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Background: Reliability of the six-stage cervical vertebrae maturation method to evaluate skeletal growth was evaluated on the combined male and female samples and revealed diverse results. The current study aimed to determine the reliability of the modified three-stage cervical vertebrae maturation method for estimating the skeletal growth of males and females. Methods: Pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 137 orthodontic patients were utilized to evaluate the intra- and inter-observer reliability of a modified cervical vertebrae maturation method. Four independent examiners categorized each radiograph into one of the three skeletal growth stages according to the cervical vertebrae morphology: (1) a pre-peak group (combining the CS1 and CS2 stages), (2) a peak group (combining the CS3 and CS4 stages), and (3) a post-peak group (combining the CS5 and CS6 stages). The Kappa index and the Fleiss multirater Kappa test were carried out to determine the reproducibility of this method. Results: The studied sample included cephalometric radiographs of 68 males (49.6%) and 69 females (50.4%) aged between 7 and 58 years; no significant age difference was found between the sexes (p = 0.189). The overall inter-observer reliability was 0.689 (p < 0.001), and the inter-observer reliability for the post-peak stage showed only Kappa = 0.896 (p < 0.001). The Kappa values were significantly greater in males than in females during the peak stage (0.626 and 0.488, respectively). Conclusions: A modified three-stage cervical vertebrae maturation method showed substantial overall inter-examiner agreement; however, differential reliability for diverse skeletal maturation stages and sexes was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze objective and subjective olfactory/gustatory function in post‐COVID‐19 infection (PCI). Materials and Methods: Patients with past PCR‐confirmed COVID‐19 infection and persistent olfactory/gustatory complaints were investigated. Olfactory threshold and identification, gustatory detection, identification, and magnitude scaling were tested. Results: A total of 42 PCI subjects were compared to 41 age‐ and gender‐matched controls with no COVID‐19 history. All PCI tested had mild COVID‐19 disease. Mean interval between COVID‐19 confirmations to testing was 7.4 ± 3.1 months. PCI subjects complained of combined dysfunction in 85.7%, isolated olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in 7.1% each. Combined complaints were significantly higher in PCI (p < 0.001). Objective testing showed significantly higher prevalence of dysfunction in PCI versus controls for hyposmia (73.8%, 12.2%), anosmia (11.9%, 0%), odor identification (68.5%, 83.0%), hypogeusia (23% and 2.4%, respectively), and impaired magnitude scaling, (p < 0.05). All PCI subjects with hypogeusia had abnormal gustatory magnitude scaling. Conclusions: While most PCI subjects complained of combined gustatory and olfactory dysfunction, objective testing showed in the majority an isolated single sense dysfunction, with a low level of agreement between subjective and objective findings. Abnormal objective results for all olfactory and gustatory functions tested may suggest a central rather than peripheral mechanism, although concomitant mechanisms cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis involving medium and large-sized arteries, most commonly the extracranial branches of the carotid artery. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to avoid severe complications. This article reports on a GCA case and discusses how the orofacial manifestations of GCA can lead to misdiagnosis of GCA as temporomandibular disorder. GCA should be included in the differential diagnosis of orofacial pain in the elderly based on the knowledge of related signs and symptoms, mainly jaw claudication, hard end-feel limitation of range of motion, and temporal headache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To use the Axis I and Axis II test items of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) to study the differences in temporomandibular disorders (TMD) between Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews. Methods: Sixty-five Israeli Jews and 50 Israeli Arabs who were referred with a proposed diagnosis of TMD participated in the study. Results: The overall male:female ratio was 1:7.3 in the Israeli Arab group compared with 1:2.4 in the Israeli Jewish group, with a significant difference in gender between groups (P < .05). A comparison of women only in both groups (44 Israeli Arab women and 46 Israeli Jewish women) revealed no statistically significant differences in Axis I diagnoses, disability days, pain duration, and Characteristic Pain Intensity scores. The Israeli Arab women scored higher in Axis II parameters: Differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant with respect to depression scores (P < .001), anxiety scores (P < .001), somatization scores (pain items excluded) (P < .001), somatization scores (pain items included) (P < .05), average disability scores (P < .01), and chronic pain grade (P < .05). Conclusion: The results highlight the social component of the bio psychosocial model in sculpturing chronic pain behavior. Our research suggests the possible need for cross-cultural calibration of the Axis II assessment tools of the RDC/TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients referred from an otorhinolaryngologist with a chief complaint of earache or other ear symptoms are common in a temporomandibular disorders (TMD) clinic. These patients often complain of other symptoms, such as headache, facial pain, and limited mouth opening, all of which can be present in a patient suffering from a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of this case report was to describe the signs and symptoms of NPC and discuss possible causes for the misdiagnosis of NPC as TMD. The characteristics of 8 NPC patients reported in the literature whose cancer was initially misdiagnosed as TMD and those of an NPC patient with TMD-like symptoms treated at the clinic of 1 of the authors are described, and the reasons for misdiagnosis are discussed. A revision of Trotter's syndrome for the differential diagnosis of TMD is proposed. There is a need for detailed exclusion criteria to be applied prior to the assignment of a clinical diagnosis based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosocial factors may play an important role in the etiology of sleep and awake bruxism. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between emotional stress and bruxism in male and female dental students at various stages of their education. Dental education in Israel is based on a six-year curriculum, divided into three stages: pre-medical studies (yr. 1–2), manual skills (yr. 3–4), and clinical experience (yr. 5–6). Each stage requires different capabilities and skills. Questionnaires regarding psychological state (SCL-90) measuring depression, anxiety, and somatization as well as stress evaluation questioners (Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire 14) were completed by 387 dental students in the 1st to 6th years. Sleep and awake bruxism were evaluated based on the respondent's awareness. During the manual stage of studies, a significant increase was identified, albeit with weak correlations, between stress scales, depression, anxiety, somatization, and the prevalence of awake bruxism, particularly among males. Only in females was sleep bruxism correlated with emotional parameters, whereas no significant difference in sleep bruxism was observed in males throughout the stages of the study. The manual years of dental education were found to be linked to higher levels of emotional distress and awake bruxism, particularly in men. Sleep bruxism, on the other hand, was not directly linked to emotional factors, implying a distinct etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder Validation Project which was published in a previous issue.