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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Oral Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 27839

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alessandro Del Vecchio

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Leading Guest Editor

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Science, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Interests: oral pathology and medicine; clinical dentistry; laser dentistry; photobiomodulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Carmen TODEA

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Assistant Guest Editor

Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: restorative dentistry; endodontics; oral surgery; implantology; clinical dentistry; optics and laser dentistry; dental materials; esthetic dentistry

Prof. Dr. Josep Arnabat-Domínguez

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Assistant Guest Editor

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: lasers in dentistry; photobiomodulation; oral surgery; implantology; prosthesis; endodontics; dental anesthesia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Joanna J KAMMA

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Assistant Guest Editor

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Interests: infectious diseases; dentistry; dental surgery; microbiology; antimicrobials; environmental microbiology; bacteriology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The recent diagnostic and clinical updates have greatly renewed the whole world of clinical dentistry. The discipline is acquiring more and more relevance due to the increasing importance that people give to their own oral health. It is based upon the principles of the oral medicine, an academic-born discipline that is the connection point between dentistry and general medicine. All the different structures of the oral region—jawbones, mucosa, salivary glands, muscles, lymph nodes, blood vessels and nerves—are quite often interested by local or systemic diseases whose knowledge is fundamental in the daily clinical practice of all the dental practitioners. It is evident that, in the near future, dentists will have to focus increasingly on their activity beyond the teeth, and to do that they will have to improve their knowledge about the characteristics and the management of a great deal of disorders that may greatly affect the quality of life of their patients.

Nowadays, new tools and new devices permit to operate in the diagnosis and the therapy of many diseases, following the criteria of mini invasiveness, permitting more comfortable early diagnoses that are often decisive in the prognosis of the patients.

Moreover, the recent advances in medicine have led to longer living patients, with more co-morbidity, managed frequently by increasing multiple combination of medications. This increase in longevity, medical complexity and drug consumption has direct relevance to the oral cavity status.

Good clinical practice in dentistry is dependent upon our understanding of how drugs and pathologic conditions affect the patients, the mouth and the interventions we perform; therefore, it will be of particular relevance in this Special Issue, which will include a selection of studies aiming to give the readers an updated and qualified general glimpse of modern clinical dentistry from the point of view of both advanced research and general clinical practice.

Prof. Dr. Alessandro Del Vecchio
Prof. Dr. Carmen TODEA
Prof. Dr. Josep Arnabat-Domínguez
Prof. Dr. Joanna J KAMMA
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

oral Medicine
oral pathology
clinical dentistry
oral disorders
pain management
early diagnosis
oral rehabilitation
oral cancer
infectious diseases
autoimmune diseases

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2081 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Awareness of Early Orthodontic Consultation: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Aljazi H. Aldweesh, Afnan A. Ben Gassem, Bashayer M. AlShehri, Adhwa A. AlTowaijri and Sahar F. Albarakati

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031800 - 5 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2171

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this paper is to assess parents’ knowledge about early orthodontic consultation and treatment, and to determine the association of this knowledge with number of children, monthly income, children’s age and perceived dental problems. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 3000 school children aged 6–11 years. The children were asked to take the questionnaire to their parents and bring it back the next day. It consisted of 13 questions. Some of these questions were related to the gender of the child, number of children, and parents’ monthly income. The remaining questions assessed the parents’ awareness of their children’s need for orthodontic treatment. Results: In total, 2538 parents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 2014 (79%) of the parents thought that their children’s teeth would have a significant impact on their personality. Moreover, 1637 (64.5%) parents thought that their children had a problem with their teeth; 1080 (66%) of these parents consulted a dentist. Of these 1080 parents, 821 (76%) consulted an orthodontist, and of these 821 parents, 449 (55%) initiated the required orthodontic treatment. The number of children who visited an orthodontist was found to increase with an increase in age (p = 0.0057). Moreover, a perceived overjet was associated with a higher number of orthodontic consultations (p = 0.0326). Conclusion: Although parents’ awareness regarding their children’s orthodontic treatment is important, other factors, such as the age of the child, the severity of the malocclusion and the consulted dentist, play a role in initiating orthodontic treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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16 pages, 1725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Growth Factors in Advanced Platelet-Rich Fibrin (A-PRF) Reduce Postoperative Complications after Mandibular Third Molar Odontectomy

by Anna Starzyńska, Magdalena Kaczoruk-Wieremczuk, Michele Antonio Lopez, Pier Carmine Passarelli and Paulina Adamska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13343; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413343 - 18 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3391

Abstract

Surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars constitutes one of the most frequently performed procedures within oral surgery. This surgery procedure is associated with many post-operative complications. Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) belongs to the second generation of platelet concentrates and is rich in numerous growth factors. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of A-PRF on selected clinical features following the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The research was conducted on 100 generally healthy patients, who underwent a lower third molar odontectomy in Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland, between 2018 and 2019. The research group consisted of 50 patients (immediate A-PRF socket filling) and control group (50 patients without A-PRF socket filling). During the study, the following clinical features were assessed: pain (visual analog scale), analgesics intake, the presence of trismus, edema, hematomas within the surrounding tissues (e.g., cheek), prevalence of pyrexia, dry socket, secondary bleeding, presence of hematomas, skin warmth in the post-operative area, and bleeding time observed by the patient were analyzed on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day after the procedure. There was a significant association between A-PRF socket filling and pain intensity, the analgesics intake, trismus, and edema on the 3rd and the 7th day (p < 0.05). The presence of hematomas and skin warmth on the 3rd day after the surgery (p < 0.05) were also statistically associated with A-PRF use. The study showed that in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications, A-PRF was more important than the position of the tooth or the duration of the procedure. The growth factors in A-PRF reduce postoperative complications, such as pain, trismus, edema, analgesics intake, presence of hematomas, and skin warmth, after mandibular wisdom teeth odontectomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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11 pages, 1723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Removal Conditions on Mercury Amount Remaining in the Oral Cavity and inside Drainage System after Removing Dental Amalgams

by Yoshiki Ishida, Harumi Aoki, Taira Miyasaka, Yusuke Aoyagi, Daisuke Miura and Akikazu Shinya

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13135; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413135 - 13 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2241

Abstract

Mercury is produced and drained into the environment by removing dental amalgams, which may cause mercury pollution. This study aimed to clarify the mercury amount remaining in the oral cavity and inside the drain system after removal. The effects of the removal conditions and differences in drainage systems were also investigated. Dental amalgams filled in the tooth and placed in a phantom head were removed using an air turbine under several conditions (two removal methods, absence of cooling water, and intraoral suction). Then, the oral cavity was rinsed with 100 mL of water (oral rinse water), and 500 mL of water was suctioned to wash the inside of the drainage system (system rinse water). Both water samples were collected in two ways (amalgam separator and gas-liquid separator), and their mercury amounts were measured. It was found that the amount of mercury left in the oral cavity and drainage system after dental amalgams removal could be reduced when the amalgams were removed by being cut into fragments as well as using cooling water and intraoral suction. In addition, using amalgam separators can significantly reduce the amount of mercury in the discharge water and prevent the draining of mercury into the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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12 pages, 1722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dental-Plaque Decontamination around Dental Brackets Using Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy: An In Vitro Study

by Daliana-Emanuela Mocuta (Bojoga), Mariana Ioana Miron, Elena Hogea, Cornelia Muntean and Darinca Carmen Todea

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312847 - 6 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1992

Abstract

Background: In orthodontic therapy, the enamel around brackets is very susceptible to bacterial-plaque retention, which represents a risk factor for dental tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of methylene blue and a chlorophyllin–phycocyanin mixture, used with and without light activation, in contrast with a 2% chlorhexidine solution, on Streptococcus mutans colonies. Methods: Twenty caries-free human extracted teeth were randomized into five groups. A Streptococcus mutans suspension was inoculated on teeth in groups B, C, D, and E (A was the positive-control group). Bacterial colonies from groups C, D, and E (B was the negative-control group) were subjected to photosensitizers and 2% chlorhexidine solution. For groups C and D, a combined therapy consisting of photosensitizer and light activation was performed. The Streptococcus mutans colonies were counted, and smears were examined with an optical microscope. Two methods of statistical analysis, unidirectional analysis of variance and the Tukey–Kramer test, were used to evaluate the results. Results: A statistically significant reduction in bacterial colonies was detected after the combined therapy was applied for groups C and D, but the most marked bacterial reduction was observed for group D, where a laser-activated chlorophyll–phycocyanin mixture was used. Conclusions: Photodynamic therapy in combination with methylene blue or chlorophyllin–phycocyanin mixture sensitizers induces a statistically significant decrease in the number of bacterial colonies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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7 pages, 322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 Pandemic: Effect of Different Face Masks on Self-Perceived Dry Mouth and Halitosis

by Philipp Kanzow, Viktoria Dylla, Alannah Malina Mahler, Valentina Hrasky, Tina Rödig, Felix Barre, Simone Scheithauer and Annette Wiegand

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9180; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179180 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3725

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks has increased, resulting in potential health-related side-effects. Therefore, the study aimed to analyse the effect of wearing face masks on self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis. A questionnaire addressing the daily wearing time of different face masks (community masks, surgical/medical masks and KN95-/N95-/FFP2-masks) and self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis was given to adults attending or working at a university hospital. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and multiple linear regression analysis (p < 0.05). 3750 participants (age: 50.4 ± 15.5 years; 60.0% female) were included. During the pandemic, face masks were used for 4.7 ± 3.8 h per day: community masks: 0.9 ± 2.0 h, medical/surgical masks: 1.9 ± 2.8 h and KN95-/N95-/FFP2-masks: 1.9 ± 2.5 h per day. The use of face masks significantly increased self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis (both p < 0.001). Self-perceived dry mouth and halitosis increased with increasing wearing time (community masks: dry mouth: p < 0.001, halitosis: p = 0.014; medical/surgical masks: both: p < 0.001; KN95-/N95-/FFP2-masks: dry mouth: p < 0.001, halitosis: p = 0.011). The perception of dry mouth and halitosis was increased in females compared to males (both: p < 0.001). Participants used to wearing face masks prior to the pandemic perceived dry mouth to a higher extent (p = 0.043). Self-perceived halitosis was lower in older than in younger participants (p < 0.001). Due to the increased perception of dry mouth and halitosis, people might abstain from wearing face masks. Further studies need to analyse measurable changes in dry mouth or halitosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

14 pages, 618 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Platelet-Rich Fibrin Application on Non-Infectious Complications after Surgical Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars

by Grzegorz Trybek, Justyna Rydlińska, Magda Aniko-Włodarczyk and Aleksandra Jaroń

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168249 - 4 Aug 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2616

Abstract

Due to the frequent development of non-infectious complications after surgical removal of the third lower impacted tooth, many techniques are used to reduce their severity. Among them is the technique of applying platelet-rich fibrin to the post-extraction alveolus. The study included 90 consecutively enrolled patients. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to two groups: patients with and without platelet-rich fibrin introduced into the postoperative alveolus. Pain, swelling, trismus, and temperature were evaluated after the procedure. Pain intensity was significantly higher in the control group than in the study group at 6 h, 1, and 3 days after surgery. PRF application did not significantly affect the intensity of swelling. Body temperature was significantly higher in the control group than the study group on day two after surgery. The trismus was significantly higher in the control group than in the study group at one, two, and seven days after surgery. Application of the PRF allows for a faster and less traumatic treatment process. It will enable for speedier recovery and return to active life and professional duties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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11 pages, 2246 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Prognostic Factors for Palatal Fistulae after Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery in a North-Western Romanian Population over a 10-Year Period

by Daiana Antoaneta Opris, Horia Opris, Cristian Dinu, Simion Bran, Grigore Baciut, Gabriel Armencea, Ileana Mitre, Horatiu Alexandru Colosi and Mihaela Baciut

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7305; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147305 - 8 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2317

Abstract

Cleft lip and palate is the most frequent birth anomaly, with increasing reported rates of complications, such as palate fistulae. Current studies concerning the occurrence rate of cleft lip and palate (CLP) report 2 to 10 cases in 10,000 births. The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of factors that could predict the occurrence of fistulae after cleft lip and palate surgery. A retrospective study was performed by collecting and analyzing data from all patients who were operated for cleft lip and/or palate in the Maxillo-Facial Department of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, between 2010 and 2020. We investigated the existing evidence for possible links between the number of fistulae observed after the primary palatoplasty and the age at which the primary palatoplasty was performed, the sex of the patient, the type of cleft, the timing of the surgical corrections, and the presence of comorbidities. A total of 137 cases were included for analysis. A significant link between the number of fistulae and the type of cleft was found (with fistulae occurring more frequently after the surgical correction of CLP—p < 0.001). No evidence was found for the existence of significant links between the number of fistulae and the patient’s sex, the timing of surgery, or the presence of comorbidities. This study concluded that the incidence of palatal fistulae appears to be influenced by the type of cleft (CLP), but not by the sex of the patient, the timing of surgery, or the presence of comorbidities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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10 pages, 4311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Assessment of Studies Included in Cochrane Oral Health Systematic Reviews: A Meta-Research

by Ahmad Sofi-Mahmudi, Pouria Iranparvar, Maryam Shakiba, Erfan Shamsoddin, Hossein Mohammad-Rahimi, Sadaf Naseri, Parisa Motie, Marcos Roberto Tovani-Palone and Bita Mesgarpour

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7284; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147284 - 7 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2351

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the Risk of Bias (RoB) and other characteristics of published randomised clinical trials within Cochrane oral health systematic reviews. Materials and methods: All the published clinical trials within Cochrane oral health systematic reviews until 1 June 2020 were identified and examined. RoB was assessed for all the included clinical trials according to the Cochrane review standards. The Overall Risk of Bias (ORoB) was defined in this study using Cochrane’s RoB tool-v2. Descriptive analyses were carried out to determine the frequency of each variable in the study sample. Results: Out of a total of 2565 included studies, the majority (n = 1600) had sample sizes of 50 or higher. Regarding blinding, 907 studies were labelled as double-blind. Among the various domains of bias, the performance bias showed the highest rate of high risk (31.4%). Almost half of the studies had a high ORoB, compared to 11.1% with a low ORoB. The studies that used placebos had a higher percentage of low ORoB (14.8% vs. 10.7%). Additionally, the double- and triple-blind studies had higher percentages of low ORoB (23.6% and 23.3%, respectively), while the studies with a crossover design had the highest percentage of low ORoB (28.8%). Conclusion: The RoB of oral health studies published as Cochrane reviews was deemed high. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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Review

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10 pages, 632 KiB

Open AccessReview

Reject Rates of Radiographic Images in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology: A Literature Review

by Andy Wai Kan Yeung and Natalie Sui Miu Wong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158076 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2727

Abstract

This report surveyed the image reject rates of intra-oral, extra-oral, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging in the academic literature. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were queried in mid-April 2021. Manual screening of the reference lists of the identified publications was performed to identify papers missed from the database search. All publications returned by the searches were initially included. Exclusion criteria included irrelevance, no reporting of reject rate, no access to the article, and not original article. The total number of images and the number of rejects were recorded for each type of radiographic images. Factors and commonest errors associated with the rejects were recorded. Twenty-six original articles were identified and reviewed. The average reject rate was 11.25% for bitewings, 16.38% for periapicals, 4.10% for panoramics, 6.08% for lateral cephalography, and 2.77% for CBCT. Positioning error and patient movement were two common reasons for the rejects. The average reject rates computed from data pooled across studies should form the reference values for quality assurance programs to follow. Future reject analysis studies should report more radiographic parameters such as type of collimation for intra-oral radiography and patient posture for CBCT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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Other

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6 pages, 977 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Medial Sigmoid Depression of the Mandibular Ramus as a Lesion-Mimicking Anatomical Variation: A Systematic Review

by Andy Wai Kan Yeung and Natalie Sui Miu Wong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(8), 4271; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084271 - 17 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3103

Abstract

(1) Background: Medial sigmoid depression (MSD) of the mandibular ramus is an anatomical variation that resembles non-odontogenic cystic lesion. (2) Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to survey the literature to identify the relevant journal publications, reveal their scientific impact in terms of citations and compare the reported prevalence of MSD. (3) Materials and methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science were queried to identify relevant publications. The search string was: “medial depression of mandibular ramus” OR “medial depression of the mandibular ramus” OR “medial depression of the mandibular rami” OR “medial depression of mandibular rami” OR “medial sigmoid depression”. (4) Results: Eight studies were identified. Dry mandibles and patient dental panoramic radiographs were evaluated in four and seven of the eight studies, respectively. The prevalence of MSD varied from 20.2% to 82.0%. In male and female patients, the prevalence was 18.3–76.0% and 22.0–64.0%, respectively. MSD tended to occur bilaterally and most prevalent in patients with Angle’s Class II occlusion. The semilunar and triangular shapes were more common than teardrop and circular shapes. The most cited study had 12 citations. (5) Conclusions: MSD was a seldom investigated and cited anatomical variation that was not uncommon. Its recognition should be further promoted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research, Investigation and Treatment on Oral Health)

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