Romanian Dentists’ Perception of Legal Liability Related to COVID-19 Infection during Dental Treatments in Times of the Pandemic Outbreak

Our study aimed to describe and assess the impact of legal aspects on dentists’ practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives were: (a) to explore dentists’ and dental managers’ knowledge about dental liability during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) to inquire about the respondents’ perceptions of immunity for prejudices resulting from non-urgent dental procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (c) to assess respondents’ “good faith” in handling challenges in the pandemic context. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, exploratory study based on a survey. The target population was represented by active dentists in Romania from 11 March 2020 to 31 January 2022. An email, professional groups on WhatsApp, and Facebook invitation to participate were sent at the end of January 2022. Data were collected using a self-administrated electronic questionnaire. The responses of sixty-one participants, the majority younger than 41 years (82%) and women (77%), were analyzed. Most respondents (72%) appropriately thought that patients could complain about being infected with COVID-19 during their visits for dental treatment. Most respondents agreed that all dental personnel should benefit from legal immunity (72%). The respondents indicated that clinic or office management is responsible for failing to implement/respect the safety measures and protocols specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (83%). Outcomes showed that the respondents are aware of the possibility of being sued and would not be surprised to see COVID-19 raised in litigation, while the state’s immunity is expected for all dental care personnel, not only dentists

Caries Prevalence Associated with Oral Health-Related Behaviors among Romanian Schoolchildren

Oral health-related behaviors and living conditions play an important role in general and oral health. This study aimed to evaluate caries prevalence and severity in schoolchildren residing in rural and urban areas of Romania, and to correlate these with oral health-related behaviors. An estimation of the required sample size was conducted (sampling error of ±3% at a 95% confidence level), followed by the stratification of administrative units and then the selection of 49 schools. The Hurdle approach was used to analyze the dataset, requiring two sets of analyses for each outcome variable: a multilevel binary model to predict prevalence, and a multilevel Poisson analysis using only non-zero values. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the dentinal caries index was 4.96 (5.33). Girls were more likely to have non-zero restoration codes (β = 0.14, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05). Low education levels of each parent were associated with an increased likelihood of having non-zero carious tooth surfaces (β = 0.23, SE = 0.06, p = 0.01; β = 0.22, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01). The presence of cavities was predicted by the consumption of carbonated soft drinks (β = 0.19, SE = 0.07, p < 0.01), candies (β = 0.13, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01), sweetened milk (β = 0.12, SE = 0.06, p < 0.05), tea (β = 0.16, SE =0.08, p < 0.05), or cocoa (β = 0.13, SE = 0.06, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the non-zero values of the dentinal caries index were more likely in rural schools (β =−0.37, SE = 0.11, p < 0.01), and a negative association between the county development index and the fillings/restorations index (β = −0.01, SE = 0.01, p < 0.05) was also established. The outcome of this research highlights that the presence of caries (dentinal caries index) in Romanian schoolchildren is influenced by their socioeconomic background, as well as their specific consumption behaviors

Preliminary data regarding the influence of the COL1a1 rs2249492 polymorphism on the risk of malocclusion in the Romanian population

Malocclusion is a condition characterized by diverse phenotypic expression patterns, with a complex underlying genetic background. COL1a1 is one of the genes that has been previously associated with malocclusion, with one particular SNP, rs2249492 (C&gt;G, C&gt;T), having been linked with an increased risk of skeletal class II malocclusion. In this paper, making use of DNA sequencing and cephalometric measurements, we present preliminary data regarding the association between the rs2249492 SNP and the risk of malocclusion in the Romanian population, illustrated as continuous, rather than categorical phenotypes. The results show a tendency towards a Class II pattern determined by mandibular retrognathism, rather than maxillary prognathism among the individuals possessing the mutant allele. Subsequent studies on larger sample sizes should include statistical analysis focused on associations between the rs2249492 allele and continuous phenotypic variation inside, but not restricted to Class II malocclusion, in order to acquire a more detailed picture of the interaction between the polymorphism and this complex condition. Toparcean et al (PDF) Article history: Received 1 October 2021; Revised 19 November 2021; Accepted 26 November 2021; Available online 30 December 2021. &nbsp

In Vivo Validation of a Nanostructured Electrospun Polycaprolactone Membrane Loaded with Gentamicin and Nano-Hydroxyapatite for the Treatment of Periodontitis

The aim of this research was to validate the use of a gentamicin (GEN) and nano-hydroxiapatite (nHAP)-loaded polycaprolactone nanostructured membrane (NM) as an innovative, highly efficient, low-cost treatment for periodontitis. We conducted an in vivo study on Wistar rats, in which we induced periodontitis by placing silk ligatures around the first right and left upper molars. The subjects were divided into three groups; the first group received no periodontal treatment, the second group received open flap debridement, and the third group received open flap debridement, together with the positioning of the GEN and nHAP-loaded nanostructured membrane as a treatment. The extent of periodontal regeneration was assessed by the periodontal pocket depth, bleeding on probing, tooth mobility, dental plaque, microbiological analysis, concentration of MMP-8 in saliva, plasma levels of CRP, and histological analysis. The results showed that using open flap debridement with the NM is more efficient, and it significantly reduces the probing depth, extent of bleeding on probing, dental mobility, bacterial plaque, and pathogenic flora. The concentrations of MMP-8 and CRP decrease. The histological analysis demonstrated that NM leads to bone regeneration. Our study indicates that gentamicin and nano-hydroxyapatite embedded in the fiber of the biodegradable membranes might be a promising therapeutic option for periodontitis treatment