Arterial supply of the trigeminal ganglion, a micromorphological study

Background: In this study, we explored the specific microanatomical properties of the trigeminal ganglion (TG) blood supply and its close neurovascular relationships with the surrounding vessels. Possible clinical implications have been discussed. Materials and methods: The internal carotid and maxillary arteries of 25 adult and 4 foetal heads were injected with a 10% mixture of India ink and gelatin, and their TGs subsequently underwent microdissection, observation and morphometry under a stereoscopic microscope. Results: The number of trigeminal arteries varied between 3 and 5 (mean 3.34), originating from 2 or 3 of the following sources: the inferolateral trunk (ILT) (100%), the meningohypophyseal trunk (MHT) (100%), and from the middle meningeal artery (MMA) (92%). In total, the mean diameter of the trigeminal branches was 0.222 mm. The trigeminal branch of the ILT supplied medial and middle parts of the TG, the branch of the MHT supplied the medial part of the TG, and the branch of the MMA supplied the lateral part of the TG. Additional arteries for the TG emerged from the dural vascular plexus and the vascular network of the plexal segment of the trigeminal nerve. Uniform and specific intraganglionicdense capillary network was observed for each sensory trigeminal neuron. Conclusions: The reported features of the TG vasculature could be implied in a safer setting for surgical approach to the skull base, in relation to the surrounding structures. The morphometric data on TG vasculature provide anatomical basis for better understanding the complex TG blood supply from the internal and external carotid arteries

Titanium functionalized with polylysine homopolymers: In vitro enhancement of cells growth

In oral implantology, the success and persistence of dental implants over time are guar-anteed by the bone formation around the implant fixture and by the integrity of the peri-implant mucosa seal, which adheres to the abutment and becomes a barrier that hinders bacterial penetration and colonization close to the outer parts of the implant. Research is constantly engaged in looking for substances to coat the titanium surface that guarantees the formation and persistence of the peri-implant bone, as well as the integrity of the mucous perimeter surrounding the implant crown. The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro the effects of a titanium surface coated with polylysine homopolymers on the cell growth of dental pulp stem cells and keratinocytes to establish the potential clinical application. The results reported an increase in cell growth for both cellular types cultured with polylysine-coated titanium compared to cultures without titanium and those without coating. These preliminary data suggest the usefulness of polylysine coating not only for enhancing osteoinduction but also to speed the post-surgery mucosal healings, guarantee appropriate peri-implant epithelial seals, and protect the fixture against bacterial penetration, which is responsible for compromising the implant survival

Salivary markers quantification of oxidative stress in patients with periodontitis, before and after intensive periodontal treatment: a one-blinded, randomized, clinical trial

AIM: Periodontitis is one of the most common inflammatory and infectious diseases, significantly associated with circulating levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. A network of interacting molecular pathways comprising proinflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the progression of periodontitis. The aim of the trial was to determine the effects of intensive periodontal treatment on the salivary levels of oxidative stress in patients with moderate periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, one-blinded, controlled clinical trial was conducted with 3 months of follow-up. A total of 58 patients were included in the study and randomized to receive intensive periodontal treatment (Group Test) or conventional adult prophylaxis (Group Control). Salivary samples for determination of total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and 8-hydroxy-2’deoxyguanosine (X8-OHdG) concentrations were collected from each patient prior to the periodontal treatment and at 3 months after the therapy. RESULTS: A significantly decreased NO, and MDA levels were registered in the Test Group compared to the Control Group (p<.0001), and the concentration of GSH was found to be significantly increased in the test group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Intensive periodontal treatment mitigates salivary oxidative stress in patients with moderate periodontitis

Oral health and brain connection: Is there any relationship?

Several studies reported the association between periodontal diseases, a persistent inflammatory process and other chronic ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Although many epidemiologic data support these associations, a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established. Numerous articles reporting oral bacteria in samples collected directly from brain abscesses confirmed the association between brain abscess and odontogenic infection. Dental diseases can be treated with ambulatory care rather than hospitalization and emergency care. Older adults should establish daily oral hygiene care routines during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Electric toothbrush vs. sonic toothbrush, the effectiveness on gingival inflammation: a randomized clinical trial

AIM: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of electric or sonic toothbrushes on periodontal inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled, one-blind study was conducted. Patients in the test group used sonic toothbrushes (Sonicare FlexCare with ProResults brush head, HX6011, Philips Oral Healthcare Inc, Bothell, Wash), whereas those in the control group used electric toothbrushes (Oral B Professional Care Triumph 4000, Procter &amp; Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio). Periodontal status was recorded at baseline and 3 months. In total, 60 patients were recruited for the study at baseline. Plaque Index (PI) and Loe and Silness Gingival Index (GI) were used. Student's t- test repeated was used to compare the mean PI and GI scores obtained between the test and control groups at each time point. RESULTS: In total, 56 subjects completed the study. Significant differences were recorded between the two groups for periodontal parameters at 3 months. In addition, the indices of group Sonic were significantly reduced at 3 months compared to the Roto-oscillatory Group (P &lt; .005). CONCLUSION: Sonic toothbrush reduced parameters of periodontal inflammation more effectively than the electric toothbrush

Validated spectrophotometric methods for determination of Alendronate sodium in tablets through nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alendronate (ALD) is a member of the bisphosphonate family which is used for the treatment of osteoporosis, bone metastasis, Paget's disease, hypocalcaemia associated with malignancy and other conditions that feature bone fragility. ALD is a non-chromophoric compound so its determination by conventional spectrophotometric methods is not possible. So two derivatization reactions were proposed for determination of ALD through the reaction with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) as chromogenic derivatizing reagents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of ALD. Method I is based on the reaction of ALD with NBD-Cl. Method II involved heat-catalyzed derivatization of ALD with DNFB, while, Method III is based on micellar-catalyzed reaction of the studied drug with DNFB at room temperature. The reactions products were measured at 472, 378 and 374 nm, for methods I, II and III, respectively. Beer's law was obeyed over the concentration ranges of 1.0-20.0, 4.0-40.0 and 1.5-30.0 μg/mL with lower limits of detection of 0.09, 1.06 and 0.06 μg/mL for Methods I, II and III, respectively. The proposed methods were applied for quantitation of the studied drug in its pure form with mean percentage recoveries of 100.47 ± 1.12, 100.17 ± 1.21 and 99.23 ± 1.26 for Methods I, II and III, respectively. Moreover the proposed methods were successfully applied for determination of ALD in different tablets. Proposals of the reactions pathways have been postulated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proposed spectrophotometric methods provided sensitive, specific and inexpensive analytical procedures for determination of the non-chromophoric drug alendronate either per se or in its tablet dosage forms without interference from common excipients.</p> <p>Graphical abstract</p> <p><display-formula><graphic file="1752-153X-6-25-i3.gif"/></display-formula></p

Orthodontic emergencies and patients&rsquo; perceptions of orthodontic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim: This retrospective research was aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) on orthodontic emergencies and Patients&rsquo; perceptions of orthodontic patients.Material and Methods: A total of 204 patients were gathered who were not seen for nearly 5 monthsfrom the first of March 2020 to the end of July 2020 due to dental clinic closure. The mean age of thesamples was 20.2 (SD = 12.5) years consisting of 134 females (66%) and 70 males (34%). All patients hadundergone active orthodontic treatment with fixed and removable appliances before the pandemic. Thesurvey included demographics, types of orthodontic emergencies, and Patients&rsquo; perceptions of orthodontictreatment during the closure of the dental clinic. Continuous variables were analyzed by mean and standarddeviation, while categorical variables were analyzed by frequency and percentage.Results: In general, 46.5% of the patients suffered from various emergencies. The incidence ofemergencies was approximately 3 times higher than that of the normal appointment times. Debonding andpoking wire had the most frequently reported classification respectively (14.2%) (7.9%). 30.4% of patientsstated that pandemic had a significant impact on the efficacy of orthodontic treatment.Conclusions: This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on patient care due to a higher number of emergencies and in turns, it delayed the therapeutic progress of patients. 16% ofpatients with active orthodontic appliances did not continue their treatment due to pandemics. More thanhalf of the patients were willing to be seen every 8 weeks

History and advances in neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery

Technological advances in neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery, aided by improvements in anesthesia have resulted in surgery that is faster, simpler and safer with excellent perioperative recovery. As a result of improved outcomes, several centers are performing certain neurosurgical procedures on an outpatient basis; where patients arrive at the hospital the morning of their procedure and leave the hospital the same evening, thus avoiding an overnight stay in the hospital. Future efforts to encourage efficient cost savings should focus on practice patterns/pathways for similar conditions rather than limiting the use of certain implants

The effects of physical exercise on the brain and oral health

There has long been discussion regarding the positive effects of physical exercise on brain activity. Exercising is used as a non-pharmacological treatment in many chronic diseases. Exercise has been shown to have beneficial effects on brain functions in humans and animals and, therefore, exercise is very important for brain rehabilitation and remodeling. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of aerobic and resistance exercises in adult and geriatric populations. In addition, physical activity may improve self-esteem and feelings of self-worth in young adults