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The high frequency and complexity of mandibular third molar (M3M) surgery have led several authors to the development of classification systems for better evaluation and management in oral surgery. This study compared the classifications of Juodzabalys and Daugela et al. (JD), Sammartino et al., Chang et al., Jhamb et al., Maglione et al., and Nemsi et al. to understand the concordance between the scores of M3M surgery. Two types of analysis were conducted: the relationship between the M3M and the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), and the overall difficulty score based on the tooth's angulation and its spatial position with the adjacent structure. The analysis of the classifications on the relationship between M3M and IAN resulted in a concordance of 26.1%. In the pairwise comparisons, the classifications of Nemsi et al. and Jhamb et al. showed the highest concordance of 59.5%. Analyzing the total scores difficulty, the JD et al., Chang et al., and Sammartino et al. classifications demonstrated a concordance level of 25.5%. A pairwise assessment revealed a higher concordance degree between the classifications of Sammartino et al. and Chang et al. (57.4%). The results highlight the limits in establishing a comprehensive and objective classification for the surgical difficulty of M3M, possibly attributed to variations in the methodology for computing total scores. An objective, automated, and non-operator-dependent classification method for assessing the surgical difficulty of M3M is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the randomized and non-randomized clinical trials (RCT; nRCT) concerning the different available osteotomies for surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME): pterygomaxillary disjunction (SARME + PD vs SARME-PD) and segmental Le Fort I osteotomy (2-piece vs 3-piece). Outcomes focused on skeletal, dental, upper airway changes, complications, and relapse. Two authors investigated five databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science) until August 2023. The Cochrane Collaboration Tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale were used for the quality assessment of the included RCTs and nRCTs, respectively. A total of 554 articles were retrieved and after duplicates removing and full-text reading, 40 studies were included. Two RCTs showed a low risk of bias, one an unclear risk and one a high risk. Among the non-RCTs, 15 studies showed a good quality, while 21 exhibited a fair quality score. SARME + PD resulted in more homogeneous posterior bone expansion, with minimal dental effects. No difference between 2-piece and 3-piece in asymmetric expansion was observed, although 3SO showed 1–2 mm of more transverse increase. The oropharynx minimum cross-sectional area, the nasopharynx and the oropharynx volume were greater in SARME + PD. Both dental and bone relapse can occur but no differences between the groups were observed. All osteotomies guaranteed a correction of transverse maxillary deficiency. Lower side effects were described in SARME + PD. Two-piece and 3-piece segmental Le Fort I osteotomies did not show any differences in the symmetry and amount of expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the perception of the risk and prevention of work-related COVID-19 infection in dentistry during the first week of the virus dissemination in Italy. Methods: The study was implemented as a cross-sectional study. The sample was composed of Italians of the age 18 and over and with a personal computer (PCs), tablets or smartphones connected to the web. An anonymous online survey was distributed using social media platforms and all the participants sent their responses. The outcome variable was the perception of COVID-19 risk dissemination at the dental office. Other study variables evaluated include the ability to distinguish between urgent and deferable oral surgical procedures, the perception of COVID-19 dissemination in oral surgical treatments compared to other medical procedures and the concomitant state of anxiety of the Italians. Results: The study sample included 512 participants (315 women and 197 men). Most of the participants (306, 59,8%) declared that at this moment dental procedures are quite risky, 67 respondents declared that there is a high risk for COVID-19 dissemination and 139 participants defined absent the risk of the virus dissemination after oral surgical procedures. The respondents declared that the most urgent and not-deferrable dental problems are dental abscess (72%), dental trauma (61%), and biopsy for suspect lesions of the oral cavity (49%). Comparing oral surgical treatments with other medical procedures the risk of COVID-19 dissemination was the same for most of the respondents. Results of HAM-A questionnaire showed that the majority of participants (87.3%) had a mild severity of anxiety symptoms (score ≤ 17). Most Italians perceive the risk of COVID-19 dissemination in oral surgical procedures, suggesting these last only in urgent cases. This diffuse concern increases the mild level of anxiety of Italian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research is to assess the desensitizing effect of a diode laser on non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) responsible for dentin hypersensitivity (DH) in two separate output forces implemented both independently and in sequential combination modalities. A randomized controlled trial for this study was applied. Sixty-nine NCCLs responsible for DH pain with severity between 6 and 9 on the VAS scale were considered. Three study groups were developed using just one lesion from three different quadrants of the oral cavity of each patient. All treatment procedures were conducted using a laser diode (810 nm, 5 W) with varying power outputs used separately or in combination. The pain by DH was evaluated at baseline, at treatment completion, and at 15 days and 3 months after each laser procedure. Data analysis was performed using a Wilcoxon test for paired samples, a one-way ANOVA test, and an unpaired t-test. The significant reduction of the mean VAS score was estimated in each study group immediately and at 15 days and 3 months after the end of treatment and compared with the baseline mean VAS score (p-value < 0.0001). The best result concerning the improvement of DH symptomatology was assessed when a combined protocol of two different output powers of the diode laser was used. The authors conclude that the diode laser (810 nm) therapy procedure combining two separate output forces (low and high power) can improve the painful symptoms of DH from NCCLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ShapeAXI represents a cutting-edge framework for shape analysis that leverages a multi-view approach, capturing 3D objects from diverse viewpoints and subsequently analyzing them via 2D Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). We implement an automatic N-fold cross-validation process and aggregate the results across all folds. This ensures insightful explainability heat-maps for each class across every shape, enhancing interpretability and contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the underlying phenomena. We demonstrate the versatility of ShapeAXI through two targeted classification experiments. The first experiment categorizes condyles into healthy and degenerative states. The second, more intricate experiment, engages with shapes extracted from CBCT scans of cleft patients, efficiently classifying them into four severity classes. This innovative application not only aligns with existing medical research but also opens new avenues for specialized cleft patient analysis, holding considerable promise for both scientific exploration and clinical practice. The rich insights derived from ShapeAXI's explainability images reinforce existing knowledge and provide a platform for fresh discovery in the fields of condyle assessment and cleft patient severity classification. As a versatile and interpretative tool, ShapeAXI sets a new benchmark in 3D object interpretation and classification, and its groundbreaking approach hopes to make significant contributions to research and practical applications across various domains. ShapeAXI is available in our GitHub repository https://github.com/DCBIA-OrthoLab/ShapeAXI.