100 consecutive students attending the School of Dentistry, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, classified in two main groups: 50 students in their first and second year of study, not engaged in specific dental work (group A) and 50 students in their third to sixth year, already performing professional activities in patient (group B). A predefined questionnaire survey was applied in all students, including general data, risk factors for musculoskeletal problems, and information on pain (vertebral, hand) and muscle spasm as main musculoskeletal complains potentially related to their professional doings. Conclusions: Ergonomic postures adopted by the student / dentist in routine practice as well as ergonomic dental instruments are usually associated with less vertebral (lumbar spine) and hand pathology. Ergonomic principles must be applied in routine dental practice and the student educated about prevention of musculoskeletal pathology

TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT IN JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTRITIS: AN IMAGING STUDY AND ERGONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may be involved in different JIA subtypes, with a prevalence ranging between 40 to 70%, leading to various degrees of disability, mainly related to pain, inflammation, reduced mandibular mobility, damage of the condyle and secondary masticatory muscle impairment. The aim of the present work was to describe TMJ involvement in different subtypes of JIA, based on a complex epidemiological, clinical and imaging approach. We performed a prospective observational study on 22 consecutive JIA attending an academic rheumatology department. Imagistic assessments comprised: (i) an X-ray of vertebral (lumbar and cervical spine) as well as peripheral joints in order to support the diagnosis and to evaluate the stage of the disease; (ii) a TMJ ultrasonography; (iii) a TMJ CT scan; and (iv) a CBCT. The following parameters were evaluated in our patients: demographics and general characteristics (sex, age, duration of disease, JIA onset); TMJ-related data e.g. spontaneous or provoked unilateral or bilateral TMJ pain measured on a visual analog scale (VAS), accompanied by morning stiffness or stiffness after rest; clicking and crepitation were noted in the context mandible mobilization; muscle contracture (masseter, temporal, internal pterygoid); parafunctions; TMJ imaging; dental, gingival and occlusal status. TMJ involvement is classically described among JIA patients, presenting with various clinical signs and symptoms and different degrees of inflammation and condylar damage

TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT IN RHEUMATOIS ARTHRITIS – A COMPLEX IMAGING APPROACH

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the main chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders characterized by chronic destructive peripheral arthritis as well as a wide range of systemic features, resulting in irreversible damage, significant disability, functional impairment and altered quality of life. Clinical temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement is commonly reported in up to 80% of RA patients. Although conventional radiological examination remains an important tool for diagnosis and assessment of TMJ disease, newer modern techniques including TMJ ultrasound, CT and cone beam CT (CBCT) are largely available and able to depict earlier changes in the TMJ. This report presents the clinical case of an established RA, emphasizing the potential diagnostic algorithm and therapeutic options for TMJ arthriti

Exploring the Role of Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibitor Tocilizumab in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis and Periodontal Disease

Background: The aim of our study was to explore the influence of weekly subcutaneous administration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitor tocilizumab (TCZ) on periodontal status in a local longitudinal study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal disease (PD). Methods: We performed a 6-month prospective study in 51 patients with chronic periodontitis and moderate-to-severe RA starting TCZ in accordance with local recommendations. Extensive rheumatologic (clinical activity, inflammatory, serological biomarkers) and periodontal (visible plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss) assessments were done. Changes in RA activity and periodontal status were reassessed after 3 and 6 months. Results: We demonstrated significant correlations between periodontal status, disease activity, and serologic biomarkers (p < 0.05). Tocilizumab significantly improved the gingival index scores and decreased the number of sites with bleeding on probing after only 3 months (p < 0.05), while the probing pocket depth significantly decreased after 6 months; overall, clinical attachment loss presented only slight changes without any statistical significance as well as teeth count and plaque levels (p > 0.05). Conclusion: IL-6 inhibition is able to improve periodontal outcomes in patients with RA and concomitant PD, which is essentially related to a dramatic decrease in serum inflammatory mediators

SMITH-LEMLI-OPITZ SYNDROME WITH SEVERE INVOLVEMENT OF THE ORAL CAVITY IN A TEENAGER

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a plurimalformative syndrome transmitted by autosomal recessive inheritance. SLOS is caused by the deficiency in the enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol-delta-reductase (DHCR7) resulting in cholesterol metabolism disorders, more precisely the incapacity to transform dehydrocholesterol into cholesterol. The syndrome is marked by characteristic facial dysmorphism, multiple malformations and intellectual disability. We are reporting the case of a 15 year old patient diagnosed postnatally with bilateral hands and feet polydactyly, and clinodactyly in the 5th toe of the right foot which was surgically treated when the patient was 6 months old. The association with suggestive modifications of the oral cavity (dental impactions, palatoschisis, enlarged alveolar ridges and uvula bifida) that required complex orthodontic therapy and the genetic consult establish the diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

Research Regarding Dental Mobility Phenomena in the Clinical Recognition Diagnosis of Temporomandibular Disorders

The main objective of this study is to quantify the implications of the complications of periodontal pathology and dental mobility on the pathology of dysfunctional algo syndrome, a clinical entity with profound implications for the patient’s quality of life. Methodology: Clinical and laboratory evaluation was conducted in the 2018–2022 period, on a group of 110 women and 130 men, aged between 20–69, selected from our practice venue, Policlinica Stomatologica nr. 1 Iasi, Clinical Base of Dentistry Education “Mihail Kogalniceanu” Iasi, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi and “Apollonia” University Iasi. Overall, 125 subjects were diagnosed with periodontal disease with complications and TMJ disorders and followed periodontal therapy in the context of oral complex rehabilitation treatments (study group); the results of their clinical evaluation were compared with the results of the evaluation of the control group, made from the other 115 patients). Results: Dental mobility and gingival recession were identified as more frequent in the study sample compared with the control sample, the differences being statistically significant in both cases. In total, 26.7% of patients had different types of TMJ disorders and 22.9% of patients had occlusal changes; the percentages are slightly increased in the study sample compared with the control one, but the recorded differences are not statistically significant. Conclusions: Dental mobility, most of the time, is a negative consequence of periodontal disease, leading to the alteration of the mandibular-cranial relations, materializing in an important proportion as an etiopathogenic factor of the dysfunctional syndrome of the stomatognathic system

Periodontal Disease Diagnosis in the Context of Oral Rehabilitation Approaches

Periodontal diseases generally correspond to a disturbance in the balance between the host’s defense and the micro-organisms colonizing the periodontal environment. The exact mechanisms underlying the destruction of the periodontium remain to be fully elucidated. Our study aims to quantify the main bacteria pool involved in periodontal pathology and associate it with other factors involved in the onset of periodontal disease so that an accurate diagnosis with profound implications for the therapeutic algorithm can be developed. Micro-Ident tests, based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, were used for the study group, chosen for their high specificity in identifying periodontopathogenic bacteria and determining their relative numbers. The results of our study indicate an increased concentration of 4.50 (number of strains) for Capnocytophaga, followed by Tannerella forsythia, in a concentration of 3.50; the next highest concentration percentages are for Treponemei denticola, and Prevotela intermedia, low concentrations were found for Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas. The concentration of each type of bacteria is reflected in the clinical picture and constitutes the starting point for a targeted antibiotic therapy. Following the effects of antibiotic-targeted therapy obtained from the evaluation of the micro-IDent B test results on the periodontium of the supporting teeth, we observed that the values of the periodontal indices change slightly at 3-month intervals with a predominance of plaque, bleeding, and gingival indices, and less in the indices concerning the depth of the probing pocket and the loss of attachment on the buccal and oral surfaces. In conclusion, our study emphasizes a direct relationship between the subgingival tartar presence and the patients age, gingival recession, presence of periodontal pockets, dental mobility, as well as the periodontal indexes: plaque index, bleeding index, and gingival index. The correlation of negative values of periodontal indices with the nature of the involved bacteria materializes in relevant starting points in the elaboration of the periodontal diagnosis of the therapeutic plan and predictability of the prognosis of oral rehabilitation

Periodontal Disease Diagnosis in the Context of Oral Rehabilitation Approaches

Periodontal diseases generally correspond to a disturbance in the balance between the host’s defense and the micro-organisms colonizing the periodontal environment. The exact mechanisms underlying the destruction of the periodontium remain to be fully elucidated. Our study aims to quantify the main bacteria pool involved in periodontal pathology and associate it with other factors involved in the onset of periodontal disease so that an accurate diagnosis with profound implications for the therapeutic algorithm can be developed. Micro-Ident tests, based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, were used for the study group, chosen for their high specificity in identifying periodontopathogenic bacteria and determining their relative numbers. The results of our study indicate an increased concentration of 4.50 (number of strains) for Capnocytophaga, followed by Tannerella forsythia, in a concentration of 3.50; the next highest concentration percentages are for Treponemei denticola, and Prevotela intermedia, low concentrations were found for Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas. The concentration of each type of bacteria is reflected in the clinical picture and constitutes the starting point for a targeted antibiotic therapy. Following the effects of antibiotic-targeted therapy obtained from the evaluation of the micro-IDent B test results on the periodontium of the supporting teeth, we observed that the values of the periodontal indices change slightly at 3-month intervals with a predominance of plaque, bleeding, and gingival indices, and less in the indices concerning the depth of the probing pocket and the loss of attachment on the buccal and oral surfaces. In conclusion, our study emphasizes a direct relationship between the subgingival tartar presence and the patients age, gingival recession, presence of periodontal pockets, dental mobility, as well as the periodontal indexes: plaque index, bleeding index, and gingival index. The correlation of negative values of periodontal indices with the nature of the involved bacteria materializes in relevant starting points in the elaboration of the periodontal diagnosis of the therapeutic plan and predictability of the prognosis of oral rehabilitation