Genomic analysis identifies TJP3 as a prognostic marker for radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

This study analyzed somatic mutations and differentially expressed genes in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumors to identify prognostic markers for radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent chemo-radiation therapy (CCRT). We used longitudinal whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from a patient who developed radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) after CCRT with public datasets (TCGA and GSE41613) to identify genes associated with 24-month overall survival (OS). Candidates were further refined using Cox regression for OS.

Dimensional analysis of condylar head using 3D scanned models of human dry skulls: A comparative study of measurement methods.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the dimensional characteristics of the condylar head in 3D models of dry human mandibles using two different measurement methods.

Methods: A total of 46 condylar heads from 29 dry human mandibles were scanned using a 3D scanner. Two perpendicular reference planes were used to identify the most medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior points.

Prognostic DNA mutation and mRNA expression analysis of perineural invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

This study analyzed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) genomes and transcriptomes in relation to perineural invasion (PNI) and prognosis using Cancer Genome Atlas data and validated these results with GSE41613 data. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were conducted. We identified 22 DNA mutations associated with both overall survival (OS) and PNI.

Artificial intelligence in diagnosing dens evaginatus on periapical radiography with limited data availability.

This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model using deep learning techniques to diagnose dens evaginatus (DE) on periapical radiography (PA) and compare its performance with endodontist evaluations. In total, 402 PA images (138 DE and 264 normal cases) were used. A pre-trained ResNet model, which had the highest AUC of 0.

Sinus augmentation with poly(ε)caprolactone-β tricalcium phosphate scaffolds, mesenchymal stem cells and platelet rich plasma for one-stage dental implantation in minipigs.

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy of a tube-shaped poly(ε) caprolactone - β tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) scaffold with the incorporation of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for bone regeneration in the procedure of single-stage sinus augmentation and dental implantation in minipigs.

Methods: Implants were placed in the bilateral sides of the maxillary sinuses of 5 minipigs and allocated to a PCL-TCP+hUCMSCs+PRP group (n=5), a PCL-TCP+PRP group (n=5), and a PCL-TCP-only group (n=6). After 12 weeks, bone regeneration was evaluated with soft X-rays, micro-computed tomography, fluorescence microscopy, and histomorphometric analysis.

Biomechanical microenvironmental stimulating effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on the regeneration of crush injured rat sciatic nerve.

This study evaluated the biomechanical microenvironmental stimulating effect of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the regeneration of crush-injured rat sciatic nerve, when combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF-β), in the form of an adenoviral vector-mediated NGF. Sprague-Dawley rats were equally distributed into six groups; PBS, BMSC, NGF-Ad + BMSC, PEMF + PBS, PEMF + BMSC and PEMF + NGF-Ad + BMSC. The PBS group received PBS (volume: 10μL/rat), the BMSC group with BMSCs (1 × 10 cell/10 μL/rat) and NGF-Ad group with the rhNGF-β Ad infected BMSCs (1 × 10 cell/10 μL/rat) immediate after right sciatic nerve crush injury.

Artificial intelligence in positioning between mandibular third molar and inferior alveolar nerve on panoramic radiography.

Determining the exact positional relationship between mandibular third molar (M3) and inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is important for surgical extractions. Panoramic radiography is the most common dental imaging test. The purposes of this study were to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to determine two positional relationships (true contact and bucco-lingual position) between M3 and IAN when they were overlapped in panoramic radiographs and compare its performance with that of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) specialists.

Effects of the combination of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and nano-hydroxyapatite on the osseointegration of dental implants.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the osteoinductivity of the combination of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) and the effects of implants coated with nHAp/BMP-2.

Materials And Methods: To evaluate the efficacy of nHAp/BMP-2 on bone formation, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were seeded onto titanium disks coated with collagen (Col), Col/nHAp, or Col/nHAp/BMP-2. Protein levels were determined by a biochemical assay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Long-Term Outcomes of Implants Placed in Autogenous Onlay Bone Grafts Harvested from Mandibular Ramus and Risk Analysis.

Purpose: This study evaluated the long-term survival and success rates of dental implants placed with autogenous onlay block bone grafts harvested from the mandibular ramus.

Materials And Methods: Patients treated with onlay bone graft from the mandibular ramus due to a severe vertical alveolar defect from 2001 to 2017 were included in this study. The marginal bone loss, success, and survival time of the implants were recorded and analyzed with clinical factors, such as time from bone graft to implant placement, type of implant prosthesis connection, history of periodontitis, and insertion depth.

Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy with a 915 Nm Wavelength Diode Laser on the Healing of Intraoral Mucosal Wound: An Animal Study and a Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

Diode laser has been the most popular low-level laser therapy (LLLT) technique in dentistry due to its good tissue penetration, lower financial costs, small size for portable application, and convenience to use. A series of recent studies with 940 nm or 980 nm lasers demonstrated that LLLT showed positive effects after third molar extraction or periodontal flap surgery. However, the effects of LLLT on intraoral mucosal wound healing after surgical incision have not yet been determined in human clinical study.

Enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells on Ti surfaces with electrochemical nanopattern formation.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are mainly used for dental and orthopedic applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. However, their intrinsic bioinertness often quotes as a common complaint for biomedical applications. Herein, we produced nanopattern Ti surfaces with 10 nm nanopores in 120 nm dimples by electrochemical nanopattern formation (ENF), and evaluated the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on the nanopattern Ti surfaces.

Maxillary Sinus Augmentation With Calcium Phosphate Double-Coated Anorganic Bovine Bone: Comparative Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial With Histological and Radiographic Evaluation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical, histological and radiographic outcomes of the calcium phosphate double-coated anorganic bovine bone (InduCera; Oscotec Inc., Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea) compared with that of anorganic bovine bone (Bio-Oss; Geistlich Biomaterials, Wolhusen, Switzerland) in maxillary sinus augmentation, prospectively.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-eight sinuses in 25 patients (3 bilateral) with vertical alveolar bone height from 2 to 5 mm were included in this study.

Bone-level implants placed in the anterior maxilla: an open-label, single-arm observational study.

Purpose: This study assessed marginal bone remodeling and soft tissue esthetics after the loading of single bone-level implants in the anterior maxilla.

Methods: An open, single-arm observational clinical trial with 3 years of follow-up was performed, including 22 implants. The patients presented with a single tooth gap in the anterior maxilla (tooth positions 14-24), with natural or restored adjacent teeth.

Maximal strength and endurance scores of the tongue, lip, and cheek in healthy, normal Koreans.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for healthy Korean adults by measuring the maximal strength and endurance scores of the tongue, lip, and cheek, and to examine correlations between these measurements.

Materials And Methods: This study included 120 subjects that were divided into three groups according to age: young (20-39 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and older (over 60 years); and by gender. Measurements were taken using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI).

Recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-2 promotes nerve regeneration and functional recovery after mental nerve crush injury.

Several studies have shown that fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) can directly affect axon regeneration after peripheral nerve damage. In this study, we performed sensory tests and histological analyses to study the effect of recombinant human FGF-2 (rhFGF2) treatment on damaged mental nerves. The mental nerves of 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were crush-injured for 1 minute and then treated with 10 or 50 μg/mL rhFGF2 or PBS in crush injury area with a mini Osmotic pump.

Long-term follow-up of autogenous tooth bone graft blocks with dental implants.

Demineralized dentin matrix block (ABTB: Autogenous Tooth Bone Graft Block) is 3-D scaffold with same components and geometry with alveolar bone. ABTB is well incorporated and remodelled into cortico-cancellous bone with dental implant. The shape and volume were maintained with little marginal bone loss after average 44 months of follow-up.

Autogenous demineralized dentin matrix from extracted tooth for the augmentation of alveolar bone defect: a prospective randomized clinical trial in comparison with anorganic bovine bone.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy and histological outcome of the autogenous tooth graft material (AutoBT) compared to that of anorganic bovine bone (Bio-Oss , Geistlich, Switzerland) in post-extraction alveolar bone augmentation.

Patients And Methods: A total of 33 graft sites in 24 patients were included in this study. AutoBT was used in 21 sites of 15 patients and Bio-Oss was used in 12 sites of 9 patients for alveolar bone augmentation 2-4 weeks after dental extraction.

Mandibular condylar-ramal reconstruction using vascularised costochondral graft based on the serratus anterior composite flap.

Background: Nonvascularised autogenous costochondral rib grafts are the gold standard for replacement of the mandibular ramus and condyle. However, condylar defects present a difficult condition to treat when soft tissue defects are involved. Thus, we used vascularised costochondral grafts (VCGs) with a cartilaginous cap based on the serratus anterior muscle flap to reconstruct these composite defects.

Masticatory muscle pain and progressive mouth opening limitation caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case report.

This article reports a case of masticatory muscle pain and progressive limited mouth opening secondary to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), popularly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The symptoms were first mistaken as those of temporomandibular disorders, before fatty degeneration of all masticatory muscles were discovered on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ALS should be considered in the differential diagnosis process when the patient presents with longstanding progressive mouth opening limitation associated with pain.

Biologic properties of nano-hydroxyapatite: An in vivo study of calvarial defects, ectopic bone formation and bone implantation.

This study investigated the biologic properties of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) using the rat calvarial defect, ectopic bone formation, and rabbit tibia implant installation models. Animals were divided into two groups: those implanted with nHAp, and negative controls (Collagen). Eight weeks after creating an 8 mm calvarial defect, bone regeneration was evaluated radiographically and histologically.

Molecular genetic study of novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: Early detection and treatment of an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is critical because of its rapid growth, frequent lymph-node metastasis, and poor prognosis. However, no clinically-valuable methods of early diagnosis exist, and genetic analysis of OSCCs has yielded no biomarkers.

Study Design: We investigated the expression of genes associated with inflammation in OSCCs via a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of microarray data.

Influencing factor on the prognosis of arthrocentesis.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to evaluate factors influencing prognosis of arthrocentesis in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

Materials And Methods: The subjects included 145 patients treated with arthrocentesis at the Dental Center of Ajou University Hospital from 2011 to 2013 for the purpose of recovering mouth opening limitation (MOL) and pain relief. Prognosis of arthrocentesis was evaluated 1 month after the operation.

Clinical outcome of conservative treatment of injured inferior alveolar nerve during dental implant placement.

Objectives: Infererior alveolar nerve (IAN) damage may be one of the distressing complications occurring during implant placement. Because of nature of closed injury, a large proportion is approached non-invasively. The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of conservative management of the injured nerve during dental implant procedure.