The goat as a model for temporomandibular joint disc replacement: Techniques for scaffold fixation.

A state-of-the-art scaffold capable of efficiently reconstructing the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc after discectomy remains elusive. The major challenge has been to identify a degradable scaffold that remodels into TMJ disc-like tissue, and prevents increased joint pathology, among other significant complications. Tissue engineering research provides a foundation for promising approaches towards the creation of successful implants/scaffolds that aim to restore the disc.

Application of Single-Cell Genomics to Animal Models of Periodontitis and Peri-Implantitis.

Aims: This narrative review aims to synthesize current knowledge on integrating single-cell genomics technologies with animal models of periodontitis and peri-implantitis.

Review: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) reveals cellular heterogeneity and specific cell roles in periodontitis and peri-implantitis, overcoming the limitations of bulk RNA sequencing. Under controlled conditions and genetic manipulation, animal models facilitate studying disease progression, gene functions and systemic disease links, aiding targeted therapy development.

Sex and Gender Health Education Tenets: An Essential Paradigm for Inclusivity in Dentistry.

Sex and gender are essential components of person-centered care. This article presents and discusses four important tenets regarding sex and gender health that should be incorporated into dental education and oral health care to foster inclusivity and improve care for all patients, including a sex and gender-diverse patient population.

Fixed Full-Arch Maxillary Prostheses Supported by Four Versus Six Implants: 5-Year Results of a Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objectives: This 5-year multicenter randomized clinical trial assessed the non-inferiority of maxillary implant-supported fixed complete dentures (FCDs) with four (4-I) compared to six implants (6-I) in terms of radiographic marginal bone level (MBL) changes after 5 years in function.

Materials And Methods: Individuals were randomly assigned to the 4-I or 6-I groups. Follow-ups occurred at 1, 3, and 5 years.

Evaluation of a continuing education course on guideline-concordant management of acute dental pain.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the use of a free online continuing education (CE) course that sought to address barriers of capability by training dental team members in the specific recommendations of the American Dental Association (ADA)-endorsed adult guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain, shared decision-making, and the adoption of the guideline into practice.

Methods: In 2022 and 2023, dentists completed an online, asynchronous CE course on the guideline-concordant pharmacologic management of acute dental pain. They completed 11-item knowledge tests before and after completing the course.

Dental Caries: The Way Forward.

It is evident that some progress in reducing ECC prevalence in children has been made, but these improvements are not equally distributed. Systemic inequities in oral health among the youngest, most vulnerable children must be reduced.

Single-cell RNA-seq reveals a resolving immune phenotype in the oral mucosa.

The oral mucosa is the interface between the host immune response and the oral microbiota. In periodontal disease, the microbial plaque elicits a tissue-destructive immune response. Removal of the microbial stimulus initiates active resolution of inflammatory.

Systemic Factors Affecting Healing in Dentistry.

Healing process in the oral cavity is influenced by a range of systemic factors. More specifically, patient health status, medications, habits, and nutritional state play crucial roles in dental healing. Additionally, the body's immune response, inflammation, and overall well-being are key determinants in wound repair.

Four-mm-short implants in the rehabilitation of posterior atrophic jaws: A retrospective study on 212 patients with a mean follow-up of 8.02 years.

Objective: This study aimed to assess clinical efficacy of 4-mm-short implants in patients with posterior severe vertical bone atrophy in the medium- and long-term follow-up.

Materials And Methods: Patients rehabilitated with 4-mm-short implants in the posterior atrophic jaws, with a minimum follow-up of 3 years post-loading, were included in the study. Data were collected for eligible patients, and marginal bone loss (MBL) for each implant was evaluated.

Adoption and Effect of Sealants for Occlusal Noncavitated Caries in a Large Dental Network in the USA.

Introduction: Dental sealants applied to occlusal pit-and-fissure surfaces have been shown to prevent caries and arrest occlusal noncavitated carious lesions (NCCLs). The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that oral healthcare providers apply sealants on occlusal NCCLs. Though the evidence is clear that sealants are effective, few studies have examined the adoption of the ADA guideline by dentists and the duration of protection provided by sealants in a large real-world setting.

In-Office Pediatric Emergency Dental Visits During and After the COVID Pandemic.

To describe the demographics of patients younger than 18 years of age who sought dental emergency visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment provided, the patients' payment sources and the impact of the pandemic on oral health. A retrospective electronic chart review was conducted for dental emergency visits between 2020 and 2023 at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, Mich., USA.

Impact of smoking on cost-effectiveness of 10-48 years of periodontal care.

The study aims were (1) to explore whether "periodontal treatment" consisting of surgical therapy (flap, resective, or regenerative) or scaling and root planing treatment with long-term periodontal maintenance treatment, is cost-effective in terms of preventing periodontitis-attributable tooth extraction and replacement by implant-supported crowns ("extraction/replacement"); (2) to assess the effect of cigarette smoking on this cost-effectiveness. Data for this observational retrospective study were collected from dental charts of patients who had received periodontal therapy and at least annual follow-up visits for >10 years were analyzed by linear regression generalized estimating equations and generalized linear models. Among 399 adults (199 males, 200 females), those with the least mean annual treatment cost experienced the greatest mean annual costs for extraction/replacement, indicating general cost-effectiveness.

Root surface biomodification in periodontal therapy: Biological rationale and clinical applications.

Regenerative periodontal therapy aims to form new cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone, all sealed by gingival tissue. The root surface acts as the wound margin during this regeneration process. Root surface biomodification (root conditioning/root decontamination), therefore, seems instrumental in promoting surface decontamination and enhancing tissue attachment by removing the smear layer, exposing collagen fibrils, and facilitating blood clot formation and stabilization.

Family-based GWAS for dental class I malocclusion and clefts.

Background: Individuals born with cleft lip and/or palate who receive corrective surgery regularly have abnormal growth in the midface region such that they exhibit premaxillary hypoplasia. However, there are also genetic contributions to craniofacial morphology in the midface region, so although these individuals appear to have Class III skeletal discrepancy, their molar relationship may be Class I. Past genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on skeletal Class II and III malocclusion suggested that multiple genetic markers contribute to these phenotypes via a multifactorial inheritance model, but research has yet to examine the genetic markers associated with dental Class I malocclusion.

Age-related changes to macrophage subpopulations and TREM2 dysregulation characterize attenuated fracture healing in old mice.

Fracture healing complications increase with age, with higher rates of delayed unions and nonunions and an associated increase in morbidity and mortality in older adults. Macrophages have a dynamic role in fracture healing, and we have previously demonstrated that age-related changes in macrophages are associated with attenuated fracture repair in old mice. Here, we provide a single cell characterization of the immune cells involved in the early phase of fracture healing.

Methods to Enable Spatial Transcriptomics of Bone Tissues.

Understanding the relationship between the cells and their location within each tissue is critical to uncover the biological processes associated with normal development and disease pathology. Spatial transcriptomics is a powerful method that enables the analysis of the whole transcriptome within tissue samples, thus providing information about the cellular gene expression and the histological context in which the cells reside. While this method has been extensively utilized for many soft tissues, its application for the analyses of hard tissues such as bone has been challenging.

Role of amelogenin phosphorylation in regulating dental enamel formation.

Amelogenin (AMELX), the predominant matrix protein in enamel formation, contains a singular phosphorylation site at Serine 16 (S16) that greatly enhances AMELX's capacity to stabilize amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and inhibit its transformation to apatitic enamel crystals. To explore the potential role of AMELX phosphorylation in vivo, we developed a knock-in (KI) mouse model in which AMELX phosphorylation is prevented by substituting S16 with Ala (A). As anticipated, AMELX KI mice displayed a severe phenotype characterized by weak hypoplastic enamel, absence of enamel rods, extensive ectopic calcifications, a greater rate of ACP transformation to apatitic crystals, and progressive cell pathology in enamel-forming cells (ameloblasts).

History of periodontitis as a risk factor for implant failure and incidence of peri-implantitis: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Introduction: Dental implants are widely employed as dependable replacements for lost teeth. However, it is crucial to establish, solely through prospective cohort studies, whether a history of periodontitis indeed constitutes a significant risk factor for implant failure.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2022 in several electronic databases with subsequent manual updates.

Targeted therapies in ameloblastomas and amelobastic carcinoma-A systematic review.

Targeted therapy has the potential to be used in the neoadjuvant setting for odontogenic tumors, reducing the morbidities associated with major surgery. In this regard, the aim of this study was to summarize the current evidence on the different forms of targeted therapy, effectiveness, and drawbacks of this course of treatment. Four databases were searched electronically without regard to publication date or language.

Effects of the valsartan recall on heart failure patients: A nationwide analysis.

Background: Valsartan is commonly used for cardiac conditions. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration recalled generic valsartan due to the detection of impurities. Our objective was to determine if heart failure patients receiving valsartan at the recall date had a greater likelihood of unfavorable outcomes than patients using comparable antihypertensives.

Buprenorphine dispensing before and after the April 2021 X-Waiver exemptions: An interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Until the end of 2022, a special registration, known as the X-waiver, was required to prescribe buprenorphine in the US. Before its removal, US federal regulations trialed an X-waiver exemption, initiated on April 28, 2021, which permitted buprenorphine prescribing for up to 30 patients without additional training. We aimed to understand if these regulatory changes impacted buprenorphine dispensing.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of the 2018 Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Recalls and Subsequent Drug Shortages in Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Valsartan was recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration in July 2018 for carcinogenic impurities, resulting in a drug shortage and management challenges for valsartan users. The influence of the valsartan recall on clinical outcomes is unknown. We compared the risk of adverse events between hypertensive patients using valsartan and a propensity score-matched group using nonrecalled angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.