To explore severity and progression biomarkers, we examined the clinical relevance of multiple cytokines and mediators involved in the inflammatory response in periodontitis. A cohort of 68 patients was enrolled in the study and periodontal status assessed by the current classification of periodontal diseases. Immune mediators present in saliva, of both patients and healthy controls, were quantified using a Legendplex-13 panel. Clinic parameters were significantly higher in PD patients compared with HC, with a strong significant association with the disease severity (stage) (p < 0.001), but not with progression (grade). The panel of immune mediators evidenced elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β as disease established (p < 0.01). IL-1β/IL-1RA ratio was increased in PD patients, being associated with disease stage. An anti-inflammatory response was spotted by higher IL-10. Lower levels of IL-23 and IP-10 were associated with disease severity. No significant statistical differences were found by grade classification. Moreover, salivary IL-1β and IL-6 exhibited significant positive correlations with several clinical measurements (PI, BOP, PPD, CAL), while IP-10 showed a statistical negative correlation with BOP, PPD, and CAL. These insights highlight the complexity of the periodontitis inflammatory network and the potential of cytokines as biomarkers for refined diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Background: Clear aligners (CA) are used 22 h daily, creating a bite-block effect. This work aims to (i) analyze occlusal changes before the beginning of treatment, after the first set of CA and after the use of additional aligners; (ii) compare planned occlusal contacts with the ones obtained after the first set of CA; (iii) analyze the occlusal changes occurred after reaching the orthodontic goals after 3 months of using CA only at night; (iv) evaluate and characterize which tooth movements did not allow the treatment to be completed at the end of the first set of aligners, and finally (v) verify the possible relation between the changes in occlusal contact and areas and parameters such as case complexity and facial biotype. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, comparative, and observational longitudinal cohort study design was implemented to evaluate the clinical data and the complexity levels of cases receiving CA. A non-probabilistic and convenience sample of 82 individuals was recruited. The orthodontic malocclusion traits were classified as simple, moderate, or complex corrections based on the basis of the Align^® recommendations with the Invisalign^® evaluation tool. According to the Invisalign^® criteria, patients need only one complex problem for their case to be classified as complex. Meshlab^® v. 2022.02, ClinCheck^® version Pro 6.0, My-Itero^® version 2.7.9.601 5d plus, and IBM^® SPSS Statistics software (Statistical Program for Social Sciences), version 27.0 for Windows were the software^® used. Results: A statistically significant decrease in area and occlusal contacts number were observed from before the start of orthodontic treatment (T0) to the end of treatment (T1). The changes in the occlusal area (from T0 to T1) were statistically different between hyperdivergent (28.24 [15.51–40.91]) and hypodivergent (16.23 [8.11–24.97]) biotypes (p = 0.031). A significant difference between the hyperdivergent (4.0 [2.0–5.0]) and normodivergent (5.5 [4.0–8.0]) group was found in T1 for the anterior contacts (p = 0.044). Anterior contacts obtained were significantly higher than the planned (p = 0.037) Between T1 and T2 statistically significant increases of occlusal areas, posterior and total contacts were observed. Conclusions: Occlusal contact and area were decreased, either at the end of the first set or after the use of additional aligners. Anterior occlusal contacts obtained were higher than planned as opposed to posterior occlusal contacts obtained. The hardest tooth movements to achieve to complete the treatment were distalization, rotation, and posterior extrusion. After completing orthodontic treatment (T1) to 3 months after (T2) using additional aligners only at night, posterior occlusal contacts were significantly increased, which could be due to the natural settling of the teeth in this period.

The literature search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, LILACS, EBSCO, Scielo, between 2012 and 2022. The methodological quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Study Quality Assessment Scale. Mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and combined in meta-analyses. A total of 1202 participants were included in this systematic review (690 with TMD; 512 without TMD), with 22 articles being included in the qualitative analysis. Only three studies enabled the comparative analysis of the results. Ten articles showed a high methodological quality and a low risk of bias, and twelve had a low methodological quality and an increased risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed that the differences between the intervention and control groups were not statistically significant for the percentage overlapping coefficient of the anterior temporal muscle, for the masseter, and for the torque coefficient. The parameters analyzed with the compound technique for chewing showed altered mandibular functions in individuals with TMD. With the EMG method, it was possible to suggest that TMD in adult individuals causes compensatory muscle behaviors, and several changes in the masticatory function were found.

Periodontitis is a chronic disease with a high overall prevalence. It involves a complex interplay between the immune-inflammatory pathways and biofilm changes, leading to periodontal attachment loss. The aims of this study were (i) to assess whether the salivary IL-1β, IL-17A, RANK-L and OPG levels have the potential to discriminate between the mild and severe periodontitis conditions; and (ii) to enable diagnostic/prognostic actions to differentiate between distinct levels of the disease. The analysis of the clinical parameters and the evaluation of the salivary immunomediators levels by means of a multiplex flow assay revealed a statistically significantly higher level of IL-1β in the periodontitis III/IV patients, as well as a higher level of RANK-L in the periodontitis III/IV and I/II patients, when compared to the healthy controls. Furthermore, the grade C periodontitis patients presented a significantly higher level of RANK-L compared to the grade B and grade A patients. In the grade C patients, IL-1β had a positive correlation with the PPD and CAL indices and RANK_L had a positive correlation with CAL. The evidence emerging from this study associates the salivary IL-1β and RANK-L levels with an advanced stage of periodontitis, stage III/IV, and with grade C, suggesting the possible cooperative action of both in the inflammatory and bone loss events. In addition to IL-1β, RANK-L could be considered a combined diagnostic biomarker for periodontitis.

The Invisalign^® system (SmartForce^® G8) aims to guarantee aesthetics and provide good orthodontic treatment results. Dentoalveolar expansion is possible with clear aligners and can be used to correct dentoalveolar crossbite, resolve crowding or modify the arch shape. Despite the treatment’s effectiveness, there is still disagreement among professionals concerning its true clinical potential. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and predictability of coronal tooth expansion movement in permanent dentition in patients who had completed the first phase of treatment with Invisalign^® orthodontic aligners. Materials and Methods: The tooth movement tables of 75 previously selected cases were analyzed in terms of dental-arch width and expansion efficiency, through the Invisalign^® platform, considering the pre-treatment (T0), planned treatment (TP) and post-treatment models (T1) using ClinCheck Pro^® 6.0 software. All patients were treated by an orthodontic specialist and Invisalign^® Diamond Provider in a private practice (T.P.). Results: Difference between T1 and T0: for each maxillary and mandibular measurement, there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-aligner treatment values. The greatest amount of expansion occurred in both the upper and the lower premolars. Difference between TP and T1: for each maxillary measurement, statistically significant differences were verified for the molar and canine. At the mandibular level, statistically significant differences were only verified in the first molar. Conclusions: The Invisalign^® clear aligners are effective for simultaneous intra-arch expansion in both jaws.

Even though most studies consider strict anaerobe Gram-negative bacteria as the main factor associated with peri-implantitis, other studies have identified other microorganisms present in implants related to peri-implant disease that have the ability to reduce the effectiveness of treatment, such as Candida spp., Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, microbiologic diagnosis is important for the success of implant treatment. The main goal of this study was to detect Candida spp., E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa in the peri-implant and periodontal subgingival plaque in the presence or absence of disease and to relate the presence of these microorganisms with demographic data, hygiene habits, the type of implant connection and endodontic treatment. The study population consisted of 20 patients that filled out a questionnaire regarding gender, age, systemic diseases and oral hygiene. The peri-implant and periodontal subgingival plaque from an adjacent tooth, both with and without disease, were analysed for the presence of these three opportunistic pathogens. Microbiological analysis revealed a higher prevalence of E. faecalis in patients with and without periodontal and peri-implant disease. Candida spp. was identified in a higher degree in cases with disease, and P. aeruginosa was mostly detected in peri-implantitis. The detection of these three pathogens suggested a possible means of transmission of infection from adjacent teeth to implants, with the implant design associated with rehabilitation being a primary cause of pathogen growth. Although this study did not relate pathogen growth directly to periodontal disease, the high colony forming unit per millilitre (CFU/mL) values of E. faecalis may reveal an aetiological role of this bacterium in peri-implantitis.