PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of surgical mini-implant placement when potential mini-implant sites were scanned using a lower-dose 180° acquisition protocol versus a conventional 360° acquisition protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten dentate human skulls were used to provide sites for potential mini-implant placement. The sites were randomly divided into 2 groups: 360° and 180° cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) acquisition protocols. A small-volume 180° CBCT scan and a 360° CBCT scan of each site were acquired using a Morita Accuitomo-170 CBCT machine and then a mini-implant was placed. A follow-up 360° CBCT scan was done as a gold standard to evaluate the location of the mini-implant and root perforation. Two raters evaluated the scans. RESULTS: Ninety-eight percent of the mini-implants placed did not perforate any root structure. Two percent of the sites had an appearance suggestive of perforation. On a Likert scale, both raters agreed that their subjective evaluation of the diagnostic quality of the protocols, ability to make and read measurements of the sites, and preferences for the specified diagnostic task were comparable. The Cohen kappa showed high inter-rater and intra-rater agreement. CONCLUSION: In this ex vivo study, we found that the 180° rotational acquisition was as effective as the conventional 360° rotational acquisition for the preoperative evaluation of potential mini-implant sites.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Dental Implants ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Skull

PURPOSE: Diabetes and periodontal disease are two common diseases with high prevalence rates. Recent evidence has shown a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. METHODS: Sixty subjects aged 35-45 years with blood sugar controlled by oral hypoglycaemic agents were randomly divided equally among 3 groups: group A (scaling, mouthwash, and brushing), group B (mouthwash and brushing), and group C (brushing only). Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), probing pocket depth (PPD), gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), and the relevant drug history were recorded at baseline and after 3 months of intervention. Comparison of the mean difference among the variables was performed by parametric and nonparametric tests, which were further evaluated using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean differences between the PPD, FBS, HbA1c, GI, and PI in groups A and B were found to be statistically significant (P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis in group A showed that out of all the independent variables, GI and frequency of drug administration independently (b=0.3761 and b=0.598) showed a significantly greater impact on HbA1c (R2=0.832, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nonsurgical periodontal therapy can effectively decrease HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on medication.
Aged ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Periodontal Debridement ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Prevalence ; Tuberculin

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze the bone parameters (thickness and density) at four different interdental areas from the distal region of the canine to the mesial region of the second molar in the maxilla and the mandible. The secondary aim was to compare and contrast the bone parameters at these specific locations in terms of sex, growth status, and facial type. METHODS: This retrospective cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) study reviewed 290 CBCT images of patients seeking orthodontic treatment. Cortical bone thickness in millimeters (mm) and density in pixel intensity value were measured for the regions (1) between the canine and first premolar, (2) between the first and second premolars, (3) between the second premolar and first molar, and (4) between the first and second molars. At each location, the bone thickness and density were measured at distances of 2, 6, and 10 mm from the alveolar crest. RESULTS: The sex comparison (male vs. female) in cortical bone thickness showed no significant difference (p > 0.001). The bone density in growing subjects was significantly (p < 0.001) lower than that in non-growing subjects for most locations. There was no significant difference (p > 0.001) in bone parameters in relation to facial pattern in the maxilla and mandible for most sites. CONCLUSIONS There was no significant sex-related difference in cortical bone thickness. The buccal cortical bone density was higher in females than in males. Bone parameters were similar for subjects with hyperdivergent, hypodivergent, and normodivergent facial patterns.

Purpose: This study investigated the prevalence of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders image analysis criteria, assessed the severity of incidental osteoarthritic changes affecting the TMJ, and evaluated the correlations of sex and age with the prevalence and severity of TMJ-OA. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study assessed 145 randomly selected cone-beam computed tomography scans (261 TMJs) from the authors’ institutional maxillofacial radiology archive following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The criteria described by Ahmad et al. were used to determine whether each TMJ was affected by OA, and the severity of the osteoarthritic changes was scored for each joint based on the method described by Alexiou et al. The chi-square, McNemar, Bhapkar chi-square, and Stuart-Maxwell chi-square tests were applied to evaluate the significance of the relationships between variables (age and sex). Results: Sixteen TMJs (6.1%) had no OA, 74 (28.6%) were indeterminate for OA, and 171 (65.5%) had OA. Flattening and sclerosis were observed in 86.6% and 12.3% of cases, respectively, while resorption was observed in 7.3% of the joints. Only 21 (8.1%) of the examined TMJs had subchondral cysts. Erosion of the articular eminence was observed in 58 (22.1%) cases, while sclerosis and resorption were found in 68 (25.9%) and 16 (6.1%) TMJs, respectively. Conclusion Female patients had a higher prevalence and severity of TMJ-OA than male patients. The prevalence and severity of TMJ-OA increased with age, with peaks in the fifth and seventh decades of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the quantity and quality of the mandibular anterior alveolar bone in terms of alveolar width, density, and total alveolar height (TAH) based on dental status, gender, and age. Additionally, this study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the available alveolar height for graft harvesting (AHGH) and examine its variability based on the aforementioned factors. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cone-beam computed tomographic study included a total of 100 subjects. On the basis of gender, dental status, and age, the scans were divided into 3 primary groups and 8 subgroups. The mandibular alveolar width and density were measured 5 mm mesial to the mental foramen bilaterally and at the midline. The TAH was measured at the midline, and the AHGH was measured as the midline distance between 5 mm apical to the root of the canines and 5 mm superior to the lower border. Results: The mandibular alveolar width was statistically similar between dentulous and edentulous patients (p>0.05). A significantly greater density was observed at the midline in edentulous patients (p<0.05). The TAH was significantly greater in edentulous male patients than in edentulous female patients (p<0.05). Dentulous and male patients had significantly greater AHGH than edentulous and female patients, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion Based on the data evaluated in this study, it can be concluded that the mandibular symphyseal area has adequate bone quality and quantity for bone graft harvesting for dental implant therapy.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the reliability of the identification of anatomical landmarks in panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographs on a standard medical grade picture archiving communication system (PACS) monitor and a tablet computer (iPad 5). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1000 radiographs, including 500 panoramic and 500 lateral cephalometric radiographs, were retrieved from the de-identified dataset of the archive of the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology of the University Of Connecticut School Of Dental Medicine. Major radiographic anatomical landmarks were independently reviewed by two examiners on both displays. The examiners initially reviewed ten panoramic and ten lateral cephalometric radiographs using each imaging system, in order to verify interoperator agreement in landmark identification. The images were scored on a four-point scale reflecting the diagnostic image quality and exposure level of the images. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two displays regarding the visibility and clarity of the landmarks in either the panoramic or cephalometric radiographs. CONCLUSION: Tablet computers can reliably show anatomical landmarks in panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographs.
Archives ; Connecticut ; Dataset ; Humans ; Radiography, Dental, Digital ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Radiology Information Systems