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

Pediatric oral oncology represents a complex and challenging field within pediatric dentistry and oncology. This brief review aims to examine current understanding, diagnostic approaches, and treatment modalities for oral and maxillofacial malignancies in the pediatric population. Special emphasis is placed on early detection, multidisciplinary treatment strategies, and management of treatment-related complications. Recent advances in targeted therapies and their impact on survival rates are also discussed.

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Adipogenic differentiation plays a crucial role in adipose tissue biology, an endocrine organ that regulates energy storage and hormone secretion. Dysfunction in this process contributes to metabolic diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes. In vitro models have been developed to investigate the mechanisms of adipogenesis, with periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) emerging as a promising model due to their multipotent capacity. Previous studies have shown that epigenetic manipulation can enhance the adipogenic response in various cell lines. Acetylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9ac) is associated with the activation of key genes, such as PPARγ-2. In this study, we evaluated whether class I histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as valproic acid (VPA) and sodium butyrate (NaBu), both short-chain fatty acids, can increase H3K9 acetylation and influence adipogenic differentiation. We used 1, 4, and 8 mM VPA concentrations and 1, 2, and 5 mM NaBu to assess their effects on cell viability, morphology, H3K9ac distribution, and adipogenic differentiation. The results indicated that cells treated with 5 mM NaBu exhibited morphological changes, reduced viability, increased H3K9ac signal intensity, and enhanced intracellular lipid deposition. These results infer that inhibition of HDACs by NaBu increases plasticity toward adipogenesis of PDLSCs through a limited transcriptional change in their key genes.

The objective of this study aimed to assess the cyclic fatigue fracture of ZenFlexTM, ProTaper GoldTM, and HyFlexTM. EDM rotary files in simulated curved canals, along with evaluating their physicochemical properties and thermal behavior. A total of 69 instruments from three different NiTi rotary file systems were utilized: ProTaper GoldTM (08/25), HyflexTM EDM (08/25), and ZenflexTM (06/25). The analysis consisted of four phases: Phase 1 involved SEM observation to detect manufacturing defects; Phase 2 focused on cyclic fatigue-induced fracture in a curved canal with a 60° radius of curvature of 2 mm and a diameter of 1.5 mm; Phase 3 encompassed SEM observation of the fractured fragment and obtaining a fractographic study; Phase 4 included physicochemical characterization, such as equiatomic relationships by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), phase transformation by DSC, crystalline structure by X-ray diffraction, and morphological analysis by SEM.  Microcracks and defects were observed on cutting edges of ZenFlexTM and ProTaper GoldTM files. The mean cycles to fracture were 2814.50±161.58, 2649.94±120.93, and 1362.89±88.33 for HyFlexTM, ZenFlexTM, and ProTaper GoldTM, respectively. Moreover, different phase transition temperatures were noted, with ZenFlexTM in the austenite phase, ProTaper GoldTM in martensite, and HyFlexTM in the R phase at room temperature, as corroborated by X-ray diffraction. Additionally, a quasi-equimolar relationship was observed for the different systems, with ZenFlexTM exhibiting a reduced helical angle, followed by HyFlexTM and ProTaper GoldTM. ZenFlexTM files demonstrated greater resistance to cyclic fatigue, which appeared to be attributed to their physicochemical properties, heat treatment, and design.

This systematic review aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness and biological safety of short-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in managing postoperative pain following dental implant surgery. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across eight databases through March 2023, following PRISMA guidelines. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating short-term (≤7 days) NSAID use in patients undergoing dental implant placement were included. Outcomes assessed included postoperative pain, swelling, need for rescue medication, patient satisfaction, adverse events, and effects on osseointegration. Risk of bias was assessed using GRADE and OCEMB tools. Ten RCTs met the inclusion criteria. NSAIDs studied included ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam, piroxicam, lornoxicam, dexketoprofen, and diclofenac. Most studies reported reduced postoperative pain and lower need for rescue medication with NSAIDs compared to placebo. Several trials also found higher patient satisfaction and reduced swelling. No significant adverse effects on marginal bone loss or osseointegration were observed in the short term. Risk of bias varied: three studies were low risk, four had some concerns, and three had high risk due to inadequate blinding or unclear randomization.The short-term use of NSAIDs appears to be effective in reducing postoperative pain and swelling after dental implant placement without negatively affecting osseointegration. However, heterogeneity in study design, protocols, and outcomes prevented meta-analysis. Further high-quality RCTs with standardized protocols are needed to establish clear clinical guidelines.

To evaluate the marginal sealing of resin composite restorations subjected to various light-curing protocols, both with and without artificial aging through thermocycling.  A comparative, longitudinal in vitro experimental study was performed with 120 bovine teeth distributed across 8 groups. The teeth were treated with different light intensities (650-1200 mW/cm², 800 mW/cm², 1200 mW/cm², 2500-2800 mW/cm²) along with different curing times (15", 20", 10", 3"), as described in the ISO 11405-2015 standard. Thermocycling comprised of 10,000 cycles to replicate one year of intraoral conditions, and microleakage was measured with dye penetration and the Khera and Chan scale (0-3). The majority of samples (41.7%) displayed dye penetration in the middle third of the interface (grade 2). Significant differences were detected among samples with and without thermocycling in the specific groups (p=0.027 and p=0.013), confirming a possible effect of artificial aging. For the highest light intensities (2500-2800 mW/cm²), no significant differences were present (p=0.527), indicating a possible lower effect of thermocycling at these intensities. The results demonstrate that marginal sealing varies by curing protocols and aging processes. Thermocycling affected microleakage with moderate light intensity, while higher intensities and shorter curing times had a reduced effect. These results point to the need for optimizing the curing protocols to provide better long-term durability for the restoration. Further work should examine other variables that may alter marginal sealing.

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive gum growth, often presenting in childhood or adolescence. Symptoms include difficulties in speech, eating, oral hygiene, and psychological distress. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind HGF is crucial for identifying potential therapeutic targets. This study aimed to predict interactomic hub genes in HGF using neural networks. We analyzed the GEO dataset GSE4250 using the geor2 tool to identify differentially expressed genes. Cytoscape and the CytoHubba plugin were employed to construct the interactome, ranking hub genes based on centrality scores. A neural network model with an 80:20 train-test split was used to predict hub and non-hub genes, achieving an AUC of 0.853, classification accuracy of 0.720, F1 score of 0.720, precision of 0.720, and recall of 0.720. The resulting network consisted of 147 nodes and 1092 edges, demonstrating moderate heterogeneity and connectivity. Ten key hub genes were identified, offering insights into the molecular basis of HGF. While the neural network model shows promising predictive capacity, further validation in larger cohorts is required. Adding predictive features and functional validation experiments could deepen understanding of HGF's biological mechanisms.

To perform a systematic review to assess the decrease in bacterial counts of Streptococcus mutans in patients who used ice cream enriched with probiotics. Is registered in the PROSPERO platform, by the code CRD42022371298. The databases were Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Pubmed, Medline, and Science Direct, through a search algorithm based on the following PICO question: P-individuals systematically healthy and free of caries, I-enriched diet with probiotics, C-diet with ice cream without probiotics, O-S. mutans count after the diet, being only original articles. After the inclusion of metadata in the Rayyan platform, the text were read by two independent researchers, with inter-examiner kappa >0.9, with a final sample of 5 articles. There was a significant reduction of S. mutans, with p-values between <0.001 and <0.005 for all studies analyzed, maintaining the decrease for up to 7 days, conserving it for 90 days after the diet protocol, but in this case without statistical difference. The use of ice cream containing probiotics to reduce the bacterial count of S. mutans is promising, but the ideal strain and the exact number of days for maintenance of the diet are still unknown.

To evaluate the morphology of the root canal system in maxillary and mandibular permanent anterior teeth in the Peruvian population using two classification systems and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A retrospective descriptive study. A total of 384 CBCTs from the database of Hannyx Dentomaxillofacial Radiology Consulting were used. The CBCT model used was NEWTOM, and the images were examined in sagittal, axial, and coronal views using the NNT NewTom software. A total of 384 subjects participated in this study. According to Vertucci and the new Ahmed Classification system, Type I, ¹MI¹, was the most common type in both maxillae, followed by Type III, ¹MI¹-²-¹ .The coding ¹MI¹-²-¹-²-¹, which does not have a classification in Vertucci, was present only in the right maxillary canine and the right and left central mandibular incisors, followed by ¹MI¹-² with Type V, present in the mandibular canines. The prevalence of root canal morphology variations in the mandibular central incisors was higher in females than in males, as well as in the right maxillary canines. Younger individuals showed more anatomical variations in the root canals compared to older patients. Female patients and younger individuals have a higher prevalence of root canal variations in mandibular anterior teeth. 

Currently, the vast majority of dental students and recent graduates belong to Generation Z (born since 1996). They have been characterized by solving problems with their creativity and the use of technological resources. It is important to be aware of their perceptions regarding their experiences, future plans and aspirations. The aim of the study was to analyze the professional aspirations of recent graduates of Dentistry, belonging to Generation Z who studied at a University in Mexico. Descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study based on a survey developed in Google Forms, consisting of questions about demographic data, professional aspirations and motivations of recent graduates of Dentistry. The database was organized in Microsoft Excel. The final data were analyzed with STATISTICS software, using the chi-square test to compare proportions of categorical variables between groups. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The sample of 107 responses consisted of 85 females and 22 males, and the average age was 23.7 years. The most important findings were that 100% of the recent graduates planned to continue with their dental profession, the majority had plans to start a Postgraduate Program and work in private practice as owners or associates. There were statistically significant differences regarding their mobility plans, and personal growth was identified as their main motivation. The findings of the study demonstrate that the recent graduates of Dentistry belonging to Generation Z are determined to continue their professional training with great efforts to carry out a quality clinical practice for the benefit of society.