Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction: The self-medication is the use of drugs without health professionals’ prescription that many times, instead of helping, aggravate the patient's health. Dental pain is the main reason for performing this act in the area of odontology. It is important to know if patients self-medicate in order to develop strategies to reduce the misuse of drugs and avoid this practice. Objective: Establish the frequency and characterization of self-medication in patients who visit to the three private dental clinics between the months of march to July in the year 2021. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional observational study with a sample of 450 patients from three dental clinics in the city of Lima. The assessment tool was a 13-question quiz about the main characteristics of self-medication. Results: The 85,8% of patients use drugs without medical prescription. 41.5% of the patients self-medicated did it with old prescriptions made by the dentist. The age group that more self-medicated was 26-35 years old with 35.5%. The most frequent type of disease was dental pain with 45.6%, The degree of instruction with the highest percentage was complete university superior with 32.9%. Conclusions: The frequency of self-medication of the patients who visited the three dental centers is considerably high.

Objective: To evaluate the economic and psychological repercussions, among other difficulties encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic in a group of dentists. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive observational study. An online questionnaire was applied to dentists from the “Rigoberto Caballero” Central Police Hospital (HCPRC) of Asunción-Paraguay that was distributed between July and September 2021. It consisted of 32 closed questions distributed in 5 sections: sociodemographic data, economic effects of the pandemic, psychological effects, contagion, and experiences with respect to the clinic. The data were analyzed with the Epi Info version 7 program and the results are represented in tables, the Fisher's exact test and the Chi-square test were also used. Results: 78 dentists participated, 78.2% female, 56.4% from the 35-45 age group. 88.5% reported a decrease in income in private practice and the majority had to resort to another source to be able to cover daily expenses. Most reported having suffered symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic and felt the need to consult a psychiatrist. It was reported an increase in the demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and an increase in its costs. Almost half of all dentists reported getting COVID-19. Conclusion: The pandemic had a considerable impact on HCPRC dentists, causing financial problems, psychological repercussions and difficulties with prices and a shortage of PPE.

Introduction: Canine impaction is an anomaly in which the tooth is prevented from erupting. It occurs when eruption has been delayed and there is radiographic evidence. Objective: To determine the prognosis of impacted canines according to their position in the maxilla by means of different analyses: Ericson & Kurol, Warford and Power & Short; in patients attending private clinics in the city of Asuncion from 2015 to 2020. Methodology: The design is observational descriptive, cross-sectional, using panoramic radiograph measurements. Results: The sample consisted of 37 patients and the 48 canines. It was found that the presence of impacted canines was more frequent in women (69.44%), with unilateral location (70.27%) and palatal position (68.75%). In more than half of the cases the prognosis was unfavorable, however, the concordance was only 75.00%. There was greater concordance in Warford's prognosis with that of Power & Short (95.91%), while the concordance was lower with that of Ericson & Kurol (81.25%). Conclusion: The frequency of impacted canines in a Paraguayan sample was higher in females, unilaterally located and positioned by palatine. Being unfavorable in more than half of the cases. It is suggested to combine the analyses for projection.

One of the biggest drawbacks in endodontic filling is the problem of insufficient root sealing, due to the microleakage of bacteria into the canal. The objective of the research was to carry out a narrative review of the characteristics of the use of methylene blue as an evaluator of microleakage in studies that compared the quality of root sealing with different endodontic filling techniques. The research method used was literature review. Methylene blue was used in experimental in vitro studies, which compared filling techniques such as lateral condensation, cold injectable guttapercha, thermomechanics, among others, the sealed dental pieces were immersed in a 1% methylene blue dye at 5% concentration. This procedure allowed reevaluating the samples in different periods of time. In conclusion, for endodontic filling penetration testing, methylene blue is an easy-to-use and reliable option.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine in vitro the inhibitory activity of the ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus (Cajamarca - Contumazá) against a standardize strain of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC®25175™). Materials and methods: This study was an experimental in vitro study, which consisted of determining the inhibitory effect of three concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus: 250 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, and 1000 mg/ml against a strains of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC®25175™). Ten tests were performed for each concentration, having 0.12% chlorhexidine as a positive control for Streptococcus mutans plates and 10% DMSO as a negative control. To evaluate the inhibitory effect, the disk diffusion method or Kirby-Bauer test was used, reading the results at 48 hours after initial sowing. Results: None of the three concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus demosntrated inhibitory effects on the Streptococcus mutans strain; however, the positive control, chlorhexidine, clearly showed inhibition halos of 14.43 mm ± 1.23 mm after 48 hours of incubation. Conclusions: The ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus did not inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans. It is recommended to deepen the chemical analysis of the components of this plant and explore other extraction methods to verify its bacteriostatic action versus other oral and non-oral microorganisms.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of the Cameriere method and its variant, the European Formula, in a sub-adult Peruvian population; and determine a chronological age predictor equation. Materials and methods:  Descriptive, observational, cross-sectional and retrospective study. It was used 257 digital panoramic radiographs of patients in mixed dentition from 5 to 12 years of age belonging to the "Dental Cientifica" Dental Center of the Universidad Cientifica del Sur in the city of Lima, Peru. All morphological variables xi, i= 1,...,7, s, N0 and gender of the subjects were used as predictor variables for age estimation. To evaluate the accuracy of each estimation method, the age of each individual was compared with the estimated age using the mean prediction error. Multiple linear regression was used to generate the predictive equation for chronological age. Results: It was found that the mean prediction error between the chronological age with respect to the age estimated by the Cameriere method Formula and the European Formula was 0.73±0.55 years and 0.77±0.57 years, respectively. A model was generated whose predictor variables for age were s and N0, both variables were statistically significant and the Adjusted R2 for the number of variables was 75.96%. Conclusion: It was determined that Cameriere's Formula was more accurate than the European Formula; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the two. Additionally, it was possible to establish a specific linear regression formula for a Peruvian population aged 5 to 12 years with an adequate predictive capacity.

Dental concrescence is an anomaly in which the cementum overlying the roots joins, causing the union of two different teeth. It is often reported in posterior dentition, affecting certain dental procedures such as root canal treatment, periodontal procedures, orthodontic movement, and dental extraction. This case report describes the successful diagnosis and treatment of a 20-year-old male with a moderate skeletal class II who was referred for a radiographic evaluation after 1 year of failed orthodontic movement of teeth 1.1 and 1.2. The radiographic assessment with a Cone Beam Computed Tomography allowed discarding other related pathologies and diagnosis of a dental concrescence. The patient underwent orthognathic surgery in which class II was corrected, and the concrescence was treated with a prosthetic approach.

Currently, a large proportion of cancer patients are treated with bone modifying agents (BMA). In this regard, the increase in the prescription of these drugs has led to concerns about the increment of osteonecrosis of the jaws. This article describes four patients with BMA cancer treatments requested dental evaluation at our institution due to pain and swelling of the mandibular bone after tooth extraction, tooth loss, or unknown risk factor. Oral and radiographic evaluation reveals MRONJ at different clinical stages according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) classification. Some patients underwent abscess drainage, oral cleaning, and antibiotic therapy with complete recovery. Follow-up achieved treatment success in all patients. That is why we emphasize the importance of the prompt establishment of appropriate treatment and emphasize the avoidance of dental procedures during BMA therapy.

COVID-19 is a currently pandemic disease that worries professionals in all areas of the Health Sciences. Current literature indicates that certain components of the stomatognathic system (such as lips, oral mucosa, tongue, and tonsils) express ACE2 receptors, responsible for the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the human cell. This expression has a big impact on organular compromise, turning the oral cavity not only into an important route of viral entry but also into a region with the possibility of various manifestations such as xerostomia, halitosis, chemosensory alteration, opportunistic coinfection, and mucosal lesions. The fact that mouth manifestations are reported in the early stages of this disease suggests a possible predictive nature, which would make them very useful for diagnostic referral. In this sense, it is important that the dental professional knows how to recognize this early presentation symptomatology, being able to presumptively detect patients with COVID-19 in whom a significant systemic commitment has not yet been consolidated. This would allow the referral to medical consultation for definitive diagnostic purposes and, if correct, prevent both transmission and the advancement of the disease in the patient. Based on this important work, this review article synthesizes the scientific evidence published in the last 3 years (2019-2021 period) about the oral manifestations of COVID-19.

The aim of optimal dentistry is to stabilise the stomatognathic system (teeth, periodontium, muscles and temporomandibular joint). All of these must work in harmony, as together they provide optimal care from diagnosis through planning to treatment. However, many clinicians currently give little importance to the identification of premature contacts and/or interferences prior to any dental treatment, which should be taken into account to provide improved stability in mandibular closure, correct anterior and canine guidance in mandibular movements. This clinical case describes the treatment of a patient with a diagnosis of functional occlusal disorder due to premature contact, whose treatment consisted of an occlusal adjustment by selective wear, following the technique described by the author Klineberg, with the aim of preserving the dental structure as much as possible while maintaining control during the occlusal adjustment and returning the greatest number of symmetrical and pointed contacts.