Efficacy and safety of acetaminophen and caffeine for the management of acute dental pain: A systematic review.

Aim: Because the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids has several restrictions, this review evaluates the efficacy and safety of acetaminophen and caffeine for the management of dental pain.

Methods: A search of the literature was carried out looking for randomized controlled trials on the use of acetaminophen and caffeine for the management of dental pain, performed on humans and written in English, Italian, French or Arabic languages. The following databases were searched: PubMed, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid Medline and Scopus.

Clinical measurement of normal maximum mouth opening in children.

This study was designed to find a method of assessing maximum mouth opening (MMO), using a tool that is proportional to the body size. One hundred two (102) children were selected to participate in the study. MMO, the width of three fingers (index, middle and ring fingers), four fingers (index, middle, ring and little fingers), body height, weight and age of each child were recorded, and the ability of each subject to position the fingers, vertically aligned between the upper and lower central incisors with the mouth maximally open, was documented.

Prevalence, intensity, and correlation of different TMJ symptoms in Lebanese and Italian subpopulations.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare self reported joint related temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms in Lebanese and Italian dental and non-dental students and to detect any correlation between different symptoms.

Methods And Materials: A questionnaire was distributed in Sardinia (Italy) to dental and psychology students and in Lebanon to dental, physical therapy, and biology students to investigate the prevalence, intensity, and correlation of four temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms.

Results: Prevalence of earache varied among the groups from 10.

Pressure pain threshold of the lateral pterygoid muscles in TMD patients and controls.

Objectives: The aim of this experiment was to detect pressure pain threshold (PPT) differences on intra-oral palpation of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) between subjects diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and controls.

Methods: Thirty-one consecutive female TMD patients and 31 age and gender matched controls underwent palpation of the LPM using an algometer made with a queue-tip connected to a digital scale, and PPT was measured.

Results: Mean PPTs of the right and left LPM of the controls were respectively 191g (49KPa) and 200g (51KPa), and mean PPTs of the right and left LPM of TMD patients were respectively 245g (62KPa) and 256g (63KPa).

Upper body musculoskeletal symptoms in Sardinian dental students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how early in a dental career musculoskeletal problems develop, by comparing the prevalence of such symptoms in a dental student population in Sardinia (Italy), a control sample of psychology students from the same university and a sample of dental students in Lebanon.

Methods: One hundred and fourteen dental students from the University of Cagliari (Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy) were surveyed by questionnaire about the presence of several upper body symptoms. Their responses were compared with those of 2 different populations: 114 psychology students from the same university, matched for age and sex, and 178 dental students from the University of Saint Joseph (Beirut, Lebanon).

Prevalence of bruxism awareness in a Sardinian population.

1014 subjects on the island of Sardinia (Italy) were interviewed regarding the habit of clenching and grinding their teeth. They had to specify if this activity occurred during the day, during the night, or both. Other information recorded was their age, gender, marital status, and occupation.