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Background: Periapical lesions develop in response to chronic stimulation of an infected root canal in the periapical tissue. Two of the most common periapical inflammatory lesions are periapical cysts and granulomas. A mast cell is a round to elliptical immune cell that originates from bone marrow stem cells and enters peripheral blood, secreting histamine, heparin, cytokines, and chemokines under the influence of triggers. The present study aimed to evaluate mast cell density in periapical cysts and granulomas.Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 60 samples of periapical inflammatory lesions, including radicular cysts and periapical granulomas. Sections were stained with Giemsa and then the number of mast cells were counted in five random areas of the cyst and granuloma walls. The results were analyzed in SPSS software (version 23) using the Mann-Whitney test. P-value

Statement of the Problem: Mast cells are round to elliptical cells that originate from bone marrow stem cells and enter the peripheral blood. By releasing inflammatory mediators, these cells are involved in type I hypersensitivity, wound healing, defense against pathogens, increased blood vessel formation, and destruction of the extracellular matrix. There are contradictory results regarding the role of mast cells in tumor lesions.Purpose: Considering the contradictory results and few studies on the density of mast cells in salivary tumors, the present study investigated and compared the density of mast cells in two common salivary gland tumors.Materials and Method: In the cross-sectional study after reviewing the records of patients referred to the Pathology Department of the School of Dentistry and Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd, 15 blocks of each of the mucoepidermoid carcinoma and pleomorphic adenoma tumors were taken. After Giemsa staining of the samples, the average of stained cells in 10 random fields under 400× magnification was counted. The results were analyzed using statistical tests of t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney in SPSS ver. 22.Results: The average mast cell counts in pleomorphic adenoma (4.2) was higher than muco-epidermoid carcinoma (1.7) but there was no significant relationship (p= 0.305). In mucoepidermoid carcinoma, the numbers of mast cells increased with increasing tumor grade (low: 0/467 moderate: 1/567 high: 2/983) and there was a significant relationship (p= 0.009).Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that the mast cells accumulation may be secondarily associated with inflammatory responses due to cell accumulation and tissue destruction by tumor cells.

Introduction: Oral cavity as a mirror of health could reflect the health of the entire body. Early diagnosis and treatment of lesions can play an effective role in their prognosis.Comparing the frequency of oral and maxillofacial lesions in different regions is highly valuable in health policy making. Therefore, the present study was conducted to prepare the profile (Full details of records) of oral and maxillofacial lesions in patients referred to Yazd Dental School, Iran, from 2010 to 2021.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 15,779 patients’ records of oral and maxillofacial legions in the Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Departments of Yazd were examined. Demographic data composed of age and gender, and clinical information such as type of lesion, location, and side of the lesion were gathered over a period of 12 years, from 19 February to 16 March. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25) and the Chi-square test.Results: The overall frequency of profiles of oral and maxillofacial lesions among all oral and dental problems referred to the Dental School in the time frame investigated in this survey was 35%. The mean age of the patients was 34.8±13.8, and the lesions were more frequent among 20-39.9 years old age group. Moreover, lesions were more common in females. The most frequent type of lesions was epithelial lesions, followed by developmental defects, and soft tissue tumors and reactive lesions. Facial skin, tongue, and buccal mucosa were the most common sites.Conclusion: The findings of this research could be beneficial for educational purposes and in planning for the prevention and treatment of these lesions.

Odontogenic cysts and tumors are lesions found in the upper and lower jaw and oral soft tissue. The understanding and correct diagnosis of odontogenic tumors is essential because they can be invasive or recurrent in nature and evenrarely show malignant changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of odontogenic tumors in Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd cites.Materials & Methods:This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study that was performed in the mentioned centers. The records of registered samples from the first year of establishment to 2018 have been reviewed which is approximately 18,000 cases. Samples data were extracted and recorded based on sex, age, jaw and location of involvement in affected jaw. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test (p value < 0.05).Results:In this study, a total of 498 odontogenic tumors were evaluated. The number of odontogenic tumors in Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd cities was 313, 130 and 55, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 30.1 ± 15.9 and most of the patients were in the age group of 20 to 40 years and 53.4% were female. The most common sites of involvement were the right mandibular (29.1%) and then the left mandibular (28.3%) and the most common tumor was ameloblastoma (50.2%) and then complex odontoma (16.7%).Conclusion:Due to the frequency observed for odontogenic tumors, understanding the clinical and pathologic features of these lesions is essential for rapid and appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction: Considering the importance of oral health as a part of general health and the role of physicians in community health, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between common oral diseases and general body health from the perspective of medical students in Yazd City in 2018. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 210 internship and pre-internship students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd Cityin 2018 were selected randomly and their knowledge about common oral and dental diseases and its relationship with general body health was assessed through a valid and reliabile questionnaire consisted of 10 questions. Data were entered into SPSS version 16 statistical software and analyzed using descriptive statistics and T-test. Results: In the present study, 191 internship and pre-internship students completed the research questionnaire, of which 101 were female (52.8 %) and 90 were male (47.1%). The mean age of the students was 24.07 ±1.92. Their mean grade point average at the time of the study was 15/95±1/28. The mean score of their knowledge of oral diseases was 9.79 ± 3.27 with a range of 1 to 19. There was no statistically significant relationship between the mean score of knowledge in terms of age, sex, semester and grade point average (p˃0/05). Conclusion: The results showed that the mean score of knowledge of the internship and pre-internship students about common oral diseases and its relationship with general health is low. Therefore, it seems necessary to improve the level of knowledge of medical students in this regard by adding the mentioned topics to the educational curriculum of medical students.

Abstract Background Oral hygiene is an integral part of general health of a person. Nurses qualified about oral care can play an important role in improving the quality of oral health in hospitalized patients. This study investigated the educational needs of nurses in the field of oral health of hospitalized patients. Methods The study used the modified Delphi method in three rounds. Fifty faculty members of the School of Dentistry and Nursing were selected via purposive sampling. The data collection tool was a demographic form and an open-ended questionnaire in the first round and a structured questionnaire in the next rounds. The analysis was performed using both content and descriptive analysis techniques. Results The top ten oral health education priorities for nurses were greater than 75% with a consensus level: oral anatomy and physiology, learning the signs and symptoms of common oral diseases, learning of oral medications and administration, learning the drugs that cause damage to the mouth and teeth, training in managing dental emergencies, patient education for tooth brushing and taking care of the mouth, especially in the elderly patient, providing oral and dental care, training for unconscious and fasting patients, undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and hospitalization in intensive care unit. Conclusion The findings of the study emphasized the need for interdisciplinary cooperation between nursing and dental professionals for the development of an oral health curriculum for nurses to promote and improve oral health and prevent dental diseases in hospitalized patients and the community.

Background: Oral cavity, as the main source of complications such as infection, is unfortunately ignored in cancer patients. In this study, the frequency, type, and location of oral mucosal lesions were determined among patients admitted in the hematology and oncology department. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 admitted patients were examined between November 20, 2017 to August 21, 2018. Demographic data, history of smoking, and denture use were documented. Oral examinations were further conducted to evaluate oral soft tissue lesions according to the checklist. Results: 88 hospitalized patients were screened, out of whom 57(64.7%) had at least one lesion. A total of 79 oral mucosal lesions were identified and ulcerative lesions, found in 51 (57.9%) patients, were among the most frequently encountered problems. Pigmented lesions were more prevalent in smokers (PConclusion: In light of the high prevalence of oral complications in our patients, this study indicates the need for consultation with oral medicine specialist for a timely diagnosis and better management during the treatment process.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the opportunities and threats of e-learning in dental schools and explore the experiences of dental faculty members in the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) epidemic conditions. Materials and Methods: The present study was a sequential exploratory mixed method study (quantitative-qualitative). In the quantitative phase, a survey study was conducted to investigate the perspectives of faculty members regarding the opportunities and threats of e-learning during the COVID-19 epidemic. The data were analyzed by descriptive indicators (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and analytical tests (t-test and analysis of variance). In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. In the qualitative phase, the inductive content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyze the interviews. Results: In this study, 213 faculty members of dental schools of Iran participated; among whom 100 were men (46.9%) and 133 were women (53.1%). The results indicated the mean scores of the perspectives of faculty members regarding the opportunities and threats of e-learning in dentistry (4.05 ± 0.49 out of 5). Experiences of the participants in the qualitative phase were explored in the theme of “ups and downs of e-learning in dentistry” with three categories “unaccountability of e-learning in dental education,” “challenges of human resource empowerment in the e-learning process,” and “planned education.” Conclusion: The majority of the faculty members agreed with the use of e-learning in dental education and considered it as an opportunity. However, educational design for blended learning, creation of appropriate infrastructures, and empowerment of human resources as e-teacher and e-student were emphasized as key requirements for e-learning development in dental schools.

Background. Our research was aimed to study p53 protein codon 72 polymorphism, a single base pair change of either arginine (Arg; CGC) or proline (Pro; CCC) that creates 3 distinct genotypes in reticular oral lichen planus (OLP) in comparison to oral SCC which is the most common oral mucosal malignancy as positive control and inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (IFH) lesion as negative control. Methods. Seventy paraffin-embedded tissue samples (30 OLP, 20 OSCC and 20 IFH) were studied. DNA was purified and amplified using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction to detect polymorphism. The final amplified products were identified using gel electrophoresis. Data were analyzed using chi-squared test and odds ratio. Results. The mean ages in the OLP, OSCC and IFH groups were 43.28, 58.2 and 53.47 years, respectively, with significant differences. There were no significant differences in gender between the three groups (P=0.413); however, the differences in genotypes and alleles were significant between the three groups (P=0.021 and P=0.030, respectively). By considering IFH as a reference, the frequency of proline allele in OLP and OSCC was significantly higher than that of arginine allele (P=0.015 and P=0.028, respectively). In addition, by considering OSCC as a reference and at P=1, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of alleles between OSCC and OLP. Conclusion. The results might indicate the premalignant potential of OLP, and such polymorphism might be a genetic predisposing factor for conversion of OLP to OSCC. In addition, in the subjects evaluated the proline allele was considered a risk factor.

Introdution: Angiogenesis is important for tumor growth and metastasis. It is determined by microvessel density (MVD). The goal of this study was to evaluate microvessel density in the salivary glands mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and its association with histological grading. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 17 mucoepidermoid carcinoma paraffin blocks were extracted. CD34 immunohistochemically staining was done for evaluation of vascular density. Microvessel density was measured by vessel counting at ×400 magnification, in vascular areas with the highest concentration. The obtained results were analysed using ANOVA method and post hoc test of Scheffe. Results: The mean of microvessel density in low, intermediate and high grades were 31.66, 47.66 and 47.8, respectively. Significant difference was observed between the mean of microvessel density and histological grading of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (P =0.024). The mean of microvessel density in the high and intermediate grades tumors were significantly more than low grade (p =0.039 and p =0.025, respectively), but there was no significant difference in the mean of microvessel density between the high and intermediate histological grades )p=1.000). Conclusion: According to the results, there is a significant association between angiogenesis and histological grades of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and also more angiogenesis is observed in tumors with higher malignant grade.

Pyogenic granuloma is a common tumor-like growth of the oral cavity that traditionally has been considered to be non-neoplastic in nature. The pyogenic granuloma is a smooth or lobulated mass that is usually pedunculated, although some lesions are sessile. Pyogenic granuloma of the gingival is frequently developed in pregnant women, hence the terms pregnancy tumor and/or granuloma gravidarum are often used. The pyogenic granuloma has been reported to be associated with port-wine stain particularly during pregnancy, and after trauma, or laser treatment. The pathogenesis of pyogenic granuloma is unclear. This report describes the presentation of a large pregnancy tumor in a patient with an isolated facial port-wine stain. Keywords: Port-wine stain, Pregnancy, Pyogenic granuloma.