Effect of contingent vibratory stimulus via an oral appliance on sleep bruxism after the splint adaptation period.

Background: Contingent vibratory feedback stimuli applied by a specially designed oral appliance (OA) have been reported to be effective in reducing sleep bruxism (SB). However, the inhibitory effects of the OA, which occur immediately after OA delivery, may have confounded this finding.

Objective: This study sought to shed light on the effects of vibratory stimuli on SB after the OA adaptation period, when its inhibitory effects are diminished.

Building an Automated Orofacial Pain, Headache and Temporomandibular Disorder Diagnosis System.

Physicians collect data in patient encounters that they use to diagnose patients. This process can fail if the needed data is not collected or if physicians fail to interpret the data. Previous work in orofacial pain (OFP) has automated diagnosis from encounter notes and pre-encounter diagnoses questionnaires, however they do not address how variables are selected and how to scale the number of diagnoses.

Association of masticatory muscle activity with sleep arousal and other concomitant movements during sleep.

Objective: This study aims to verify the associations among sleep bruxism (SB), sleep arousal (SA) and concurrent body movements.

Material And Methods: Subjects underwent a standard overnight polysomnography test and audio-video recordings. Sleep quality was evaluated according to the Rechtschaffen and Kales criteria, while SA was determined as per the American Sleep Disorders Association criteria.

Effects of a contingent vibratory stimulus delivered by an intra-oral device on sleep bruxism: a pilot study.

Purpose: Although sleep bruxism (SB) is one of the most important clinical problems in dental practice, there is no definitive method for controlling it. This pilot study evaluated the effects of contingent vibratory feedback stimuli using an occlusal splint for inhibition of sleep bruxism.

Methods: Thirteen subjects with clinically diagnosed SB participated after providing an informed consent.

Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Myofascial Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Aims: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in treating temporomandibular myofascial pain in adults compared to laser placebo.

Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled studies were identified by a search on March 2, 2016 and updated on February 9, 2017 in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Three of the authors assessed the studies for risk of bias.

Medication Treatment Efficacy and Chronic Orofacial Pain.

Chronic pain in the orofacial region has always been a vexing problem for dentists to diagnose and treat effectively. For trigeminal neuropathic pain, there are 3 medications (gabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) to use plus topical anesthetics that have therapeutic efficacy. For chronic daily headaches (often migraine in origin), 3 prophylactic medications have reasonable therapeutic efficacy (β-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, and antiepileptic drugs).

Orofacial Movement Disorders.

Orofacial movement disorders (OMDs) include dystonia, dyskinesia, drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions, and bruxism. The definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, and management are detailed. OMDs are often disabling and affect patients' overall quality of life with pain, difficulty chewing food, speech difficulty, drooling, and social embarrassment.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Efficacy of Oral Medications Compared with Placebo Treatment in the Management of Postherpetic Neuralgia.

Aims: To conduct a systematic review to determine the efficacy of oral medications for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Methods: Three electronic databases were searched: Cochrane Library (up to 7 July 2015), MEDLINE via PubMed (from 1950 to 7 July 2015), and Web of Science (1864 to 7 July 2015). Studies were limited to double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized controlled trials on oral medications used to treat PHN.

Assessment of oral appliance for obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Although oral appliances (OAs) have become widely used for the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), side effects of OAs are generally related to poor utilization. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate relationship between utilization and treatment efficacy of a boil-and-bite appliance for OSA patients. A total of 135 patients with OSA who had used an OAs were mailed a questionnaire to determine whether they were currently using the OA.

The efficacy of botulinum toxin for the treatment of trigeminal and postherpetic neuralgia: a systematic review with meta-analyses.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a botulinum toxin type A (BoTN-A) in treating trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Study Design: Three databases were searched: Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to English-language randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

Assessing the utility of serum C-telopeptide cross-link of type 1 collagen as a predictor of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The authors of this systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the utility of serum C-telopeptide cross-link of type 1 collagen (sCTX), a biomarker of bone resorption, as a predictor of the development of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ).

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors searched for studies involving adult participants, written in English, and published through January 20, 2016, using the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Web of Science. They also searched Google Scholar and the reference lists of all eligible trials and reviews.

Effect of premedication to provide analgesia as a supplement to inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis.

Background: The authors' objective was to determine whether scientific evidence supports the use of oral premedication to increase the efficacy of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) and to decrease endodontic treatment pain in patients with diagnosed irreversible pulpitis.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors included randomized controlled trials that involved enteral premedication and 2% lidocaine IANB for adults with irreversible pulpitis compared with placebo. In particular, the authors reviewed studies comparing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), benzodiazepines, acetaminophen, and corticosteroids with placebo.

Is p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma associated with favorable prognosis? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the prognosis of patients with p16 expressing oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers to patients with p16 non-expressing cancers. Clinical outcomes that were evaluated included overall survival, local recurrence, disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, and event-free survival. The following electronic databases were searched: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (via Pubmed), and Web of Science.

Modified protocol including topical minocycline in orabase to manage medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw cases.

Objective: Management of medication-related osteone-crosis of the jaw (MRONJ) with active infection can be a serious challenge for clinicians. Based on Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) recommendations, we have tested a modified treatment protocol using topical minocycline.

Study Design: Five patients diagnosed with stage II or III MRONJ lesions were willing to consent to our protocol.

Sleep bruxism frequency and platelet serotonin transporter activities in young adult subjects.

Purpose: To evaluate correlations between serotonin transporter (SERT) uptake ability in human peripheral platelets and sleep bruxism (SB) frequency.

Methods: Subjects were consecutively recruited from sixth-year students at Okayama University Dental School. Subjects were excluded if they (1) were receiving orthodontic treatment, (2) had a dermatological disease, (3) had taken an antidepressant within 6 months, or (4) had used an oral appliance within 6 months.

Comparison of platelet serotonin transporter activity in subjects with severe sleep bruxism and control.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between sleep bruxism (SB) frequency and serotonin transporter (SERT)-driven serotonin (5-HT)-uptake in platelets.

Methods: Subjects were dental trainee residents and faculty members of Okayama University Hospital who were aware of having severe or no SB. SB frequency was assessed for 3-consecutive nights by a self-contained electromyographic detector/analyzer, which indicated individual SB levels as one of four grades (score 0, 1, 2 and 3).

Soft palate length and upper airway relationship in OSA and non-OSA subjects.

Background: The narrowest area of the airway between the posterior nasal opening and the epiglottis is usually located in the retro palatal area. Many consider this the most likely site of airway obstruction during an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) event. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in soft palate and airway length between OSA and non-OSA patients.

Comparing methods of cultural competency training and assessment in a predoctoral dental course.

Cultural competence is considered an important skill in health care delivery; accordingly, it requires an effective and efficient course of training. Web-based teaching has increasingly been used in medical education with a few reports also in the dental field; however, there is a lack of evidence of its full application and usefulness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of web-based case scenarios in comparison with seminar-based training to deliver cultural competency material to the health care provider in training.

Autonomous virtual patients in dentistry: system accuracy and expert versus novice comparison.

This article examines an autonomous virtual patient (AVP) system for identifying differences between novices and experts in dentistry. The two groups in the study were ten boarded or board-eligible experts (seven males, three females; mean±sd age 40±11) and twenty-six fourth-year dental students (fifteen males, eleven females; mean±sd age 27±3), who were defined as novices. All participants interviewed and mock-examined four randomly selected AVPs who had either orofacial pain or an oral medicine problem; they then selected needed diagnostic tests, diagnoses, treatments, and medications.

Comparison of cone-beam computed tomography incidental findings between patients with moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea and mild obstructive sleep apnea/healthy patients.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the incidental radiographic findings in the maxillofacial structures and the pharyngeal airway between subjects with moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and mild OSA/healthy subjects using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.

Study Design: A total of 53 subjects with moderate/severe OSA (with a Respiratory Disturbance Index [RDI] ≥ 15 events/h) and 33 mild OSA/healthy subjects (RDI < 15), based on ambulatory somnographic assessment, were recruited. Supine CBCTs were taken and sent for radiological report.

Association of genetic, psychological and behavioral factors with sleep bruxism in a Japanese population.

Sleep bruxism is a sleep-related movement disorder that can be responsible for various pains and dysfunctions in the orofacial region. The aim of the current case-control association study was to investigate the association of genetic, psychological and behavioral factors with sleep bruxism in a Japanese population. Non-related participants were recruited and divided into either a sleep bruxism group (n = 66) or control group (n = 48) by clinical diagnoses and 3-night masseter electromyographic recordings by means of a portable miniature device.