Improvement in the osteoblastic cellular response to a commercial collagen membrane and demineralized freeze-dried bone by an amino acid derivative: an in vitro study.

Purpose: The objectives of this in vitro study were (1) to determine whether a commercially available collagen membrane (CM) or human demineralized freeze-dried bone (DFDB) particles adversely affected viability or function in cultured osteoblasts through oxidative stress, and, if so, (2) to determine whether N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) successfully prevented loss of viability and dysfunction in osteoblasts.

Materials And Methods: Rat calvaria-derived osteoblasts were seeded onto polystyrene and commercially available CM (Cytoplast ®) or DFDB (DynaGraft ™) with or without pretreatment with NAC solution. The osteoblastic response was evaluated using a flow cytometric cell viability assay, measurement of attached viable cell number, quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining.

The "bone-less" bone graft: The use of bone morphogenic protein-2 in jaw reconstruction.

A growth factor known as Bone Morphogenic Protein has through recombinant technology been made available to dentists as a "bone-less" bone graft. This recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 is placed on an absorbable collagen sponge carrier and delivered to a site of bone deficiency. This material will induce new osteoblasts to form from mesenchymal stem cells in the surrounding recipient site.

N-acetyl cysteine improves affinity of beta-tricalcium phosphate granules for cultured osteoblast-like cells.

Enhancement of bone substitute's biocompatibility may accelerate healing of surrounding bone. Although widely used as a biodegradable alloplastic bone substitute for alveolar bone augmentation, the osteocompatibility of beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) remains to be proven. The adverse cellular response to biomaterials is associated with oxidative stress.

Factors of importance to maintaining regular dental care after a behavioural intervention for adults with dental fear: a qualitative study.

Objective: Dental phobia is prevalent in the general population and can be successfully treated through cognitive behavioural therapy, which results in patients being able to cope with dental treatments. The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of factors of importance for maintaining regular dental care after completion of a cognitive behavioural therapy programme.

Material And Methods: A qualitative study design was used.

Prenatal counseling for pregnant women: a survey of general dentists.

Objective: To assess the attitudes, behavior, and demographics of general dentists in the state of Nebraska with regard to overall prenatal oral health counseling for pregnant women.

Study Design: The survey asked for demographic information, number of years practicing dentistry, and patient base. The survey also asked questions about prenatal oral health counseling for pregnant women.

Enhancement of adhesion strength and cellular stiffness of osteoblasts on mirror-polished titanium surface by UV-photofunctionalization.

Ultraviolet (UV)-photofunctionalization of titanium substantially enhances the strength and quality of osseointegration by promoting osteogenic cellular attachment and proliferation. However, the mechanism underlying the initial interaction between the cells and the surface of the material remains to be elucidated, especially where the influence of surface roughness is excluded as a factor. The effect of UV-photofunctionalization on the adhesive strength and cellular stiffness of a single osteoblast and its association with the extent of cell spread, cytoskeletal development and focal adhesion assembly on a very smooth titanium surface was evaluated.

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis originating with a periapical infection.

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly spreading, soft-tissue infection involving the subcutaneous tissues. Necrotizing fasciitis originating from a dental-related source is rare. Practitioners should be aware that this infection could occur in patients who are immunocompromised and in patients who are healthy.

Effectiveness of a basic training presentation on infant oral health care for family medicine residents.

Purpose: This study's purpose was to evaluate an infant oral health education program to target University of Nebraska Medical Center family medicine residents.

Methods: Participants included 37 family medicine residents. Assessment in the form of a questionnaire was completed immediately before and after a 60-minute educational intervention.

Oral care for infants: a survey of Nebraska general dentists.

This study sought to assess the attitudes, behavior, and demographics of general dentists in the state of Nebraska concerning overall oral care of infants. A 15-item questionnaire and accompanying cover letter were mailed to 800 licensed general dentists in the state of Nebraska. The survey asked for demographic information, the number of years that the dentist had been practicing dentistry, the type of practice, the dentist's additional training (if any), and the dentist's patient base.

Osteoradionecrosis: an update.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible is the most serious and severe side effect of combined treatment of head and neck tumors. A new theory for the pathogenesis of ORN has been proposed relating it to a fibro-atrophic mechanism including free radical formation, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, microvascular thrombosis leading to bone and tissue necrosis. Risk factors mainly include radiation related risk factors, surgery and, tobacco and alcohol abuse.

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: how to manage cancer patients.

Bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is defined as exposed necrotic bone appearing in the jaws of patients treated by systemic IV or oral BPs never irradiated in the head and neck area and that has persisted for more than 8 weeks. More than 90% of cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw have been in patients with cancer who received IV-BPs. The estimate of cumulative incidence of BRONJ in cancer patients with IV-BPs ranges from 0.

Effect of ultraviolet photoactivation of titanium on osseointegration in a rat model.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine whether ultraviolet (UV) light treatment of titanium implants could enhance osseointegration to sufficiently overcome the negative aspects of shorter implants in a rat femur model.

Materials And Methods: Acid-etched miniature titanium implants with lengths of 2 mm (longer implants) and 1.2 mm (shorter implants) were prepared.

Poor oral hygiene, wearing dentures at night, perceptions of mouth dryness and burning, and lower educational level may be related to oral malodor in denture wearers.

Subjects: The study sample was recruited from edentulous patients seeking new dentures at the Kirikkale University Denture Clinic, Turkey. Male (n = 56) and female (n = 49) participants were enrolled and ranged from 50 to 78 years of age (mean age 60.7 6 7.

The frequency of replacement of dental restorations may vary based on a number of variables, including type of material, size of the restoration, and caries risk of the patient.

Subjects: The authors analyzed the dental records of 2780 Navy (cohort 1 = 1078 entered the Navy in 1997) and US Marine Corps recruits (cohort 2 =1053 entered the USMC in 1999-2000; cohort 3 = 649 entered the USMC in 2002-2005). The records were reviewed at 16 US Navy dental treatment facilities at the following time periods: cohort 1, 2001; cohort 2, 2002-2003; and cohort 3, 2005-2006. The mean age of the subjects was 20 years, and 85% were men.

N-acetyl cysteine alleviates cytotoxicity of bone substitute.

Lack of cytocompatibility in bone substitutes impairs healing in surrounding bone. Adverse biological events around biomaterials may be associated with oxidative stress. We hypothesized that a clinically used inorganic bone substitute is cytotoxic to osteoblasts due to oxidative stress and that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant amino acid derivative, would detoxify such material.

Effectiveness of a presentation on infant oral health care for parents.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate an infant oral health education programme, using a pre-post test design, for parents attending a paediatric clinic.

Methods: The subjects were parents attending the well baby appointments at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. The study participants were men and women, all with an infant between 3 and 12 months of age.

Enhancement of osteoblast adhesion to UV-photofunctionalized titanium via an electrostatic mechanism.

The mechanism underlying the recently found photofunctionalization of titanium is unknown. We focused on how the initial interaction between the cells and photofunctionalized titanium is enhanced at a molecular-level and the role played by the electrostatic status of the titanium surfaces in the possible regulatory mechanism for determining their bioactivity. Rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts were cultured on untreated and ultraviolet (UV)-treated titanium surfaces.

Effect of Nell-1 delivery on chondrocyte proliferation and cartilaginous extracellular matrix deposition.

Cartilage tissue engineering using chondrogenic growth factors is an attractive strategy to promote cartilage repair. Bone morphogenetic proteins have been widely studied for their application in cartilage repair. However, functional heterogeneity of bone morphogenetic proteins and unpredictable effects such as cyst formation may limit their therapeutic use.

Selective cell affinity of biomimetic micro-nano-hybrid structured TiO2 overcomes the biological dilemma of osteoblasts.

Objective: There is a great demand for dental implant surfaces to accelerate the process of peri-implant bone generation to reduce its healing time and enable early loading. To this end, an inverse correlation between the proliferation and functional maturation (differentiation) in osteoblasts presents a challenge for the rapid generation of greater amounts of bone. For instance, osteoblasts exhibit faster differentiation but slower proliferation on micro-roughened titanium surfaces.

Enhancement of bone-titanium integration profile with UV-photofunctionalized titanium in a gap healing model.

In this study, we tested the potential of UV-photofunctionalized titanium surfaces to overcome compromised bone-titanium integration in a gap healing model. Titanium in rod and disk forms was acid etched and then stored for 4 weeks under dark ambient conditions. Titanium rods with and without UV pretreatment were placed into a rat femur with (contact healing) or without (gap healing) contact with the innate cortical bone.

Biomechanical properties of jaw periosteum-derived mineralized culture on different titanium topography.

Purpose: This study evaluated the biomechanical properties of periosteum-derived mineralized culture on different surface topographies of titanium.

Materials And Methods: Titanium surfaces modified by machining or by acid etching were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rat mandibular periosteum-derived cells were cultured on either of the titanium surfaces.

The role of titanium implant surface modification with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in progressive early bone-implant fixation in vivo.

Purpose: This study evaluated the biologic effect in vivo of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticle surface modification on commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) implants.

Materials And Methods: Miniature cylindric titanium and Ti-6Al-4V implants were pretreated with dual acid etching (DAE), and a subset was further modified with HA nanoparticles using discrete crystalline deposition (DCD). The resultant implant surface topography was characterized by interferometry and scanning electron microscopy.

Xerostomia, hyposalivation, and oral microbiota in type 2 diabetic patients: a preliminary study.

Background And Objective: Mouth dryness is one of the major problems that can lead to several oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis and oral infection. Mouth dryness has also been associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of xerostomia (feeling of mouth dryness), hyposalivation (the reduction of saliva), and oral microbiota in Thai patients with type 2 DM.