Candida albicans is a dimorphic yeast strongly gram positive able to live as normal commensal organism in the oral cavity of healthy people. It is the yeast more frequently isolated in the oral cavity. Under local and systemic factors related to the host conditions, it becomes virulent and responsible of oral diseases known as oral candidiasis. It has been shown that the presence of denture is a predisposing factor to the onset of pathologies related to C. albicans. Clinical studies have shown that C. albicans is not only able to adhere to the mucous surfaces, but also to stick to the acrylic resins of the dental prostheses. Both the plaque accumulated on the denture and the poor oral hygiene contribute to the virulence of Candida, offering the clinical picture of Candida-associated denture stomatitis. The therapeutic strategies currently adopted in the clinical practice to overcome these fungal infections provide for the use of topical and/or systemic antifungal and topical antiseptics and disinfectants, the irradiation with microwaves and the accurate mechanical removal of the bacterial plaque from the denture surfaces and from the underlying mucosa. A correct oral hygiene is important for the control of the bacterial biofilm present on the denture and on the oral mucosa and it is the fundamental base for the prophylaxis and the therapy of the Candida-associated denture stomatitis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is a complex group of malignancies, posing several challenges to treating physicians. Most patients are diagnosed with a locally advanced disease and treated with strategies integrating surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. About 50% of these patients will experience a recurrence of disease. Recurrent/metastatic SCCHN have poor prognosis with a median survival of about 12 months despite treatments. In the last years, the strategy to manage recurrent/metastatic SCCHN has profoundly evolved. Salvage treatments (surgery or re-irradiation) are commonly employed in patients suffering from locoregional recurrences and their role has gained more and more importance in the last years. Re-irradiation, using some particularly fractionating schedules, has the dual task of reducing the tumor mass and eliciting an immune response against cancer (abscopal effect). In this review, we will analyze the main systemic and/or locoregional strategies aimed at facing the recurrent/metastatic disease, underlining the enormous importance of the multidisciplinary approach in these types of patients.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are a very heterogeneous group of malignancies arising from the upper aerodigestive tract. They show different clinical behaviors depending on their origin site and genetics. Several data support the existence of at least two genetically different types of HNSCC, one virus-related and the other alcohol and/or tobacco and oral trauma-related, which show both clinical and biological opposite features. In fact, human papillomavirus (HPV)-related HNSCCs, which are mainly located in the oropharynx, are characterized by better prognosis and response to therapies when compared to HPV-negative HNSCCs. Interestingly, virus-related HNSCC has shown a better response to conservative (nonsurgical) treatments and immunotherapy, opening questions about the possibility to perform a pretherapy assessment which could totally guide the treatment strategy. In this review, we summarize molecular differences and similarities between HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC, highlighting their impact on clinical behavior and on therapeutic strategies.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are a class of synthetic drugs commonly used to treat bone metastasis and various bone diseases that cause osseous fragility (such as osteoporosis). Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a common complication in patients who received BPs, especially intravenously. Recently, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) caused by chemotherapeutic not belonging to BPs drug class has been reported. For this reason, it has been proposed recently to rename BRONJ in antiresorptive agents related osteonecrosis of the jaw (ARONJ), to include a wider spectrum of drugs that may cause osteonecrosis of the jaw. The most debated topic about ARONJ/BRONJ is therapy. The most adequate procedure is far from being standardized and prevention seems to play a pivotal role. In our study, we considered 72 patients with BRONJ with nonsurgical therapy, surgical therapy, and surgical therapy with platelet rich plasma (PRP) gel to evaluate its therapeutic effect in promoting ONJ wounds healing. Good results showed by PRP in improving wound healing give away to case-control randomized studies that could give definitive evidence of its effectiveness.