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Introduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to assess in real time the effect of paroxetine, an SSRI, on newly formed bone volume (NFBV) in standardized calvarial defects (SCDs) in rats., Methods: Fourteen Wistar albino female rats with a mean age of 7.5 months and a mean weight of 275 g were used. The animals were randomly divided into 2 groups. The experimental group was given paroxetine 8 weeks before the surgical procedure and throughout the experiment, and the control group was given a placebo 8 weeks before the surgical procedure and throughout the experiment. In each group, 14 SCDs measuring 4.6 mm in diameter were created on the parietal bone. In both groups, a Bio-Oss + collagen membrane was placed. All defects showed primary closure. The volume of the newly formed bone (NFBV) was measured using in vivo micro-computed tomographic imaging. Measurements were taken at days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56 after surgery using real-time assessment with micro-computed tomographic imaging., Results: The mean NFBV was 17.12 ± 4.52 mm 3 and 12.52 ± 4.78 mm 3 for the control and experimental groups, respectively, at day 56. The differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant (P < .05) at all time intervals., Conclusions: Paroxetine intake significantly reduced the amount of regenerated NFBV and the rate of new bone formation., (Copyright © 2023 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe inflammatory neuroimmune degenerative condition affecting more than 2 million individuals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of acute periapical abscesses in patients with MS and to evaluate whether acute periapical abscesses (PAs) are more likely to affect patients who were previously infected by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)., Methods: Integrated data of hospital patients were used. Data from the corresponding diagnosis codes for MS and acute PA were retrieved by querying the appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes in the database., Results: Of the total hospital patient population, 0.18% were diagnosed with a history of MS. Females were more affected than males 3.25-fold. Whites were more affected than African Americans 6-fold. Whites were more affected than African Americans combined with other ethnicities 3.6-fold. The odds ratio (OR) for acute PAs in patients with a history of MS was 2.2 (P < .0001). After adjustment for diabetes mellitus comorbidity, the OR for acute PAs in patients with a history of MS was 2.6. After adjustment for cardiovascular disease comorbidity, the OR for acute PAs in patients with a history of MS was 1.27. Of the patients who presented with PAs, 0.2% were diagnosed with a history of EBV infection. The OR was 3.98, and the difference in prevalence was statistically significant (P < .0001)., Conclusions: Under the conditions of this cross-sectional study, it appears that the prevalence of acute PAs is higher in patients with MS and that EBV may play a role., (Copyright © 2022 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Bibliographic analysis using quantitative measurements such as citation number and citation density is a common method used to evaluate the impact of previously published studies on current research. Several bibliographic endodontic studies ranking publications based on their number of citations have been published. However, to date, a focus on the most cited articles related to the outcome of endodontic treatment is lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify the most cited publications and their citation density as related to the outcome of nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT), nonsurgical root canal retreatment (NSRCR), and root canal surgery (RCS)., Methods: A search of all citations regarding the outcome of NSRCT, NSRCR, and RCS was performed using the Web of Science platform. The search included key words covering all relevant categories. Only publications in the English language published between May 1960 and July 2021 were included. The publications were divided into the following groups: NSRCT, NSRCR, and RCS. Each group was further subdivided into experimentation studies and review studies. The publications were analyzed and sorted in descending order according to the number of citations that each publication has received. Only publications with 100 citations or more were included. Citation density was also assessed., Results: The total number of NSRCT citations found was 257; 221 (86%) were experimentation studies, and 36 (14%) were review studies. Of the 221 NSRCT experimentation studies, 41 (18.55%) had 100 citations or more. Of the 36 NSRCT review studies, 9 (25%) had 100 citations or more. The total number of NSRCR citations found was 61; 51 (83.6%) were experimentation studies, and 10 (16.4%) were review studies. Of the 51 NSRCR experimentation studies, 5 (9.8%) had 100 citations or more. Of the 10 NSRCR review studies, 2 (20%) had 100 citations or more. The total number of RCS citations found was 119; 90 (75.6%) were experimentation studies, and 29 (24.4%) were review studies. Of the 90 RCS experimentation studies, 11 (12.2%) had 100 citations or more. Of the 29 RCS review studies, 2 (6.9%) had 100 citations or more. In total, 70 publications on the outcome of endodontic treatment had 100 or more citations. Fifty publications (71.4%) pertained to the NSRCT groups, 7 publications (10%) to the NSRCR groups, and 13 publications (18.6%) to the RCS groups., Conclusions: Bibliographic analysis is a beneficial aid for assessing the impact of publications studying the outcome of endodontic treatment on the field of endodontics., (Copyright © 2021 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Hypertension is a common major systemic disease and 1 of the most significant causes of mortality worldwide. Persistent hypertension is 1 of the risk factors for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and arterial aneurysm and is a leading cause of chronic kidney failure. Common medications used to treat hypertension include beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of periapical abscesses in patients with different types of hypertension conditions and to evaluate the effect of commonly used antihypertensive medications on the prevalence of periapical abscesses., Methods: The integrated data of hospital patients were used. Data from the corresponding diagnosis codes for hypertensive conditions and periapical abscess were retrieved by searching the appropriate query in the database. The odds ratio (OR) of periapical abscesses, its association with hypertensive conditions, and the intake of 4 antihypertensive medications were calculated and analyzed statistically., Results: The prevalence of periapical abscesses in patients with hypertensive conditions was 1.2% compared with 0.558% in the general patient population of the hospital. The OR for the prevalence of periapical lesions in patients with hypertension was 2.32. For primary hypertension, the OR was 2.02; for hypertensive heart disease, the OR was 2.68; for hypertensive chronic kidney disease, the OR was 2.1; for hypertensive heart and chronic kidney diseases, the OR was 4.16; for secondary hypertension, the OR was 4.16; and for hypertension crisis, the OR was 5.64. For patients treated with beta blockers, the OR was 2.58; for patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, the OR was 2.73; for patients treated with angiotensin II receptor blockers, the OR was 1.93; and for patients treated with calcium channel blockers, the OR was 2.79. The differences were statistically significant (P < .0001). The OR for the prevalence of periapical abscesses in patients treated with angiotensin II receptor blockers was significantly lower than that of patients treated with either beta blockers or calcium channel blockers (P < .00001)., Conclusions: Under the conditions of this study, it appears that the prevalence of perapical abscesses is significantly higher in hypertensive patients. The prevalence of periapical abscesses is higher in patients with secondary hypertension than in those with primary hypertension. Angiotensin II receptor blockers may significantly lower the prevalence of periapical abscesses in hypertensive patients., (Copyright © 2021 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a major systemic disease that can significantly deteriorate the quality of life of the affected individuals. It is more common in women, particularly after menopause. Osteoporosis may be associated with alterations in oral health. Treatment of osteoporotic patients mainly involves the administration of bisphosphonates (BPs). Nitrogen-containing BPs are more potent therapeutically and more commonly used. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of periapical lesions in patients with osteoporosis and to evaluate the difference in the prevalence of periapical lesions in patients treated with alendronate and risedronate, 2 nitrogen-containing types of BPs., Methods: Integrated data of hospital patients were used. Data from the corresponding diagnosis codes for osteoporosis and periapical periodontitis were retrieved by searching the appropriate query in the database. The odds ratio (OR) of periapical lesions, its association with osteoporosis, and the use of 2 BP medications were calculated and analyzed statistically., Results: Of 1,644,953 hospital patients, 8715 presented with periapical lesions. A total of 42,292 patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis. A total of 754 patients diagnosed with osteoporosis presented with periapical lesions. The prevalence of periapical lesions in patients with osteoporosis was 1.78% compared with 0.52% in the general patient population of the hospital. The OR for the prevalence of periapical lesions in patients with osteoporosis was 3.36 and was statistically significant (P < .0001). Patients with osteoporosis treated with any type of BPs showed a prevalence of periapical lesions in 1.25% of cases compared with 0.52% in the general patient population of the hospital. The difference in the OR was statistically significant (P < .0001). The OR for the presence of periapical lesions in the osteoporosis group treated with BPs was 2.35 compared with 3.52 in the osteoporosis group not treated with BP. The difference in the OR was statistically significant (P < .0001). Patients treated with alendronate showed an OR of 1.6 for the prevalence of periapical lesions, and the difference in the OR was statistically significant (P < .0001). Patients treated with risedronate showed an OR of 1.34 for the prevalence of periapical lesions, and the difference in the OR was not statistically significant (P = .3502)., Conclusions: Under the conditions of this study, it appears that the prevalence of periapical lesions is significantly higher in osteoporotic patients. Osteoporotic patients treated with BPs showed a marked reduction in the prevalence of periapical lesions, especially when risedronate was used., (Copyright © 2020 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Teeth undergoing initial endodontic therapy have a very high survival rate. Some teeth that continue to show signs of pathosis after the initial therapy will require nonsurgical (orthograde) retreatment. Outcome assessment of endodontic retreatment is crucial for appropriate case selection and treatment planning. However, reports on outcomes of orthograde endodontic retreatment performed by endodontists are limited in number, and the reported data vary. In this study, outcomes of orthograde endodontic retreatment performed on 4744 teeth were assessed during a period of 5 years., Methods: Data were obtained from retreatments that were performed by endodontists participating in the Delta Dental Insurance plan that insures approximately 15 million individuals in the USA., Results: Overall, 89% of teeth were retained in the oral cavity 5 years after the endodontic retreatment. Four percent of all teeth underwent apical surgery that occurred mostly within 2 years from completion of orthograde retreatment. Eleven percent of teeth were extracted at the end of the 5-year observation period., Conclusions: It appears that orthograde endodontic retreatment yields high incidence of tooth retention after 5 years., (Copyright (c) 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The antimicrobial effects of 4 mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) preparations, 2 white-colored (WMTA-1, WMTA-2) and 2 gray-colored (GMTA-1, GMTA-2), against C. albicans and E. faecalis were assessed in vitro., Methodology: Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for each preparation was determined using the tube dilution test and Sabouraud agar media for C. albicans and brain heart infusion media for E. faecalis. Broth tubes were prepared and divided into experimental and control groups. Aliquots of each of the tested microorganisms were taken from a stock culture and added to each experimental and positive control group. All groups were incubated at 37 degrees C and evaluated for turbidity at 24-, 48-, and 72-hour time periods. Samples of 0.1 mL from each of the experimental and control tubes were subcultured on agar or brain heart infusion plates to confirm visible signs of bacterial or fungal growth., Results: MIC of MTA against the 2 microorganisms tested varied among the 4 preparations tested. WMTA-1 and WMTA-2 inhibited C. albicans growth at concentrations of 3.125 mg/10 mL and 25 mg/10 mL, respectively, and statistically significant differences were found between WMTA-1 and WMTA-2 (P < .001). WMTA-1 and WMTA-2 inhibited E. faecalis growth at concentrations of 12.5 mg/10 mL and 50 mg/10 mL, respectively, and statistically significant differences were found between WMTA-1 and WMTA-2 (P < .001). GMTA-1 and GMTA-2 inhibited E. faecalis growth at concentrations of 12.5 mg/10 mL and 3.125 mg/10 mL, respectively, and statistically significant differences were found between GMTA-1 and GMTA-2 (P < .001). Both GMTA-1 and GMTA-2 inhibited C. albicans growth at a concentration of 3.125 mg/10 mL and no statistical differences were found between the preparations. Subculture of the broth tubes in agar or brain heart infusion plates confirmed the turbidity test result., Conclusion: The origin of MTA as well as the type of preparation may affect its antimicrobial characteristics. Clinicians should be aware of variations that may exist among such MTA preparations.

Radicular groove is an anatomical malformation that often causes severe periodontal defects. Treatments of such an anomaly present a clinical challenge to the operator. Presented is a case of successful treatment of radicular groove associated with a maxillary lateral incisor of a 15-year-old girl. A combination of endodontics, intentional replantation, and Emdogain therapy was used. At 4-year follow-up, the patient was comfortable and complete resolution of the periapical pathology was evident.

The antibacterial effects of gray-colored MTA (GMTA) and white-colored MTA (WMTA) against Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus sanguis were assessed in vitro using the tube dilution test. Broth tubes were prepared and divided into experimental and control groups. Aliquots of each of the tested microorganisms were taken from a stock culture and added to each experimental and positive control group. All groups were incubated at 37 degrees C and evaluated for turbidity at 0, 1, 24, 48, and 72-hour time periods. A direct correlation was found between GMTA and WMTA concentrations and their antibacterial effect. Tubes containing GMTA in concentrations of 50, 25, and 12.5 mg/ml did not show E. faecalis growth at any of the time periods tested whereas tubes containing WMTA showed E. faecalis growth at all concentrations and time periods tested. Statistically significant differences were found between tubes containing GMTA in concentrations of 50, 25 and 12.5 mg/ml and tubes containing similar concentrations of WMTA (p < 0.001). Tubes containing GMTA in concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, and 3.12 mg/ml and tubes containing WMTA in concentrations of 50, 25, and 12.5 mg/ml did not show S. sanguis growth at any of the time periods tested. Statistically significant differences were found between tubes containing GMTA in concentrations 6.25 and 3.12 mg/ml and tubes containing similar concentrations of WMTA (p < 0.001). It appears that the susceptibility of E. faecalis and S. sanguis to MTA differed and that GMTA requires lower concentrations than WMTA to exert the same antibacterial effect against each of the microorganisms tested.

This study assessed the opinion of oral health care professionals regarding the predictability of initial endodontic treatment, expected long-term outcome and the importance of placing a coronal coverage after completion of treatment. An eight-item questionnaire was distributed among oral health care professionals. There were 49% of participants who responded that the expected retention rate of teeth 5 to 10 yr after endodontic treatment was more than 90%, whereas 44% responded that such retention rate was between 70 to 80%. The majority of the participants also responded that the need for additional treatment, such as retreatment, apical surgery or extraction, was expected to occur within the first 3 yr after endodontic treatment if initial treatment has failed. About 87% of participants responded that placing coronal coverage after completion of endodontic treatment in premolars and molars was very important for long-term tooth retention and 92% responded that overall, endodontic treatment was a predictable procedure with long-term tooth retention rate. Statistically significant associations were found between years of experience and expected rate of retention for both the total group of respondents (p < 0.001) and for general practitioners when examined separately (p < 0.002). Statistically significant associations were only found for general practitioners between years of experience and their responses regarding the need for additional treatment (p < 0.05) and overall predictability of endodontic treatment (p < 0.02). A trend was found between the professionals' years of experience and their opinion regarding the importance of coronal coverage. Of the group who had more than 20 yr of experience, about 87% considered coronal coverage to be very important for long-term tooth retention. In conclusion, it appears that most clinicians participating in this study consider endodontic therapy to be a predictable procedure with long-term tooth retention rate. Their opinions also reflect the variations that currently exist in the literature regarding the reported outcome of endodontic treatment.

The killing effect of similar concentrations of white-colored MTA and gray-colored MTA against Candida albicans was assessed in vitro using the tube dilution test. A direct correlation was found between MTA concentration and its killing effect on C. albicans. At time period zero, both white-colored and gray-colored MTA samples showed Candida growth regardless of the concentration. Tubes containing gray-colored MTA in concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, and 3.125 mg/ml and tubes containing white-colored MTA in concentrations of 50 and 25 mg/ml did not show C. albicans growth at any of the other time periods tested. Tubes containing white-colored MTA in concentrations of 12.5 mg/ml or less showed Candida growth at all the time periods tested. Statistically, a significant difference was found between tubes containing either 50 mg/ml or 25 mg/ml and tubes containing lower concentrations of white-colored MTA (p < 0.001). A significant difference was also found between tubes containing gray-colored MTA in concentrations of 12.5 mg/ml or less and tubes containing similar concentrations of white-colored MTA (p < 0.001). It appears that both gray-colored and white-colored MTA in concentrations of 50 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml are effective in killing C. albicans for periods of up to 1 wk. Lower concentrations of gray-colored MTA may still be effective while lower concentrations of white-colored MTA may not.

The antifungal action of different concentrations of white-colored mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) against Candida albicans was assessed in vitro. Fresh mix of MTA was prepared at concentrations varying from 0.78 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml by dilution with 10 ml molten agar at 45 degrees C. The MTA-agar compound was thoroughly mixed and the uniform mix was then poured into sterile Petri dishes and allowed to set. A total of 348 agar plates were prepared and divided into experimental groups of 11 plates each and control groups of 5 plates each. Plates of agar without MTA served as positive control and plates without C. albicans served as negative control. Fresh inoculate of C. albicans was prepared by growing an overnight culture from a stock culture. Aliquots of C. albicans were then taken from the stock culture and plated on the agar compound of the experimental and positive control groups. All plates were incubated at 37 degrees C for 1, 24, 48, and 72-h periods. At each time period, the presence of C. albicans colonies was assessed and recorded. A direct correlation was found between MTA concentration and its inhibition effect on C. albicans growth. Plates containing MTA in concentration of 50 mg/ml showed significantly better killing action against C. albicans in all of the time periods tested (p < 0.001). Plates containing MTA in concentration of 25 mg/ml showed antifungal activity only at 1 and 24-h time periods. Plates containing lower concentrations of MTA did not show any antifungal activity. It appears that under the conditions of this study, white-colored MTA in concentration of 50 mg/ml is effective in killing C. albicans for periods of up to 3 days. Lower MTA concentrations may not be effective.

The sealing ability of orthograde mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) root canal filling against human saliva was assessed in vitro. Leakage of gray-colored MTA, white-colored MTA and vertically condensed gutta-percha and sealer were compared. Forty-three extracted single-rooted human teeth were serially instrumented to a file size 40/0.06 at the apex and obturated with either gray-colored MTA (group A), white-colored MTA (group B), or gutta-percha and Kerr Canal Sealer EWT (group C). The teeth were then mounted in a model to test for saliva leakage. After 42 days, one root in group A (9.1%), four roots in group B (36.4%), and nine roots in group C (81.8%) showed saliva leakage. Statistically, a significant difference was found between group A and group C (p < 0.001). No statistical difference was found between group A and group B. Out of the root samples that leaked, the one sample in group A leaked after 36 days. Of the four samples in group B, one sample leaked after 32 days, one sample after 33 days, and two samples after 39 days. All nine samples in group C had leaked after 19 days. It appears that under the conditions of this study both MTA preparations may be more resistant to human saliva leakage than vertically condensed gutta-percha and sealer.

Outcome assessment of endodontic treatment is critical for appropriate case selection and treatment planning. However, reports on outcomes of nonsurgical endodontic treatment vary considerably. Epidemiological studies done in a large patient population and over a long follow-up period can provide the clinician with useful tools for clinical decision-making and assessment of tooth prognosis. In this study, outcomes of initial endodontic treatment done in 1,462,936 teeth of 1,126,288 patients from 50 states across the USA was assessed over a period of 8 yr. Treatment was done by private general practitioners and endodontists participating in the Delta Dental Insurance plan that insures approximately 14 million individuals in the USA. Overall, 97% of teeth were retained in the oral cavity 8 yr after initial nonsurgical endodontic treatment. The combined incidence of untoward events such as retreatments, apical surgeries, and extractions was 3% and occurred mostly within 3 yr from completion of treatment. Analysis of the extracted teeth revealed that 85% had no full coronal coverage. A significant difference was found between covered and noncovered teeth for all tooth groups tested (p < 0.001). In conclusion, it appears that initial nonsurgical endodontic treatment is a predictable procedure with high incidence of tooth retention after 8 yr.

The extraoral sinus tract may occur as a result of an inflammatory process associated with a necrotic pulp. However, several non-odontogenic disorders may also produce an extraoral sinus tract. Thus, the differential diagnosis of this clinical finding is of paramount importance in providing appropriate clinical care because misdiagnosis of this condition may result in healing failure or unnecessary treatment. This case report of a 19-yr-old male patient describes an extraoral cutaneous sinus tract misdiagnosed as an endodontic lesion. Consequently, the patient underwent unnecessary exploratory procedures and antibiotic therapy. Identification of the inflammatory source of the lesion and removal of the affected tissue led to tissue healing.