Dietary Fluoride Intake by Children: When to Use a Fluoride Toothpaste?

Abstract Fluoride is recommended for its cariostatic effect, but excessive fluoride intake may have health risks. Increased prevalence of dental fluorosis in areas with low fluoride content in drinking water has been attributed to the inappropriate excessive intake of fluoride supplements (tablets and drops) and toothpaste ingestion. The aim of the present study was to estimate the fluoride intake and the risk of fluorosis in children (6 months-6 years) in the Castelli Romani area (province of Rome, Italy), which is volcanic, therefore with a higher concentration of fluorine. Measurements of the fluoride content in drinking water, mineral waters, vegetables and commercial toothpaste for children were performed. The fluoride concentrations of all samples were determined using a Fluoride Ion Selective Electrode (GLP 22, Crison, Esp). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Differences between samples were determined by Student's t-test. The fluoride content in tap water samples collected from public sources averaged from 0.35 to 1.11 ppm. The Pavona area showed the highest content of fluoride with respect to the others (p ≤ 0.05). The fluoride content in mineral water samples averaged from 0.07 to 1.50 ppm. The fluoride content of some vegetables showed increased mean values when compared to control vegetables (p ≤ 0.05). Within the limitations of the present study, considerations should be made when prescribing fluoride toothpaste for infants (6 months-4 years) in the areas with high fluoride content, because involuntary ingestion is consistent

Clear aligner treatments in orthoperio patients

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment is a recognized approach to support specific periodontal issues thanks to its capability to manipulate periodontal tissues. This concept is certainly not new, but the use of aligners in certain clinical conditions can be considered as being innovative when a multidisciplinary treatment is necessary. Moreover, aligners enable to plan 3D tooth movements, root placement, staging, and range of dental movements, alongside the improvement of oral hygiene. Thus, aligners can be suitable for the treatment of periodontal issues. In this article, the authors present two clinical cases with different periodontal issues: one with superficial periodontal problems and the other with a deep one. Both cases were successfully treated with aligners, highlighting how this invisible and comfortable tool can simplify the management of complex adult treatments. Conclusion: Digital workflow is the key for success in the aligner technique. The possibility to design a virtual plan of treatment and to transfer it in the real clinical world represents a way to limit errors and to reduce the time of orthodontic therapy

Potential Use of Tea Tree Oil as a Disinfectant Agent against Coronaviruses: A Combined Experimental and Simulation Study

: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relevance of proper disinfection procedures and renewed interest in developing novel disinfectant materials as a preventive strategy to limit SARS-CoV-2 contamination. Given its widely known antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, also named Tea tree oil (TTO), is recognized as a potential effective and safe natural disinfectant agent. In particular, the proposed antiviral activity of TTO involves the inhibition of viral entry and fusion, interfering with the structural dynamics of the membrane and with the protein envelope components. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated the virucidal effects of TTO against the feline coronavirus (FCoVII) and the human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), both used as surrogate models for SARS-CoV-2. Then, to atomistically uncover the possible effects exerted by TTO compounds on the outer surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virion, we performed Gaussian accelerated Molecular Dynamics simulations of a SARS-CoV-2 envelope portion, including a complete model of the Spike glycoprotein in the absence or presence of the three main TTO compounds (terpinen-4-ol, γ-terpinene, and 1,8-cineole). The obtained results allowed us to hypothesize the mechanism of action of TTO and its possible use as an anti-coronavirus disinfectant agent

SEM characterization and ageing analysis on two generation of invisible aligners

Abstract Background: The purpose of the in vitro study is to investigate and compare the morphological features and the chemical stability in weight of two different polyurethane-based blends, Smart Track (LD30) and Exceed30 (EX30), used for orthodontic aligners manufacture before and after the oral usage. Methods: Twenty orthodontic aligners were randomly selected: 10 LD30 and 10 EX30, each group was divided in two subgroups, never used and intra-orally aged. By the employment of a Stereomicroscope, a section of 5 × 5 mm was cut from the buccal surface of the incisal region of each aligner. All samples were subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy and Ageing tests in different solutions to simulate the hostility of the oral environment. The statistical method used was t-test. Results: At SEM images, LD30 appears more homogeneous in texture respect to EX30. However, after clinical usage, both materials show significant structural alterations: findings have been supported by higher magnifications at SEM, by which it is clearly to observe many superficial cracks cross through the polymer structures of LD30U, absent in never used samples. LD30U surface becomes also smoother due to the disappearance of most of the conglomerates, but at the same time also rougher while EX30U shows a greater irregularity and porosity in which large and deep cracks are also highlighted. Although these changes occur persistently, in the aging tests no significant weight loss from both materials has been found, confirming the initial hypothesis of a good chemical stability and safety of both polyurethane mixtures even in conditions of severe hostility. Conclusion: LD30 is the expression of the technological evolution of EX30, this is made evident above all by its morphological architecture, more homogeneous and defined but also by the chemical stability that can be appreciated even in evident critic situations

In vitro evaluation of structural factors favouring bacterial adhesion on orthodontic adhesive resins

Bacterial adhesion to the surface of orthodontic materials is an important step in the formation and proliferation of plaque bacteria, which is responsible for enamel demineralization and periodontium pathologies. With the intent of investigating if adhesive resins used for bracket bonding are prone to bacteria colonization, the surface roughness of these materials has been analyzed, combining information with a novel methodology to observe the internal structures of orthodontic composites. Scanning electron microscopy, combined with focus ion bean micromachining and stylus profilometry analyses, were performed to evaluate the compositional factors that can influence specific pivotal properties facilitating the adhesion of bacteria to the surface, such as surface roughness and robustness of three orthodontic adhesive composite resins. To confirm these findings, contact angle measurements and bacteria incubation on resin slide have been performed, evaluating similarities and differences in the final achievement. In particular, the morphological features that determine an increase in the resins surface wettability and influence the bacterial adhesion are the subject of speculation. Finally, the focused ion beam technique has been proposed as a valuable tool to combine information coming from surface roughness with specific the internal structures of the polymers

SINEUP non-coding RNAs rescue defective frataxin expression and activity in a cellular model of Friedreich's Ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an untreatable disorder with neuro- and cardio-degenerative progression. This monogenic disease is caused by the hyper-expansion of naturally occurring GAA repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene, encoding for frataxin, a protein implicated in the biogenesis of iron-sulfur clusters. As the genetic defect interferes with FXN transcription, FRDA patients express a normal frataxin protein but at insufficient levels. Thus, current therapeutic strategies are mostly aimed to restore physiological FXN expression. We have previously described SINEUPs, natural and synthetic antisense long non-coding RNAs, which promote translation of partially overlapping mRNAs through the activity of an embedded SINEB2 domain. Here, by in vitro screening, we have identified a number of SINEUPs targeting human FXN mRNA and capable to up-regulate frataxin protein to physiological amounts acting at the post-transcriptional level. Furthermore, FXN-specific SINEUPs promote the recovery of disease-associated mitochondrial aconitase defects in FRDA-derived cells. In summary, we provide evidence that SINEUPs may be the first gene-specific therapeutic approach to activate FXN translation in FRDA and, more broadly, a novel scalable platform to develop new RNA-based therapies for haploinsufficient diseases

Identificazione di età in soggetti in fase di crescita mediante le indagini radiografiche del distretto cranio-maxillo-facciale

La diagnosi di età è possibile con buona approssimazione nel periodo evolutivo, risultando assai meno agevole e largamente approssimativa dopo i primi due decenni di vita, in quanto fino a tale epoca sono presenti i nuclei di ossificazione, le cartilagini epifisarie e le cartilagini costali. Le metodiche identificative di età basate sul ricorso ad indagini radiografiche risultano essere quelle di più facile applicabilità e di maggiore utilità nel vivente. Deve essere, però, puntualizzato che la stragrande maggioranza di questi metodi sono stati elaborati su soggetti di origine anglosassone, di stato socio-economico elevato, potendo ragionevolmente ammettersi la ricorrenza di molteplici fattori esterni capaci di influenzare il processo di maturazione scheletrica e dentale. In particolare, è noto che le popolazioni nord europee hanno una velocità di maturazione dentaria più lenta di quelle mediterranee. Le classiche metodiche radiografiche di identificazione di età basate sull’impiego delle OPT presentano un comune iniziale step operativo costituito dalla necessità di procedere alla preventiva valutazione del grado di mineralizzazione e/o eruzione di uno o più elementi dentali sull’emiarcata mandibolare e/o mascellare. Dal grado di maturazione dentale dedotto è possibile ricavare l’età attraverso il ricorso, in via complementare o anche esclusiva, a tavole o schemi grafici, diagrammi ed equazioni di correlazione lineare, appositamente elaborati per singolo metodo, indicativi di specifiche epoche dentarie. Nella maggior parte di queste metodiche l’attribuzione di età è differenziata per sesso. La riesamina della letteratura ha dato inoltre conferma del dato secondo cui lo sviluppo dentario, con l’esclusione del terzo molare, è più precoce nelle femmine rispetto ai maschi. Pertanto, per pervenire ad una corretta stima dell’età dentale è necessario considerare, anche tale valore mutabile. Solo alcune metodiche identificative di età pervengono alla stima dell'epoca dentaria facendo ricorso ad un intervallo di approssimazione, spesso diversificato per fasi di sviluppo e talvolta per elemento dentario studiato. Inoltre, ogni metodo presenta uno specifico range di età previsto dall’autore nell’ambito del quale risulta applicabile. Ciò comporta che prima di ricorrere all’impiego di uno specifico metodo di determinazione di età risulta utile osservare l’immagine OPT-grafica per individuare approssimativamente l’età del soggetto da identificare in modo da restringere il numero di metodiche effettivamente applicabili. In alternativa, la corretta stima dell’età potrà essere ottenuta solo con la contemporanea applicazione integrata di tutte le metodiche

Identificazione di età in soggetti in fase di crescita mediante le indagini radiografiche del distretto cranio-maxillo-facciale

La diagnosi di età è possibile con buona approssimazione nel periodo evolutivo, risultando assai meno agevole e largamente approssimativa dopo i primi due decenni di vita, in quanto fino a tale epoca sono presenti i nuclei di ossificazione, le cartilagini epifisarie e le cartilagini costali. Le metodiche identificative di età basate sul ricorso ad indagini radiografiche risultano essere quelle di più facile applicabilità e di maggiore utilità nel vivente. Deve essere, però, puntualizzato che la stragrande maggioranza di questi metodi sono stati elaborati su soggetti di origine anglosassone, di stato socio-economico elevato, potendo ragionevolmente ammettersi la ricorrenza di molteplici fattori esterni capaci di influenzare il processo di maturazione scheletrica e dentale. In particolare, è noto che le popolazioni nord europee hanno una velocità di maturazione dentaria più lenta di quelle mediterranee. Le classiche metodiche radiografiche di identificazione di età basate sull’impiego delle OPT presentano un comune iniziale step operativo costituito dalla necessità di procedere alla preventiva valutazione del grado di mineralizzazione e/o eruzione di uno o più elementi dentali sull’emiarcata mandibolare e/o mascellare. Dal grado di maturazione dentale dedotto è possibile ricavare l’età attraverso il ricorso, in via complementare o anche esclusiva, a tavole o schemi grafici, diagrammi ed equazioni di correlazione lineare, appositamente elaborati per singolo metodo, indicativi di specifiche epoche dentarie. Nella maggior parte di queste metodiche l’attribuzione di età è differenziata per sesso. La riesamina della letteratura ha dato inoltre conferma del dato secondo cui lo sviluppo dentario, con l’esclusione del terzo molare, è più precoce nelle femmine rispetto ai maschi. Pertanto, per pervenire ad una corretta stima dell’età dentale è necessario considerare, anche tale valore mutabile. Solo alcune metodiche identificative di età pervengono alla stima dell'epoca dentaria facendo ricorso ad un intervallo di approssimazione, spesso diversificato per fasi di sviluppo e talvolta per elemento dentario studiato. Inoltre, ogni metodo presenta uno specifico range di età previsto dall’autore nell’ambito del quale risulta applicabile. Ciò comporta che prima di ricorrere all’impiego di uno specifico metodo di determinazione di età risulta utile osservare l’immagine OPT-grafica per individuare approssimativamente l’età del soggetto da identificare in modo da restringere il numero di metodiche effettivamente applicabili. In alternativa, la corretta stima dell’età potrà essere ottenuta solo con la contemporanea applicazione integrata di tutte le metodiche

Plaque retention on elastomeric ligatures. An in vivo study

Fixed orthodontic appliances make it difficult to maintain the oral hygiene, resulting in plaque accumulation. Retention of bacterial plaque, represents a risk for white spot lesions and development of periodontal disease. Aim. Purpose of this study was to determine in vivothe retention of plaque on three different elastic ligatures, in comparisonwith stainless steel ligature, to determine a possible association between type of ligatures and accumulation of microor-ganisms. Material and Methods:three elastic ligation systems were analyzed for plaque retention: ring-shape, clear, latex ligatures (Leone® Spa), ring-shape, grey, polyurethane ligatures (Micerium® Spa) and grey, polyurethane, Slide low-friction liga-tures (Leone® Spa), compared with stainless steel ligatures (Leone® Spa) used as control. Forthy orthodontic patientsundergoing fixed orthodontic therapy were selected. A sample for each type of ligature were applied inside the oral cavity of each subject. Samples were kept in theoral cavity for 28 days, ligating 0.16 X 0.22 stainless steel archwire to stainless steel orthodontic premolars brackets. The presence of bacterical slime was quantified by spectrophotometric method (crystal violet-Bouin’s fixative) and morphologicalobservations was evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results. From analysis of bacterical slime emerges that all the elastics showed a low plaque retention, especially if compared to the group of steinless steel ligatures, that presented a greater plaque adhesion, statistically significant comparedto the Slide group (r<0.0002) and the two elastic groups (r<0.0001). This study reported no significant difference betweenthe Slide ligatures and the traditional elastic ligatures as regards the retention of plaque. SEM images showed presenceof cocci, rods and few filamentous organisms and an interbacterial matrix in all observed samples. Conclusion. Elastomeric ligatures showed a significant lower susceptibility to plaque adhesion, in comparison to the stain-less steel of the metallic ligatures. No statistically significant difference was observed among the elastic devices

MIH: epidemiologic clinic study in paediatric patient

The Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative and quantitative defect of the enamel structure of the first permanent molars, which may vary from 1 to 4 with involvement of maxillary and jaw permanent incisors. Aim: Aim of this study is that to evaluate, among 1500 paediatric patients chosen at random aged between 0 and 14 years, afferent by the Paediatric Dentistry of the Azienda Ospedialiera Policlinico Tor Vergata of Rome from 1996 to 2011, the incidents and the prevalence of the MIH distribution, and furthermore to ascertain the possible relationship with the data described in the literature. Results and discussion: From the sample of 1500 paediatric patients, the number of those affections from MIH has turned out to be pairs to 110 (7.3%) aged between 4 and 15 years, and an average age equal to 9.7. The incidence of the hypoplastic defects is greater in the elements of the permanents series in which the functional class mainly interested is that of the first molars, with a percentage of 39.8%. Regarding the elements of the deciduous series affections from hypoplasia, they turn out to be in all in number of 20 represented in 80% of the cases from the seconds molars while in the remaining 20% of the cases the items involved are the central incisors. About the percentage of elements involved in the MIH: the molars, involved with a frequency of 56%, turn out to be more hit regarding incisors (44%). As reported in the literature, it can be asserted that the MIH can hit in equal measure both the male sex that feminine one. Conclusions: MIH represents a condition quite frequent in the paediatric population. In managing this anomaly takes an essential role in the early diagnosis and in the differential one. The study done underlined the importance of a correct application of the therapeutic protocol which, starting from a careful diagnosis and articulating themselves in the execution of preventive treatments and in severe cases restorative and prosthetic, has the aim to certify the functionality and the aesthetic of the dental elements affected by MIH