Assessment of Pocket Depth Changes in Treatment with Arch Bars: A Prospective Clinical Study

Introduction: It is suggested that arch bars act as plaque-retentive ligatures and therefore exert effects on periodontal tissues health. The aim of the present study was to assess pocket probing depth prior to placing arch bars and following their removal.Materials and Methods: Pocket probing depths were studied in the subjects who had arch bars for one month due to condylar fracture. Pocket depths were measured before placing arch bars, one month and 12 months after removing them. The mean of pocket depth was measured for each tooth. Periodontal probing depth was measured in six sites of each tooth .The mean pocket depth was calculated by the division of the sum of the pocket depths by the number of teeth for anterior and the posterior teeth in all subjects. Results: Eleven males and nine females were included in this study. No significant pocket depth differences was detected among the anterior and posterior of the mandible and maxilla before and after placing the arch bars. Results demonstrated a significant pocket depth increase in the anterior and posterior of both jaws one month following removal of the arch bars .The pocket depths were decreased following 12 months which were indicative of relative improvement at the sites. Conclusion: Arch bars can affect periodontium and pocket depths increased one month after releasing the arch bars. However, a significant improvement was detected following 12 months that suggested a partial reversible change in the pocket depths

Prevalence of Impacted Teeth among Young Adults: A Retrospective Radiographic Study

Objectives: The prevalence of impacted teeth fluctuates across various ethnicities and geographical regions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of impacted teeth among patients living in the central part of Iran. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 3632 patients within the age group of 17-30 years. The frequency and pattern of the impaction were determined using orthopantomogram (OPG). Results: According to the results of the study, 56.3% of the patients were female (n=2046). Out of the 3632 OPGs, 1602 cases (44.1%) were detected with at least one impacted tooth. No significant difference was observed between the males (n=682; 42.6%) and females (n=920; 57.4%) in this regard (P=0.237). Furthermore, the third molars were the most common impacted teeth found in 1156 radiographs (31.8%) with no significant difference between the males (n=358; 30%) and females (n=798; 70%) (P=0.386). Mesioangular and distoangular impactions were detected to be the most frequent angulation of the impacted third molars in the mandible (49%) and maxilla (41%), respectively. Additionally, 357 (9.8%) and 78 (2.1%) cases showed at least one impacted maxillary canine and one impacted mandibular second premolar, respectively. Moreover, impacted ectopic teeth were observed in 11 (0.3%) individuals. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the third molar was the most common impacted tooth observed in the people living in the central region of Iran, followed by canine and second premolar impaction. The prevalence of the third molar impaction in the females was nearly twice as much as that in the males

How will mandibular third molar surgery affect mandibular second molar periodontal parameters?

Background: Several conflicting findings have been published in the previous literature regarding the effects of impacted third molar surgery on the periodontal parameters of the adjacent second molar; some authors have shown improvement of periodontal health distal to the adjacent second molar, whilst others have demonstrated loss of attachment level (AL) and reduction of alveolar bone height. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in periodontal health parameters distal to the adjacent second molar following extraction of an impacted third molar. Materials and Methods: Out of 50 patients participated in the study, 42 patients completed the study. The mean age of the sample was 20.9 (range, 18-25) years. All teeth were mesioangular impacted mandibular third molars categorized at C1 class based on the Pell and Gregory classification. All surgeries were performed by one surgeon and the same surgeon recorded the pre-operative and post-operative measurements of probing depth (PD) and AL on the distobuccal aspect of the second molars. Data analysis were carried out with the SPSS software (version 19), using the paired-samples t-test and one sample t-test. Results: Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molar resulted in a significant increase of PD on the distobuccal aspect of the second molars, whereas AL was decreased significantly after surgery (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Unlike plenty of researches that have shown improvement of periodontal parameters of the second molar after extraction of impacted third molar, our study showed a significant increase in PD at the distal aspect of the second molar. Further follow-up on clinical and radiological parameters are required for more profound understanding of the long-term effects of third molar extraction on the periodontal parameters of the adjacent second molar

The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Acute Pain in Patients with Tempromandibular Disorder

 Introduction: Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) related pain can affect the individual's daily activities, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on acute pain in patients with TMD. Materials and Methods: This is a double blind randomized clinical trial study. Patients were studied in two groups: In group1(Control group), patients received pharmacological agents with 7 sessions of passive TENS , patients in group 2  received the same protocol with 7 sessions of  active TENS (Every session 15 min). Age and gender were variables and pain severity (based on visual analogue scale) and maximum mouth opening (MMO) 30 days after treatment were outcomes of the study. Results: Sixty patients were studied in two groups. Seven days after treatment, the mean of pain severity was 3.63±0.80 in group1 and 2.67±0.66 in group 2., The mean of MMO was 37.06±1.68 mm in group1 and 38.47±1.48 mm in group2.Analysis of the data showed a significant difference between the two groups for MMO. (P=0.001) Conclusion: It seems use of TENS may improve pain relief in conjunction with pharmacological agents in patients with TMD. 

Evaluation of the Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Postoperative Pain in Surgical Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to reduce post-operative pain. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of TENS as an adjunctive pain relief measure after impacted third molar surgery. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, patients requiring surgical extraction of third molars (Class 2 and B of Pell and Gregory) were randomly divided into two groups. Group I subjects received TENS immediately after surgery along with analgesics (400 mg Gelofen). In group II, patients received 400 mg Gelofen immediately post-operation (control group). The pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) eight hours after surgery. The independent t-test was applied to compare pain intensity between the two groups. Results: Three-hundred subjects were studied in two groups (each group had 150 participants). The mean pain intensity score was 3.7±1.43 in group I and 4.36±1.66 in group II. A significant difference was noted for pain intensity between the two groups (P=0.001).Conclusion: Use of TENS may decrease pain intensity during the first eight hours after impacted third molar surgery and may obviate the need for additional doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Comparison of the Distances between the Maxillary Sinus Floor and Root-Tips of the First and Second Maxillary Molar Teeth Using Panoramic Radiography among Dolichocephalic and Brachycephalic and Mesocephalic Individuals

Introduction: Comparison of the relationships and distance between maxillary root tips and   the maxillary sinus floor using oral panoramic in the dolichocephalic and brachycephalic compared to mesocephalic individuals. Methods: Oral panoramic images from 300 individuals were analyzed and the relationships and distance between the maxillary root tips and the sinus floor was assessed by qualitative and quantitative variables. Results: The distance was significantly higher in the brachycephalic groups than that of the mesocephalic, and the mesocephalic group showed longer distance in comparison to dolichocephalic individuals. Qualitative comparison showed that type 1 relationship was the dominant position in the brachycephalic individuals while most of dolichocephalic individuals demonstrated type 2 and 3 relationships of the molar root tips and the maxillary sinus floor. Conclusion: Higher distances between the molar root tips and the maxillary sinus floor could be expected in the brachycephalic than mesocephalic and dolichocephalic individual