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Background. A dry socket also referred to as alveolar osteitis (AO) is a common postoperative complication following tooth extraction, due to the disruption of the clot within the wound. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of concentrated growth factor (CGF) in the healing of alveolar osteitis following tooth extraction. Methods. The study was conducted at University Dental Hospital Sharjah, UAE. Patients undergoing tooth extraction at the oral surgery clinic were advised to return immediately if they suffer from pain. Over the following first week after tooth extraction, patients who reported pain symptoms were recalled and all dry sockets were identified. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I patients received conventional treatment with socket curettage and saline irrigation only, while in group II CGF was inserted into the socket. Both groups were observed for pain score and quantification of granulation tissue formation. Results. A total of 40 dry socket patients, aged between 18 and 60 years, from a total of 1,250 patients, were included in the study. 30 patients were given conventional treatment while another 10 patients were given CGF. Patients who received CGF had a pain score of 7–10 at presentation, and the pain score dropped to 0–3 on day 4 and further improved to 0-1 on day 7 (p = 0.001). Granulation tissue formation appeared in the conventional group I on day 7 while the CGF group II showed earlier granulation tissue formation by day 4 (p = 0.001). The posttreatment pain score is inversely proportional to the amount and rate of granulation tissue formation in the socket. Conclusion. The study suggests that delivery of CGF into a dry socket helps relieve pain and expedite the wound healing process as shown by a statistically much lower pain score and earlier and more rapid formation of granulation tissue when compared to the conventional alveolar osteitis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Dislodgement of orthodontic appliance into operation wounds may occur while performing orthognathic surgery. Its occurrence is commonly associated with bonded upper molar tube. Case Report. A 25-year-old gentleman presented with recurrent upper right vestibular abscess three months following a bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. A bonded molar orthodontic tube had dislodged into the wound during the operation. The clinical presentation initially mimics an odontogenic infection until our investigations revealed that it originated from the dislodged appliance. The abscess was drained, the wound site was explored, and the molar tube and neighbouring rigid fixation plates and screws were removed. The patient recovered well following the procedure. Conclusion. Dislodged metal orthodontic appliance in oral wound acts as a foreign body that may exert allergic reactions, infection, or inflammation. Pre- and postoperative intraoral examination of fixed orthodontic appliances including its count should be recorded in orthognathic surgery protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the case of a 4-year-old male patient who was brought by parents requesting for replacement of multiple missing anterior teeth. The patient suffered from congenital insensitivity to pain without anhidrosis and presented with full blown sequelae of the condition in the form of oral self-mutilation leading to loss of teeth, tongue tip amputation, finger tips destruction, and lower limb wound infections. Dental and orthopaedic treatment consists of local management of oral wound and prevention from further oral and finger injuries that takes the form of dental splints and finger sleeve splints, constant feet coverage with shoes, and behavioural medical therapy. The age of the patient and parents’ education present challenges in managing this condition to avoid morbidity and premature mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between dental arch morphology and the aetiology of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is not clear. To compare dental arch morphology in 108 Asian adults with and without ''OSA, overnight'' hospital polysomnography was performed, and sleep reports were obtained for all subjects. Standardized digital photographs were also taken of the subjects’ upper and lower study models. Using 25 homologous landmarks, mean OSA and control dental arch configurations were computed, and subjected to finite-element morphometry (FEM), t-tests and principal components analysis (PCA). Mean upper and lower OSA dental arch morphologies were statistically different from respective Control upper and lower arch morphologies ( P < 0·05). FEM of the upper arch indicated that the mean OSA configuration was 7–11% narrower in the transverse plane in the incisor and canine regions when compared with the control configuration, and inter-landmark analysis (ILA) confirmed this finding. FEM for the lower arch indicated that the mean OSA configuration was 10–11% narrower in the antero-posterior plane in the pre-molar and molar regions, and confirmed by ILA. Using PCA, significant differences were also found between the two groups in the lower arch using the first two eigenvalues, which accounted for 90% of the total shape change ( P < 0·001). Supporting their role as aetiological factors, size and shape differences in dental arch morphology are found in patients with OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]