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Background: polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are a category of fatty acids that contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which constitute a substantial portion of the Western diet and are vital for maintaining human wellness. The extent to which circulating PUFAs influence the effects of BMI on leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is unknown. Additionally, the impact of circulating PUFA on LTL remains controversial in observational studies. Methods: Using publicly accessible datasets, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to determine genetic association estimates for BMI, circulating PUFAs, and LTL. The circulating PUFAs considered were omega-3 PUFAs (i.e., docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total omega-3 PUFAs) and omega-6 PUFAs (i.e., linoleic acid (LA) and total omega-6 PUFAs). Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the causal relationships between BMI and PUFA with LTL. Additionally, we examined whether certain PUFA mediate the impact of BMI on LTL. Results: None of the evidence supported a causal effect of genetically predicted DHA and total omega-3 PUFA on LTL (DHA: β = 0.001, 95% CI: −0.023 to 0.026, p = 0.926; total omega-3 PUFA: β = 0.008, 95% CI: −0.013 to 0.029, p = 0.466). After conducting sensitivity analyses to account for various models of horizontal pleiotropy, the causal association between higher levels of LA and longer LTL persisted (β = 0.034, 95% CI 0.016 to 0.052, p < 0.001). Adjusting for LA in genetics reduced the effect of BMI on LTL from β = -0.039 (95% CI: -0.058 to -0.020, p < 0.001) to -0.034 (95% CI: -0.054 to -0.014, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This MR study indicates that an increase in genetically predicted circulating LA levels is associated with longer LTL. Additionally, it appears that circulating LA levels play a role in mediating some of the impact that BMI has on LTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Easydo Activator (EA), a new sonic irrigation system, on sealer penetration at the root apex were compared to needle irrigation (NI) and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) in this study. Forty-two single-rooted teeth were prepared and randomly divided into three groups (n = 14): group 1: NI; group 2: PUI; and group 3: EA. A solution of 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was used for irrigation. Nine teeth in each group were filled with AH Plus sealer mixed with CY5 fluorescent dye and a single gutta-percha cone. The sealer penetration area, maximum penetration depth and percentage of sealer penetration at 5 mm and 1 mm from the apex were analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The remaining 5 teeth in each group were subjected to test smear layer scores by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The CLSM evaluation showed that increases in the area, depth and percentage of sealer penetration were detected at 1 and 5 mm from the root apex in the PUI group compared with the NI group, and greater increases were observed in the EA group (P < 0.05). The SEM experiment showed that the lowest scores for the smear layer and debris removal were achieved by the EA group when compared with the PUI and NI groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, EA was superior to PUI and NI regarding sealer penetration at the root apex during endodontic treatment, and it could provide a new technical idea for clinical root canal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most existing studies comparing the efficiency of sonic irrigation (SI) and conventional needle irrigation (CNI) in increasing the penetration of sealers into dentine tubules are controversial; and this study aimed to determine whether the use of SI can lead to greater sealing ability than CNI, during the root canal treatment. Methods: The EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were used to find confocal laser scanning microscopy studies evaluating percentage and maximum depth of sealer penetration following the use of SI or CNI in mature permanent teeth until October 2022. The critical estimative checklist of randomized controlled trials of the standardized Joanna Briggs Institute was adopted to independently score the quality of each study. The random-effect model for meta-analysis was used to analyse for each canal segment (apical, middle, coronal). The results are shown in the forest plots as weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: Ninety-seven articles were included in the preliminary screening, and nine of them were included in this study. Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis.The meta-analysis exhibited great increases in the coronal (WMD: 8.09, 95% CI 2.78–13.40/WMD: 165.32, 95% CI 128.85–201.80), and middle segments (WMD: 8.81, 95% CI 5.76–11.87/WMD: 132.98, 95% CI 68.71–197.25) for the percentage and maximum depth of sealer penetration, respectively. The percentage of sealer penetration in the apical thirds region was nonsignificant (WMD: 4.73, 95% CI − 2.34–11.80). However, the maximum depth of sealer penetration in the apical thirds region was significant (WMD: 121.46, 95% CI 86.55–156.38). Chi-squared analysis revealed heterogeneity scores of 0.0–70.0% and 44.0–90.0% for the percentage and maximum depth of sealer penetration, respectively. Discussion: This review verified that SI significantly improves tubular dentin sealer penetration in most areas of the root canal; thus, SI may lead to better filling efficiency and anti-reinfection effects than CNI during and after the root canal therapy. Nevertheless, a large heterogeneity in the current data comparing the irrigation efficiency of SI versus CNI in the apical third of the root canal was found, implying the necessity to standardize root canal irrigation procedures and obtain more accurate results in this area. Trial Registration: INPLASY database (INPLASY202270116). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is a multi-dimensional concept commonly used to examine the impact of health status on quality of life, and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire is a good self-assessment tool. This study was designed to investigate the factor structure of the OHIP-14 scale Chinese version, measurement invariance and latent mean differences across genders among college students. Methods: The online survey was completed by 919 college students. This study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to check the structural models of the OHIP-14 scale, The correlation of each item with the scale total score could test homogeneity, and Cronbach's alpha (Cronbach's α) could evaluate internal consistency. Multi-group CFA was used to explore whether the Chinese version of the OHIP-14 scale was used in male and female populations for measurement consistency. T-test compared scores between men and women. Regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between age, gender, education, subject, and the score on the OHIP-14 scale. Results: We found that the 7-factor structure had the best fit index in the sample. According to Cronbach's α, the overall score of OHIP was 0.958, and Cronbach's α for 7 factors was: functional limitation was 0.800, physical pain was 0.854, psychological discomfort was 0.902, physical disability was 0.850, psychological disability was 0.768, social disability was 0.862, social handicap was 0.819 and the test–retest reliability interval was 0.723. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis supported residual measurement invariance across gender. T-test for scores showed that females scored higher significantly than men as did the overall score, in terms of physical pain (p<0.001), physical disability (p<0.001), and psychological disability (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study found the OHIP-14 Chinese version to be a good tool for assessing the college students' OHRQoL in China, allowing people to conduct self-assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]