The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone therapy in (1) increasing the compactness of decayed dentin (main aim), (2) reducing dentin hypersensitivity, (3) decreasing the salivary bacterial count, and (4) improving the quality of life in ECC-affected children during a 3-month follow-up. A total of 20 subjects uncooperative with conventional restorative treatment were treated with a 60 s ozone application/week (OzoneDTA^®) for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated at T0 = baseline; T1 = after ozone cycle and T2, T3, T4 = 1, 2, 3-month follow-up, respectively. Dentin compactness was evaluated according to the Affected Dentine Scale (ADS) proposed by the authors; dentin hypersensitivity was recorded with the Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS); salivary bacteria were measured with the Saliva Check Mutans Test and quality of life with the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). ADS values and salivary bacteria count results were analyzed using non-parametric tests. Statistically significant differences were detected for both parameters between T0 and T1 (p < 0.01). At T1, dentin hypersensitivity was resolved and quality of life improved. Ozone therapy is a simple and painless approach, which might be useful for controlling caries’ progression in uncooperative children until appropriate cooperation is achieved.

Malocclusions and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are oral health problems that are spread worldwide. To date, few studies focused on their prevalence and associated risk factors are available. This study aims to define the prevalence and distribution of odontostomatological traits and evaluate specific risk factors in isolated villages in north-eastern Italy, taking advantage of their environmental homogeneity. Nine hundred and forty-four participants aged six to eighty-nine years were enrolled. Thirty-one odontostomatological phenotypes, classified into five domains (airways, bad habits, extraoral and intraoral parameters, TMDs, and teeth), were evaluated. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed; mixed logistic models were used to test the relationships among the traits. According to the study’s findings, Angle’s class I was prevalent (65.3%) followed by class II malocclusion (24.3%); class III and reversed overjet were the least frequent malocclusions (10.4% and 1.8%, respectively). Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) click/noise was prevalent among TMDs (34.7%). The statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) risk factors were ankyloglossia for phonetic issues (OR 1.90) and bruxism for TMJ click/noise (OR 1.70) and pain (OR 2.20). Overall, this work provides a picture of the prevalence of malocclusions and TMDs in a large Italian sample and reveals risk factors to take into account in the development of preventive strategies and treatments.

Bruxism is a worldwide oral health problem. Although there is a consensus about its multifactorial nature, its precise etiopathogenetic mechanisms are unclear. This study, taking advantage of a deeply characterized cohort of 769 individuals (aged 6–89 years) coming from Northern Italy’s genetically isolated populations, aims to epidemiologically describe environmental risk factors for bruxism development and identify genes potentially involved through a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) approach. Logistic mixed models adjusted for age and sex were performed to evaluate associations between bruxism and possible risk factors, e.g., anxiety, smoking, and alcohol and caffeine intake. A case-control GWAS (135 cases, 523 controls), adjusted for age, sex, and anxiety, was conducted to identify new candidate genes. The GTEx data analysis was performed to evaluate the identified gene expression in human body tissues. Statistical analyses determined anxiety as a bruxism risk factor (OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.20–5.38; p-value = 0.015), and GWAS highlighted three novel genes potentially associated with bruxism: NLGN1 (topSNP = rs2046718; p-value = 2.63 × 10⁻⁷), RIMBP2 (topSNP = rs571497947; p-value = 4.68 × 10⁻⁷), and LHFP (topSNP = rs2324342; p-value = 7.47 × 10⁻⁶). The GTEx data analysis showed their expression in brain tissues. Overall, this work provided a deeper understanding of bruxism etiopathogenesis with the long-term perspective of developing personalized therapeutic approaches for improving affected individuals’ quality of life.

The study aimed to compare the adherence of Brazilian and Italian pediatric dentists to the biosafety measures and operative protocols recommended by the health authorities during COVID-19 pandemic and to classify the participants according to their risk of infection. An online questionnaire with 34 questions about sociodemographic and occupational data, dental practice organization, biological risk management, and clinical operative protocols was sent to Brazilian and Italian pediatric dentists using a convenience sampling strategy. Chi-square test and multivariate analysis (two-step cluster) were performed (α = 5%). Of 641 respondents (377 Brazilians and 264 Italians), most were female (94% and 70%, respectively), aged 20-39 years (63%), with over 10 years of professional experience (58% and 49%, respectively). Based on adherence to recommended biosafety measures, participants were classified as “safer” (n = 219) or “less safe” (n = 422). Adherence to recommended protocols by the majority of participants resulted in low contagion rates (Brazilians = 5%; Italians = 12.5%). Participants with extensive professional experience in the dental setting exhibited a greater tendency to implement multiple adaptations (three or more) in their practice. Most participants (Brazilians = 92%; Italians = 80.7%) adopted the recommended minimal intervention dentistry approaches, with the use of fissure sealants and the use of non-rotary instruments for caries removal the most frequently techniques used among Brazilians (36%) and Italians (66%), respectively. Two different profiles of pediatric dentists were identified based on the biosafety protocols adopted during the pandemic. In addition, changes were implemented in the dental care provided to children, with focus on the minimal intervention dentistry.

This study aimed to evaluate, through Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence analysis, the effectiveness of an overheated dry-saturated steam device (Polti Sani System) in decreasing the superficial microbial contamination on dental chairs’ surfaces after 30 s steam disinfection (T1) in comparison to baseline (T0), i.e., at the end of an aerosol-generating procedure (AGDP), and to investigate any differences in the tested surfaces’ contamination at T0 in relation to the surface’s type. Three dental chair surfaces (scialytic lamp, control button panel, spit bowl), sized 10 × 10 cm each, were swabbed and analyzed before and after steam application. The procedure was repeated 20 times for a total of 60 before–after evaluations. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze Relative Light Unit (RLU) values and categorical data on the ATP molecules’ amount detected on the tested surfaces. Statistically significant differences were found for both RLU and categorical data for all surfaces, and each type of surface evaluated at T0 and T1 (p < 0.05). Differences in RLU among the tested surfaces at T0 were not significant. By reducing the microbial contamination on the evaluated surfaces, the overheated dry-saturated steam system was an effective measure for the disinfection of the dental chair’s surfaces after AGDPs, potentially reducing the risk of cross-infections.