Search

Background/purpose: There is controversial evidence on the best choice for root-end filling materials in follow-up periods and treatment protocols. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different root-end filling materials in modern surgical endodontic treatment. Materials and methods: A total of 16 studies with a minimum follow-up of 12-months were qualified to be reviewed, involving randomized control trials and observational studies in PubMed, Cochrane library and Scopus until September 1, 2021. The outcome of modern surgical endodontic treatment was assessed based on clinical and radiographic success. Direct comparisons were combined to estimate indirect comparisons, and the estimated effect size was analyzed using the odds ratio (OR). The comparative effectiveness of all materials for target outcomes were shown as P-score. Results: Within this network meta-analysis, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) had superior effects among all root-end filling materials at 12-months follow-up. (MTA: OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 0.84–4.91; P-score, 0.86; reference material, gutta-percha). In further sensitivity analyses, MTA, calcium silicate-based root repair material (RRM) and super EBA cement (Super EBA) were associated with significantly higher success rates at 12-months follow-up. (MTA: OR, 5.62; 95% CI, 1.58–19.99; P-score, 0.88; RRM: OR, 5.23; 95% CI, 1.05–25.98; P-score, 0.74; Super EBA: OR, 3.99; 95% CI, 1.06–15.04; P-score, 0.54; reference material, gutta-percha). Conclusion: MTA remains the best choice for root-end filling materials of modern surgical endodontic treatment at the 12-month follow-up. Comparative randomized clinical trials in the long-term follow-up are warranted in future investigations.

Tissue engineering based on the combined use of isolated cells, scaffolds, and growth factors is widely used; however, the manufacture of cell-preloaded scaffolds faces challenges. Herein, we fabricated a multicomponent scaffold with multiple component accommodations, including bioactive molecules (BMs), such as fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (A2-P), and living cells of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), within one scaffold construct. We report an innovative fabrication process based on vapor-phased construction using iced templates for vapor sublimation. Simultaneously, the vaporized water molecules were replaced by vapor deposition of poly-p-xylylene (PPX, USP Class VI, highly compatible polymer, FDA-approved records), forming a three-dimensional and porous scaffold matrix. More importantly, a multicomponent modification was achieved based on using nonvolatile solutes, including bioactive molecules of FGF-2 and A2-P, and living cells of hASCs, to prepare iced templates for sublimation. Additionally, the fabrication and construction resulted in a multicomponent scaffold product comprising the devised molecules, cells, and vapor-polymerized poly-p-xylylene as the scaffold matrix. The clean and dry fabrication process did not require catalysts, initiators or plasticizers, and potentially harmful solvents, and the scaffold products were produced in simple steps within hours of the processing time. Cell viability analysis showed a high survival rate (approximately 86.4%) for the accommodated hASCs in the fabricated scaffold product, and a surprising multilineage differentiation potential of hASCs was highly upregulated because of synergistic guidance by the same accommodated FGF-2 and A2-P components. Proliferation and self-renewal activities were also demonstrated with enhancement of the multicomponent scaffold product. Finally, in vivo calvarial defect studies further revealed that the constructed scaffolds provided blood vessels to grow into the bone defect areas with enhancement, and the induced conduction of osteoblast growth also promoted bone healing toward osseointegration. The reported scaffold construction technology represents a prospective tissue engineering scaffold product to enable accommodable and customizable versatility to control the distribution and composition of loading delicate BMs and living hASCs in one scaffold construct and demonstrates unlimited applications in tissue engineering repair and regenerative medicine applications.

Background/purpose: Occlusion is an important component of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Little is known about the association between missing teeth and TMJ changes. The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between unilateral missing posterior teeth and changes in the inclination of the articular eminence (AE). Materials and methods: A total of 106 joints in 53 patients (20 men and 33 women) with unilateral posterior edentulism were included. In the same patients, the sagittal outline of the AE and glenoid fossa was traced in panoramic radiographs. The sagittal condylar path inclination was constructed by joining the crest of the glenoid fossa and the crest of AE. This was then related to the constructed Frankfurt's horizontal plane to determine the inclination of AE. The results were subjected to the one-way analysis of variance test. A P value of 0.05). The inclination of AE in men was higher than in women on both the missing side and the nonmissing side (P > 0.05). The symmetry equality between the missing and the nonmissing side joint was 1.89%. This value was higher (3%) in the female group than in the male group (0%). Comparing the absolute mean differences, the female group showed a lower difference (9.8°) than the male group (12.11°). Conclusion: A wide range of values of AE inclination was found regardless of other factors such as side of teeth loss and the sex of patients.

Background/purpose: Condensing osteitis (CO) is a common lesion of the jaw bone. This study surveyed the occurrence of mandible CO and its distribution in the mandible in a Taiwanese population. Materials and methods: Panoramic radiographs and clinical information of 1098 patients at the Dental Department of Tri-Service General Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) were collected. The patient data were analyzed to determine the CO disease status, patient age distribution, sex, CO location in the mandible, and the status of the affected tooth. Results: Seventy-five CO lesions were identified in 63 patients. The prevalence of CO in the mandible was 5.7%. Eight (10.7%) CO cases were associated with teeth that had crowns and/or bridges, 16 (21.3%) CO cases were associated with teeth that had caries or restorations; 22 (29.3%) CO cases were associated with teeth that had received root canal therapy, nine (12%) CO cases were associated with teeth with periodontal diseases, and 20 (26.7%) CO cases were located in the tooth extraction area. The percentage of females and males was 65.3% and 34.7%, respectively. Ten (13.3%) CO cases and 65 (86.7%) CO cases were identified in the premolar and molar area, respectively. The most common site of CO was in the first molar region. Conclusion: In our study population, the CO lesion occurs more commonly in female patients who were in their 60s. The mandibular 1st molar and teeth that had received root canal therapy had the highest association with CO. The CO distribution, as determined from this study, can provide valuable information for future clinical references.