Oğuzhan Altun

Oxidative stress and myeloperoxidase levels in saliva of patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

OBJECTIVE Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common oral ulcerative condition affecting 5-25% of the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress parameters in saliva of patients with RAS and to investigate the relationship among these parameters in either group. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study involved 50 patients with RAS of whom 24 were male and 26 were female, and 25 healthy controls of whom 13 were male and 12 were female. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in the salivary total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index levels, and myeloperoxidase activity between patients with RAS and those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The results show that reactive oxygen species may not play a role in the etiology of RAS.

Dental Panoramic Radiography in the Diagnosis of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is common in the elderly and the dentist is often the only healthcare professional that they visit regularly. Since dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) are widely used for routine examinations when planning treatment, this study evaluated whether the presence of osteoporosis might be apparent in a population of patients who underwent DPR. The mandibular cortical index (MCI) and a new method of measuring the mandibular radiographic density (m-RD), which used DPR that incorporated an aluminium step-wedge, were compared with the total vertebral bone mineral density (v-BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 25 osteoporotic women. Although there was only a weak correlation between m-RD and v-BMD, significant correlation was found between MCI and v-BMD. Since both m-RD and MCI were related to v-BMD, dental radiographic density and MCI may be useful in clinical dental practice to identify osteoporotic women with previously undetected low BMD.

Cone beam computed tomography imaging of ponticulus posticus: prevalence, characteristics, and a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of ponticulus posticus (PP) using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to describe the radiologic characteristics of the detected cases. STUDY DESIGN The presence and types of PP were investigated on 730 CBCT images. RESULTS PP was found in 17.4% (127) of the 730 CBCT scans. Of these 127 patients, 79 (10.8%) had bilateral PP and 48 (6.6%) had unilateral PP. Male predominance was found with a prevalence of 19.5% (54 of 277) and female prevalence was 16.1% (73 of 453). The prevalence of PP increased with age; the highest prevalence of PP was seen in those who were 49 to 81 years of age. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that PP is not an uncommon anatomic variation and is a natural incidental finding on CBCT.

Accidental Displacement of Dental Implants Into Both Maxillary Sinuses During Surgery

I mplant displacement into the maxillary sinus during surgery or after a period of use is a complication recognized in the literature. Foreign objects in the maxillary sinus must be removed because they cause sinus infection via impaired mucociliary flow and tissue reactions. In this article, we present the case of a patient whose dental implants slipped into the maxillary sinuses on both sides during surgery and describe surgical removal of the implants via an intraoral approach. Recently, prostheses supported by dental implants have become an acceptable and common treatment method in the treatment of partial and fully edentulous patients. Implantation into the posterior edentulous maxilla is difficult owing to insufficient and poor quality of the bone arising from pneumatization of the maxillary sinus and resorption of the alveolar crest. The use of short implants in the posterior edentulous maxilla or sinus lift procedures (SLP) has proven to overcome such difficulties. Although these methods make implantation safer, implant displacement into the maxillary sinus during surgery or after a period of use is a recognized complication. The causes of displacement include surgical inexperience, insufficient planning, changes in intranasal sinus pressure, autoimmune reaction, peri-implantitis or bone resorption, improper occlusal forces, and bone deficiencies. Foreign objects in the maxillary sinus must be removed because they cause sinus infection due to impaired mucociliary flow and tissue reactions. Even fungal infections and cancer have been reported in cases of foreign objects slipping into the maxillary sinus. Owing to these complications, displaced dental implants must be removed as early as possible. Preferred methods for the removal of implants include endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) or the classic Caldwell-Luc (CL) operation with intraoral approach. For some other cases, a combination of both methods can be applied. In this article, we present the case of a patient whose dental implants slipped into the maxillary sinuses on both sides during surgery and describe surgical removal of the implants via an intraoral approach.

Morphometric and morphologic evaluation of the mental foramen in relation to age and sex: an anatomic cone beam computed tomography study.

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the vertical and horizontal position, angle, and diameter of the mental foramen (MF) according to sex and age by cone beam computed tomography in a Turkish patient population. Methods Cone beam computed tomography records of 192 consecutive patients consisting of 106 women and 86 men were examined, retrospectively. The vertical and horizontal positions of MF, angle and diameter of MF, and distance from MF to the alveolar crest and the base of the mandible were evaluated with respect to sex and age groups. Results There were statistically significant differences in the distance of MF to the alveolar crest according to age groups. When we compared the right and left sides, we have only found out statistically significant differences in the angles of MF and that it was higher in the left side. Conclusions From our results, the detection of the position of MF can provide detailed information for preoperative treatment planning (for surgery and dental implant surgery procedures), especially in the mandibular premolar region.

Cone beam computed tomography imaging of superior semicircular canal morphology: a retrospective comparison of cleft lip/palate patients and normal controls

Abstract Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence and morphological characteristics of the superior semicircular canal (SSCC) in cleft lip and palate (CL/P) patients using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and methods: CBCT images of 53 CL/P patients (28 males and 25 females) and a control group of 76 patients (42 males and 34 females) were evaluated. Retrospectively, 258 temporal bone images from 129 patients were evaluated in terms of SSCC morphology and divided into a normal pattern (0.6–1.7 mm in thickness), a papyraceous pattern (<0.5 mm), a thick pattern (>1.8 mm), a pneumatized pattern and dehiscent. The chi-squared test was used to compare differences among semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) patterns in the CL/P and control groups; p ≤ .05 was taken to reflect statistical significance. Results: The characteristics of the SSCC were evaluated on CBCT images in patients with CL/P and controls. In total, 158 (61%) cases were normal (0.6–1.7 mm in thickness), 31 (12%) papyraceous (<0.5 mm), 8 (3%) thick, and 34 (13%) pneumatized. SSCD was observed in 27 (11%) cases. Statistically significant differences between the CL/P and control groups were evident in terms of SSCC morphology (p < .001). Conclusions: SSCD should be considered if a CL/P patient exhibits a vestibular system deficiency. Oral and maxillofacial radiologists should pay attention to SSCD when interpreting CBCT images. Future studies should use high-level spatial resolution CBCT to focus on cleft site and SSCC morphology in larger patient populations.

Unusual bifid crista galli in a patient with cleft lip and palate

One of the most common craniofacial malformations observed in newborn babies is cleft lip and palate (CLP). This syndrome presents with some anatomic variations. The aim of this study was to understand an anatomic variation of the crista galli that had not been reported previously in patients with CLP. A 17-year-old boy with CLP was referred to an orthodontic clinic for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging before treatment. Axial and coronal sections and three-dimensional images showed that the crista galli had bifid heads that were attached to each other. Incomplete ossification had resulted in a bifid crista galli and the appearance of a suture in the anterior coronal section of the CBCT images. This anatomic variation could allow penetration of the anterior fossa during endoscopic surgery, which could be dangerous for the patient.

Examination of Nasolacrimal Duct Morphometry Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip/Palate

Objective: The cleft lip/palate (CLP) deformity negatively affects the anatomy of the nasal cavity and maxilla. The effects of this deformity on the lacrimal system have been unidentified yet. This study aimed to evaluate the morphometric changes in the nasolacrimal duct using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in patients with unilateral CLP. Materials and Methods: Retrospective bilateral measurements of the narrowest transversal diameters and the lengths of the nasolacrimal ducts were made for the affected and unaffected sides of 28 patients with CLP and 28 control patients, using the CBCT images. The measurements were statistically compared. Results: The mean narrowest transversal diameter of the nasolacrimal duct for the affected side of the patients with unilateral CLP was statistically significantly narrower than the unaffected side (P = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the control group and the affected and unaffected sides of patient group with unilateral CLP regarding the nasolacrimal duct diameter. The differences were not statistically significant among all groups regarding the mean nasolacrimal duct length. Conclusion: The diameter of the nasolacrimal duct at the affected side of unilateral CLP was narrower than the unaffected side. According to this result, the CLP deformity can have an effect on the nasolacrimal duct diameter. However, CLP might not affect the nasolacrimal duct length.

Nasoalveolar Molding Treatment for a Patient With Amniotic Band Syndrome: A Case Report

ABSTRACT Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) is an uncommon congenital malformation characterized by clubfoot deformity, hand and finger anomalies, and cleft lip and palate. In this study, the literature about ABS—possible etiology, treatment protocols, and medical procedures—is discussed. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of nasoalveolar molding therapy for a patient with cleft lip and palate and ABS. Changes were evaluated before, during, and after the treatment period using a three-dimensional surface imaging system.

Yaşlılardaki diş kayıplarının ve alveol kemiği rezorbsiyonlarının radyografik değerlendirmesi

Amac: Bu calismanin amaci Turk toplumundaki yasli bireylerin agiz ve diseti sagligini belirlemekti. Gerec ve Yontem: Bu calismaya 50-65 yas (Grup A) arasinda 330, 65 yas ve uzerinde (Grup B) 149 hasta dâhil edildi. Hastalarin sistemik durumu, mevcut dis sayilari (MDS), cekilmesi gereken dis sayilari (CDS), periodontal nedenlerden cekilmesi gereken dis sayilari (PCDS) ve periodontal hastaliklardan rezorbsiyonu gorulme sikliklari klinik muayene kayitlari ve dijital ortopantomografik (OPT) radyografilerle tespit edildi. Bulgular: B grubunda A grubuna oranla daha fazla dis kaybi ve kemik rezorbsiyonu sikligi tespit edildi (p0.05). Sonuclar: Yaslilardaki agiz sagliginin durumu hakkindaki bilgilerin yetersiz oldugu aciktir, bu yuzden daha genis kapsamli klinik calismalara ihtiyac vardir