Spirulina is a microalga cultivated in many countries. It is a source of valuable protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants and elements. We have not found studies that address the effect of supplement form or cultivation method on the mineral content of spirulina supplements. The aim of this study was to determine whether supplement form (tablet and powder) and cultivation method (organic and conventional) of spirulina have a bearing on the mineral nutrients content. Such an approach accounts for the innovation of our research. The material used in the study was spirulina in tablets and powder form, marketed as a dietary supplement. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In turn, selenium (Se) content was determined by spectrofluorimetry. Overall, in terms of mean values, the most abundant mineral in spirulina supplements was phosphorus (P) (15,149 mg/kg) and the least abundant was Se (0.31 mg/kg). Our findings show that both supplement form and cultivation method affect the mineral content of spirulina. Supplements in powder form had a significantly higher content of important elements, such as iron (Fe) (673 mg/kg), magnesium (Mg) (4151 mg/kg) and potassium (K) (16,686 mg/kg), while at the same time containing significantly less sodium (Na) (9868 mg/kg). In terms of the cultivation method, organic spirulina supplements turned out to be a richer dietary source of Fe (703 mg/kg) and K (14,893 mg/kg). In turn, conventionally grown supplements had higher contents of calcium (Ca) (11,269 mg/kg), phosphorus (P) (16,314 mg/kg) and strontium (Sr) (47 mg/kg). Spirulina can therefore be a valuable addition to the daily diet, helping people to achieve the required intake of micronutrients.

Background. Occlusal appliances are still widely used instruments in the management of orofacial pain in dentistry, yet alone or as a part of multimodal therapy. However, some of those modalities have been lacking thorough randomized assessment, and there is a conflicting evidence available. It is hypothesized that pain symptoms might improve faster and in more tangible way due to combined therapy. Also, to our best knowledge, nimesulide was never examined in this aspect, too. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare early effectiveness of routine intervention methods in patients with myofascial pain (MP) after 3 weeks’ notice. Three modalities were evaluated: occlusal appliance (OA) with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy (nimesulide), occlusal appliance with dry needling (DN), and occlusal appliance (OA-control group) therapy. Design. Randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) in which ninety patients with MP, who met the inclusion criteria, were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups. Sealed, opaque envelopes were used. Methods. For evaluation, each patient completed a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Sleep and Pain Activity Questionnaire (SPAQ) twice, first at the beginning of the study and again after 3 weeks (0–3). Results. Posttreatment test comparison between the control group and both treated groups reveal significant differences between the control and the NSAID + occlusal appliance groups. There were also differences reported between the control and the DN + occlusal appliance groups, but these differences were, however, not statistically significant. Conclusions. Occlusal appliances in conjunction with NSAID showed better orofacial pain relief after 3 weeks of therapy, compared to the use of occlusal appliances alone or in conjunction with dry needling. Additionally, differences between pain perception and quality of life between OA and DN + OA groups were not found to be statistically significant.

Chlorhexidine has been one of the most effective and popular antiseptic substances used in medicine for decades. In dentistry, it has been used in endodontics, periodontology, surgery, and general dentistry. It is also widely used daily by patients in mouth rinses, gels, or toothpastes. Because of its multiple uses, we should follow all types of research reporting its potential adverse effects. This article aims to review the most up-to-date studies regarding chlorhexidine and its possible side effects, in the period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as the use of different antiseptic substances has rapidly increased.

Summary: The limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of soft tissue manual therapy and self-therapy interventions prompted the authors to focus on the analgesic and myorelaxant use of massage, post-isometric muscle relaxation (PIR) and therapeutic exercise in TMD patients. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of soft tissue therapy and therapeutic exercises in female patients with pain, increased masseter muscle tension and limited mandibular mobility. Material and methods: The study was conducted on a group of 82 women (G1) with the Ib disorder diagnosed in DC/TMD (Ib—myofascial pain with restricted mobility). The control group (G2) consisted of 104 women without diagnosed TMDs (normal reference values for TMJ ROM and masseter muscle sEMG bioelectric activity). Diagnostic procedures were performed in both groups (sEMG of the masseter muscles at baseline and during exercise, measurement of TMJ mobility, assessment of pain intensity—NRS scale). The G1 group was randomly divided into 3 therapeutic groups in which the therapy was carried out for 10 days: therapeutic exercises (TE), manual therapy – massage and therapeutic exercises (MTM_TE), manual therapy – PIR and therapeutic exercises (MTPIR_TE). Each time after therapy, the intensity of pain and TMJ mobility were assessed. Sealed, opaque envelopes were used for randomization. After 5 and 10 days of therapy, bilateral sEMG signals of the masseter muscles were acquired. Results: Massage, PIR and self-therapy led to a decrease in sEMG at rest as well as in exercise. After day 6 of therapy, the groups obtained a significant difference (p = 0.0001). Each of the proposed forms of therapy showed a minimal clinically significant difference (MID) in the sEMG parameter at the endpoint, with the most considerable difference in the MTM_TE group. The forms of MT used were effective in reducing the patients’ pain intensity; however, a significant difference between therapies occurred after 4 treatments (p = 0.0001). Analyzing the MID between methods, it was observed that self-therapy had an analgesic effect only after 8 treatments, while PIR after 3 and massage after 1 treatment. After day 7, the mean pain score in the MTM_TE group was 0.889 and in the TMPIR_TE group was 3.44 on the NRS scale. In terms of MMO, a significant difference was obtained between monotherapy and each form of TM, i.e. massage (p = 0.0001) and PIR (p = 0.0001). Analyzing mandibular lateral movements, the authors got a significant difference in the proposed MT forms, of which massage treatments exceeded the effectiveness of PIR. Conclusions: Soft tissue manual therapy and therapeutic exercise are simple and safe interventions that can potentially benefit patients with myogenic TMDs, with massage showing better analgesic effects than PIR.

Background: Despite a growing interest in the types of human circadian activity, different chronotypes and personality-related issues have been rarely studied. It has already been emphasized that ‘stress personality’ is considered a risk factor for certain psychosomatic diseases and may be a temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) predictor. Therefore, an attempt has been made to analyze the chronotypes, stress levels, stress factors, and the occurrence of depression and TMDs in students with type D personalities. People with this personality trait tend to experience negative emotions more—depression, anxiety, anger, or hostility—yet may have a negative image of themselves and report somatic complaints. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the importance of the chronotype profile for the level of stress perceived, as well as for the occurrence of depression and TMDs in people with type D personalities. Material and Methods: The study has been conducted on a group of 220 physical therapy students. The study group G1 consisted of 110 participants with type D personalities, the control group G2 consisted of the same number of participants without the stress personality. All participants have been analyzed for the chronotype (MEQ), stress perception (PSS10), the occurrence of depression (Beck scale-BDI), the occurrence of TMDs symptoms and have completed the stress factor assessment questionnaire during the study, followed by DS14 questionnaire—a tool for assessing the prevalence of type D personality. Results: In students with type D personalities (G1), the definitely evening and evening chronotypes have been significantly more predominant than in the control group (G2). A significantly higher number of stressors and TMDs symptoms have been observed in the respondents from the G1 group than in the control group (<0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that type D personality was strongly associated with a more frequent occurrence of all TMD symptoms. Additionally, a significant influence of the evening chronotype on the occurrence of type D personality was observed. Among the potential confounding variables, female gender and a mild and moderate degree of depression have an impact on the occurrence of type D personality (p < 0.05). In the multivariate model, adjusted with the above-mentioned factors, an increased risk of the type D personality trait was found. Conclusion: The evening chronotype and type D personality may imply greater feelings of stress, greater depression, and more frequent symptoms of TMDs in young adults.