Kristina Lopatiene

Prof. Kristina Lopatiene


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
9 August 2024 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RNRugilė Nedzinskaitė
Rugilė Nedzinskaitė
BABenedikta Augytė
Benedikta Augytė
DSDalia Smailiene
Dalia Smailiene
AVArunas Vasiliauskas
Arunas Vasiliauskas
KLKristina Lopatiene
Kristina Lopatiene
GTGiedre Trakiniene
Giedre Trakiniene
Background and Objectives: Orthodontic appliances may cause discomfort for patients. This could influence the person’s psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to examine the psychological health of patients wearing orthodontic appliances. It is important to analyze the well-being of patients during orthodontic treatment because it is started in a young age and it may affect one’s psychological health. Therefore, for doctors and patients, it is important to understand and take every aspect of the treatment into consideration when deciding when to start the treatment and what appliance to choose. Materials and Methods: A total of 339 patients filled out an anonymous questionnaire. They were divided into four groups according to their age and type of appliance. The main reasons to seek treatment were crooked teeth and a bad bite. There was a statistically significant difference between women and men as women sought treatment because of crooked teeth; meanwhile, men indicated bad bite as their main reason for seeking treatment. Results: A total of 48.7% of subjects noted that they were feeling good during treatment; however, 4% of all patients noted that they were feeling bad. A total of 45% of subjects stated that they felt unhappy at least sometimes. A total of 43% of subjects felt stress. Conclusions: Even though patients indicated various negative aspects on their well-being during treatment, for the majority of the subjects, the end results significantly increased their psychological well-being.

23 January 2025 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
BPBenedikta Palesik
Benedikta Palesik
TMTomas Musulas
Tomas Musulas
AVArunas Vasiliauskas
Arunas Vasiliauskas
DRDainius Razukevicius
Dainius Razukevicius
KLKristina Lopatiene
Kristina Lopatiene
Background and Objectives: Pain in the TMJ is the second most common in the orofacial region. The objective of this systematic review was to assess whether a decrease in estrogen levels increases the risk of idiopathic condylar resorption by reviewing relevant literature and evidence. Material and Methods: This systematic review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A comprehensive search was performed in the PubMed (Medline), Science Direct (Elsevier), and Web of Science electronic databases. Results: The initial database search identified a total number of 453 studies. After applying the selection criteria, 36 articles were selected for a full-text analysis, and nine studies involving 1105 patients were included in the systematic review. According to the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS), two of the included articles were graded as being of “Moderate” quality and one was of “Fair” quality. After evaluating the rest of the articles according to the AXIS tool for cross-sectional studies, we generally found that the reliability is moderate. The results show that the decrease in estrogen promotes the occurrence of inflammation in the temporomandibular joint, and some sources mention that it increases the occurrence of idiopathic joint resorption, but we did not establish a complete correlation between the level of estrogen and idiopathic joint resorption. Conclusions: This systematic review indicates that there is no evidence suggesting that fluctuations in estrogen levels contribute to idiopathic mandibular condylar resorption, but reduced estrogen levels can be associated with chronic pain in the temporomandibular joint.

11 November 2024 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RLRoberta Lekavičiūtė
Roberta Lekavičiūtė
DŠDiana Šopagienė
Diana Šopagienė
DRDainius Razukevicius
Dainius Razukevicius
GTGiedrė Trakinienė
Giedrė Trakinienė
KLKristina Lopatiene
Kristina Lopatiene
Background and Objectives: Recent years have been marked by a search for new relationships between malocclusions and the morphological features of the cranial base and upper cervical spine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between skeletal orthodontic malocclusions and the morphological features of sella turcica bridging (STB) and ponticulus posticus (PP). Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 300 randomly selected pre-orthodontic treatment patients aged 7–40 years. Cephalometric analysis was performed twice by two researchers. The patients were divided into three groups according to the type of skeletal malocclusion. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 29.0 software. Results: The prevalence of incomplete PP was 40%, and the prevalence of complete PP was 11.33% and was significantly more common in males (56.7%). STB had a prevalence of 52.67% (15.67% complete, 37.0% partial), with a significantly higher prevalence in females (60.1%, p < 0.001). PP and STB were more common in Class II patients, followed by Class I and Class III. However, only PP showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.042). According to logistic regression, men were twice as likely to have an open groove of PP (p = 0.015), while females had higher odds of partial and complete STB (p < 0.05). Class II malocclusion increases the odds of type 2 and type 4 PP as well as partial STB. However, it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The morphological features of sella turcica bridging and ponticulus posticus were related to sex and the orthodontic skeletal pattern. Ponticulus posticus was more prevalent in males, while sella turcica bridging was more prevalent in females; both conditions were more common in patients with a Class II skeletal pattern. Males were more likely to have an open groove of ponticulus posticus, whereas females were twice as likely to have both forms of sella turcica bridging.