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ABSTRACT: Objectives: The objective of this randomised controlled trial was to compare the periodontal healing at the distal of the adjacent second molar after coronectomy or surgical removal and the surgical morbidities of the 2 techniques. Methods: This is a pilot study of a split-mouth randomised clinical trial comparing the periodontal healing of the adjacent second molar after coronectomy or total removal of lower third molars, which was registered with the University of Hong Kong Clinical Trial Centre as HKUCTR-2948 on 21 February 2020. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were taken preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. Changes in the bone level from the cemento-enamel junction, periodontal probing depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) at the distal of the adjacent second molar were compared. Surgical morbidities in terms of pain, infection, neurologic deficit, root exposure, and need for second surgery for removal were assessed. Results: Forty patients (22 male, 18 female) with mean age of 26.7 years were evaluated at 6 months postoperatively. Both coronectomy and total removal groups demonstrated statistically significant reduction in PPD and CAL. There was an alveolar bone gain of 1.28 ± 0.88 mm in the coronectomy group and 1.13 ± 0.73mm in the control group, which was statistically significant (P < .001 for both groups). Conclusions: Early findings show the periodontal healing at the adjacent second molar of coronectomy was as good as that of total removal of lower third molar. There were no differences in terms of surgical morbidities between both groups.

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and dental anxiety among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted at a university in Hong Kong. The recruiting period and data collection started in January 2023 and ended in June 2023. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed ACEs (using the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire – ACE-IQ) and dental anxiety (using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale – MDAS and Dental Fear Survey – DFS). The study examined the impacts of both cumulative (i.e., total number) and independent ACE components on dental anxiety. To explore the relationships between cumulative ACEs, individual ACE components and dental anxiety (MDAS and DFS score), Pearson correlations, linear regression and logistic regression were conducted.ResultsSignificant associations were observed between ACEs and dental anxiety among 171 subjects. Cumulative ACEs were positively correlated with MDAS scores (r = 0.169, p = 0.027) and DFS scores (r = 0.253, p

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a debilitating condition associated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic medications that are frequently used in treating osteoporosis and cancers. With the ability to produce high-resolution images with a lower radiation dose, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an emerging technology in maxillofacial imaging that offers several advantages in evaluating MRONJ. This review aims to summarise the radiological features of MRONJ as observed via CBCT and highlight its advantages over two-dimensional plain films in assessing MRONJ. CBCT has the capability to detect early MRONJ lesions, characterise the extent and nature of lesions, distinguish MRONJ from other osseous pathologies, and assist in treatment planning. By leveraging the advantages of CBCT, clinicians can enhance their understanding of MRONJ, improve decision making, and ultimately optimize patient care.

The field of peripheral nerve regeneration is a dynamic and rapidly evolving area of research that continues to captivate the attention of neuroscientists worldwide. The quest for effective treatments and therapies to enhance the healing of peripheral nerves has gained significant momentum in recent years, as evidenced by the substantial increase in publications dedicated to this field. This surge in interest reflects the growing recognition of the importance of peripheral nerve recovery and the urgent need to develop innovative strategies to address nerve injuries. In this context, this article aims to contribute to the existing knowledge by providing a comprehensive review that encompasses both biomaterial and clinical perspectives. By exploring the utilization of nerve guidance conduits and pharmacotherapy, this article seeks to shed light on the remarkable advancements made in the field of peripheral nerve regeneration. Nerve guidance conduits, which act as artificial channels to guide regenerating nerves, have shown promising results in facilitating nerve regrowth and functional recovery. Additionally, pharmacotherapy approaches have emerged as potential avenues for promoting nerve regeneration, with various therapeutic agents being investigated for their neuroprotective and regenerative properties. The pursuit of advancing the field of peripheral nerve regeneration necessitates persistent investment in research and development. Continued exploration of innovative treatments, coupled with a deeper understanding of the intricate processes involved in nerve regeneration, holds the promise of unlocking the complete potential of these groundbreaking interventions. By fostering collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and industry partners, we can accelerate progress in this field, bringing us closer to the realization of transformative therapies that restore function and quality of life for individuals affected by peripheral nerve injuries.

Background: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of antiresorptive drug therapy on osseointegrated dental implants and the association with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Methods: A systematic search, including a computer search of several databases with specific keywords, a reference search, and a manual search of four key maxillofacial journals were performed. Relevant articles were then evaluated and those that fulfilled the five predetermined criteria were chosen to enter the final review. A total of 445 implants in 135 subjects were included in the eight studies analyzed in the final review. Results: The failure rate of dental implants after antiresorptive medication in the included studies was 23%, with 83% of failures attributed to MRONJ. The average time from antiresorptive drug initiation to MRONJ development was approximately 34 months, ranging from 3 months to 16 years. The majority of MRONJ cases were classified as stage 2, and all sites showed either complete healing or substantial mucosal coverage after treatment. Conclusions: This review highlights the significant impact of antiresorptive drugs on osseo- integrated implants, with MRONJ identified as a leading cause of implant failure. The potential role of peri-implantitis as a trigger for MRONJ is emphasized. Regular monitoring and maintaining good periodontal health, especially within the first three years of antiresorptive drug therapy initiation, are crucial for implant success. Physicians and dentists should provide comprehensive information to patients prescribed with antiresorptive drugs, emphasizing the need for an awareness of the risks of MRONJ in the context of osseointegrated implants. A longer term of follow-up is recommended to identify and manage MRONJ around dental implants in an early manner.

Digitalizing all aspects of dental care is a contemporary approach to ensuring the best possible clinical outcomes. Ongoing advancements in 3D face acquisition have been driven by continuous research on craniofacial structures and treatment effects. An array of 3D surface-imaging systems are currently available for generating photorealistic 3D facial images. However, choosing a purpose-specific system is challenging for clinicians due to variations in accuracy, reliability, resolution, and portability. Therefore, this review aims to provide clinicians and researchers with an overview of currently used or potential 3D surface imaging technologies and systems for 3D face acquisition in craniofacial research and daily practice. Through a comprehensive literature search, 71 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the qualitative analysis, investigating the hardware, software, and operational aspects of these systems. The review offers updated information on 3D surface imaging technologies and systems to guide clinicians in selecting an optimal 3D face acquisition system. While some of these systems have already been implemented in clinical settings, others hold promise. Furthermore, driven by technological advances, novel devices will become cost-effective and portable, and will also enable accurate quantitative assessments, rapid treatment simulations, and improved outcomes.

Objectives: Voice rest is commonly recommended for patients with benign vocal fold lesions (BVFLs) after phonomicrosurgery. The study compares the clinical voice outcomes of two protocols, 7-day complete voice rest (CVR) and 3-day CVR followed by 4-day relative voice rest (CVR + RVR), for patients with BVFLs after phonomicrosurgery., Study Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial., Method: Patients with BVFLs undergoing phonomicrosurgery were recruited prospectively and randomly assigned to either protocol. Outcomes were assessed on objective measures of acoustics (fundamental frequency, frequency range, mean intensity, cepstral peak analysis) and aerodynamics (vital capacity, airflow rate, subglottal pressure, phonation threshold pressure), as well as subjective measures, both provider-reported through the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V), and patient-reported through the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Clinical measures were collected at three-time points: preoperatively, 1-week postoperatively (on voice rest), and 1-month postoperatively. In addition, adherence was estimated using a vocal dosimeter., Results: Twenty-five patients were recruited and randomized to 7-day CVR (n = 13) and CVR + RVR regimen (n = 12). Statistically significant changes were found within both groups for subglottal pressure (p = 0.03) and VHI score (p < 0.001) comparing pre-operative baseline to 1-month postoperative follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Regardless of group assignment, a significant decrease in overall severity ratings for the CAPE-V was found by comparing the preoperative scores to postoperative scores at 1-week (p < 0.001) and 1-month (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Both groups improved their overall voice quality comparably 1 month after undergoing phonomicrosurgery as measured by objective and subjective parameters., Levels of Evidence: 2. Laryngoscope, 134:2812-2818, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the more common use of venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). While tracheostomy is generally understood to decrease the risks of prolonged endotracheal intubation, there is conflicting data regarding the benefit of tracheostomy in patients on ECMO. The purpose of this study is to determine whether ECMO cannulation before tracheostomy impacted patient outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent tracheostomy for COVID-19-related ARDS at a tertiary academic center from March 2020 through March 2022. Patients were separated into two groups based on whether they were cannulated for ECMO prior to tracheostomy. Fisher's exact test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the two groups. Results A total of 24 patients were included in the study, with 13 in the ECMO group and 11 in the non-ECMO group. There was no significant difference in age, comorbidities, race, or gender between the groups. Patients on ECMO had a longer time from admission to intubation (seven days vs. three days, p=.002), were more likely to have multiple intubations (54% vs 9%, p= .033), had increased rates of postoperative bleeding (62% vs. 18%, p = .047), and had a higher mortality rate (39% vs. 0%, p= .041). Conclusions ECMO cannulation prior to tracheostomy for COVID-19-related ARDS is associated with poorer outcomes. It is unclear whether this is related to a more severe disease burden in these patients. Further study is needed to evaluate this and guide future management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Asi et al.)

Purpose: Euthyroid Graves' ophthalmology (EGO) refers to the subgroup of thyroid eye disease patients with distinct clinical presentations. This study evaluated the ocular surface and meibomian gland changes in EGO patients., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at The Chinese University of Hong Kong including 34 EGO patients and 34 age-and sex- matched healthy controls. Outcome measures include anterior segment examination, keratographic and meibographic imaging., Results: Between 34 EGO patients and 34 age and sex-matched healthy controls, EGO was associated with a higher ocular surface disease index (P < 0.01), higher severity of meibomian gland dropout (upper: P < 0.001, lower: P < 0.00001) and higher percentage of partial blinking (P = 0.0036). The worse affected eyes of the EGO patients were associated with corneal staining (P = 0.0019), eyelid telangiectasia (P = 0.0009), eyelid thickening (P = 0.0013), eyelid irregularity (P = 0.0054), meibomian gland plugging (P < 0.00001), expressibility (P < 0.00001), and meibum quality (P < 0.00001). When the two eyes of the same EGO patient were compared, the degree of meibomian gland dropout was higher among the worse affected eyes (upper: P < 0.00001, and lower: P < 0.00001). Tear meniscus height, lipid layer thickness, and noninvasive break-up time were comparable between the two eyes of EGO patients and also between EGO patients and healthy controls. TMH was positively correlated with the degree of exophthalmos (r = 0.383, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: EGO patients have more ocular surface complications and meibomian gland dropouts than healthy controls. Almost 60% of them had dry eye symptoms, but aqueous deficiency was not apparent. Further studies are warranted to clarify the mechanism of dry eye in EGO. (249 words)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate the contribution of postnasal drip (PND) and chronic cough (CC) to symptoms of patients with chronic rhinitis treated with temperature-controlled radiofrequency (TCRF) neurolysis of the posterior nasal nerve (PNN), and correlate PND and CC scores with components of the reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS)., Methods: Pooled data from three prospective studies: two single-arm studies and the index active treatment arm of a randomized controlled trial. Adult patients with baseline rTNSS ≥6 were treated with TCRF neurolysis at nonoverlapping regions of the PNN. PND and CC symptoms were evaluated on a 0 (none) to 3 (severe) scale., Results: Data from 228 patients (57.9% women, 42.1% men) were included. The mean baseline rTNSS was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8-8.3), which decreased to 3.2 (95% CI, 2.9-3.5) at 6 months. At baseline, 97.4% of patients had PND and 80.3% had CC. Median baseline PND and CC symptom scores were 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-3) and 2 (IQR, 1-2), respectively. At 6 months, this decreased to 1 (IQR, 0-2) and 0 (IQR, 0-1), respectively, showing significant improvement from baseline (both p < 0.001). Spearman correlation coefficients with components of rTNSS (rhinorrhea, congestion, itching, sneezing) were 0.16 to 0.22 for CC and 0.19 to 0.46 for PND, indicating only a weak to moderate correlation., Conclusion: PND and CC contribute to the symptomatology of chronic rhinitis and are significantly improved after TCRF neurolysis of the PNN. The inclusion of PND and CC symptoms in a chronic rhinitis assessment instrument could provide important additional information for the characterization of the disease state and outcomes after any therapeutic treatment., (© 2023 The Authors. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and American Rhinologic Society.)