Background: The critically ill patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) are susceptible to a wide array of complications that can be life-threatening or impose them to long-term complications. The COVID-19 oral mucocutaneous complications require multidisciplinary management and research for their pathophysiological course and epidemiological significance; therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of the critically ill COVID-19 patients with oral complications. Methods: We described the clinical and microbiological characteristics of the critically ill COVID-19 patients in our ICU department (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia). In addition, we reviewed the current body of evidence in Ovid MEDLINE^®, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for the oral mucocutaneous complications of ICU patients with COVID-19. Results: Three out of nine critically ill patients (33.3%) in our ICU department presented with oral complications including haemorrhagic ulcers and necrotic ulcers affecting the lips and tongue. The microbiological assessment revealed the presence of opportunistic pathogens, confirming the possibility of co-infection. On reviewing the current literature, two hundred ten critically ill patients were reported to have oral complications due to their stay in the ICU setting. Perioral pressure ulcers were the most common complication, followed by oral candidiasis, herpetic and haemorrhagic ulcers, and acute onset macroglossia. The prolonged prone positioning and mechanical ventilation devices were the primary risk factors for those oral complications, in addition to the immunosuppressive drugs. Conclusions: The multidisciplinary approach is strongly advocated for monitoring and management of COVID-19 patients, thus implying that dermatology and oral healthcare specialists and nurses should be integrated within the ICU teams.

MRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines such as BNT162b2 have recently been a target of anti-vaccination campaigns due to their novelty in the healthcare industry; nevertheless, these vaccines have exhibited excellent results in terms of efficacy and safety. As a consequence, they acquired the first approvals from drug regulators and were deployed at a large scale among priority groups, including healthcare workers. This phase IV study was designed as a nationwide cross-sectional survey to evaluate the post-vaccination side effects among healthcare workers in Slovakia. The study used a validated self-administered questionnaire that inquired about participants’ demographic information, medical anamneses, COVID-19-related anamnesis, and local, systemic, oral, and skin-related side effects following receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine. A total of 522 participants were included in this study, of whom 77% were females, 55.7% were aged between 31 and 54 years, and 41.6% were from Banska Bystrica. Most of the participants (91.6%) reported at least one side effect. Injection site pain (85.2%) was the most common local side effect, while fatigue (54.2%), headache (34.3%), muscle pain (28.4%), and chills (26.4%) were the most common systemic side effects. The reported side effects were of a mild nature (99.6%) that did not require medical attention and a short duration, as most of them (90.4%) were resolved within three days. Females and young adults were more likely to report post-vaccination side effects; such a finding is also consistent with what was previously reported by other phase IV studies worldwide. The role of chronic illnesses and medical treatments in post-vaccination side effect incidence and intensity requires further robust investigation among large population groups.

Dentists play a key role in the primary prevention of oral diseases and related systemic complications; therefore, their views on behavioural interventions need to be aligned with the current agendas for oral health. Likewise, dental students’ oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours (KAB) are of practical importance, as they are the future opinion leaders for oral health in their respective communities. A cross-sectional survey-based study was designed to evaluate the oral health KAB of dental students in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The study utilized translated versions of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI), and it aimed to recruit students from all Czech and Slovak dental schools. A total of 487 students were included in this study, out of which 372 (76.4%) were females, 271 (55.6%) were enrolled in preclinical years, 68 (14%) reported smoking tobacco at least once a week, and 430 (88.3%) reported problematic internet use. The mean HU-DBI score of Czech and Slovak dental students (8.18 ± 1.80) was comparable with the previously reported scores of dental students in Nordic and Western European countries. Czech students (9.34 ± 1.29) had a significantly higher score than their Slovak counterparts (7.56 ± 1.73). In both countries, preclinical students (8.04 vs. 8.35), the students who reported tobacco smoking (7.63 vs. 8.27), and those who reported problematic internet use (8.11 vs. 8.70) had significantly lower HU-DBI scores than their counterparts, respectively. In the Czech Republic, the significant increases in HU-DBI scores occurred after the first academic year when the students received preventive dentistry courses; therefore, one can put forward that early implementation of preventive elements in undergraduate dental curricula may yield better and more sustainable oral health gains for the students. Future research on Czech and Slovak dental curricula need to re-evaluate the oral hygiene and anti-smoking components and their impact on students’ views and attitudes.

There is limited information regarding implant and prosthetic survival after osseous microvascular free flap (OMFF). This case series aims to describe the placement of short and extra short implants in osseous microvascular free flaps to support prostheses, and present an up to 40-month retrospective follow-up. Short and extra short dental implants were placed in six fibula free flaps (FFF) and in two microvascular deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA) flaps. In total, 27 short and extra short dental implants have been placed into two different types of free flaps. Kaplan–Meyer (K-M) survival analyses were performed to evaluate the survival and success outcomes of implants and prostheses. Out of the eight patients reconstructed with free flap, five were rehabilitated with prostheses, one patient has a temporary prosthesis, and two patients are in the process of prosthetic rehabilitation. Twenty-seven implants were followed up for up to 40 months, and K-M analyses showed 100% implant survival probability (95% confidence interval: 100%), while the implant success probability was 91.0% (95% confidence interval: 68.6–97.7%). Short and extra short dental implants placed in OMFF presented high survival and success rates in a retrospective case series after up to 40 months.

This case report describes mandibular distraction osteogenesis (DO) in a six-year-old patient with first and second branchial arch syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, in whom 3D surgical planning was combined with ultrasonography (US) for postoperative monitoring. The aim was to illustrate how patient-specific 3D modeling and a structured ultrasonography protocol can support safe mandibular advancement while limiting radiation exposure in a pediatric patient with complex craniofacial deformity. Preoperatively, a 3D-printed model of the mandible, generated from a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan, was used to guide precise osteotomy planning and vector orientation. The surgical procedure was conducted using a Risdon approach and piezoelectric tools to ensure minimal trauma. Postoperative monitoring incorporated serial panoramic radiography and US at predefined time points to assess gap size, callus formation, and vascularity during distraction and consolidation. US identified early callus formation, progressive cortical bridging, and preserved callus vascularity, and, together with radiographic findings, guided the timing of distraction termination and distractor removal at 16 weeks. This case adds to the limited literature on pediatric mandibular DO by demonstrating the feasibility of integrating patient-specific 3D virtual planning with US-based follow-up to improve the safety, precision, and radiation-conscious management of DO in pediatric patients with complex craniofacial deformities.

Placing dental implants in microvascular bone free flaps used for reconstructing the mandible or maxilla has been previously reported. However, there is scarce information available on the restorative protocol using short dental implants placed in a deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA) microvascular free flap and the rationale behind it. This case report describes a 18-year-old patient referred to the hospital for numbness and dull pain of the left mandible, which she observed for three months. The patient underwent mandible resection and reconstruction using the DCIA free flap due to "giant cell lesion" on the left side of the mandibular angle. Short dental implants were placed and prosthetic reconstruction of the dentition involved in the resection was performed in a young patient with two integrated abutment crowns. The placement of short dental implants did not negatively affect the vascular pedicle and vitality of free flap. In our case report, two years after the healing, excellent aesthetic and function were accomplished with the DCIA flap followed by restoration with short implants.