Larissa de Oliveira Reis

Introdução: O trabalho de conclusão de curso (TCC) é fundamental para obtenção do título de cirurgião-dentista, promovendo o aprimoramento técnico, científico e didático dos estudantes. Dessa forma, ressalta-se a importância de determinar o impacto e o perfil das pesquisas acadêmicas em cursos de graduação. Objetivo: Avaliar os TCC de odontologia da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - campus avançado Governador Valadares (UFJF-GV), depositados entre os anos de 2018 a 2023, por meio de um levantamento de dados no repositório institucional da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (RI-UFJF). Material e Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal retrospectivo dos TCC depositados de 2018 a 2023 no RI-UFJF. As variáveis investigadas foram: ano de publicação, área específica, tipo de metodologia, publicação em revista científica e seu respectivo Qualis Capes (2017-2020). Os dados foram tabulados e analisados de forma descritiva pelo programa Microsoft Excel. Resultados: O repositório apresentou 207 trabalhos. Desse total, o ano de 2022 apresentou o maior número de publicações (30,9%), enquanto o menor foi realizado em 2020 (3,9%). As áreas específicas com mais trabalhos publicados foram dentística e periodontia, com 27 trabalhos cada, seguida de endodontia com 25. Em relação ao tipo de metodologia, 44,4% foram estudos observacionais, 40,1% revisões e 15,5% estudos experimentais. No total, 37 TCC foram publicados em periódicos, sendo 19 em Qualis B3, quatro Qualis A1, dois Qualis A2 e quatro Qualis A4. Conclusão: As áreas com maior número de publicações estão disponíveis a partir do quinto período de graduação, segundo o projeto pedagógico do curso (PPC) da instituição, período em que os alunos iniciam suas atividades clínicas. A existência de publicações de trabalhos em periódicos de excelência nacionais e internacionais demonstra o impacto e a importância do estímulo à pesquisa ainda ao nível de graduação.

Ruiz DC, et al. Imaging Sci Dent. 2024 Sep;54(3):289-295. https://doi.org/10.5624/isd.20240056

Background: There is no established protocol for the low doses of cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) acquisition and filter application on the diagnosis of condylar morphological alterations.Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of voxel size and filter application on the diagnosis of condylar morphological alterations in CBCT using an ex vivo model.Methods: CBCT scans of 36 temporomandibular joints were acquired using OP300 Maxio with voxel sizes of 0.085, 0.125 and 0.280 mm. Three radiologists evaluated the condyles in the CBCT volumes under three filter modes: no filter, ‘1x’ sharpen filter and ‘2x’ sharpen filter. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity and specificity were calculated by comparing the evaluators' responses with the reference standard and compared among experimental groups using analysis of variance (ANOVA) (α = 5%).Results: The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity and specificity were not affected by voxel size and filter application (p > .05). For osteophyte and flattening, there were more true‐positive responses in smaller voxel size. For erosion, the increase of true‐ and false‐positive responses occurred with a larger voxel size. Overall, there was a tendency to decrease true positives for osteophyte and erosion and increase false positives for flattening with the ‘2x’ sharpen filter.Conclusions: The diagnosis of condylar morphological alterations assessed in this ex vivo analysis is not influenced by the voxel size and the application of the filters. However, attention is needed with the occurrence of false‐positive diagnosis with a larger voxel size for erosion and ‘2x’ sharpen filter for flattening.

Background: There is no established acquisition protocol based on scientific evidence for the acquisition of cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) exams to evaluate the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).Objectives: To evaluate the influence of acquisition protocols and jaw positioning on the diagnostic accuracy of TMJ condylar morphological alterations (CMA), dimension, position and excursion.Methods: Thirty‐six TMJs on 18 dry skulls were imaged using a CBCT unit (OP300 Maxio, Instrumentarium, Tuusula, Finland) at two exposure settings (4.5 and 6.3 mA), three voxel resolutions (0.085, 0.125 and 0.280 mm), three jaw positions (concentric, anteriorised and posteriorised) and three jaw excursions (normoexcursion, hyperexcursion and hypoexcursion). The macroscopic anatomy examination and high‐resolution CBCT images were used as ground truth for CMA. Twenty‐five TMJs had at least one CMA with 11 healthy TMJs serving as controls. Three experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologists evaluated the parasagittal images for the presence of CMA, position and excursion and measured dimensions. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Weighted Kappa (α = 0.05) was used to determine intra‐ and interexaminer reliability and comparisons between dependent variables analysed by Analysis of Variance at an a prior level of significance of 0.05.Results: The agreement of the evaluation of the position and excursion with the reference standard was high, independent of the protocol (range, 0.75–0.91). Various combinations of acquisition protocols and jaw position did not influence the CMA evaluation. Erosion was overdiagnosed in protocols with larger voxel sizes and the detection of osteophytes greater in images with smaller voxel sizes. The anteroposterior dimension was greater in the open jaw position (p < .05).Conclusion: CBCT protocols using reduced radiation exposure from the CBCT machine evaluated in this study can be used to assess condylar morphology, dimension, position and excursion, without compromising diagnostic performances for these parameters.

The aim of this study was to assess the use of digital dental radiology in Brazil, by focusing on the use of image receptors, imaging exams and digital image enhancement tools, also assessing the methods of professional image transfer. Questionnaires were distributed in person on dental meetings and digitally via messaging (WhatsApp®) and mailings list. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 478 questionnaires. Most participants were woman (n=315, 65.9%), with average age of 33.8±9.2 years. Descriptive and frequency analysis was performed. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used (α=0.05). Most dentists worked at shared dental clinics (34.7%) and use digital image receptors (51.1%), but a representative percentage (48.9%) still exclusively use radiographic films. Photostimulable phosphor plate is the most used digital image receptor. Among extraoral exams, panoramic radiography (PAN) is the most used. Regarding dental specialties, oral radiologists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons mostly use cone-beam computed tomography (p<0.001). Most dentists who use digital systems make use of digital image enhancement tools (87.8%), mainly contrast, zoom, brightness and measurements. The most common method of professional image transfer (professional-professional and professional-patiens) is by email, with few dentists using online app and social media (26%). Therefore, while most Brazilian dentists use digital imaging systems, a significant percentage still exclusively use radiographic films. The most extraoral imaging exams used is PAN. Regarding image enhancement tools, brightness and contrast adjustments, zoom and measurements are the most applied. Finally, dentists generally use email for professional image transfer.

Objective To evaluate whether the automatic exposure compensation in the presence of high-density materials can affect the measurement of alveolar bone level. Methods Thirty regions of seven dry skulls and six mandibles were radiographed with and without a high-density material, using two digital radiographic technologies: photostimulable phosphor plate (PSP, Digora Optime) and sensor (CMOS, Digora Toto), totaling 120 images. The distances from the cement–enamel junction to the alveolar bone crest were measured using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images to represent the reference standard. The same measurements of alveolar bone level and the average of the pixel values of the image were evaluated on the radiographs. Paired t test compared the average pixel values and alveolar bone-level measurements between images with and without high-density material. One-way analysis of variance compared the difference between radiographic and CBCT measurements (α = 0.05). Results The high-density material reduced the pixel values in PSP (p = 0.002) and CMOS (p < 0.001) technologies, demonstrating the AEC functioning in both technologies. There was no difference in bone-level measurements between the images without and with the high-density material for both technologies (p ≥ 0.091), or between the tomographic and radiographic measurements (p ≥ 0.319). Conclusion In the presence of high-density material, the automatic exposure compensation reduces the average pixel values of the images (i.e., images get darker), but does not influence the radiographic measurements of alveolar bone level.

Objective To determine the prevalence of the elongated styloid process (ESP) and its characteristics, such as sex and age of the patient, unilateral and bilateral incidence, besides variations between different populations and panoramic and CBCT examinations. Materials and methods A search was performed in six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Lilacs, and Embase) to identify observational studies that used imaging exams and assessed ESP prevalence among panoramic radiograph CBCT examinations, whose transversal prevalence studies were included. Furthermore, studies with a specific group of patients or symptomatic patients were excluded. Additionally, Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. A meta-analysis was conducted, then subgroup analyses were performed by grouping studies according to the secondary outcomes, with a significance level set at 5%. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system was used to rate the certainty in the evidence. Results The initial search resulted in 1635 studies, from which 39 articles met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 50,655 participants. The sample size varied between 82 and 5,000 participants. The prevalence of the ESP ranged from 1.3 to 94.8%, with an overall prevalence of 30.2%. The bilateral occurrence was higher than the unilateral one, but no significant predilection was observed according to sex, age, or population. The type of imaging examination also showed no difference in its detection. Conclusion The overall prevalence of ESP was 30.2%, with a propensity for bilaterality, but not for any sex, age, or population geographic location. The imaging examination modality did not influence the diagnosis of ESP. However, the quality level of the studies evaluated was very low, demonstrating the need for more homogeneous primary studies on the prevalence of the ESP with a more standardized methodology. Clinical relevance There is no consensus in the literature regarding the prevalence of the ESP and the characteristics of the affected patients that can cause chronic and debilitating discomfort in the head and neck region. Therefore, knowledge about the prevalence and characteristics of this condition would help dental clinicians reach the correct diagnosis.