Oral — Health, Diseases, Therapies, and Technologies

Background/Objectives: Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is found in natural foods and used as a dietary supplement due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that MSM can induce dentin formation in dental pulp tissue, and this study evaluated the potential of MSM to induce dentin formation. The effect of MSM on mineralized dentin formation was examined using cultured dental pulp cells. Methods: Dental pulp cells were isolated from rat lower incisors using sequential enzymatic treatment and cultured with 25 mmol/l MSM (MSM group) for 14 days. Cells cultured without MSM were examined as a control (Cont) group. Cells were stained with alizarin red (AR). Total RNA was isolated from cells for analysis of Alp, Dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp), Bone Gla protein (Bgp), Wnt10a, Wnt6, Axin2, and Runx2 mRNA expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: On day 14 of culture, formation of mineralized nodules was detected in cell layers using AR, and the staining intensity in the MSM group was much higher than that in the Cont group throughout the culture period. Compared with the Cont group, MSM also stimulated mRNA expression of the Alp, Dspp, and Bgp genes, which are associated with odontoblast differentiation. Similarly, Wnt10a, Wnt6, and Axin2 expression was also much higher in the MSM group than in the Cont group. Conclusions: These results indicate that MSM activates the Wnt canonical pathway and stimulates odontoblast differentiation of rat dental pulp cells, ultimately resulting in dentin-like nodule formation. The results of the present study suggest an application for MSM as a new biomaterial for vital pulp therapy.

This review aims to synthesize current evidence-based protocols to guide clinicians toward predictable and durable adhesive cementation of glass-fiber posts in intraradicular dentin. Endodontically treated teeth (ETTs) frequently exhibit significant structural loss, requiring additional retention strategies, such as glass-fiber posts bonded with resin cements. Clinical outcomes depend on multiple factors, including adequate dentin substrate preparation, appropriate adhesive strategies, and precise cementation techniques. The presence of smear layer debris may compromise adhesion; therefore, effective cleaning protocols are essential to ensure a contaminant-free substrate. Surface treatments of glass-fiber posts may enhance chemical bonding by exposing glass fibers and improving silane coupling. The selection of resin cement systems must consider limitations related to light transmission, polymerization depth, and the adhesive strategy employed. Moisture control and proper solvent volatilization are critical to optimizing bond strength, as is the prevention of contamination during cement application. Techniques that minimize porosity improve cement homogeneity and reduce interfacial defects that may act as failure initiation sites. Furthermore, the choice of core build-up material plays an important role in restoration durability. Collectively, these considerations demonstrate the importance of material selection and clinical technique in achieving reliable adhesive cementation of glass-fiber posts.

Background/Objectives: Helicobacter pylori has been detected in the oral cavity as well as the stomach, but the gastric histopathology of periodontal patients with a positive oral urease test is rarely described. We set out to describe it. Methods: In a prospective cross-sectional convenience sample, 71 of 477 patients assessed at 13 referring clinics had clinically recorded periodontal disease, a positive salivary rapid urease test (an operational criterion that is not specific to the organism) and H. pylori identified histologically in a gastric biopsy. Neutrophilic activity, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were recorded together with smoking, alcohol consumption, proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and previous eradication therapy. Only aggregate counts were available, so all comparisons are unadjusted. Results: Intestinal metaplasia was present in 74.6% and non-metaplastic atrophy in 53.5%; both were more frequent in men (metaplasia 93.0% versus 46.4%; odds ratio 13.29, 95% CI 3.57–49.40). Men also differed markedly from women in alcohol consumption (88.4% versus 10.7%) and previous eradication therapy (7.0% versus 85.7%). An exploratory compatibility analysis showed only that neither smoking nor PPI use could, on its own and under the model’s assumptions, account for the male excess; it establishes no causal relationship. Conclusions: In this small, selected cohort, gastric precancerous lesions were frequent. This study has no comparison group, rests on a non-specific oral test, and establishes no association; its findings are descriptive and hypothesis-generating.