Clinically actionable secondary findings in 130 triads from sub-Saharan African families with non-syndromic orofacial clefts.

Introduction: The frequency and implications of secondary findings (SFs) from genomic testing data have been extensively researched. However, little is known about the frequency or reporting of SFs in Africans, who are underrepresented in large-scale population genomic studies. The availability of data from the first whole-genome sequencing for orofacial clefts in an African population motivated this investigation.

Downregulation of miRNA-26 in chronic periodontitis interferes with innate immune responses and cell migration by targeting phospholipase C beta 1.

Aim: To evaluate the potential role of miR-26 family members in periodontal pathogenesis by assessing innate immune responses to periopathic bacteria and regulation of cytoskeletal organization.

Materials And Methods: Expression of miR-26a-5p and miR-26b-5p was quantified in gingival biopsies derived from healthy and periodontally diseased subjects before and after non-surgical (scaling and root planing) therapy by RT-qPCR. Global pathway analysis and luciferase assays were performed for target identification and validation.

Botulinum Toxin and Smile Design.

Smiles with excessive gingival display exceeding 3 mm are considered unattractive. Excessive muscular contraction of lip elevator muscles is the etiology in most cases, and other factors, such as excessive vertical dimension of the maxilla and altered passive dental eruption resulting in the presence of excessive gingival tissue, account for the etiologic factors in others. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) blocks muscular contraction by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine in muscles' endplates.

5-fluorouacil in the treatment of odontogenic keratocysts-incidence of recurrence and inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia: a systematic review.

Purpose: To evaluate the recurrence rate of odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) after treatment with 5-fluoracil as an adjunctive therapy and to evaluate, as well, the efficacy of this medication in reducing the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia associated with other chemotherapeutic agents.

Material And Methods: The research question (developed according to the patient/population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes [PICO] method) addressed was "Does the use of 5-fluorouracil as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of OKC reduce both the recurrence rate and the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia as compared with other chemotherapeutic agents?" A systematic review was performed by searching 4 databases: PubMed, EBSCO, Portal Evidencia, and Cochrane Reviews. Each search was conducted twice.

Variant analyses of candidate genes in orofacial clefts in multi-ethnic populations.

Objectives: Cleft lip with/without cleft palate and cleft palate only is congenital birth defects where the upper lip and/or palate fail to fuse properly during embryonic facial development. Affecting ~1.2/1000 live births worldwide, these orofacial clefts impose significant social and financial burdens on affected individuals and their families.

Cariology consensus for undergraduates at dental schools in the Caribbean region.

Aim: To obtain a consensus on the domains of cariology for undergraduates in dental schools in the Caribbean.

Materials And Methods: Dental school deans from the Dominican Republic (DR) and Puerto Rico (PR) were invited to participate. Afterwards, 24 cariology faculty members from the dental schools in the DR received a 40-h workshop on the current understanding of dental caries.

Non-random distribution of deleterious mutations in the DNA and protein-binding domains of IRF6 are associated with Van Der Woude syndrome.

Background: The development of the face occurs during the early days of intrauterine life by the formation of facial processes from the first Pharyngeal arch. Derangement in these well-organized fusion events results in Orofacial clefts (OFC). Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is one of the most common causes of syndromic cleft lip and/or palate accounting for 2% of all cases.

Corticotomy-assisted adult rapid maxillary arch expansion and ridge augmentation: An interdisciplinary case report with 7-year follow-up.

Adult orthodontic treatment involving maxillary transverse deficiency is a challenge for an interdisciplinary team. Surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion to segment the maxilla was once the treatment of choice, but the invasiveness, bone deficiency, and gingival recession hindered its acceptance. Corticotomy-assisted rapid maxillary arch expansion with ridge augmentation has the advantage of augmenting alveolar bony housing to accommodate and facilitate tooth movement.

Mandatory Drug Testing of Dental Students: To Test or Not to Test: Viewpoint 1: Drug Testing of Dental Students Should Be Mandatory for the Benefit of Students, Institutions, Patients, and the Profession and Viewpoint 2: Mandatory Drug Testing of Dental Students Carries Costs and Risks for Institutions and Students and Has Unproven Benefits.

An educational institution's decision to test or not test its students for drug use is controversial and complex. Although negative consequences of substance use disorder are well known, the consumption of prohibited substances continues to increase in young adults. Given the awareness of increasing drug use on college campuses and the potential impact on future health care professionals, issues associated with mandatory drug testing of dental students warrant investigation.

Should Student Evaluation of Teaching Play a Significant Role in the Formal Assessment of Dental Faculty? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Formal Faculty Assessment Should Include Student Evaluation of Teaching and Viewpoint 2: Student Evaluation of Teaching Should Not Be Part of Formal Faculty Assessment.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is often used in the assessment of faculty members' job performance and promotion and tenure decisions, but debate over this use of student evaluations has centered on the validity, reliability, and application of the data in assessing teaching performance. Additionally, the fear of student criticism has the potential of influencing course content delivery and testing measures. This Point/Counterpoint article reviews the potential utility of and controversy surrounding the use of SETs in the formal assessment of dental school faculty.

Salivary extracellular RNA biomarkers for insulin resistance detection in hispanics.

Aims: Insulin resistance (IR) detection is challenging and no test is currently used in clinical practice. We developed salivary biomarkers that could be used for IR detection.

Methods: We collected saliva from 186 healthy and 276 pre-diabetic participants, divided them into high and low IR groups based on a HOMA cutoff of 2.

Re: 'Treatment of gummy smile: Nasal septum dysplasia as etiologic factor and therapeutic target'.

An evaluation and commentary of a recently suggested technique for the correction of gummy smiles is presented. A comparison of long-term stability reported with other surgical techniques, is also performed. From the results reported, use of this technique could offer a treatment option for those affected with excessive gingival display on smiling (gummy smile).

Caries Experience and Periodontal Status during Pregnancy in a Group of Pregnant Women with HIV+ Infections from Puerto Rico.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the caries rate and periodontal status in a sample of pregnant women with HIV+ infections from Puerto Rico.

Methods: A pilot study was conducted on a cross sectional convenience sample of 25 pregnant women with HIV+ infections from Puerto Rico who visit the CEMI clinic (Centro de Estudios Materno Infantil) at the University of Puerto Rico. The women subjects were evaluated for caries, DMFT (D: Decay tooth; M: Missing tooth due to caries; F: Filled tooth) index, oral lesions associated with HIV+/AIDS and periodontal disease parameters, with a Florida probe by a calibrated dentist on periodontal indexes such as as bleeding on probing, CEJ (cemento-enamel junction) and pocket depth.

A prospective study of periodontal disease and risk of gastric and duodenal ulcer in male health professionals.

Objectives: Periodontal disease has been associated with higher circulating levels of inflammatory markers and conditions associated with chronic inflammation, including vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. Limited data exist on the relationship between periodontal disease and gastric and duodenal ulcer.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 49,120 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, aged 40-75 years at enrollment in 1986.

Latin-American Special Olympics athletes: evaluation of oral health status, 2010.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health status and dental needs of the athletes with intellectual disabilities from Latin-American and Caribbean countries who were participating in the II Latin-American Special Olympics games held in Puerto Rico, February 2010.

Methods: There were 930 athletes who participated in the games, of whom 445 received a dental examination, including 367 from Latin-American and 78 from Caribbean countries. Forty-four trained and standardized dental professionals performed dental screenings of athletes with intellectual disabilities, following Special Olympic Special Smiles and CDC protocols.

Periodontal disease, hypertension, and blood pressure among older adults in Puerto Rico.

Background: Current scientific evidence addressing the relationship between periodontitis and hypertension is limited to studies producing inconsistent results.

Methods: All participants of an ongoing representative cohort of Puerto Rican elderly who were ≥70 years old and residing in the San Juan metropolitan area were invited to this cross-sectional study. Periodontal probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) were summarized using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Periodontology definition for severe periodontitis (≥2 teeth with AL ≥6 mm and ≥1 tooth with PD ≥5 mm).

Use of the Objective Grading System of the American Board of Orthodontics to evaluate treatment at the Orthodontic Graduate Program Clinic, University of Puerto Rico, 2007-2008.

Objective: The Objective Grading System (OGS) was introduced in 1999 by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) as an instrument to reduce subjectivity when evaluating cases submitted to the ABO for examination. The objectives of this study were (1) to employ the OGS to determine the percentage of treated and completed cases from the University of Puerto Rico's (UPR) Orthodontic Graduate Program Clinic that would have earned a passing OGS score (according to the ABO standards) and (2) to assess the contribution of various patient characteristics and factors to this score.

Methods: A total of 64 cases completed during 2007 and 2008 met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated by a calibrated examiner using the OGS.

Transformation of a dental school's clinical assessment system through Kotter's eight-step change process.

A revision of the clinical assessment system of the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine was initiated in 2007, with the goal of achieving a system that would be fully understood and used by both faculty and students to improve student performance throughout the curriculum. The transformation process was organized according to Kotter's Eight-Step Change Model. Some of the initial findings in 2007 were as follows: 87 percent of current daily clinical evaluations were scored at the scale's highest level, 33 percent of faculty members lacked knowledge of the evaluation system, and 60 percent of students reported that faculty members were not well calibrated.

Mobile dental units: leasing or buying? A dollar-cost analysis.

Introduction: The decision to acquire a mobile dental unit is based on a standard capital budgeting analysis. The next step is to determine whether to obtain the use of the mobile dental unit by borrowing and purchasing or by leasing. As a financing mechanism, leases are simply another way of borrowing money to pay for the asset.

Mobile dental operations: capital budgeting and long-term viability.

Objective: The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) runs a large mobile dental operation. Economic conditions dictate that as the mobile units age it will be harder to find donors willing or able to provide the financial resources for asset replacement. In order to maintain current levels of access for the underserved, consideration of replacement is paramount.