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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of radiotherapy (RT) and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on the wear and surface roughness of in vitro irradiated human enamel and dentin subjected to abrasive challenge. Enamel and dentin specimens (n = 42) were prepared from teeth donated by healthy patients and those with head and neck cancer who had received radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The specimens were categorized into three groups: control, RT, and CRT (n = 14 per group for both enamel and dentin). These samples were subjected to an in vitro abrasive experiment using a brushing machine, followed by wear and surface roughness assessments with a confocal laser scanning microscope conducted before and after the abrasive challenge, considering both exposed and non-exposed areas. Statistical analysis used Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality, Wilcoxon tests for comparing two means, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. A significance level of 5% was adopted. In enamel specimens, wear profile values ​​of CRT and RT groups were not different from the control (p > 0.05). The RT group presents lower step values than the CRT and control groups (p < 0.001). No significant difference in final surface roughness was observed in all groups (p > 0.05). In dentin specimens, no significant difference in wear profile and step was observed in all groups (p > 0.05). However, CRT and RT groups present higher values in final surface roughness (p < 0.001). The exposure to ionizing radiation (associated or not to chemotherapy) influenced the surface roughness of dentin and the wear (step) of enamel after the in vitro abrasive challenge.Trial registration: Ethical procedures were approved by the FORP/USP Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 61308416.4.0000.5419), and Hospital do Câncer de Barretos/Fundação Pio XII (CAAE: 61308416.4.3001.5437)., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that they are relevant to the content of this article. The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This was an in vitro experimental study carried out with human teeth donated to the teeth biobank of the Faculty of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto—University of São Paulo, Brazil (FORP/USP). All patients signed the donation term. Ethical procedures were approved by the FORP/USP Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 61308416.4.0000.5419), and Hospital do Câncer de Barretos/Fundação Pio XII (CAAE: 61308416.4.3001.5437), as a co-participating institution in teeth donation. Furthermore, we declare that we follow all the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. All eligible participants or legal guardians were informed about the nature of the study and the potential risks and benefits of their participation, signing an informed consent form., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To analyze the functions of the stomatognathic system in children with or without molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH)., Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 72 children aged 6-12 years were recruited and divided in two groups: with MIH (G1) and without MIH (G2). T-SCAN was used to verify the distribution of occlusal contacts, gnathodynamometer to measure maximum molar bite force, and Iowa Oral Pressure Instrument (IOPI) to assess the strength of facial expression muscles. The t test and paired t test (p ≤ 0.05) were used for statistical comparisons., Results: The molars affected by MIH exhibited lower distribution of occlusal forces (p < 0.001) and lower maximum molar bite force (p < 0.05) compared to the molars in the control group. However, there was no difference between the MIH-affected sides compared to the unaffected side, nor between the molars affected by MIH and their antagonists (p > 0.05). There were no differences in the forces of the facial expression muscles between the groups., Conclusions: These findings suggest that MIH significantly impacts occlusal force distribution and bite force, but not facial expression musculature., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.)

Aims: This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of oral health training for caregivers of individuals with disabilities., Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted using five electronic databases: Medline (PubMed), SciELO, Web of Science, LILACS, and CAFe, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The PICO strategy was defined as follows: Participants: caregivers of individuals with disabilities; Intervention: training or education in oral health for caregivers; Control: no caregiver training; and Outcomes: evaluating whether oral health training for caregivers improves the oral health of people with disabilities. The study aimed to address the research question: "What is the impact of oral health training for caregivers of individuals with disabilities?" The study was preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42023416760)., Results: A total of 14 studies were included, with trained caregivers being either staff members or parents, and various disabilities reported, with cerebral palsy being the most prevalent. Caregiver training methods varied, such as instructions on the importance of oral health care, supervised oral hygiene, and demonstration of toothbrushing techniques. Overall, the intervention groups showed an improvement in measures such as to the Gingival Index, Plaque Index, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, and Gingival Bleeding Index on upon probing. Additionally, improvements were observed in the quality, frequency, and duration of toothbrushing among intervention groups., Conclusion: The findings suggest that oral health training for caregivers has a positive impact on the oral health of individuals with disabilities, potentially leading to better oral health outcomes., (© 2024 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a tool in the diagnosis and acquisition of knowledge, particularly in dentistry, sparking debates on its application in clinical decision-making., Objective: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the responses generated by Chatbot Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) 3.5 in dentistry using expert-formulated questions., Materials and Methods: Experts were invited to create three questions, answers, and respective references according to specialized fields of activity. The Likert scale was used to evaluate agreement levels between experts and ChatGPT responses. Statistical analysis compared descriptive and binary question groups in terms of accuracy and completeness. Questions with low accuracy underwent re-evaluation, and subsequent responses were compared for improvement. The Wilcoxon test was utilized (α = 0.05)., Results: Ten experts across six dental specialties generated 30 binary and descriptive dental questions and references. The accuracy score had a median of 5.50 and a mean of 4.17. For completeness, the median was 2.00 and the mean was 2.07. No difference was observed between descriptive and binary responses for accuracy and completeness. However, re-evaluated responses showed a significant improvement with a significant difference in accuracy (median 5.50 vs. 6.00; mean 4.17 vs. 4.80; p=0.042) and completeness (median 2.0 vs. 2.0; mean 2.07 vs. 2.30; p=0.011). References were more incorrect than correct, with no differences between descriptive and binary questions., Conclusions: ChatGPT initially demonstrated good accuracy and completeness, which was further improved with machine learning (ML) over time. However, some inaccurate answers and references persisted. Human critical discernment continues to be essential to facing complex clinical cases and advancing theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practice., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Research Ethics Committee issued approval 69712923.6.0000.5419. "The research project was approved". Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Molena et al.)

The purpose of this report is to discuss the case of a four-year-old African-American girl who presented with clinical and radiographic evidence of localized stage III grade C periodontitis. She had no history of systemic disease or caries. Treatment consisted of oral hygiene instructions, extraction of unsalvageable teeth, full-mouth debridement with the use of systemic antibiotics and subsequent periodontal maintenance care. The patient underwent a two-year follow-up, during which the disease was stabilized and no space loss was detected. Although this condition is uncommon, the pediatric dentist must be able to diagnose and treat periodontitis in the primary dentition early, together with a multidisciplinary team, to prevent a recurrence of this disease in the permanent dentition.

This study aimed to assess the in vitro effects of re-irradiation on enamel and dentin properties, simulating head and neck cancer radiotherapy retreatment. Forty-five human permanent molars were classified into five groups: non-irradiated; irradiated 60 Gy, and re-irradiated with doses of 30, 40, and 50 Gy. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed for analysis. Raman spectroscopy assessed intensity, spectral area, and specific peaks comparatively. Statistical analysis involved Kolmogorov-Smirnov and One-Way ANOVA tests, with Tukey's post-test (significance level set at 5%). Significant changes in irradiated, non-irradiated, and re-irradiated enamel peaks were observed, including phosphate (438 nm), hydroxyapatite (582 nm), phosphate (960 nm), and carbonate (1070 nm) (p < 0.05). Re-irradiation affected the entire tooth (p > 0.05), leading to interprismatic region degradation, enamel prism destruction, and hydroxyapatite crystal damage. Dentin exhibited tubule obliteration, crack formation, and progressive collagen fiber fragmentation. EDX revealed increased oxygen percentage and decreased phosphorus and calcium post-reirradiation. It is concluded that chemical and morphological changes in irradiated permanent teeth were dose-dependent, exacerbated by re-irradiation, causing substantial damage in enamel and dentin., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To assess the impact of intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) on the primitive carotid artery (PCA) hemodynamic variables, specifically blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), in mastectomized patients undergoing hormone blocker treatments. Materials and methods: This study is a controlled, experimental, and randomized clinical trial. Patients were allocated into two groups: the experimental group (G1)-patients who received ILIB therapy using a 660 nm laser targeted at the PCA, and the control group (G2)-patients who did not receive ILIB therapy. Clinical research was conducted weekly, with measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HR. The Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples was used, with a significance level of α = 0.05. Results: Systemic photobiomodulation on the PCA did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in relation to SBP and DBP. However, for HR, the p -value was <0.05, indicating a significant difference between G1 and G2. The initial mean p > decreased from 142.3 to 116.4 mmHg in G1, and from 130.4 to 119.8 mmHg in G2. The DBP varied from 78.8 to 72.8 mmHg in G1, and from 79.1 to 74.2 mmHg in G2. A statistically significant difference was observed in HR, decreasing from 81.3 to 62.06 bpm in G1, and changing minimally from 74.1 to 75.1 bpm in G2. A considerable reduction was present in the timing of application. Conclusions: ILIB therapy applied to the PCA induces a reduction in BP and, more notably, HR in mastectomized women using the tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.

Purpose: To critically evaluate the evidence on knowledge changes observed after the application of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) educational interventions to dental students., Methods: We included studies that assessed EBD knowledge after applying educational interventions to undergraduates. Studies that evaluated post-graduate students or professionals, that exclusively described educational interventions, programs, or the application of curriculum revisions were excluded. Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science), unpublished gray literature, and manual searches were performed. Data concerning "perceived" and "actual knowledge" was extracted. The quality of the studies was appraised according to the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool., Results: The 21 selected studies enrolled students at different stages, and the intervention formats were diverse. The educational interventions could be categorized into three modalities, that is, regular, EBD-focused disciplines or courses, and other educational interventions including one or more of the EBD principles, methods, and/or practices. Despite the format, knowledge was generally improved after the implementation of educational interventions. Overall, perceived and actual levels of knowledge increased considering EBD general concepts, principles, and/or practices, and concerning the "acquire" and "appraise" skills. Among the selected studies, two were randomized controlled trials, while most were non-randomized or descriptive studies., Conclusions: EBD-related educational interventions seem to improve dental students' perceived and actual knowledge, according to literature with a high risk of bias. Therefore, more complete, methodologically rigorous, and longer-term studies are still recommended to confirm and expand the current knowledge., (© 2023 American Dental Education Association.)

Background: In 2019, a viral and respiratory pathology called COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, and spread to other continents. Its main symptoms include fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, anorexia and respiratory distress in the most severe cases, which can lead to death. Furthermore, manifestations in the oral cavity such as ageusia and dysgeusia, as well as lesions in other regions of the oral cavity, can be observed., Main Body: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to critically assess the clinical evidence on the use of photobiomodulation (PBMT) and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) for the treatment of oral lesions in patients infected with Sars-Cov-2. The literature extracted from electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and Google Scholar was screened for eligibility, and relevant articles were included. The review is limited to manuscripts published in English, Spanish and Portuguese language between December 2019 and October 2021. A total of 5 articles with 11 cases retracting PBMT and aPDT as therapeutic strategies for the regression of oral lesions and painful symptoms. The results show favoring the associated use of PBMT with aPDT ( P  = 0.004), and the isolated use of PBMT with the result of significant " P  = 0.005" and good confidence interval (7.18, 39.20) in ulcerative lesions, herpetic, aphthous, erythematous, petechiae and necrotic areas., Conclusions: PBMT and aPDT could be effective in the treatment of oral lesions of patients infected with Sars-Cov-2 in a short period of time; however, more long-term randomized clinical trials studies are needed to define the therapeutic strategy., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2022.)