Evandro Neves Abdo

A survey of 460 supernumerary teeth in Brazilian children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to survey the demographic profile of supernumerary teeth (ST) in Brazilian children and adolescents. METHODS A retrospective analysis was carried out of all nonsyndromic patients with ST attended at the Pediatric Oral Surgery Service of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais between 1995 and 2004. Diagnosis of ST was based on clinical and radiographic examination. Chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS This study included 460 ST found in 305 patients. Radiographic assessment (32.1%) was the main care-seeking reason and also the means through which most (97.6%) permanent ST were identified. Most cases were single (63.0%), conical (44.6%), and unerupted (76.8%) ST. Most teeth were fully developed (41.3%), normally orientated (78.9%), placed in a palatal/lingual-sagittal position (84.1%), adjacent to the crown of permanent teeth (50.2%) (P < 0.001). The most frequent clinical complication was permanent teeth displacement (36.0%). Treatment was surgical removal followed by orthodontics (61.6%). CONCLUSIONS The demographic profile of ST herein presented will be useful to provide additional epidemiological information. A wide range of factors should be considered when evaluating ST. In addition, it is essential to detect ST as early as possible to avoid complications and to assure successful management. Even after treatment, patients must be followed up.

Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Therapeutic Approach Involving Mechanical Salivary Stimulation

Objective.— The study aimed to evaluate the effects of salivary stimulation therapy on the salivary flow, quality of saliva, and symptoms in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS).

The association of openness personality trait with stress-related salivary biomarkers in burning mouth syndrome.

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic disorder defined as a burning sensation in the oral mucosa without evidence of pathological findings. Its pathophysiology is largely unknown, but psychiatric disorders and personality traits have been implicated. Objective: This study investigated whether there is any association between salivary biomarkers and personality traits in BMS patients. Methods: It was a cross-sectional, controlled study that evaluated 30 individuals with BMS and 32 controls. All subjects were assessed with a structured psychiatric interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and the Big Five inventory. Salivary levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neural growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and cortisol were determined. Results: We found that BMS patients exhibited more traits of neuroticism and lower openness than controls. Openness showed a moderate and negative correlation with cortisol, BDNF and IL-6. Conclusion: Personality traits are associated with salivary biomarkers in BMS.

Mucoadhesive Propolis Gel for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

The objective of this phase II study was to determine the effectiveness of a mucoadhesive propolis gel in the prevention of radiation-induced oral mucositis. Twenty-four patients who were selected to undergo radiation therapy for oral cancer were included in this open-label trial. They were advised to use a mucoadhesive gel containing propolis 5,0% w/v three times a day starting one day before the course of radiation therapy and concluding after 2 weeks of radiation therapy. A weekly follow-up for evaluation of food intake, pain and grading of mucositis was performed. In order to confirm the absence of Candida-related mucositis in patients who developed mucositis, it was performed exfoliative cytology of buccal mucosa, palate and tongue and the material for Candifast(®) Candida species identification. At the end of the study was made the compliance of patients, quality, appreciation and acceptance of product evaluation. Twenty patients did not develop mucositis, two patients developed grade 1 mucositis and two patients developed grade 2 mucositis. None of the patients discontinued food intake and no pain was observed during the study. Candidosis was not detected in any patient. Mucoadhesive propolis gel could be considered as a potential topical medication for preventing radiation-induced oral mucositis. However, comparative phase III study with larger number of patients should be done for confirmation of the efficacy of the product.

Asynchronous idiopathic bone cavity: a case report.

Idiopathic bone cavity (IBC) is a non-odontogenic intra-osseous lesion that affects the jaws and others bones. The aetiology of IBC remains unknown. IBC is frequently observed as a single radiolucent area with a corticated, well-defined border, a scalloped shape and a minimal effect on the surrounding structures. A case report of asynchronous IBC in a 17-year-old woman is presented. The first lesion occurred in the mandibular symphysis region, and the second IBC occurred in the right mandibular ramus. Both lesions were surgically treated, and the patient has been disease-free for 5 years.

Stylohyoid complex ossification in temporomandibular disorder: A case-control study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Stylohyoid complex ossification (SCO) can be associated with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). However, this subject is poorly investigated in epidemiological studies. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the association between TMD and SCO. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy-eight individuals with TMD and 93 control individuals without TMD were enrolled in a case-control study and paired according to age and gender. Panoramic radiographs were made of all participants, and SCO was measured in millimeters (mm) by a blinded researcher. Ossification was held to begin at measurements of 30 mm or more. The association between symptoms (pain upon swallowing or turning the head and the sensation of a foreign body in the throat) and SCO was investigated. Pearson chi-square tests were used for the comparison of proportions, (α=.05). RESULTS A total of 44.9% of those with TMD and 46.2% of the control population exhibited SCO (P=.858). TMD was associated with pain upon swallowing (P<.05) and upon turning the head P<.01), but there were no associations between the symptoms possibly related to SCO and the presence of ossification (pain upon swallowing P=.658; sensation of a foreign body in the throat P=.980; pain upon turning the head P=.405). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that there are no associations between TMD and SCO. Some symptoms classically associated with SCO also occur in TMD patients.

Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms: a case-control study.

Considerable evidence indicates that serotonergic mechanisms, particularly the serotonin transporter, are involved in alcoholism and tobacco use and are influenced by polymorphism of the promoter region of 5HTT (5-HTTLPR). As alcohol and tobacco consumption have been implicated in the pathogenesis of oral cancer, the purpose of this study was to investigate 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) compared with a control group in a sample of Brazilian patients. One hundred and three patients affected by OSCC and 103 volunteers without OSCC were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR. Both groups were matched for age, sex and tobacco use. The chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in 5-HTTLPR genotypes between case and control group (p= 0.408). In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that serotonin transporter polymorphisms are not implicated in the OSSC development.

Bilateral tonsilloliths and calcified carotid atheromas: case report and literature review

Tonsilloliths and calcified carotid atheromas are dystrophic calcifications that can be identified in routine oral radiographs. This case report is the first description in the English literature of the simultaneous occurrence of bilateral tonsilloliths and calcified carotid atheromas. Panoramic oral radiographs from a 62-year-old woman presented bilateral radiopaque images of the left and right ramus of the mandible; multiple and well-defined radiopacities below the left angle of the mandible, next to the C3-C4 cervical vertebrae; and a single radiopacity on the right side between the hyoid bone and the mandible base. Computed tomography confirmed the exact location of the calcifications in the oropharyngeal and carotid spaces. A diagnosis of bilateral tonsilloliths and calcified carotid atheromas was reached. Doppler ultrasound indicated a degree of stenosis of ± 20% within the right and left carotids. The patient was referred to a vascular surgeon to evaluate the calcified carotid atheromas. Follow-up of the tonsilloliths was also performed.