Hypersensitivity in teeth affected by molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH)

Tooth hypersensitivity is a common symptom in patients with molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Therefore, this clinical study aimed to assess potential associations between patient- and tooth-related variables and the intensity of hypersensitivity in MIH-affected permanent teeth compared to healthy controls. Fifty-seven MIH patients and 20 healthy adolescents with a total of 350 MIH-affected and 193 healthy teeth were included in this study. The intensity of hypersensitivity was measured after cold air stimulation using the Schiff Cold Air Sensitivity Scale (SCASS) by the dentist and visual analogue scale (VAS) by the patient. Tooth hypersensitivity was low in non-MIH teeth (97.9% of the group had zero SCASS and VAS values). In contrast, MIH-affected teeth with demarcated opacities and atypical restorations had moderate SCASS and VAS values, whereas teeth with enamel breakdown were mostly linked to severe hypersensitivity. The logistic regression model confirmed a significantly lower level of hypersensitivity in MIH patients aged ≥ 8~years (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.50, p = 0.009) and higher levels in molar teeth (OR 5.49, 95% CI 1.42-21.27, p = 0.014) and teeth with enamel disintegration (OR 4.61, 95% CI 1.68-12.63, p = 0.003). These results indicate that MIH-related tooth hypersensitivity seems to be present in disintegrated molars immediately after tooth eruption

Bracket Transfer Accuracy with the Indirect Bonding Technique—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To investigate the bracket transfer accuracy of the indirect bonding technique (IDB). Methods: Systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus through November 2021. Selection Criteria: In vivo and ex vivo studies investigating bracket transfer accuracy by comparing the planned and achieved bracket positions using the IDB technique were considered. Information concerning patients, samples, and applied methodology was collected. Measured mean transfer errors (MTE) for angular and linear directions were extracted. Risk of bias (RoB) in the studies was assessed using a tailored RoB tool. Meta-analysis of ex vivo studies was performed for overall linear and angular bracket transfer accuracy and for subgroup analyses by type of tray, tooth groups, jaw-related, side-related, and by assessment method. Results: A total of 16 studies met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review. The overall linear mean transfer errors (MTE) in mesiodistal, vertical and buccolingual direction were 0.08 mm (95% CI 0.05; 0.10), 0.09 mm (0.06; 0.11), 0.14 mm (0.10; 0.17), respectively. The overall angular mean transfer errors (MTE) regarding angulation, rotation, torque were 1.13° (0.75; 1.52), 0.93° (0.49; 1.37), and 1.11° (0.68; 1.53), respectively. Silicone trays showed the highest accuracy, followed by vacuum-formed trays and 3D printed trays. Subgroup analyses between tooth groups, right and left sides, and upper and lower jaw showed minor differences. Conclusions and implications: The overall accuracy of the indirect bonding technique can be considered clinically acceptable. Future studies should address the validation of the accuracy assessment methods used

Comparison of four different treatment strategies in teeth with molar-incisor hypomineralization-related enamel breakdown–A retrospective cohort study

Background There is little information available on the longevity of non-invasive glass ionomer cement (GIC) and composite restorations as well as conventional composite and ceramic restorations placed on permanent teeth with enamel breakdowns due to molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH). Aim To compare the longevity of the abovementioned treatment procedures. Design Of 377 identified MIH patients, 118 individuals received restorative treatment and were invited for clinical examination, including caries and MIH status. Finally, survival data from 204 MIH-related restorations placed on 127 teeth were retrospectively collected from 52 children, monitored between 2010 and 2018. Descriptive and explorative analyses were performed, including Kaplan-Meier estimators and the Cox regression model. Results The mean patient observation time was 42.9 months (SD = 35.1). The cumulative survival probabilities after 36 months—7.0% (GIC, N = 28), 29.9% (non-invasive composite restoration, N = 126), 76.2% (conventional composite restoration, N = 27) and 100.0% (ceramic restoration, N = 23)—differed significantly in the regression analysis. Conclusions Conventional restorations were associated with moderate-to-high survival rates in MIH teeth. In contrast, non-invasive composite restorations, which were predominately used in younger or less cooperative children, were linked to lower survival rates

Using a Bayesian hierarchical approach to study the association between non-pharmaceutical interventions and the spread of Covid-19 in Germany

Abstract Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) are community mitigation strategies, aimed at reducing the spread of illnesses like the coronavirus pandemic, without relying on pharmaceutical drug treatments. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different NPIs across sixteen states of Germany, for a time period of 21 months of the pandemic. We used a Bayesian hierarchical approach that combines different sub-models and merges information from complementary sources, to estimate the true and unknown number of infections. In this framework, we used data on reported cases, hospitalizations, intensive care unit occupancy, and deaths to estimate the effect of NPIs. The list of NPIs includes: “contact restriction (up to 5 people)”, “strict contact restriction”, “curfew”, “events permitted up to 100 people”, “mask requirement in shopping malls”, “restaurant closure”, “restaurants permitted only with test”, “school closure” and “general behavioral changes”. We found a considerable reduction in the instantaneous reproduction number by “general behavioral changes”, “strict contact restriction”, “restaurants permitted only with test”, “contact restriction (up to 5 people)”, “restaurant closure” and “curfew”. No association with school closures could be found. This study suggests that some public health measures, including general behavioral changes, strict contact restrictions, and restaurants permitted only with tests are associated with containing the Covid-19 pandemic. Future research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of NPIs in the context of Covid-19 vaccination

Testing the association between tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and risk of periodontitis: a Mendelian randomization study

Aim To investigate the associations of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption with periodontitis using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Materials and methods We used 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables (IVs) for the number of cigarettes per day from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 337,334 individuals, 109 SNPs for a lifetime smoking index from GWAS of 462,690 participants, and 33 SNPs for the number of drinks per week from GWAS of 941,280 individuals. The periodontitis GWAS included 12,289 cases and 22,326 controls. Wald ratios were obtained by dividing the SNP-periodontitis effects by SNP-exposure effects and pooled using an inverse-variance weighted model. Results Genetic liabilities for higher number of cigarettes per day (odds ratio [OR] per one standard deviation (1SD) increment = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.18-2.07, p-value = .0018, Q-value = .0054), lifetime smoking index (OR per 1SD = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.04-1.53, p-value = .0161, Q-value = .0242), and drinks per week (OR per 1SD = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.04-1.90, p-value = .0265, Q-value = .0265) were associated with increased odds of periodontitis. Estimates were consistent across robust and multivariable MR analyses. Conclusions The findings of this MR analysis suggest an association between tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption with periodontitis

Global, Regional, and National Survey on Burden and Quality of Care Index (QCI) of Orofacial Clefts: Global Burden of Disease Systematic Analysis 1990–2019

Background: Orofacial clefts are the most common craniofacial anomalies that include a variety of conditions affecting the lips and oral cavity. They remain a significant global public health challenge. Despite this, the quality of care for orofacial clefts has not been investigated at global and country levels. Objective: We aimed to measure the quality of care index (QCI) for orofacial clefts worldwide. Methods: We used the 2019 Global Burden of Disease data to create a multifactorial index (QCI) to assess orofacial clefts globally and nationally. By utilizing data on incidence, prevalence, years of life lost, and years lived with disability, we defined four ratios aimed at indirectly reflecting the quality of healthcare. Subsequently, we conducted a principal component analysis to identify the most critical variables that could account for the observed variability. The outcome of this analysis was defined as the QCI for orofacial clefts. Following this, we tracked the QCI trends among males and females worldwide, across various regions and countries, considering factors such as the socio-demographic index and World Bank classifications. Results: Globally, the QCI for orofacial clefts exhibited a consistent upward trend from 1990 to 2019 (66.4 to 90.2) overall and for females (82.9 to 94.3) and males (72.8 to 93.6). In the year 2019, the top five countries with the highest QCI scores were as follows: Norway (QCI=99.9), Ireland (99.4), France (99.4), Germany (99.3), the Netherlands (99.3), and Malta (99.3). Conversely, the five countries with the lowest QCI scores on a global scale in 2019 were Somalia (59.1), Niger (67.6), Burkina Faso (72.6), Ethiopia (73.0), and Mali (74.4). Gender difference showed a converging trend from 1990 to 2019 (optimize gender disparity ratio (GDR): 123 vs. 163 countries), and the GDR showed a move toward optimization (between 0.95 and 1.05) in the better and worse parts of the world. Conclusion: Despite the positive results regarding the QCI for orofacial clefts worldwide, some countries showed a slight negative trend

Bracket Transfer Accuracy with the Indirect Bonding Technique—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To investigate the bracket transfer accuracy of the indirect bonding technique (IDB). Methods: Systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus through November 2021. Selection Criteria: In vivo and ex vivo studies investigating bracket transfer accuracy by comparing the planned and achieved bracket positions using the IDB technique were considered. Information concerning patients, samples, and applied methodology was collected. Measured mean transfer errors (MTE) for angular and linear directions were extracted. Risk of bias (RoB) in the studies was assessed using a tailored RoB tool. Meta-analysis of ex vivo studies was performed for overall linear and angular bracket transfer accuracy and for subgroup analyses by type of tray, tooth groups, jaw-related, side-related, and by assessment method. Results: A total of 16 studies met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review. The overall linear mean transfer errors (MTE) in mesiodistal, vertical and buccolingual direction were 0.08 mm (95% CI 0.05; 0.10), 0.09 mm (0.06; 0.11), 0.14 mm (0.10; 0.17), respectively. The overall angular mean transfer errors (MTE) regarding angulation, rotation, torque were 1.13° (0.75; 1.52), 0.93° (0.49; 1.37), and 1.11° (0.68; 1.53), respectively. Silicone trays showed the highest accuracy, followed by vacuum-formed trays and 3D printed trays. Subgroup analyses between tooth groups, right and left sides, and upper and lower jaw showed minor differences. Conclusions and implications: The overall accuracy of the indirect bonding technique can be considered clinically acceptable. Future studies should address the validation of the accuracy assessment methods used

3-Year Clinical Performance of a New Pit and Fissure Sealant

The aim of this 3-year, randomized clinical trial (RCT) in split-mouth design was to explore the clinical survival of a Bis-GMA-free pit and fissure sealant (Helioseal F Plus) in comparison to a control material (Helioseal F). The initial population consisted of 92 adolescents. Follow-ups took place after one year (N = 85), two years (N = 82) and three years (N = 76) after application. At each examination, sealant retention and the presence of caries were recorded. The statistical analysis included the calculation of Kaplan–Meier survival curves, log-rank tests and a Cox proportional hazard regression model. No adverse events were documented. The proportion of completely intact sealants and those with minimal loss was almost identical in both groups, at 84.3% (Helioseal F; 113/134) and 81.7% (Helioseal F Plus; 107/131) after three years of observation. The regression analysis revealed an operator dependency, but no significant differences were found between the materials, the study centers, the chosen isolation technique, patient age or sex. After 3 years, 91.7% and 100.0% of all molars were free of non-cavitated carious lesions or carious cavities, respectively. It can be concluded that the new fissure sealing material can be considered as at least equivalent in terms of survival and retention behavior compared to the predecessor material

Clinical performance of a new fissure sealant-results from a 2-year randomized clinical trial

Objectives The aim of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) was to explore the clinical survival of a new, Bis-GMA-free pit and fissure sealant (Helioseal F Plus) in comparison to an established control material (Helioseal F). Material and methods This in vivo study was designed as a prospective, 2-year, two-centre RCT with a split-mouth design. The initial study population consisted of 92 adolescents who were followed up 1 month (N = 89), 6 months (N = 88), 1 year (N = 85) and 2 years (N = 82) after sealant application. The attrition rate was 10.9% after 2 years. At each examination, the sealant retention and presence of caries were recorded. The statistical analysis included the calculation of Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank tests and a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results No adverse events during the application or any of the follow-up visits were documented. The proportion of completely intact sealants and those with minimal loss was almost identical in both groups at 85.9% (Helioseal F Plus) and 86.5% Helioseal F) after 2 years of observation. The regression analysis revealed operator dependency;no significant differences were found between the materials, the study centres, the chosen isolation technique and patient age or sex. Conclusion The newly developed sealant can be evaluated as at least equivalent in terms of survival and retention behaviour compared to the established control material