Three-dimensional visualization is increasingly used in dentistry for diagnostics, education, and treatment design. The accurate replication of geometry and color is crucial for these applications. Image-based rendering, which uses 2-dimensional photos to generate photo-realistic 3-dimensional representations, provides an affordable and practical option, aiding both regular and remote health care.

Perineural invasion (PNI) frequently occurs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which correlates with poor survival and induces intractable pain and numbness. There is no effective treatment for PNI or associated pain. To gain a better understanding of PNI at the molecular and cellular level, we produced an orthotopic, syngeneic mouse model of PNI by inoculating mouse oral cancer cells

The molecular mechanisms mediating barrier functions of the junctional epithelium (JE) are incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to gain mechanistic insights into how reduced Wnt/β-catenin signaling affects the metabolism, turnover, and attachment of JE cells to the tooth surface. A membrane-permeable selective inhibitor of the Wntless protein, C59, was topically delivered to the JE. Wnt

The development of craniofacial bones and teeth relies heavily on the Wnt signaling pathway, yet the specific mechanisms and Wnt variants involved remain under continual investigation. Using publicly available single-cell sequencing data from the mouse incisor, we reveal Wnt1 expression across dental structures and investigate its role using a Col1a1 -dependent Wnt1 transgenic mouse model. Inducing

The prevalence of childhood metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity is rising, with emerging evidence suggesting these conditions negatively affect oral health. However, the underlying molecular determinants are unclear. This study investigated the oral microbiome, inflammatory markers, and metabolites in children with obesity and MetS to explore the interrelationships between systemic disease and oral

Enamel produced by ameloblasts derived from the oral epithelium is the hardest and most mineralized tissue. Developmental enamel defects have significant clinical implications, such as enamel hypoplasia or opacities, increased tooth sensitivity, and impaired mastication. Yap1 is a transcriptional coactivator that has been shown to be involved in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Although

It is with sadness that we report the passing of Richard (Dick) R. Ranney, DDS, MS, on November 13, 2024, at the age of 85. Dick conducted significant and unique research on early-onset periodontitis, focusing on the clinical, microbiological, and immunological aspects of the disease. He was a dean of 2 dental schools, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and University of Maryland

This prospective, multicenter, practice-based cohort study aimed to analyze factors associated with the success of all-ceramic inlays, onlays, and crowns. All-ceramic indirect restorations placed in a practice-based research network (Ceramic Success Analysis) were analyzed. Data were evaluated from 12,468 patients with restorations manufactured by CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing)

Dysregulation of the complement system plays a critical role in periodontitis progression. In addition to the harmful effects of biofilm, aberrant expression of complement regulatory proteins is also a potential cause of periodontitis. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is involved in complement activation and regulation, seeking a balance between amplifying complement-mediated immune responses and avoiding complement-mediated

Orofacial cleft (OFC) is a common congenital anomaly in humans with variable birth prevalence in different ethnic groups. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with nonsyndromic OFC (nsOFC), understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of causative SNPs and genes in nsOFC remains limited. Here, we report that the noncoding

Challenges of access have sparked political debates about dental coverage in the Netherlands. So far, policy makers have been opposing an expansion of public coverage for the adult population, arguing that previous reductions of public coverage would not have led to reduced dental attendance within the Dutch population. To this end, this study aims to evaluate the effects of public coverage reductions

Due to the unclear etiology and pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), current treatments often fail to provide long-term relief or halt disease progression. Therefore, this study aims to explore the underlying etiologic mechanisms by focusing on the causal relationship between the gut microbiome (GM) and TMD through a multi-omics approach. This includes mendelian randomization (MR)

The degradation of dentin bonding interfaces by enzymes, either originating from the dentin matrix or produced by oral biofilms, contributes to the failure of composite restorations. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are effective collagen crosslinkers that help preserve collagen, but their interference with adhesive polymerization impairs clinical applications. Methacrylate-functionalized PA (MAPA) was developed

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a treatment modality for cancers and hematopoietic disorders. The number of allo-HCT survivors is increasing in the United States. Allo-HCT is associated with oral health problems that can affect the quality of posttransplantation life. We characterize clinical and patient-reported oral health outcomes from the time of allo-HCT through 2 y

The oral system is a highly complex mechanosensory structure that continuously adapts to changes in mechanical stimuli, exerting mechanical forces on cells and tissues. Understanding how these forces are converted into biochemical signals and how they mediate gene expression and cellular activities has been a significant focus in dentistry. Piezo channels, including Piezo1 and Piezo2, are mechanically

Enrichment of the oral microorganism Filifactor alocis is strongly associated with the progression of periodontitis. However, F. alocis is part of a complex dysbiotic microbial community, and the organism's direct pathogenic potential remains uncharacterized. Using the oral gavage model of experimental periodontitis, we revealed that F. alocis promotes alveolar bone loss, as well as significant overexpression

Poor oral health is a public health issue in the United States, disproportionately affecting people in poverty. This cross-sectional study investigates the impact of reducing absolute and relative poverty on the prevalence of periodontitis, caries, and dental pain among US adults. Data from 13,139 adults aged 30 to 70 y who completed dental examinations in the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition

The impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on periodontal disease (PD) is critical to study, as a deeper understanding of SDoH offers significant potential to inform policy and help clinicians provide holistic patient care. The use of machine learning (ML) to analyze the association of SDoH with PD provides significant advantages over traditional statistical methods. While statistical approaches

The aims of this study were to evaluate how behaviors cluster together and to investigate the relationship among cluster of behaviors, social support and network, socioeconomic factors, and edentulism in older English adults. Data on social factors (Wave 3, 2006/07), behaviors (Wave 5, 2010/11), and edentulism (Wave 7, 2014/15) were extracted from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Baseline

The limited number of specialists and diseases’ long-tail distribution create challenges in diagnosing oral tumors. Health care facilities with sole practicing pathologists face difficulties when encountering the rare cases. Such specialists may lack prior exposure to uncommon presentations, needing external reference materials to formulate accurate diagnoses. An image search or content-based image

Tooth caries is a prevalent chronic oral disease with microorganisms as the initiating factor and carbohydrates as the key environmental factor. Clinical antimicrobial therapies rely mainly on broad-spectrum antibiotics, which usually increase the risk of bacterial resistance. Recently, phototherapy has shown powerful antibacterial effects, although it cannot effectively eliminate cariogenic microenvironments

Oxidative stress has emerged as a critical player in the development and progression of periodontitis. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is a crucial oxidative stress sensor, while its role in periodontitis and its relationship with the oxidative stress microenvironment remains poorly understood. The objective of this research is to unravel the mechanism by which reactive oxygen species

Nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2) is a pivotal transcription factor that regulates redox signaling, playing a protective role in inflammation. Citraconate is verified as the strongest NRF2 agonist among its isomers. Dimethyl citraconate (DMC), an esterified derivative of citraconate, holds the potential for activating NRF2 and relieving inflammation. Here, we show that DMC is a strong

Caries precedes periodontitis; both may predict fatal noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) decades in advance. However, the complex network of relationships between these and other NCDs remains unclear. Understanding the intricate nonlinear connections among NCDs from the early life stages holds profound significance for public health management strategies to prevent NCDs. Accordingly, we modeled the connections

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder characterized by hypoplasia of facial tissue that is often asymmetric. Affected tissues typically include the ears (external and internal), mandible, and maxilla, but various extracranial anomalies have also been reported. Loss-of-function variants in the SF3B2 gene have recently been reported in 8 cases of CFM

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is a prevalent cause of recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, accurately identifying metastatic LNs (LNs+) remains challenging. This prospective clinical study aims to test the effectiveness of our convolutional neural network (CNN) model for identifying OSCC cervical LN+ in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in clinical practice. A CNN model

Society strives to improve the quality of life and well-being of its members. While a broad range of social, economic, political, health, and environmental dimensions have been considered to contribute to human development, the perception of what constitutes social progress has been evolving over time. This article provides an overview of widely used social progress indices and their previous lack

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS1-6) is caused by mutations along the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway and features aortic aneurysms and craniofacial dysmorphology. Mutations that cause LDS can be found in the genes encoding transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) ligands (TGFB2 and TGFB3), receptors (TGFBR1 and TGFBR2), and signal transducers (SMAD2 and SMAD3). Variable enamel anomalies

The difficulty of establishing a relationship between archaea and oral diseases such as dental caries stems from the challenges of detecting, identifying, and isolating these microorganisms. This study aimed to detect archaea in publicly available datasets comprising caries and caries-free saliva and dental plaque by using a tailored bioinformatic pipeline for shotgun sequencing analysis. A systematic

The etiology of chronic pain in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is still unclear, making its treatment challenging in clinical practice. Emerging evidence suggests that the activation of satellite glial cells (SGCs) exerts an important role in the development of pain. This study aims to investigate whether and which prostaglandin E receptor (EP) subtypes expressed on peripheral SGCs

The health of prospective parents before conception (i.e., preconception health) has important intergenerational consequences. Although oral health is associated with several reproductive outcomes, it is often absent from preconception health promotion. To generate insights that may inform preconception oral health interventions, we used cross-sectional data from 6,159 US-based participants enrolled

Oral mucosal wounds can greatly affect overall patient health and interfere with eating and speech functions. The intraoral environment provides an ideal milieu for bacterial growth and proliferation, thereby increasing the risk of infection in oral mucosal wounds. In the event of wound infection, immune cells undergo a respiratory burst, leading to the production of a substantial amount of reactive

Regenerative endodontic procedures using blood clots (BC-REP) for immature teeth typically exhibit a periodontal ligament–like healing pattern. However, a pulp-like healing pattern is observed in the presence of residual pulp. This study aimed to clarify the healing phenotype according to tooth maturity when performing BC-REP in the presence of residual pulp, focusing on migrated mesenchymal stem/stromal

Antiseptics such as chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) are widely used in clinical dental practice, but their potential risks, particularly regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR), are not yet known. This study explores the genomic and transcriptomic mechanisms of CHX adaptation in 3 clinical isolates of Streptococcus spp. and their adapted counterparts. The genomic analysis revealed mutations in genes

Regenerating the functional dentin–pulp complex remains a significant challenge in endodontics. Conventional regenerative endodontic therapies often result in the formation of non–pulp-like tissue due to the uncontrolled induction of stem cells and cytokines. Mimicking developmental processes to promote regeneration represents a promising yet challenging approach in regenerative medicine. This study

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-enclosed particles released from cells, containing lipids, DNA, RNA, metabolites, and cytosolic and cell surface proteins. EVs support intercellular communication and orchestrate organogenesis by transferring bioactive molecules in between cells. Mesenchymal stem cells are known to produce EVs, which exhibit immunomodulatory and regenerative capabilities in many

Fibroblasts isolated from discarded lip tissue obtained during cheiloplasty in patients with cleft lip/palate (CLP) show promising osteogenic potential and may be an appealing cell source for autologous bone regeneration. As the lip is a mucocutaneous junction, explant cultures from unseparated lip biopsies produce mesenchymal outgrowths composed of skin- and mucosa-derived fibroblasts. The proportions

Although annexin A1 (ANXA1) is known to mediate inflammatory responses through N-formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), the role of the ANXA1-FPR2 signaling pathway in periodontal disease remains unclear. This study investigated the contribution of this pathway to the pathophysiology of periodontal disease. Using a ligature-induced mouse model, we performed histologic analyses to examine ANXA1 and FPR2

Remineralization is an essential interventional strategy for intercepting enamel white spot lesions (WSLs). Given the limitations of both natural and/or fluoride-mediated repair processes, there is a need to develop novel strategies for repairing enamel WSLs via a minimally invasive approach while restoring the unique ultrastructural integrity and functional properties. Inspired by the unique capability

Amelogenesis, the process of enamel formation, is tightly regulated and essential for producing the tooth enamel that protects teeth from decay and wear. Disruptions in amelogenesis can result in amelogenesis imperfecta, a group of genetic conditions characterized by defective enamel, including enamel hypoplasia, marked by thin or underdeveloped enamel. Mutations in the KMT2D ( MLL4 ) gene, which encodes

While Lactiplantibacillus plantarum has shown promise against cariogenic pathogens, its in vivo effects on caries prevention remain unexplored. This study used a rat model to investigate the effect of L. plantarum early-life oral inoculation on oral and gut microbiomes, host immune responses, and serum metabolites. Forty 14-day Sprague–Dawley rat pups were randomly allocated into 5 groups: (1) blank