Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Different Types of Professional Tooth Whitening: A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Tooth whitening is a cosmetic dental treatment that improves the color of natural teeth, making them whiter and brighter; this review aimed to evaluate the greater effectiveness of in-office, at-home, and combined bleaching with hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, also in relation to possible relapses and side effects (tooth sensitivity).

Methods: A literature search has been carried out through electronic databases, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, focused on the use of the effectiveness of in-office, at-home, and combined dental bleaching. This review has been registered on PROSPERO (ID613248).

Selective metabolic regulations by p53 mutant variants in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Approximately half of all human cancers harbour mutations in the p53 gene, leading to the generation of neomorphic p53 mutant proteins. These mutants can exert gain-of-function (GOF) effects, potentially promoting tumour progression. However, the clinical significance of p53 GOF mutations, as well as the selectivity of individual variants, remains controversial and unclear.

Concordance and Clinical Outcomes Improvement Following Oral Hygiene Motivation: A Systematic Review and Report of the Workshop of the Italian Societies of Dental Hygiene.

A workshop on concordance and oral hygiene was held in February 2024. To address the topic, a systematic review aimed at investigating the effectiveness of motivational interventions in improving oral hygiene and focusing on periodontal clinical indices outcomes was designed. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed and Scopus electronic databases to identify relevant articles published up to 2024.

Laser and remineralising agents in dental erosion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: This systematic review aimed to evaluate, by means of statistical comparison between selected studies, the effectiveness of laser irradiation on dental erosion applied alone or in combination with anti-erosive agents (fluoride, Acidulated phosphate fluoride APF and CPP-amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate CPP-ACFP), through optical profilometry and microhardness measurement.

Methods: The searching strategy was conducted according to the International PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, to answer research ques-tions regarding the effectiveness of lasers used in the context of dental erosion (such as Nd:YAG, CO2, Er:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, Diode, and Argon Ion lasers). A comprehensive and unrestricted sys-tematic searching was performed using the electronic databases of PubMed and Cochrane Library, for all articles published up to the end of January 2023.

Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Clinical Practice of Dental Hygienists and Dentists, Prevention and Awareness among Italian Professionals: Focus on Enlarging Systems.

(1) Background: Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs are a common medical condition among dental hygienists and dentists, making them a common occupational risk for dental professionals. The purpose of the work was to collect information about the dental professions and their habits to highlight what can be good practices to be carried out to prevent any musculoskeletal disorders. (2) Methods: To identify habits and problems inherent in the professional activity of dental hygienists and dentists, a questionnaire was formulated on the use of enlarging systems.

Periodontitis and Depressive Disorders: The Effects of Antidepressant Drugs on the Periodontium in Clinical and Preclinical Models: A Narrative Review.

: Several psychological conditions, including stress and depression, can adversely affect oral health; in fact, antidepressants, commonly used to treat depressive disorders, may have conflicting effects on the periodontal status of individuals. The aim of this review was to determine the effects of antidepressants on the periodontium. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases, Pubmed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, focusing on the use of antidepressants and their effects on periodontal health in animals or humans.

Oral Health and Caries Prevention: How Tongue Hygiene Helps Maintain Balance of Microbiota and Overall Health in Pediatric Patients.

Background/objectives: The tongue harbors about two-thirds of the microorganisms present in the mouth; the stable bacterial population consists mainly of aerobic and facultative anaerobic streptococci. These bacterial colonies, found more frequently on the tongue than on the outside of the hard part of the dental enamel in children younger than 18 months, suggest that the tongue is a potential bacterial reservoir. The aim of this review is to examine the scientific literature to clarify whether the mechanical removal of bacterial biofilm on the tongue can have a positive effect on caries prevention, with the reduction in colony-forming unit (CFU) of salivary streptococcus and the whole-mouth plaque index (FMPS).

Deciphering the significance of p53 mutant proteins.

Mutations in the p53 gene compromise its role as guardian of genomic integrity, yielding predominantly missense p53 mutant proteins. The gain-of-function hypothesis has long suggested that these mutant proteins acquire new oncogenic properties; however, recent studies challenge this notion, indicating that targeting these mutants may not impact the fitness of cancer cells. Mounting evidence indicates that tumorigenesis involves a cooperative interplay between driver mutations and cellular state, influenced by developmental stage, external insults, and tissue damage.

Exploring the Genetic Landscape of Chorea in Infancy and Early Childhood: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement disorder frequently observed in the pediatric population, and, due to advancements in genetic techniques, an increasing number of genes have been associated with this disorder. In genetic conditions, chorea may be the primary feature of the disorder, or be part of a more complex phenotype characterized by epileptic encephalopathy or a multisystemic syndrome. Moreover, it can appear as a persistent disorder (chronic chorea) or have an episodic course (paroxysmal chorea).

Clinical Use of Paraprobiotics for Pregnant Women with Periodontitis: Randomized Clinical Trial.

Periodontal disease is very common in pregnant women. Paraprobiotics are a subset of probiotics. They can be defined as inactivated microbial cells providing health benefits to the host and are considered particularly safe.

Comprehensive review of status gelasticus: Diagnostic challenges and therapeutic insights.

Status gelasticus is a rare form of status epilepticus characterized by prolonged and/or clustered gelastic seizures. The review encompasses an analysis of cases reported in the literature, focusing on causes, clinical-electroencephalographic features, and therapeutic interventions. The study reveals the challenges in defining and understanding status gelasticus due to its diverse etiologies and limited reported cases.

Semi-Automatic Analysis of Specific Electroencephalographic Patterns during NREM2 Sleep in a Pediatric Population after SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

The post-COVID-19 condition is defined by the World Health Organization as the persistence of symptoms or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, lasting for at least two months without a clear explanation. Neuropsychiatric disorders associated with this condition include asthenia, memory and concentration problems, and sleep disturbances. Our study aims to investigate sleep patterns following SARS-CoV-2 infection using EEG findings and a sleep quality questionnaire completed by parents (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children-SDSC).

Evaluation of two different remineralising toothpastes in children with drug-controlled asthma and allergic rhinitis: a randomised clinical trial.

Aim: To compare the efficacy of two remineralising toothpastes in children suffering from asthma and allergic rhinitis after a 6-month study.

Methods: 40 patients aged between 6-14 years with enamel demineralisations were enrolled for the study at the Unit of Dental Hygiene of the University of Pavia (Italy). The following indices were collected: Schiff air index (SAI), plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BoP), salivary pH, Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE), susceptibility index (SI) for hard and soft tissues' pathologies, and decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT).

Fenfluramine below the age of 2 years in Dravet syndrome: What about safety and efficacy?

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Infants with DS are especially vulnerable to the detrimental effects of prolonged and frequent seizures on development. Fenfluramine (FFA) is approved for the treatment of DS in patients aged 2 years and older.

Ozonized gels vs chlorhexidine in non-surgical periodontal treatment: A randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of newly introduced ozonated gels compared with conventional chlorhexidine gel in the home management of periodontal patients.

Materials And Methods: 30 patients with bilateral periodontal disease (severity I, complexity II) were enrolled (split-mouth study design). After nonsurgical mechanical periodontal debridement, the teeth were randomly divided into two groups: teeth in the Control group were treated with a chlorhexidine-based gel to aid oral hygiene maneuvers for 2 weeks after the first visit, while teeth in the Test group were treated in the same way with ozone-based gels.

Neutrophils' Contribution to Periodontitis and Periodontitis-Associated Cardiovascular Diseases.

Neutrophils represent the primary defense against microbial threats playing a pivotal role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. This review examines the multifaceted involvement of neutrophils in periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the supporting structures of teeth summarizing the contribution of neutrophil dysfunction in periodontitis and periodontal-related comorbidities. Periodontitis, a pathological condition promoted by dysbiosis of the oral microbiota, is characterized by the chronic inflammation of the gingiva and subsequent tissue destruction.

Effects of a gut-selective integrin-targeted therapy in male mice exposed to early immune activation, a model for the study of autism spectrum disorder.

To clarify the role of gut mucosal immunity in ASD, we evaluated, in the early-life immune activation (EIA) mouse model, the effects of administration of a monoclonal antibody directed against the integrin alpha4 beta7 (α4β7 mAb), blocking the leukocyte homing into the gut mucosa. EIA is a double-hit variant of the maternal immune-activation (MIA) model, including both prenatal (Poly I:C) and postnatal (LPS) immune challenges. In C57BL6/J EIA male adult offspring mice, IL-1β and IL-17A mRNA colonic tissue content increased when compared with controls.

Deconvoluting gene and environment interactions to develop an "epigenetic score meter" of disease.

Human health is determined both by genetics (G) and environment (E). This is clearly illustrated in groups of individuals who are exposed to the same environmental factor showing differential responses. A quantitative measure of the gene-environment interactions (GxE) effects has not been developed and in some instances, a clear consensus on the concept has not even been reached; for example, whether cancer is predominantly emerging from "bad luck" or "bad lifestyle" is still debated.

Final results of the real-life observational VICTOR-6 study on metronomic chemotherapy in elderly metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Nowadays, treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has been enriched with novel therapeutical strategies. Metronomic chemotherapy (mCHT) is a continuous and frequent administration of chemotherapy at a lower dose and so whit less toxicity. Thus, this strategy could be attractive for elderly MBC patients.

Periodontitis in Pregnant Women: A Possible Link to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Background: Periodontitis develops in 11% of pregnant women, and it is independently linked to severe complications during pregnancy such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and gestational diabetes.

Methods: A literature search (Pubmed/MEDLINE, and Scopus) from 2003 to 2023 was conducted to analyze studies focused on periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Results: 16 articles have been included.

A Retrospect of the Special Issue "Advances in Oral Implant Health".

Research on modern dental implantology focuses on the development of increasingly more advanced techniques with the aim of improving the reliability of dental implants while reducing patient morbidity [...

Healthy lifestyle? or just the right genetic mutations.

The development of genomic technologies over the past decades has enabled identification of genetic variants responsible of disease; occasionally however, protective rare variants emerged. Verweij et al have recently reported genetic variants in CIDEB gene that are protective from liver injury. Here, we briefly summarise the recent findings on the impact of CIDEB variants on liver disease, while emphasizing how phenotype-genotype studies tailored for the identification of "protective" mutations might direct development of prevention and therapeutic strategies for common diseases.