Vlad Danila

For a long period of time, natural remedies were the only ailment available for a multitude of diseases, and they have proven effective even after the emergence of modern medicine. Due to their extremely high prevalence, oral and dental disorders and anomalies are recognized as major public health concerns. Herbal medicine is the practice of using plants with therapeutic characteristics for the purpose of disease prevention and treatment. Herbal agents have made a significant entry into oral care products in recent years, complementing traditional treatment procedures due to their intriguing physicochemical and therapeutic properties. There has been a resurgence of interest in natural products because of recent updates, technological advancements, and unmet expectations from current strategies. Approximately eighty percent of the world’s population uses natural remedies, especially in poorer nations. When conventional treatments have failed, it may make sense to use natural drugs for the treatment of pathologic oral dental disorders, as they are readily available, inexpensive, and have few negative effects. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and applications of natural biomaterials in dentistry, to gather relevant information from the medical literature with an eye toward its practical applicability, and make suggestions for the directions for future study.

Considering the current context of the increasing resistance of bacterial species to antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents, a major objective is to develop other antimicrobial approaches, which would be able to inactivate pathogens with considerable effectiveness. Two such methods are photodynamic disinfection therapy and laser irradiation. In view of the immunocompromised status of some patients under immunosuppressive therapy and potential drug interactions that can be established between systemic antimicrobial agents, the research of local, minimally invasive methods of inactivating periodontal pathogens in the context of these systemic therapies with modifying drugs of the immune response is justified. This in vitro study evaluated the antimicrobial action of a diode laser, wavelength 940 nm, and photodisinfection therapy at 670 nm (photosensitizer, 3,7 dimethyl phenothiazine chloride) on a type strain of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a known periodontal pathogen, in the presence and absence of active substances used in autoimmune disease therapy (Etanercept, Infliximab, Metothrexate). The association of a conventional antirheumatic drug with anti-TNF-α therapy determined a significantly greater inhibition of the strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans compared to monotherapy, in vitro. Photodisinfection caused a significant reduction in bacterial burden after a 30 s exposure in vitro, regardless of the pharmaceutical associations of biological and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Irradiation with a diode laser for 30 s at a power of 5 W caused a greater reduction compared to irradiation with 1 W. The application of laser and photodisinfection induced a significant reduction in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in vitro and could be considered important adjunctive measures for the eradication of this oral pathogen in the context of immunomodulating therapy.

Background and Objectives: College life is a time when students take more responsibility for health-related behaviors. Aim: To determine the oral health behaviors of dental students, to motivate their transformation into cyanogenic behaviors by applying the planned behavior model, and to determine the degree to which students can modify behavior for oral health. Material and Methods: The results of the initial and final assessment (4 months apart) of the bacterial plaque present by means of the Quigley Hein and API indexes were collected from the student files. The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II -HPLP II and Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) questionnaires were used to determine the variables with predictor values that influence the cognitive-perceptual factors. Results: For the “health responsibility” domain, the average total value was 2.53 ± 0.9 (SD). For the “interpersonal relationships” domain, the average value was 2.82 ± 0.79. In the case of the “nutrition” domain, the desire to change the behavior of the participants was moderate (2.53 ± 1.19). “Physical activity” represents an important field in the everyday life of young adults. The results of the study indicated a moderate desire for change (2.52 ± 0.97). In the case of “spiritual growth”, in which self-esteem, the way the individual perceives the environment and the adaptation to it were evaluated, a great desire for change was observed (2.74 ± 0.82). Scale GSE questionnaire showed an α coefficient of 28.52 ± 0.82, a value that indicated a moderate to a high level of efficacy and self-confidence. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that students have a moderate tendency to change in all areas, except for interpersonal relationships, where the desire to change something is increased. The participants have a moderate to a high level of self-efficacy and self-confidence.