Angélica Aparecida de Oliveira

Enamel development defects (EDD) are characterized as qualitative or quantitative disturbances that occur during amelogenesis. The correct diagnosis is important to offer the best treatment options for patients presenting such conditions; however, these defects are still not well recognized by dental professionals. This study evaluated the knowledge of a group of dentists and dental students concerning the diagnosis of EDD. Dentists and dental students were invited to participate in this cross-sectional survey through electronic invitations distributed via email and social media platforms. Participation was voluntary. The survey required responses to questions regarding sociodemographics and diagnosis of EDD. Poisson regression was used to verify the association of the number of correct answers with independent variables, and the Mann–Whitney test was used to determine the existence of significant differences between the knowledge of dentists and dental students (α = 5%). A total of 402 dentists and 208 dental students participated in this study. For the entire sample, the mean number of correct answers was 9.58 (SD = 2.79) out of 15 questions. Molar–incisor hypomineralization had the lowest percentage of correct diagnosis (48%). Moreover, an association was found between the knowledge regarding the diagnosis of the EDD and the independent variables tested, and dentists achieved higher diagnostic scores than dental students in the present sample (p < 0.05). Participants demonstrated variable diagnostic performance across EDD categories, with particular difficulties in recognizing MIH and hypoplasia. These findings reinforce the importance of more in-depth and practical training on EDD in both the continuing education of dental professionals and undergraduate dental education.

To develop a lipopolysaccharide complex radiolabeled with technetium-99m (99mTc-LPS) and evaluate its ability to induce pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in primary macrophage cultures in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was radiolabeled with technetium-99m using stannous chloride (SnCl₂) as a reducing agent under controlled conditions. Radiochemical purity and stability were assessed. Macrophages derived from the bone marrow of Wistar rats were cultured and distributed into experimental groups including negative controls (no stimulus, saline, SnCl₂, and free technetium), a positive control (isolated LPS), and treatments with (⁹⁹ᵐTc-LPS) in different concentrations and forms (not radioactive or radioactive). After 24 h, supernatants were collected and cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) were quantified using multiplex ELISA. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test and bootstrapping (p < 0.05). The 99mTc-LPS complex significantly increased IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α expression compared with negative control groups (p < 0.001). IL-1β levels were also elevated in both LPS and 99mTc-LPS groups, with no significant difference between them (p = 0.051). Radiolabeled LPS treatments produced significantly higher TNF-α levels (p < 0.005), while the LPS+TCR2 group showed the highest production of IL-10, indicating an amplified inflammatory response. LPS can be efficiently radiolabeled with technetium-99m, producing a stable and functional compound that retains the ability to induce an inflammatory response in vitro. The (⁹⁹ᵐTc-LPS) complex shows promise as a radiotracer for tracking systemic infection associated with apical periodontitis, with potential applications in the molecular diagnosis of oral infections and their systemic repercussions.

This study aimed to investigate the role of Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) in the progression of periapical lesions by evaluating NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) expression in wild‐type (WT) and TLR2 knockout (KO) mice. A total of 55 mice (28 WT, 27 TLR2‐KO) underwent pulpal exposure of mandibular first molars and were euthanised at 7, 21, or 42 days post‐exposure. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. TLR2‐KO mice showed significantly larger periapical lesions and higher IL‐1β expression than WT mice after 21 and 42 days, respectively. In contrast, NLRP3 expression was significantly greater in WT mice at both time points. A weak but significant positive correlation between NLRP3 and IL‐1β expression was observed only in WT mice. These findings suggest that TLR2 plays a protective role in limiting periapical bone resorption and modulating inflammatory cytokine expression, independent of NLRP3 inflammasome activity.

In this study, referrals for lingual frenotomy/frenectomy (F/F) were evaluated in children younger than 7 years the public dental services of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2017 to 2022. In this longitudinal observational retrospective study, the Hygiaweb System (Power BI) platform to access electronic medical records, and the following variables were collected: incidence of F/F, reports of symptoms associated with ankyloglossia, duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), professional categories requesting the referral, and multiprofessional evaluation. Descriptive analyses, associations between variables, comparisons between groups and incidence ratios were performed. The significance level was set at 5%. During the study period, 242 procedures were performed, the majority of them in children younger than 1 year, with an increasing trend towards F/F (p = 0.028, S = 11). The estimated incidence was 40.6 F/F per 10,000 inhabitants. Among all children who underwent F/F, the majority were breastfed for up to 1 month (101, 41.7%), followed by 4 to 5 months (56, 23.1%). There was no significant association between exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and lingual frenectomy before 6 months of age (p = 0.444). Confirmation of the need for lingual frenectomy was associated with multidisciplinary assessment at referral (p < 0.001; Cramér’s V = 0.268). It can be concluded that organization of the care process and the breastfeeding support movement may have had a positive influence on the management of cases and the upward trend towards F/F procedures. Multiprofessional assessment seemed to have an impact on the accuracy of referrals for cases requiring surgical intervention.

This in vitro study evaluated the effect of proanthocyanidin, palm oil, and vitamin E against initial erosion. Bovine enamel blocks (n = 140) were divided into 14 groups: C+_SnCl2/NaF/Am-F-containing solution (positive control); C-_deionized water (negative control); O_palm oil; P6.5_6.5% proanthocyanidin; P2_2% proanthocyanidin; E_Vitamin E (97.8% oily tocopherol acetate); OP6.5_palm oil + 6.5% proanthocyanidin; P6.5O_6.5% proanthocyanidin + palm oil; OP2_palm oil + 2% proanthocyanidin; P2O_2% proanthocyanidin + palm oil; EP6.5_Vitamin E + 6.5% proanthocyanidin; P6.5E_6.5% proanthocyanidin + Vitamin E; EP2_Vitamin E + 2% proanthocyanidin; P2E_2% proanthocyanidin + Vitamin E. The acquired enamel pellicle (AEP) was previously formed in situ for 30 min. The specimens were treated in vitro with the solutions (500 µL, 30s). Then, the blocks were maintained for an additional hour in oral cavity to develop the modified AEP. The blocks were immersed in 0.5% citric acid (pH 2.5) during 30s. The response variable was the percentage of surface hardness loss (%SHL). Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test (p<0.05). P6.5E (12±7_%SHL) was the only group that promoted similar protection to C+ (11±8_%SHL). O (17±13_%SHL), P2 (20±10_%SHL), OP6.5 (19±12_%SHL), P2O (21±13_%SHL), P6.5E (12±7_%SHL), and P2E (19±9_%SHL) exhibited %SHL similar to both C+ and C- (25±10_%SHL) groups (p<0.05). P6.5 (23±11_%SHL), E (27±8_%SHL), P6.5O (24±13_%SHL), OP2 (27±12_%SHL), EP6.5 (24±11_%SHL), and EP2 (26±11_%SHL) were different to C+ and similar to C-. It was concluded that the combination of 6.5% proanthocyanidin and vitamin E (P6.5E) was the most effective strategy against enamel erosion, aligning closely with the positive control.

Aim To evaluate the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β cytokine in the progression of periapical lesions in wild-type (WT) and TLR2 knockout (KO) mice. Materials and Methods An experimental investigation was carried out, considering 28 WT and 27 TLR2-KO mice ( N = 55). All periapical lesions were induced in mandibular first molars, and mice were randomly euthanized after 7, 21, and 42 days of pulpal exposure ( n = 8-10 per group/period). Microscopic analysis was carried out using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry for NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β cytokine expressions. The significance level was set at 5%. Results Pulpal exposure triggered an inflammatory reaction in both animal models. Regarding periapical bone resorption, the lesion area was significantly larger in TLR2-KO mice compared to WT after 21 days ( p = 0.006). Addressing NLRP3 inflammasome immunostaining, the stained area was significantly larger in WT mice compared to TLR2-KO after 21 days ( p = 0.006) and 42 days ( p = 0.003). Ultimately, in relation to the IL-1β cytokine expression, more positive cells were significantly observed in TLR2-KO mice compared to WT after 42 days ( p = 0.003). Correlating the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β cytokine, a significant, positive and weak correlation was observed in WT mice ( p = 0.039, ρ = 0.393), which was not observed in TLR2-KO ( p = 0.384). Conclusion Periapical bone resorption and the expression of IL-1β cytokine were increased in the absence of TLR2, suggesting a protective role of this receptor against osteolysis that was not mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome.

This study investigated the association of recombinant sugarcane cystatin (CaneCPI-5) and vitamin E in acquired enamel pellicle (AEP) engineering for the prevention of dental erosion in vitro. For such,...

Aim: To evaluate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate and graduate students of the Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. Methods: Three questionnaires were used: sociodemographic, WHO Abbreviated Quality of Life Inventory, and General Anxiety Disorder-7. Data were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 7a (α = 5%). Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn post-tests were used for statistical comparisons. The Spearman test was used as the correlation test. Results: 257 students responded to the online form that assessed their quality of life and anxiety level. On a scale from 1 to 100, with 100 being the best quality of life, the average obtained was 64.71 (± 13.36). In addition, 87.6% of the students rated their quality of life as good or very good. 74.7% reported good or very good health. The anxiety analysis resulted in an average of 10.04 (± 4.5), indicating moderate anxiety levels. There was an inversely proportional correlation between age and degree of anxiety (p = 0.008, r = -0.1628) and self-perceived learning and student commitment (r = 0.69). Conclusion: Despite the good quality of life and the students’ good self-perception of health, they showed a moderate degree of anxiety during the social distancing caused by COVID-19, also demonstrating a decrease in interest and commitment during distance education.