Background. Despite their benefits, dental implants may sometimes fail for a diversity of causes; the most common reasons of failure are infection and bone loss. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) bacteria show a major role in peri-implantitis infection and dental implant failure. Methods. In this study, the prevalence of P. gingivalis isolated from the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of fifteen Iranian patients with implant failure (more than 1/3 of the implant length), who had average oral and dental hygiene and no antibiotic use for at least one month, was determined. Moreover, the antimicrobial effects of curcumin nanocrystals against isolated P. gingivalis were investigated. The collected samples from patients were transferred to a microbiology laboratory to culture. The presence of P. gingivalis in the culture media was confirmed using a trypsin reagent test. An isolate from a patient with the highest colony count was selected to evaluate the antibacterial effects of curcumin nanoparticles. The inhibition zone diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Results. Out of fifteen patients, eight (53.33%) were positive for the presence of P. gingivalis. The results of the microbial tests showed that curcumin nanoparticles had an MIC of 6.25 µg/mL and an MBC of 12.5 µg/mL. Conclusions. The use of curcumin nanoparticles may control the bacterial infection around the implant.

The potential application of stem cell biology in human dentistry is a new and emerging field of research. The objective of the current review was to study the efficiency of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in sinus lift augmentation (SLA). A literature review was performed in PubMed Central using MeSH keywords such as sinus lift, MSCs, dental implants, and augmentation. The searches involved full-text papers written in English, published in the past 10 years (2007–2017). The review included in vitro and in vivo studies on the use of MSCs in SLA. Electronic searching provided 45 titles, and among them, 8 papers were chosen as suitable based on the inclusion requirements of this review. The reviewed studies have revealed the potential of MSCs in SLA. According to these papers, stem cell therapy combined with different biomaterials may considerably improve bone regeneration in previous steps of dental implantation and may veritably lead to efficient clinical usages in the recent future. However, the identification of an ideal source of stem cells as well as long-term studies is vital to assess the success rate of this technology. Further clinical trials are also needed to approve the potential of MSCs in SLA.

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) usually present with symptoms and signs such as pain, mandibular movement, dysfunction, or joint sounds. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is a biologic toxin which inhibits skeletal muscle through hindering the production of acetylcholine in the nerve endings. This toxin is used for the treatment of hyperactivity of lateral pterygoid muscle and TMD symptoms. This comprehensive review aimed to evaluate the effect of BTX-A injections in the lateral pterygoid muscle on treatment of TMDs symptoms. In this study, online databases including Scopus, Medline, Ebsco, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google scholar were searched for the keywords “pterygoid muscle” and “Onabotulinumtoxin A”. Twenty-four articles were eligible to be enrolled in the study. In 4 interventional studies and 20 descriptive studies, BTX-A was used for the treatment of TMDs. The dosage and number of injections were different in each study; however, the injection methods were relatively similar. Regardless of the type, number of injections, and dosage, injection of BTX-A in lateral pterygoid seems effective in reducing the click sound and other TMJ-related muscle disorders such as pain, hyperactivity, and dysfunction.

Similarity of pharmacokinetics of intranasal ketorolac to the intravenous form and other advantages have promoted its application. This study compared the analgesic effects of intravenous and intranasal ketorolac in patients undergoing mandibular fracture surgery. In this clinical trial study, Sixty-four patients with unilateral mandibular fracture were divided randomly into two groups. In group 1, 30 mg of intravenous (IV) ketorolac was injected every 8 hours and in group 2, intranasal (IN) ketorolac spray was used as a 100-µL puff in each nostril (31.5 mg) every 6 hours. After each patient regained consciousness, pain intensity was measured based on visual analogue scale for 48 hours. Finally, the total dose of the opioid analgesic agent (pethidine) and the time for the first request for an analgesic agent were recorded for each patient, and their means were compared in each group with proper statistical tests. Mean pain intensity of patients at baseline was significantly higher than that at other intervals and then, it decreased significantly (P<0.001). Furthermore, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after surgery, mean pain intensity in the IN group was significantly lower than that in the IV group (P0.05). Application of intranasal ketorolac spray decreased pain after mandibular fracture surgery, especially at 8-hour interval after surgery, decreasing the need for opioids. Key words:Ketorolac, intranasal, intravenous, mandibular fracture.

Background: Preemptive analgesia is one of the techniques to manage postoperative pain, which increases patient satisfaction and decreases the duration of hospitalization. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the pain relief achieved by preoperative intravenous ketorolac and oral pregabalin in patients undergoing surgery for mandibular fractures. Methods: In the present clinical trial, 60 patients with unilateral fractures of the mandible were randomly assigned to two groups. In group A, intravenous injections of ketorolac 30 mg and in group B, pregabalin 150 mg capsules were administrated one hour preoperatively. The severity of pain was determined using a visual analog scale (VAS) up to 24 hours postoperatively. Finally, the total doses of an opioid analgesic (pethidine) prescribed for each patient in mg during the first 24 hours and the time for the request of the first analgesic dose in minutes were recorded for each patient. Then, their means were compared between the two groups. Results: Maximum pain severity was experienced immediately after surgery, which decreased gradually during the 24-hour postoperative period (P < 0.0001). The mean severity of pain immediately after regaining consciousness and the mean pain score during the 24-hour postoperative period were lower in the pregabalin group than in the ketorolac group (P < 0.0001). In the ketorolac group, a slightly higher dose of the opioid was administered; however, the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The oral administration of pregabalin 150 mg one hour preoperatively was more effective than the intravenous administration of ketorolac 30 mg in relieving postoperative pain.

Background: Bisphosphonates are commonly used in the management of skeletal complications such as metastatic bone disease, hypercalcemia of malignancy and osteoporosis. However, these chemicals may have an adverse side effect called BON (Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis). The objective of this study was to assess the awareness among dentists in Tabriz, Iran about the bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ). Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study a total of 270 dentists were involved to determine their knowledge about the BRONJ. The questionnaire was already validated by ten faculty members and university researchers. Results: The average knowledge scores of participating dentists about BRONJ was 8.47± 2.52. The lowest score was 2 and the highest score was 12.There was no significant relationship between knowledge scores with age, university of graduation and the duration of clinical work experience. Women and recent graduates were found to have statistically significant more knowledge. Conclusion: The dentists working at Tabriz city have good knowledge regarding the BRONJ.