Probiotics are microorganisms, mainly bacteria, which benefit the host’s health. Many studies support the role of probiotics as a contributor to gastrointestinal health, and nowadays many authors are trying to prove its influence in oral health maintenance. To review the published literature with the purpose of knowing the importance of using probiotics as a preventive and therapeutic method for oral infectious diseases management. An electronic search in PubMed database with the keywords “oral health AND probiotics AND dentistry” was conducted. The inclusion criteria were: randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assess the action of any probiotic strain in the treatment and / or prevention of an infectious oral disease, RCTs that assess the action of any probiotic strain on counting colony forming units (CFU) of oral pathogens, systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The Jadad scale was used to assess the high quality of RCTs. Fifteen articles were considered for this review. Of which, 12 were RCTs of good / high quality (Jadad scale), two meta-analysis and one systematic review. The literature reviewed suggests probiotics usage could be beneficial for the maintenance of oral health, due to its ability to decrease the colony forming units (CFU) counts of the oral pathogens. However, randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up periods are needed to confirm their efficacy in reducing the prevalence/incidence of oral infectious diseases. Furthermore, the recognition of specific strains with probiotic activity for each infectious oral disease is required, in order to determine exact dose, treatment time and ideal vehicles. Key words:Probiotics, periodontal diseases, dental caries, oral health.

Masticatory performance is the outcome of a complex interplay of several factors. This study was carried out to determine the relationship between masticatory performance and several muscular‐related and occlusion‐related factors in a population with a full or near‐full complement of natural teeth. One‐hundred dentate young adults participated in this cross‐sectional study. Maximum muscular force with jaw, hand, tongue, and cheek were measured by means of a gnatodynamometer. Occlusal contact area and number of teeth in contact were determined in the maximal intercuspal position and in a 1.5‐mm right and left lateral excursion by means of interocclusal registrations that were scanned and analysed using image software. Masticatory performance was determined by sieving the Optosil particles resulting from 20 chewing cycles. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that the maximum bite force in the region of the first molar had the best correlation with masticatory performance and explained 36% of its variation. Static occlusion characteristics such as occlusal contact area, the lack of lateral crossbite and the number of anterior teeth in contact explained an additional 9% of the variation in masticatory performance. These findings suggest that variables related to dynamic occlusion or tongue or cheek force do not enhance the prediction of masticatory performance.

Denture-related mucosal lesions have been broadly studied. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the risk factors associated with these lesions, and few studies have used multivariable analysis to determine the relative significance of different risks. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between systemic, local, and denture factors on the risk of denture-related oral mucosal lesions in an elderly population by using multivariable analysis. Eighty-four elderly denture wearers recruited from geriatric residences and day care centers participated in this cross-sectional study. All data were obtained by means of a questionnaire-interview, a physical examination, and complementary tests. Bivariate relationship and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed (α=.05). Angular cheilitis (34%), traumatic ulcers (15%), and denture stomatitis (14%) were the 3 most common lesions, and the prevalence of at least 1 denture-related mucosal lesion was 54%. The presence of denture stomatitis was related to low saliva pH, never having smoked, and regular sugar consumption. Angular cheilitis was associated with age, complete edentulism, the presence of oral Candida, a lack of denture stability, and a reduced occlusal vertical dimension. The presence of traumatic ulcers was related to a resorbed residual alveolar ridge. The presence of at least 1 lesion was associated with poor masticatory efficiency, being resident in a care facility, oral Candida, and a lack of denture stability. Several systemic, local, and denture-related characteristics are independent risk factors for denture-related mucosal lesions in an elderly population.

Summary: The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the preferred chewing side and whether chewing side preference is related to peripheral, functional or postural lateral preferences. One hundred and forty‐six adults with natural dentition performed three masticatory assays, each consisting of five trials of chewing three pieces of silicon placed into a latex bag for 20 cycles, either freestyle or unilaterally on the right‐ or left‐hand side. Occlusal contact area in the intercuspal position, maximum bite force, masticatory performance and cycle duration were measured and the lateral asymmetry of these variables was calculated. Laterality tests were performed to determine handedness, footedness, earedness and eyedness as functional preferences, and hand‐clasping, arm‐folding and leg‐crossing as postural lateral preferences. The preferred chewing side was determined using three different methods: assessment of the first chewing cycle for each trial, calculation of the asymmetry index from all cycles and application of a visual analogue scale. Bivariate relationship and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Among unilateral chewers, 77% of them preferred the right side for chewing. The factors most closely related to the preferred chewing side were asymmetry of bite force, asymmetry of masticatory performance and earedness, which explained up to 16% of the variance. Although several functional or postural lateral preferences seem to be related to the preferred chewing side, peripheral factors such as asymmetry of bite force and of masticatory performance are the most closely related to the preferred chewing side in adults with natural dentition.

Recently, bone graft materials using permanent teeth have come to light, and clinical and histological outcomes of this material have been confirmed by some studies. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the reliability of the autogenous tooth bone graft material applied to alveolar ridge augmentation procedures. A systematic review of literature was conducted analyzing articles published between 2007 and 2017. The following four outcome variables were defined: a) implant stability b) post-operative complication c) evaluation of implant survival and failure rates, and d) histological analysis. A total of 108 articles were identified; 6 were selected for review. Based on the PICO (problem, intervention, comparison, outcome) model, the chief question of this study was: Can patients with alveolar ridge deficiency be successfully treated with the autogenous teeth used as bone graft? The mean primary stability of the placed implants was 67.3 ISQ and the mean secondary stability was 75.5 ISQ. The dehiscence of the wound was the most frequent complication with a rate of 29.1%. Of the 182 analyzed implants, the survival rate was 97.7% and the failure rate was 2.3%. In the histological analysis, most of studies reported bone formation. There is insufficient evidence regarding the effects of autogenous teeth used for bone grafting to support any definitive conclusions, although it has been shown clinically safe and good bone forming capacity, and good results are shown about implant stability.