Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Strategies for Oral Diseases

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 1695

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Luigi de Crecchio, 6, 80138 Naples, Italy
Interests: oral medicine; photodynamic therapy; oral pathology; OSCC
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Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Luigi de Crecchio, 6, 80138 Naples, Italy
Interests: oral medicine; oral diagnosis; oral pathology; oral radiology; oral surgery;OSCC

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the realm of oral health, innovative approaches to diagnosis and treatment are continually emerging, reshaping the landscape of dental care. This Special Issue serves as a comprehensive exploration into the latest advancements, strategies, and technologies revolutionizing this field. Oral disorders encompass a wide range of conditions, ranging from common dental caries to more complex diseases like periodontitis and oral cancers. Recognizing the importance of early detection and effective intervention, this Special Issue delves into cutting-edge diagnostic tools and methodologies, offering insights into improved accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes.

This Special Issue aims to investigate all the new frontiers of the diagnosis and therapy of oral disorders, ranging from tooth decay through oral potentially malignant disease (OPMD) to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

This Special Issue aims to:

  • Early diagnosis of OSCC.
  • Early diagnosis of OPMD.
  • Early diagnosis of tooth decay.
  • Novel therapeutic strategies for tooth decay.
  • Novel therapeutic strategies for periodontitis.
  • Future perspectives on the oral disorder diagnostic pathway.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: photodynamic therapy; oral imaging; intraoral ultrasound; fractal analysis; liquid biopsy; the oral microbiome; DIAGNOdent; autofluorescence; optical coherence tomography; and reflectance confocal microscopy.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fausto Fiori
Dr. Antonio Romano
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • photodynamic therapy
  • intraoral ultrasound
  • fractal analysis
  • liquid biopsy
  • the oral microbiome
  • optical coherence tomography
  • reflectance confocal microscopy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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18 pages, 5347 KB  
Article
An Image Analysis for the Development of a Skin Change-Based AI Screening Model as an Alternative to the Bite Pressure Test
by Yoshihiro Takeda, Kanetaka Yamaguchi, Naoto Takahashi, Yasuhiro Nakanishi and Morio Ochi
Healthcare 2025, 13(8), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13080936 - 18 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Oral function assessments in hospitals and nursing facilities are mainly performed by nurses and caregivers but are sometimes not properly assessed. As a result, elderly people are not provided with meals appropriate for their masticatory function, increasing the risk of aspiration and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Oral function assessments in hospitals and nursing facilities are mainly performed by nurses and caregivers but are sometimes not properly assessed. As a result, elderly people are not provided with meals appropriate for their masticatory function, increasing the risk of aspiration and other complications. In the present study, we aimed to examine image analysis conditions in order to create an AI model that can easily and objectively screen masticatory function based on occlusal pressure. Methods: Sampling was conducted at the Hokkaido University of Health Sciences (Hokkaido, Japan) and the university’s affiliated dental clinic in Hokkaido. Results: We collected 241 waveform images of changes in skin shape during chewing over a 20 s test period from 110 participants. Our study used two approaches for image analysis: convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transfer learning. In the transfer learning analysis, MobileNetV2 and Xception achieved the highest classification accuracy (validation accuracy: 0.673). Conclusions: Therefore, it was determined that analyses of waveform images of changes in skin shape may contribute to the development of a skin change-based screening model as an alternative to the bite pressure test. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Strategies for Oral Diseases)
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17 pages, 607 KB  
Systematic Review
The Effectiveness of Using Autologous Fat in Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis Treatment with Interposition Arthroplasty Method: A Systematic Literature Review
by Gerda Kilinskaite, Nida Kilinskaite and Marijus Leketas
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2241; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172241 - 8 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Relevance of the problem and aim of the work: Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) affects physical, psychological, and social well-being and quality of life. One of the most frequently used surgical interventions for the treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis is interpositional [...] Read more.
Relevance of the problem and aim of the work: Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) affects physical, psychological, and social well-being and quality of life. One of the most frequently used surgical interventions for the treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis is interpositional arthroplasty, particularly in cases where joint preservation is feasible, with different autologous fats: dermis fat, buccal fat pad, and full thickness skin-subcutaneous fat. The aim of the work was to evaluate the efficiency of using different autologous fats in temporomandibular joint ankylosis treatment with interposition arthroplasty method. Materials and Methods: This systematic literature review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD420251038325). A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect databases using combinations of keywords: (temporomandibular joint disorders OR temporomandibular joint) AND (adipose tissue or autologous) AND (ankylosis OR arthroplasty). Inclusion criteria were clinical studies conducted on human subjects, written in English, that evaluated the use of autologous fat in interpositional arthroplasty for TMJ ankylosis. The main outcome measures included postoperative maximum mouth opening (MMO), pain intensity, and relative fat volume contraction. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool for randomized controlled trials and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. Most included studies were of moderate to high quality. Results: A total of 20 publications were selected, including a total of 369 patients. In a qualitative analysis, the best results for maximal opening of mouth (MOM) at 3, 6, 12, and more than 12 months were obtained with dermal fat. After 3 months, the MOM was 40.0 ± 2.7 mm, after 6 months—40.80 ± 4.26 mm, after 12 months—41.9 ± 4.0 mm, after more than 12 months—43.5 mm. The lowest pain intensity was observed using dermal fat taken from the iliac crest region. The rate of volumetric fat shrinkage was greater using buccal fat pad than dermis fat. Conclusions: The most commonly used types of autologous fat in interposition arthroplasty in ankylosis are the following: dermal fat from the abdominal region (iliac crest, subumbilical area, groin), buccal fat pad and full-thickness subcutaneous fat. The best results after the surgical treatment of TMJ ankylosis with interposition arthroplasty are obtained using dermis fat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Strategies for Oral Diseases)
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