Enamel pearl associated with localized periodontitis in Hellenistic age woman

Tooth anatomic factors like ectopic enamel pearls are often associated with localized periodontal inflammation and bone loss. There are no existing paleopathological data for such structural anomalies in ancient populations associated with periodontal pathology in the literature. A rare case of enamel pearl on the maxillary right first molar of women associated with localized periodontitis is presented and discussed

Sexual maturation in adolescents from the region of Eastern Rodopi in connection with their social environment

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the influence of socio-economic environment on the processes of sexual maturation and the age of adolescent's menarche from the Eastern Rhodopi. Subjects of study are 1378 children and adolescents from local schools in Ivaylovgrad, Svilengrad and Lyubimets. These are 730 girls and 648 boys aged 8 to 17 years. In connection with studying the influence of environmental factors on the sexual maturation processes, interviews with parents were conducted . The survey contains 22 questions with parents' data, which were used to clarify the social, economic and professional status, living conditions of family life, etc. The results show that although genetically determinated, the processes of sexual maturation are significantly influenced by exogenous factors, and in a peculiar way they reflect the specific social and economic situation in a given geographical area at a randomly selected time period

Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks - OMCO NET

The mini conference “Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks” focuses on advanced methods for search and optimisation applied to wireless communication networks. It is sponsored by Research & Enterprise Fund Southampton Solent University. The conference strives to widen knowledge on advanced search methods capable of optimisation of wireless communications networks. The aim is to provide a forum for exchange of recent knowledge, new ideas and trends in this progressive and challenging area. The conference will popularise new successful approaches on resolving hard tasks such as minimisation of transmit power, cooperative and optimal routing

Taurodontism: from Neanderthals till modern human population

Introduction. Taurodontism is an aberration of teeth that lacks the constriction at the level of the CEJ and characterized by elongated pulp chambers and apical displacement of bifurcation or trifurcation of the roots, giving it a rectangular shape. Aim. To summarize the available literature on taurodontism phenomenon in the contexts of paleodontology, evolutionary biology and clinic. Materials and methods. In order to clarify the prevalence of taurodontism in modern dentitions and the critical need for its true diagnosis and management, this review addresses the aetiology, clinical and radiographic features of taurodontism, its association with various syndromes and anomalies, as well as important considerations in various areas of expertise dental treatments of such teeth. Results. Although permanent molar teeth are most commonly affected, this aberation can also be seen in both the permanent and deciduous dentition, unilaterally or bilaterally, and in any combination of teeth or quadrants. Whilst it appears most frequently as an isolated anomaly, its association with several syndromes and abnormalities has also been reported. Discussion. It is apparent that taurodont teeth are presumed characteristic of neanderthal man and are still present as a morphological entity in modern man. The occurrences seem to have a biased racial expression in different populations. It can be seen that taurodontism has until now received insufficient attention from clinicians. No long-term follow-up studies have been published regarding treatment of taurodont teeth. Despite the clinical challenges, taurodontism has received little attention from clinicians

SEM evaluation of the morphological changes in hard dental tissues prepared by Er: YAG laser and rotary instruments

Effective ablation of dental hard tissues by means of the erbium:yttrium-aluminum garnet (Er: YAG) laser has been reported recently, and its application to caries removal and cavity preparation has been expected. However, few studies have investigated the morphological changes in hard dental tissues after Er: YAG laser caries treatment. In the present study the morphological changes in hard dental tissues after Er: YAG laser caries ablation in vitro was compared with that of conventional mechanical treatment. Thirty extracted human teeth with caries were used. Ten tooth was treated with the Er: YAG laser, and the other was treated with a conventional steel and diamond burs. Laser treatment was performed by means of a non-contact irradiation modes with cooling water spray, with a new Er: YAG laser (LiteTouch). Conventional bur treatment was conducted by means of a low-speed micromotor and air turbine with water cooling. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were performed for each treatment. The Er: YAG laser ablated carious dentin effectively with minimal thermal damage to the surrounding intact dentin, and removed infected and softened carious dentin to the same degree as the burtreatment. In addition, a lower degree of vibration was noted with the Er: YAG laser treatment. The SEM examination revealed characteristic micro-irregularities of the lased dentin and enamel surfaces with potential benefits for adhesive restorations. Our results show that the Er: YAG laser is promising as a new technical modality for caries treatmen

Candida Carriers among Individuals with Tongue Piercing—A Real-Time PCR Study

Among the local factors for oral candidiasis, the piercing of the tongue is recognized by some authors as a risk factor for the colonization of Candida albicans. There are few case reports in which Candida spp. colonization and infection are associated with tongue piercing but only one microbiological study supports this hypothesis in general. The aim of this study was to examine this possible association between the presence of both tongue piercing and Candida spp. in healthy individuals. Positive results for tongue colonization with Candida spp. were found in four (12.9%) of the tongue-pierced subjects and in three (9.67%) subjects of the control group (p = 0.550). All samples were identified as Candida albicans. The univariate and logistic regression analyses of possible risk factors for tongue colonization revealed that gender (p = 0.024), smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day (p = 0.021), and improper hygiene (p = 0.028) were statistically significant influencing factors in the multivariate analysis. The results suggest that the piercing of the tongue is not a risk factor for colonization of Candida spp

Granulomatous Cheilitis or Tuberculid?

The granulomatous cheilitis (GC) presents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by a granulomatous inflammation/reaction of the lips to various stimuli. Numerous etiologies have been proposed, including genetic, immunologic, allergic and infectious. Among the secondary causes of GC, an infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) should be considered. In such cases, the GC could be the clinical presentation of a tuberculid resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction to an underlying focus of active (ATBI) or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This communication describes an immunocompetent patient diagnosed with GC resulting from tuberculid, who responded well to Isoniazid monotherapy

Granulomatous Cheilitis or Tuberculid?

The granulomatous cheilitis (GC) presents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by a granulomatous inflammation/reaction of the lips to various stimuli. Numerous etiologies have been proposed, including genetic, immunologic, allergic and infectious. Among the secondary causes of GC, an infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) should be considered. In such cases, the GC could be the clinical presentation of a tuberculid resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction to an underlying focus of active (ATBI) or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This communication describes an immunocompetent patient diagnosed with GC resulting from tuberculid, who responded well to Isoniazid monotherapy

EPR spectroscopy investigation of oxygen radical production by methylene blue and indocyanine green in aqueous solutions under laser irradiation in the context of antibacterial photodynamic therapy

Introduction: Antibacterial photodynamic therapy is a promising treatment modality in the anti-infective therapy of numerous oral diseases. It involves photo activation of a reactive substance (dye), thus releasing reactive oxygen species (ROS-radicals) which are highly destructive to the bacterial cell. However, thorough investigation of radical production properties of different dyes is not common in literature.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate oxygen radical-producing potential of two commonly used photoactive dyes in the context of antibacterial photodynamic therapy.Materials and methods: The radical-producing properties of two commonly used dyes for photodynamic therapy in oral medicine, methylene blue and indocyanine green, irradiated under laser irradiation are investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The detection of reactive oxygen species is performed with “spin-trapping” technique.Results: The selected photoactive dyes showed promising yields of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous solutions. The comparative analysis of the results deemed methylene blue as the more productive photoactive agent.Conclusions: By employing the spin-trapping technique, this study indicates EPR-spectroscopy as a promising method of relative quantification of reactive oxygen species released by the photodynamic reaction in aqueous solutions