Ioana Duncea

This literature review examines the advancements in laser technology that have enhanced the veneer debonding process, offering insights into the proper implementation of these techniques in clinical practice with emphasis on laser parameters, debonding efficiency, thermal effects, and preservation of tooth structure. A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed,Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library. The review was structured according to the PICO framework. The search was performed independently by two reviewers on laser-assisted debonding of ceramic veneers using Er:YAG or Er,Cr:YSGG lasers.Based on a comprehensive evaluation of existing studies, the review presents different types of prosthetic restorations, materials, and laser parameters, and how they interact with each other. The benefits of laser precision, including improved control, workflow efficiency, fewer procedural steps, and reduced tissue impact, are emphasised to help dental practitioners enhance the standard of care in veneer debonding. Across the twenty nine studies that were obtained, laser debonding facilitated removal while pulpal temperature increases remained below commonly cited critical values. Both Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG systems demonstrated effective veneer removal. Thinner veneers nedeed less irradiation time and lower energy. Limited enamel alterations occured when appropriate parameters were used. Current studies suggest that Er:YAG and Er, Cr: YSGG lasers offer clinical advantages in terms of efficiency, safety, and patient comfort. Studies demonstrate that optimized laser settings reduce debonding time and minimize the risk of thermal damage to underlying tooth structure and surrounding tissues. Debonding efficiency was influenced by veneer thickness, ceramic type, cement composition, laser power, pulse duration and cooling protocols Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG lasers are promising tools for ceramic veneer debonding. However, results obtained in these studies cannot be directly associated to patient-centered issuses, further standardized clinical studies are required before definitive clinical recommendations can be made.

Oral health is a very important issue today. This approach presents an original idea: to model the dental implant as a double-articulated buckling bar on an elastic environment. The mandibular bone is considered as the elastic environment. The buckling bar is analyzed using the Transfer-Matrix Method. The risk of buckling is higher for straight bars subjected to axial compression. Therefore, knowing the critical buckling force is very important, especially in the case of dental implants. This study, based on the Transfer-Matrix Method, was carried out in two steps. In the first step, a double-articulated buckling bar on a rigid environment is considered. The second step involves studying the same doubly articulated bar, but with the joint at the lower end resting on an elastic environment. The bone in which the implant is placed is considered as this elastic environment. The Transfer-Matrix Method is easy to implement and provides quick results for problems involving the shape optimization of structural components. This article presents a completely new idea and an original approach to buckling analysis, with applications to dental implants. This work will serve as a foundation for future research involving experimental investigations of dental implants.

Background: Since periodontitis prevalence has increased globally and there is a bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and diabetes mellitus (DM), new methods of preventing and screening involving DM biomarkers could impact periodontitis management. We aimed to develop a fuzzy system to estimate the risk of periodontitis in patients with DM. Methods: Body mass index (BMI), glycemia (G), total cholesterol (C), and triglyceride (T) measurements were collected from 87 patients diagnosed with DM. Oral examinations were performed, and the number of the periodontal pockets (nrPPs) was determined. A fuzzy system was developed: BMI and G as inputs resulted in Periodontitis Risk 1 (PRisk1) output; C and T as inputs resulted in Periodontitis Risk 2 (PRisk2) output. From PRisk1 and PRisk2, the cumulative periodontitis risk (PCRisk) was assessed. Linguistic terms and linguistic grades (very small, small, medium, big, and very big) were assigned to the numerical variables by using 25 different membership functions. PCRisk and nrPP values were statistically processed. Results: In our developed fuzzy system, BMI, G, C, and T as input data resulted in periodontitis risk estimation. PCRisk was correlated with nrPP: when PCRisk increased by 1.881 units, nrPP increased by 1 unit. The fuzzy logic-based system effectively estimated periodontitis risk in type 2 diabetes patients, showing a significant correlation with the number of periodontal pockets. These findings highlight its potential for early diagnosis and improved interdisciplinary care.

Background/Objectives: Osteoporosis is a common general disease that mostly affects the skeletal system, including the jawbone. There is a link between systemic and mandibular osteoporosis. This study aimed at assessing the association between systemic (lumbar spine L1–L4, femoral neck, total hip) bone mineral density (BMD) and mandible BMD sites in Romanian postmenopausal females. Methods: A total of 97 menopausal patients were studied, 62 with osteoporosis and 35 females with no osteoporosis. For each patient, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessments of BMD in the mandible, proximal femur, total hip, and lumbar spine (L1–L4) were performed. Mandibular measurements were performed using the distal forearm software, followed by manual analysis after the bone contour was defined in each case. Results: Comparing the osteoporosis and control groups, there were significant differences in BMD at each examined location. The mandibular BMD (1.125 ± 0.181506 g/cm²) in the osteoporosis group was considerably smaller than in the control group (1.35497 ± 0.244397 g/cm²). Correlations between the BMD at different sites were significant: lumbar spine and femoral neck (r = 0.738, p < 0.0001), lumbar spine and total hip (r = 0.735, p < 0.0001), lumbar spine and mandible (r = 0.506, p < 0.0001), femoral neck and total hip (r = 0.891, p < 0.0001), femoral neck and mandible (r = 0.482, p < 0.0001), and total hip and mandible (r = 0.466, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There were correlations between mandible BMD and lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip BMD, suggesting that osteoporosis affects mandibular bone density. BMD assessments at common locations may help predict mandibular BMD and the probability of osteoporosis.

(1) Background: This study aimed to perform a literature review related to disk displacement (DD) in class II malocclusion or cervical vertebrae position alterations and to report a hypodivergent case with cervical pain and right anterolateral DD with reduction, left anterolateral DD with reduction, and left joint effusion. (2) Methods: A structured electronic search was conducted between March 2022 and April 2022, without time limits, following PRISMA guidelines, in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane; the terms “disc displacement”, “disk displacement”, “temporomandibular joint”, “class II malocclusion” and “cervical vertebrae” are searched. (3) Results: the following thirteen publications are included in this review: two prospective studies and eleven cross-sectional studies; for evaluating disk position, eight included publications used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whilst six studies used lateral cephalogram to determine craniofacial morphology and relationships between the cranial base, vertical skeletal pattern, maxilla and mandible. (4) Conclusions: although the literature still shows contradictory opinions, a relationship between temporomandibular disorders and cervical posture has been shown in the presented case as well as in the literature review.

Background: As the human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are detected in healthy oral mucosa as well as in oral lesions, dental practitioners have an important role in detecting any possible lesions that might be caused by this virus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of orthodontic treatments and HPV infections and to report a rare case of ongoing orthodontic treatment superposed on an HPV infection. Methods: An electronic English literature research of the articles published between the years 2011–2021 was conducted between December 2021–February 2022, accessing PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The terms “HPV”, “orthodontics”, “orthodontic treatment”, “tooth movement”, “tooth mobility”, and “malocclusion” were searched. The following inclusion criteria were pursued: articles published in English language; studies reporting HPV infection in subjects with past or ongoing orthodontic treatment; and case reports of subjects with HPV and orthodontic treatment. Exclusion criteria were: articles in languages other than English, studies related to malignancies other than HPV and orthodontic treatment; and studies reporting patients with HPV and no orthodontic treatment. Results: Following the systematic review, which includes six papers, a case of orthodontic treatment superposed on a HPV infection is presented. Conclusion: Incumbent, postponed HPV infection on an ongoing orthodontic treatment might affect treatment outcome and patient compliance.

The periodontal disease is a complex chronic progressive inflammatory and destructive process of the tooth attachment apparatus: gingiva, alveolar bone, desmodontium, cementum. Systemic osteoporosis has a potential influence on both the periodontal and gingival inflammation indices, on the gingival recession (GR) and teeth mobility. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between the menopause osteoporosis and gingival recession, by studying the correlations between osteoporosis and gingival recession, and between the bone mineral density (BMD) at the level of L1–L4, femur, hip, mandible and gum recession. The present study included a total of 97 postmenopausal patients. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was made based on the WHO definition. The results were expressed as absolute BMD values in g/cm2 and as T score form. We used dual x-ray absortiometry (DXA) measurements in assessing the lumbar column, proximal femur and mandible and we calculated the T scores. The gingival recession, which is an indicator of ligament tissue lysis and apical migration of the periodontal tissue, was measured as the distance between the anatomical tooth neck and the gumline. For the statistical analysis the Medcalc program version 12.3 was used. We found statistically significant differences between the two groups of women, with and without osteoporosis, in terms of the distribution of the cases of GR (p=0.003). The only parameter with statistical significance of the differences between the three categories of gingival recessions (absent, moderate, major), was p=0.034 for the femoral neck BMD. There were significant differences between the mean values of lumbar column L1–L4 BMD according to the presence or absence of recession signs. 1) The prevalence of moderate and major gingival recession was statistically significantly higher in the group of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. 2) In postmenopausal women, statistically significant differences were found between the femoral neck BMD values according to the three types of gingival recession. 3) The mean L1–L4 BMD values and the femoral neck BMD were significantly lower in the women with GR compared to those without gingival recession.