The aim of this pilot study was to describe the advantages of telemedicine (TM) in dental practice during the current national emergency condition due to the Covid-19 dissemination. At Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology—Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, regional reference center for Covid-19—two groups of patients were determined: patients with urgent conditions (group U) and patients in follow-up (group F). Both groups were instructed to implement remote consultations using a messaging service (WhatsApp Messenger, WhatsApp Inc., Mountain View, California, USA) to send photos. A total of 418 photos were collected by 57 patients. Thirty-four photos were obtained by five patients in the U group after surgical procedures. All patients sent photos on the established evening, except for two patients who sent two photos outside the set days. In the F group, 384 photos were collected by 52 patients. None of them sent more photos than the number that was established by the protocol. Telemedicine allowed a monitoring of all patients, reducing costs and limiting human contact, decreasing the risk of Covid-19 dissemination.

This survey was intended to investigate prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in a sample of children in Southern Italy and to identify factors that may be related to this condition.

Allotropic 2D materials are the new frontier of materials science, due to their unique strategic properties and application within several sciences. Allotropic 2D materials have shown tunable physical, chemical, biochemical, and optical characteristics, and among the allotropic materials, graphene has been widely investigated for its interesting properties, which are highly required in biomedical applications. Recently, the synthesis of thin 2D boron sheets, developed on Ag(111) substrates, was able to create a 2D triangular structure called borophene (BO). Borophene has consistently shown anisotropic behavior similar to graphene. In this topical review, we will describe the main properties and latest applications of borophene. This review will critically describe the most interesting uses of borophene as part of electronic and optical circuits. Moreover, we will report how borophene can be an innovative component of sensors within biomedical devices, and we will discuss its use in nanotechnologies and theranostic applications. The conclusions will provide insight into the latest frontiers of translational medicine involving this novel and strategic 2D allotropic material.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of malocclusions, normative and perceived orthodontic treatment need and related risk factors in schoolchildren in Italy. Design: A random sample of 1000 11–15 years old children was selected from randomly selected schools in Catanzaro (Italy). Parents completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, orthodontic history and perception of their child orthodontic treatment need. Children were interviewed on utilization of dental services, perception of orthodontic treatment need and use of orthodontic devices. The Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and the Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) were assessed. The Aesthetic Component (AC) of IOTN was assessed by parents, children and dentist. Results: A total of 546 children participated in the study. Three hundred and twenty-five subjects (59.5%) were assigned a 4 or 5 IOTN score, thus requiring orthodontic treatment. Definite treatment need (AC score 8–10) was reported for 8.6% of subjects by the orthodontist, 5.4% by parents and 3.2% by children. Higher DMFT significantly predicted orthodontic treatment need according to IOTN. Perceived orthodontic treatment need was significantly predicted by orthodontic treatment need for crowding/spacing and overjet. Conclusion: A high proportion of children needs normative orthodontic treatment and perceptions of orthodontic treatment do not overlap with normative need.