ABSTRACT The study aimed to quantify the impact of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on new case referrals to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) service. The researchers retrospectively reviewed all new referrals received during a government-imposed 47-day lockdown period and a similar period pre-lockdown as a control group. The main outcome was the differences in the number of new case referrals between the two periods. The contributing clinical and demographic factors were also explored. Appropriate bivariate statistics were computed and the level of significance was set at 0.05 for all tests. A total of 309 referrals were received during the study period. There was a reduction of new referrals due to the lockdown from five to two cases per day. There was a statistically significant reduction of cases referred from outpatient and emergency departments. There was also a statistically significant difference with regard to home address distance to the centre. Medically compromised and orofacial infection referrals were not affected by lockdown. The lockdown imposed due to the pandemic has significantly impacted the pattern of new OMS referrals. Referrals for orofacial infections, the medically compromised and inpatients were minimally affected by lockdown.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Quarantine ; COVID-19

Antiresorptive drugs (ARDs), such as bisphosphonates or denosumab, that prevent bone resorption are widely used in patients with osteoporosis or with cancer that has metastasized to the bones. Although osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a well-documented complication of ARD use, the benefits ARDs outweigh the complication. Thus, research has focused on finding ways to prevent or reduce the risk of developing ONJ. Dentists, as part of a multi-professional team, have a critical role in preventing ONJ. However, many dentists tend to hesitate to provide dental care to patients with ONJ, or tend to think that it is a problem to be dealt with by oral surgeons. This review gives an overview of ARD-related ONJ and provides the guidelines for dental care in patients taking ARDs to lower the risk of developing ONJ.
Bone Density Conservation Agents ; Bone Resorption ; Denosumab ; Dental Care ; Dentists ; Diphosphonates ; Humans ; Jaw ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Osteonecrosis ; Osteoporosis

Last week, after our receiving online journal regarding Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, we found a recently published original article by Alawode et al., entitled “A comparative study of immediate wound healing complications following cleft lip repair using either absorbable or non-absorbable skin sutures”. Although this clinical article was well written and provided a great deal of information regarding the suture materials in the cleft lip repair, I would like to add a few additional comments based on the importance of skin suture during cheiloplasties in the primary cleft lip or secondary revision patients with representative figures.
Cleft Lip ; Humans ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Skin ; Sutures ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to use four sets of success criteria to evaluate the outcomes of arthrocentesis treatment with hyaluronic acid injection in patients with internal derangement (ID) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 40 patients diagnosed with unilateral Wilkes stage III TMJ dysfunction. Clinical parameters, including maximum mouth opening (MMO) and pain during function, were evaluated preoperatively, 6 months, and 1 year after TMJ arthrocentesis. Outcomes were assessed and compared using four sets of success criteria from the following: the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS; MMO ≥35 mm and visual analogue scale [VAS] score ≤3), Murakami et al.'s criteria (MMO >38 mm and VAS score < 2), Emshoff and Rudisch criteria (MMO ≥35 mm and >50% pain reduction), and patient self-reports (self-evaluation of treatment as successful or unsuccessful). RESULTS: Significant improvements in MMO and pain reduction during function were observed between the preoperative period and 6 months and 1 year postoperatively (P < 0.01). The success rates of treatment determined using AAOMS (52.5%), Emshoff and Rudisch criteria (57.5%), and self-reported patient criteria (40.0%) were similar. Application of the Murakami et al. criteria reported the lowest success rate (12.5%). CONCLUSION: The AAOMS and Emshoff and Rudisch criteria are consistent with patient expectations and can be used to assess treatment efficacy.
Arthrocentesis ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Mouth ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Preoperative Period ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Treatment Outcome

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a well-known pathological condition in oncology derived from the use of bisphosphonates (BPs) and denosumab. Many molecular and immunological targets have been introduced for daily use in cancer treatment in recent years; consequently, new cases of ONJ have been reported in association with these drugs, especially if administered with BPs and denosumab. When the drugs are administered alone, ONJ is rarely seen. The objective of our study was to analyze the recent literature relative to the association of ONJ with these new drugs highlighting the pathogenic, clinical and therapeutic aspects. The close collaboration between maxillofacial surgeon, oncologist, dentist, and dental hygienist remains the most important aspect for the prevention, prompt recognition, and treatment of this pathology.
Angiogenesis Modulating Agents ; Cooperative Behavior ; Denosumab ; Dental Hygienists ; Dentists ; Diphosphonates ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; Immunotherapy ; Jaw ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Oral Manifestations ; Osteonecrosis ; Pathology

No abstract available.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

OBJECTIVES: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a well-known side effect of certain drugs that are used to influence bone metabolism to treat osteometabolic disease or cancers. The purpose of our study was to investigate how high-concentration and low-concentration bisphosphonate (BP) intake affects the disease severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data collected from the medical records of 52 patients treated with BPs, antiresorptive, antiangiogenic drugs and diagnosed with MRONJ were included in this study. Age, sex, type of systemic disease, type of drug, duration of drug treatment, jaw area with MRONJ, drug administration protocol, and MRONJ clinical and radiological findings were obtained. Patients were divided into two groups: anti-neoplastic (Group I, n=23) and anti-osteoporotic (Group II, n=29). Statistical evaluations were performed using the IBM SPSS ver. 21.0 program. RESULTS: In both groups, more females had MRONJ. MRONJ was found in the mandibles of 30 patients (Group I, n=14; Group II, n=16). When we classified patients according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons staging system, significant differences were seen between groups (χ2=12.23, P<0.01). More patients with advanced stage (stage 2–3) MRONJ were found in Group I (60.9%). CONCLUSION: According to our results, high-concentration BP intake, age and duration of drug intake increased disease severity.
Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw ; Female ; Humans ; Jaw ; Mandible ; Medical Records ; Metabolism ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Osteonecrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Anniversaries and Special Events ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

OBJECTIVES: Oral and maxillofacial surgeons must gain mastery of various approaches to the midface due to the increasing incidence, complexity, and severity of presenting midfacial fractures. Unlike in the case of other body parts, the need to preserve facial aesthetics makes it more difficult for the surgeon to select an approach for managing the facial injuries. The midfacial degloving (MFD) approach is a combination of intraoral and intranasal incisions made to access the midface without any external incision. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of MFD in maxillofacial surgery and to assess its advantages and complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MFD approach was used in five cases, with three cases treated with open reduction and internal fixation and two cases operated on for posttraumatic deformity. Nasal dorsum augmentation was completed in three cases and nasal osteotomy was performed in one case. The bicoronal flap technique was combined with MFD for frontal bone augmentation in one case. The intraoperative time required for flap completion and the ease of performing the planned procedures were noted. Postoperative evaluation was done for reduction, aesthetics, function, and complications. RESULTS: Access was excellent for performing all planned procedures. Average time spent for flap elevation and exposure of the midface was 63 minutes. Complications like postoperative swelling, infraorbital nerve paresthesia, and intranasal crusting were all transient. No long-term complications like stenosis of the nose, sneer deformity, or weakness of the facial muscles were noticed. Additionally, no complications were noted when MFD was combined with bicoronal flap. CONCLUSION: Though the MFD approach is technically demanding and takes more time than other facial approaches, it should be learned and applied by maxillofacial surgeons in selective cases, as it provides complete exposure of the midface without facial scarring.
Cicatrix ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Esthetics ; Facial Injuries ; Facial Muscles ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Frontal Bone ; Human Body ; Incidence ; Nose ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Osteotomy ; Paresthesia ; Rhinoplasty ; Surgery, Oral

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the journal category “oral surgery” in Scopus and in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS), The Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (JKAOMS), and The Journal of Prosthodontic Research (JPR) were selected from the Scopus list of journals as oral surgery journals. Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (MPRS) was selected from PubMed as a Scopus oral surgery title. From these titles, 10 recently published articles were collected and used for reference analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of citations from oral surgery journals was 26.7%, 24.5%, and 40.1% for JKAOMS, MPRS, and JOMS, respectively. In total, 1.1% of JPR's citations were from oral surgery journals and significantly fewer from other journals (P<0.001). The percentage of citations from dentistry journals excluding oral surgery journals was 11.9%, 34.4%, and 15.8% for JKAOMS, MPRS, and JOMS, respectively. For JPR, 80.6% of citations were from dentistry journals and significantly more were from other journals (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Selected samples revealed that JPR is incorrectly classified as an oral surgery journal in Scopus. In addition, the scientific interaction among JKAOMS, MPRS, and JOMS was different to JPR in the reference analysis.
Classification ; Dentistry ; Journal Impact Factor ; Mouth ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Plastics ; Surgery, Oral