Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus. This document specifies the indications, contraindications, preoperative preparations, operational procedures, complication prevention measures, and efficacy evaluation of apical microsurgery and is applicable to dentists who perform apical microsurgery after systematic training.
Microsurgery/standards* ; Humans ; Apicoectomy ; Contraindications, Procedure ; Tooth Apex/diagnostic imaging* ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Consensus ; Treatment Outcome

Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans ; Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Dental Pulp ; Dentition, Permanent ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Pulpitis/therapy* ; Pulpotomy/standards*

Intentional tooth replantation (ITR) is an advanced treatment modality and the procedure of last resort for preserving teeth with inaccessible endodontic or resorptive lesions. ITR is defined as the deliberate extraction of a tooth; evaluation of the root surface, endodontic manipulation, and repair; and placement of the tooth back into its original socket. Case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of ITR in the retention of natural teeth that are untreatable or difficult to manage with root canal treatment or endodontic microsurgery. However, variations in clinical protocols for ITR exist due to the empirical nature of the original protocols and rapid advancements in the field of oral biology and dental materials. This heterogeneity in protocols may cause confusion among dental practitioners; therefore, guidelines and considerations for ITR should be explicated. This expert consensus discusses the biological foundation of ITR, the available clinical protocols and current status of ITR in treating teeth with refractory apical periodontitis or anatomical aberration, and the main complications of this treatment, aiming to refine the clinical management of ITR in accordance with the progress of basic research and clinical studies; the findings suggest that ITR may become a more consistent evidence-based option in dental treatment.
Humans ; Tooth Replantation/methods* ; Consensus ; Periapical Periodontitis/surgery*

Peri-implant keratinized mucosa (PIKM) augmentation refers to surgical procedures aimed at increasing the width of PIKM. Consensus reports emphasize the necessity of maintaining a minimum width of PIKM to ensure long-term peri-implant health. Currently, several surgical techniques have been validated for their effectiveness in increasing PIKM. However, the selection and application of PIKM augmentation methods may present challenges for dental practitioners due to heterogeneity in surgical techniques, variations in clinical scenarios, and anatomical differences. Therefore, clear guidelines and considerations for PIKM augmentation are needed. This expert consensus focuses on the commonly employed surgical techniques for PIKM augmentation and the factors influencing their selection at second-stage surgery. It aims to establish a standardized framework for assessing, planning, and executing PIKM augmentation procedures, with the goal of offering evidence-based guidance to enhance the predictability and success of PIKM augmentation.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Implants ; Mouth Mucosa/surgery* ; Keratins

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Objective:To explore the dosimetric characteristics of proton radiotherapy plan and photon radiotherapy plan for esophageal cancer.Methods:Four patients who were admitted to Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute from January 2024 to April 2024 with esophageal cancer (cervical, middle thoracic and total esophageal tube, as well as the lymphatic drainage areas involved) and required radiotherapy were selected as the research subjects. Intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans were designed respectively based on the clinical target volume and the dose constraints for organs at risk (OARs). Dosimetric parameters, including conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index (GI) for target coverage, as well as OARs dosimetric parameters were evaluated. The volume of additional dose deposition in the body was compared by assessing regions receiving 10%, 30%, and 50% of the prescription dose.Results:For all four cases, IMPT plans yielded lower HI values (0.12, 0.10, 0.06, and 0.08) than IMRT plans (0.15, 0.13, 0.10, and 0.11), and the GI values of IMPT plans (3.11, 3.21, 2.43, and 2.72) was lower than IMRT plans (4.52, 5.14, 3.09, and 3.92). Moreover, the CI of the IMPT plans (0.59, 0.60, 0.77, and 0.72) was inferior to IMRT plans (0.81, 0.77, 0.91, and 0.85). Compared with the IMRT plans, in the whole lung dose indicators of the IMPT plans for the 4 patients, V 5 decreased by 34.1%, 55.0%, 79.7% and 60.3%, respectively; V 20 decreased by 48.3%, 43.9%, 65.8% and 40.8%, respectively, and D mean decreased by 43.4%, 57.2%, 76.2% and 45.4%, respectively. V 30 of the heart decreased by 36.2%, 45.3%, 40.1% and 52.4%, respectively, and D mean of heart decreased by 96.6%, 57.9%, 58.5% and 55.3%, respectively. For the middle and lower thoracic target area, the liver was significantly protected in the IMPT plan (D mean decreased by 76.0% compared with the IMRT plan). In terms of the additional dose deposition in the patient's body, IMPT plans reduced the volumes receiving 10%, 30% and 50% of the prescription dose by 45.0%-61.4%, 41.2%- 61.8% and 34.8%-61.6%, respectively, compared with the IMRT plans. Conclusions:By comparing the dosimetric parameters of IMPT and IMRT plans for 4 cases of esophageal cancer, the IMPT plans have advantages in reducing the doses to lung tissue, heart, and liver, and can also reduce additional dose deposition in the patient's body.

Cryoablation therapy with explicit anti-tumor mechanisms and histopathological manifestations has a long history.A large number of clinical practice has shown that cryoablation therapy is safe and effective,making it an ideal tumor treatment method in theory.Previously,its efficacy and clinical application were constrained by the limitations of refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.With the development of the new generation of cryoablation equipment represented by argon helium knives,significant progress has been made in refrigeration efficien-cy,ablation range,and precise temperature measurement,greatly promoting the progression of tumor cryoablation technology.This consensus systematically summarizes the mechanism of cryoablation technology,indications for oral mucosal melanoma(OMM)cryotherapy,clinical treatment process,adverse reactions and management,cryotherapy combination therapy,etc.,aiming to provide reference for carrying out the standardized cryoablation therapy of OMM.

Objective To screen key autophagy-related genes in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and investigate potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH. Methods Two AH gene chips in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and autophagy-related data sets obtained from MSigDB and GeneCards databases were used, and the key genes were verified and obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The screened key genes were subject to gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction (PPI) and immune infiltration analyses. Messenger RNA (mRNA)- microRNA (miRNA) network was constructed to analyze the expression differences of key autophagy-related genes during different stages of AH, which were further validated by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the liver tissues of AH patients and mice. Results Eleven autophagy-related genes were screened in AH (EEF1A2, CFTR, SOX4, TREM2, CTHRC1, HSPB8, TUBB3, PRKAA2, RNASE1, MTCL1 and HGF), all of which were up-regulated. In the liver tissues of AH patients and mice, the relative expression levels of SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 in the AH group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusions SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH.

Objective To evaluate the factors affecting urinary stone detection rate using virtual unenhanced(VUE)images obtained from triphasic dual-energy CT urography(DECTU)based on Logistic regression analysis.Methods For this study,150 patients who had suspected urinary stone and underwent triphasic DECTU were included.The true unenhanced(TUE)images were reconstructed as 120 kVp-like images,and VUE images at the portal venous phase[VUE(VP)]and excretory phase[VUE(EP)]were obtained using iodine removal technique from portal venous and excretory phase DECTU images,respectively.Two readers independently evaluated the above three types of images,and recorded the number of urinary stones,their anatomical locations,and whether there was residual iodine on the VUE images.Stone size and CT number were recorded only on the TUE images.Stone size,CT number,anatomical location,and iodine contrast agent were included in univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses to evaluate the factors affecting urinary stone detection rate using VUE images.Thresholds for detecting urinary stones on VUE images were determined using receiver operating characteristics(ROC)analysis.Results We detected 304 stones on TUE images,while the detection rates were 92.4％and 71.4％when using VUE(VP)and VUE(EP)images,respectively.Stone size and CT number were important factors influencing urinary stone detection rate using VUE(VP)and VUE(EP)images(P＜0.01).The area under curve(AUC)of using stone size and CT number for detecting stones using the VUE(VP)images was up to 0.96,and as threshold values,stones with size larger than 3.52 mm and CT number greater than 469 HU were found to have high accuracy.However,the AUC decreased to 0.88 when we combined stone size,CT number and anatomical location using the VUE(EP)images.In addition,different contrast agents did not affect the detection rate of stones on the VUE(EP)images(P=0.57).The stone detection rate in the kidney was significantly lower than those on the VUE(EP)images(P＜0.001).Conclusion VUE(VP)images provide better stone detection.Stone size and CT number have significant impacts on the stone detection rate using VUE images.The lower stone detection rate in the kidney on the VUE(EP)images is related to the residual iodine.

Objective To evaluate the short-term clinical efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopic(UBE)technique in the treatment of adjacent segment disease after lumbar interbody fusion.Methods The clinical data of 21 patients with adjacent segment disease after lumbar interbody fusion who treated with UBE technique and followed up for more than 3 months in our hospital from March 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The operation time,decrease value of hemoglobin 1 day before and after operation,drainage volume of the operation area,time of bed rest and complications were recorded.The Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score was used to evaluate lumbar function 1 day before operation,3 days and 3 months after operation to determine the improvement.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score was used to evaluate the pain 1 day before operation,3 days and 3 months after operation.Results The operation time was 60～175 minutes,with an average of(95.38±18.64)minutes;the decrease value of hemoglobin was 2～6 g/L,with an average of(1.42±0.18)g/L;the time of bed rest was 27～88 hours,with an average of(36.42±15.33)hours;the drainage volume of the operation area was 50～315 mL,with an average of(85.56±15.65)mL;and one case of dural tear occurred during the operation,who was converted to open surgery for repairing dural sac.There was statistically significant difference in VAS score before operation compared with that 3 days and 3 months after operation(P<0.05).There was statistically significant difference in the JOA score before operation compared with that 3 days and 3 months after surgery(P<0.05).Conclusion UBE technique is effective in the treatment of adjacent segment disease after lumbar interbody fusion,with the advantages of small trauma,little bleeding and short time of bed rest.However,patients with the serious adjacent segment degeneration and severe spinal stenosis may have dural tear during operation.Once it occurs,active repair should be performed to avoid cauda equina herniation and necrosis,or switch to open surgery,if necessary.