Orthodontic management of a mandibular double-tooth incisor: A case report

The presence of a double-tooth requires specific complex management due to the need for differential diagnosis and following treatment choices. The aim of this report was to present a rare case of a geminated mandibular lateral incisor, treated with an orthodontic approach. A Caucasian 10.9-year-old girl presented a lower right double-tooth incisor, with a class 1 molar and a class 2 cuspid tendency on both sides. The upper arch was constricted as shown by bilaterally tendencies to cross-bite, a slightly lower midline deviation was reported and a lack of space for all four permanent cuspids was confirmed also by the panoramic X-ray. In the lower arch, there was a severe crowding of about 14 mm and a buccally ectopic left canine. Overbite was normal and Overjet minimally increased. The double-tooth was identified like a geminated tooth, for the presence of one root and one pulp canal of increased size, as shown by the radiographic examinations. The anomalous tooth was managed with an orthodontic approach associated with a progressive stripping to reshape the crown. A two-phase treatment plan was performed, based on first maxillary expansion and lip bumper and then fixed appliances, in order to achieve a proper occlusion and a better aesthetic

The role of bone anabolic drugs in the management of periodontitis: a scoping review

The aim of this scoping review was to summarise current knowledge about the effects of bone anabolic drugs on periodontitis, in order to identify new therapeutic strategies for preventing disease progression and reducing tooth loss. A technical expert panel (TEP) was established of 11 medical specialists, including periodontists and bone specialists that followed the PRISMA-ScR model to perform the scoping review and considered for eligibility both pre-clinical and clinical studies published in the English language up to September 2020. 716 items were initially found. After duplicate removal and screening of articles for eligibility criteria, 25 articles published between 2001 and 2019 were selected. Only studies concerning teriparatide, strontium ranelate, sclerostin antibodies and DKK1 antibodies met the eligibility criteria. In particular, only for teriparatide were there both clinical studies and experimental studies available, while for other bone anabolic drugs only animal studies were found. Available evidence about the use of bone anabolic drugs in periodontology demonstrates beneficial effects of these agents on biological pathways and histological parameters involved in periodontal tissue regeneration that suggest relevant clinical implications for the management of periodontitis

Unravelling the structure of the tetrahedral metal-binding site in METP3 through an experimental and computational approach

Understanding the structural determinants for metal ion coordination in metalloproteins is a fundamental issue for designing metal binding sites with predetermined geometry and activity. In order to achieve this, we report in this paper the design, synthesis and metal binding properties of METP3, a homodimer made up of a small peptide, which self assembles in the presence of tetra-hedrally coordinating metal ions. METP3 was obtained through a redesign approach, starting from the previously developed METP molecule. The undecapeptide sequence of METP, which dimerizes to house a Cys4 tetrahedral binding site, was redesigned in order to accommodate a Cys2His2 site. The binding properties of METP3 were determined toward different metal ions. Successful assem-bly of METP3 with Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II), in the expected 2:1 stoichiometry and tetrahedral geometry was proven by UV-visible spectroscopy. CD measurements on both the free and metal-bound forms revealed that the metal coordination drives the peptide chain to fold into a turned conformation. Finally, NMR data of the Zn(II)-METP3 complex, together with a retrostructural analysis of the Cys-X-X-His motif in metalloproteins, allowed us to define the model structure. All the results establish the suitability of the short METP sequence for accommodating tetrahedral metal binding sites, regardless of the first coordination ligands

Alexithymia and personality traits of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Psychological factors, specific lifestyles and environmental stressors may influence etiopathogenesis and evolution of chronic diseases. We investigate the association between Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and psychological dimensions such as personality traits, defence mechanisms, and Alexithymia, i.e. deficits of emotional awareness with inability to give a name to emotional states. We analyzed a survey of 100 patients with IBD and a control group of 66 healthy individuals. The survey involved filling out clinical and anamnestic forms and administering five psychological tests. These were then analyzed by using a network representation of the system by considering it as a bipartite network in which elements of one set are the 166 individuals, while the elements of the other set are the outcome of the survey. We then run an unsupervised community detection algorithm providing a partition of the 166 participants into clusters. That allowed us to determine a statistically significant association between psychological factors and IBD. We find clusters of patients characterized by high neuroticism, alexithymia, impulsivity and severe physical conditions and being of female gender. We therefore hypothesize that in a population of alexithymic patients, females are inclined to develop psychosomatic diseases like IBD while males might eventually develop behavioral disorders