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The primary aim of this literature review is to delineate the key inflammatory cytokines involved in the pathophysiology of pulp inflammation. By elucidating the roles of these cytokines, a deeper comprehension of the distinct stages of inflamed pulp can be attained, thereby facilitating more accurate diagnostic strategies in endodontics. The PRISMA statement and Cochrane handbook were used for the search strategy. The keywords were created based on the review question using the PICO framework. The relevant studies were meticulously assessed according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria for this systematic review. A rigorous quality checklist was implemented to evaluate each included study, ensuring scrutiny for both quality and risk-of-bias assessments. The initial pilot search conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and WoS databases yielded 9 pertinent articles. Within these articles, multiple cytokines were identified and discussed as potential candidates for use in endodontic diagnosis, notably including IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-2. These cytokines have been highlighted due to their significant roles in the inflammatory processes associated with pulp pathology. The identification of specific inflammatory cytokines holds promise for enhancing endodontic diagnostic procedures and exploring diverse treatment modalities. However, the current body of research in this area remains limited. Further comprehensive studies are warranted to fully elucidate the potential of cytokines in refining diagnostic techniques in endodontics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the summer of 2019 and within the framework of a social dentistry program carried out in the low-income town of San Francisco de Macorís (Dominican Republic), a descriptive study was carried out on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), aiming to find out the oral health status of a population of children in the aforementioned Dominican city. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the oral health status of a child population and its relationship with the quality of life perceived by these children in the aforementioned population of San Francisco de Macorís in order to develop an specific oral health program taking into account not only the existing oral health status but also the perceptions and feelings of the child population in this regard. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on a representative sample of children who were examined on their oral health status, following WHO guidelines, by professionals from the University of Seville (Spain) together with professionals from private practice (USA) and students from the Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE, Dominican Republic). Likewise, the children's parents voluntarily completed the Oral Quality of Life questionnaire COHIP-19 in its culturally adapted Spanish version. Results: For this purpose, 94 children with a mean age of 10.34 (SD 3.38) were observed in our study following WHO recommendations for oral health studies and evaluating OHQoL using the specific questionnaire validated in Spanish COHIP-19 in its short format (SF). The results show a state of oral health with a significant prevalence of caries (80.9%) and a DMFT of 1.70 (SD 1.90). The OHQoL perceived by these children shows that pain, bad breath or feeling sad because of the condition of their teeth were the factors with the worst evaluation score. Conclusions: The conclusion that mainly emerges from this study is that caries continues to be the main problem to be solved (more than other variables studied, such as malocclusion or fluorosis), and this ailment also causes pain, dysfunction, and bad breath and is therefore perceived as a problem to be solved in the children of this Dominican city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of preventive dental management on reducing the incidence and delaying the onset of bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in patients treated with intravenous zoledronic acid (ZA). Materials and Methods: This single‐center clinical study included 255 patients with cancer monitored over a 6‐year period. Patients received dental treatment prior to (group A) or after (group B) the initiation of ZA therapy. Dental treatments performed, incidence proportion (IP), and incidence rate (IR) in both groups were analyzed using significance tests. BRONJ onset was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier estimator and log‐rank test. Independent risk factors to develop BRONJ were evaluated using Cox regression analysis models. Results: Thirty‐seven patients suffered from BRONJ (IP = 14.5%), 7.3% in group A and 36.5% in group B (p = .000). The IR was 0.007 patients/month in group B and 0.004 in group A. BRONJ‐free survival at 3 years was 97% in group A and 66% in group B. Survival curves were significant (p = .056) according to log‐rank test. Multivariate Cox models showed that dental extractions (p = .000) were significant. Conclusions: BRONJ occurred significantly in patients who underwent dental extractions after the initiation of ZA and did not accomplish a preventive dental program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]