Teething in infants—Knowledge and attitude of traditional birth attendants in Ibadan, Nigeria

Introduction: Misconceptions are associated with the teething process in Nigeria and is often blamed for symptoms in infants. A horrendous incident occurred in Nigeria in 2008 which recorded 84 infant deaths due to consumption of adulterated teething syrup to prevent teething problems. In the quest to engage the populace, particularly mothers, in health education to change this erroneous mindset about teething, it will be necessary and more cost effective to involve Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA’s) who can be invaluable in assisting to dispel myths associated teething as they live and work among the local populace and many times give counsel to mothers. Aim: To assess the attitude and beliefs of TBA’s in Ibadan, to teething in infants. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among TBA’s in Ibadan, Nigeria. A thirteen item interviewer administered questionnaire was distributed to all 163 TBA’s in the five urban local government areas who agreed to be part of the study. Results: Over half of the respondents (59.5%) and (55.8%) associated the teething process with fever and diarrhea respectively. Other beliefs included boils (49.1%), loss of appetite (48.5%), weight loss (44.2%), and sleeplessness (42.3%). A greater proportion of the older and less educated TBA’s associated teething with fever, diarrhea, boils, loss of appetite and weight loss. The respondents would advise analgesics (55.8%), teething powder (67.5%), antibiotics (12.3%), concoctions (4.3%) and sedatives (4.3%) as teething remedies. There was a greater tendency for less educated TBA’s to advise the use of concoctions?and antibiotics. Conclusion: The study reveals grave misconceptions among TBA’s who in developing countries like Nigeria give counsel to mothers in the various communities. There is an urgent need for health education to the TBA’s particularly the older and less educated ones.

Decline and fall of aging astrocytes:the human perspective

“Last scene of all that ends this strange,eventful history,is second childishness and mere oblivion.I am sans teeth,sans eyes,sans taste,sans everything.”William Shakespeare‘As You Like It'Act 2,Sc.7,l.139Aging of the human brain is characterized by a progressive decline of its functional capacity;this decline however varies widely,and cognitive longevity differs substantially between individuals.

Early-diverging Titanosauriform(Dinosauria,Sauropoda)Teeth from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Southeastern Inner Mongolia,Northeast China

Three eusauropod teeth(SDUST-V1064,PMOL-AD00176,PMOL-ADt0005)are reported from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Ningcheng,southeastern Inner Mongolia,China.Two of them(SDUST-V1064,PMOL-AD00176)are assigned to early-diverging titanosauriforms in having slightly mesiodistal expansion at the base of the tooth crown,a slenderness index value>2.0 and<4.0,and D-shaped cross section.Furthermore,SDUST-V1064 and PMOL-AD00176 are referred as an Euhelopus-like titanosauriform on the basis of having a sub-circular boss on the lingual surface and an asymmetrical crown-root margin which slants apically,respectively.CT scan data of SDUST-V1064 reveals new dental information of early-diverging titanosauriforms,for example,the enamel on the labial side thicker than that on the lingual side,an enamel/dentine ratio of 0.26 and a boss present on the lingual side of the dentine of the crown.

Effects of personalized oral hygiene management on oral health status of pregnant women

BACKGROUND The Cariostat caries activity test(CAT)was used to evaluate the effectiveness of personalized oral hygiene management combining oral health education and professional mechanical tooth cleaning on the oral health status of pregnant women.AIM To investigate whether personalized oral hygiene management enhances the oral health status of pregnant women.METHODS A total of 114 pregnant women who were examined at Dalian Women’s and Children’s Medical Center were divided into four groups:High-risk experimental group(n=29;CAT score≥2;received personalized oral hygiene management training),low-risk experimental group(n=29;CAT score≤1;received oral health education),high-risk control group(n=28;CAT score≥2),and low-risk control group(n=28;CAT score≤1).No hygiene intervention was provided to control groups.CAT scores at different times were compared using independent samples t-test and least significant difference t-test.RESULTS No significant difference in baseline CAT scores was observed between the experimental and control groups,either in the high-risk or low-risk groups.CAT scores were reduced significantly after 3(1.74±0.47 vs 2.50±0.38,P<0.0001)and 6 months(0.53±0.50 vs 2.45±0.42,P<0.0001)of personalized oral hygiene management intervention but not after oral health education alone(0.43±0.39 vs 0.46±0.33,P>0.05 and 0.45±0.36 vs 0.57±0.32,P>0.05,respectively).Within groups,the decrease in CAT scores was significant(2.43±0.44 vs 1.74±0.47 vs 0.53±0.50,P<0.0001)for only the high-risk experimental group.CONCLUSION Personalized oral hygiene management is effective in improving the oral health of pregnant women and can improve pregnancy outcomes and the oral health of the general population.

Clinical efficacy,bone density,and follow-up in implant and orthodontic treatment for inclined adjacent teeth

BACKGROUND Tooth defects can cause elongation of occlusal teeth,leading to insufficient repair space.The combination of dental implant restoration and orthodontic treatment of oblique adjacent teeth has a significant therapeutic effect.AIM To explore clinical efficacy,bone density,and follow-up of implant and orthodontic treatment for patients with inclined adjacent teeth.METHODS In total,98 patients with oblique adjacent teeth were randomly assigned to implant restoration combined with orthodontic treatment(group A,n=49)or to receive implant restoration alone(group B,n=49).Changes in alveolar ridge bone density and apical bone density were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.Changes in chewing function and language function were compared between the two groups of patients.Follow-up lasted for 12 mo after repair to observe any adverse reactions in the oral cavity.RESULTS The clinical effective rates of group A and group B were 97.96%and 85.71%,respectively,with group A having a higher clinical effective rate than group B.After treatment,the bone density of the alveolar ridge and apical bone in both groups decreased compared to before treatment,while the chewing and language functions improved.The changes in various indicators in group A were more significant.After treatment,the satisfaction rate of group A(97.96%)was higher than that of group B(79.59%).The incidence of adverse reactions in group A(2.04%)was lower than that in group B(24.49%).CONCLUSION The amalgamation of implant restoration and orthodontic treatment for adjacent tilted teeth demonstrates notable clinical efficacy,diminishes alveolar bone resorption,and fosters patient functional rehabilitation while exhibiting negligible adverse reactions.

Prevalence of Taurodontism in a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana

Background: Taurodontism is one of the most significant deviations from the normal tooth morphology affecting the molars in both primary and permanent dentition. Taurodontism refers to the Enlargement of the pulp chamber, resulting in its bifurcation pushed toward the apex of a tooth’s root. This study evaluated the prevalence of Taurodontism from radiographs taken at the University of Ghana Dental School Oral Radiology Unit from January 2017 to December 2022. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, panoramic and periapical radiographs of 1000 randomly selected patients who visited the Oral Radiology Unit from January 2017 to December 2022. Radiographs were evaluated for apically displaced pulp chamber. Data was statistically evaluated, and the chi-square test was employed to assess the prevalence of taurodontism in the upper and lower jaws (p Results: Taurodontism was found in 171 radiographs giving it a prevalence of 17.1% of which 57% (98 radiographs) were from females and 43% (73 radiographs) were from males. This finding was not significant (p > 0.05). Taurodontism occurred more in the maxilla (289 teeth, 80.7%) compared to the mandible molars (186 teeth, 64.3%) giving it a ratio of 1.6:1. This finding was highly significant (p Conclusion: Taurodontism is relatively common in the Ghanaian population affecting more females compared to males according to this study. Further studies using a large sample need to be carried out to determine its incidence in the general community.

Prevalence of Dental Anomalies among Patients Who Report to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s Orthodontic Clinic

BACKGROUND: Dental anomalies are variations from the established well-known general anatomy and morphology of the tooth as a result of disturbances during tooth formation. They can be developmental, congenital, or acquired and may be localized to a single tooth or involve systemic conditions. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of dental anomalies in patients who report to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) dental clinics. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used with a sample size of 92 patients aged 18 or older, obtained through convenience sampling. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0. RESULTS: The study included 92 patients aged 18 to 72 years, with 47.8% males and 52.2% females. Dental anomalies were observed in 51.1% of participants, with a higher prevalence in females (55.3%). The most common anomalies were diastema (48.3%), impacted teeth (22.0%), dilaceration (11.9%), and peg-shaped lateral teeth (6.8%). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of conducting thorough dental examinations to identify and address dental anomalies, which may have implications for treatment. Early detection and correction of these anomalies are crucial to prevent future complications.

Single Tooth Segmentation on Panoramic X-Rays Using End-to-End Deep Neural Networks

In dentistry, panoramic X-ray images are extensively used by dentists for tooth structure analysis and disease diagnosis. However, the manual analysis of these images is time-consuming and prone to misdiagnosis or overlooked. While deep learning techniques have been employed to segment teeth in panoramic X-ray images, accurate segmentation of individual teeth remains an underexplored area. In this study, we propose an end-to-end deep learning method that effectively addresses this challenge by employing an improved combinatorial loss function to separate the boundaries of adjacent teeth, enabling precise segmentation of individual teeth in panoramic X-ray images. We validate the feasibility of our approach using a challenging dataset. By training our segmentation network on 115 panoramic X-ray images, we achieve an intersection over union (IoU) of 86.56% for tooth segmentation and an accuracy of 65.52% in tooth counting on 87 test set images. Experimental results demonstrate the significant improvement of our proposed method in single tooth segmentation compared to existing methods.

口腔健康

The health of your teeth and gums affects your whole body.You should brush your teeth in the morning and before bed.Brushing them after you eat is also good.Remember to floss your teeth,too.Then your mouth will be clean,and your breath will be fresh!Since you use your toothbrush so often,be sure to get a new one every three months.

Effect of Application of One-Time Method and Multiple Root Canals on Cryptic Fracture with Endodontic Lesions and VAS Score

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of primary method root canal treatment(ORCT)and multiple root canal treatment(MRCT)for dental cryptocleidosis with endodontic lesions.Methods:88 patients with fissured teeth with endodontic lesions who were admitted to the hospital between November 2021 and November 2023 were selected,and after randomized numerical table grouping,44 cases in the experimental group were included in the ORCT treatment,and 44 cases in the reference group were included in the MRCT treatment,and the total effective rate,root canal filling rate,visual analog scale(VAS)score,periodontal indexes,and the complication rate were compared.Results:The total effective rate and root canal filling rate of the experimental group were higher than that of the reference group;after treatment,the VAS score of the experimental group was lower than that of the reference group,and the periodontal indexes were lower than that of the reference group;and the complication rate of the experimental group was lower than that of the reference group(P<0.05).Conclusion:ORCT can improve the overall efficacy of patients with fissured teeth with endodontic lesions,ensure the filling rate of root canals,significantly reduce pain symptoms,improve a number of periodontal indicators,have high endodontic safety,and have more therapeutic advantages than MRCT.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Safety of One-Time Endodontics in the Treatment of Chronic Apical Periodontitis with Sinus Tract in Pediatric Deciduous Teeth

Objective:To observe the effectiveness and safety of one-time endodontics in the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with sinus tract in pediatric deciduous teeth.Methods:109 cases of children with chronic apical periodontitis with sinus tract in the deciduous teeth treated in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected and grouped by the randomized numerical table method,with 54 cases in the experimental group and 55 cases in the control group.The experimental group was treated with one-time endodontics and the control group was treated with conventional endodontics.Results:After the treatment,the total effective rate of treatment was higher in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05);the incidence of adverse events was lower in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05);the satisfaction of the children's family members was higher in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05);the pain duration was lower in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:In the experimental group,children with chronic apical periodontitis with sinus tract of the deciduous teeth were given one-time endodontic treatment,and the results of its implementation were relatively good.

Clinical Efficacy of GBR Technique Combined with Temporary Bridgework-Guided Gingival Contouring in Treating Upper Anterior Tooth Loss with Labial Bone Defects

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of the guided bone regeneration(GBR)technique combined with temporary bridgework-guided gingival contouring in treating upper anterior tooth loss with labial bone defects.Methods:From July 2023 to April 2024,80 patients with upper anterior tooth loss and labial bone defects were admitted to the hospital and selected as evaluation samples.They were divided into an observation group(n=40)and a control group(n=40)using a numerical table lottery scheme.The control group received treatment with the GBR technique,while the observation group received treatment with the GBR technique combined with temporary bridges to guide gingival contouring.The two groups were compared in terms of clinical red aesthetic scores(PES),labial alveolar bone density,labial bone wall thickness,gingival papillae,gingival margin levels,and patient satisfaction.Results:The PES scores of patients in the observation group were higher than those in the control group after surgery(P<0.05).The bone density of the labial alveolar bone and the thickness of the labial bone wall in the observation group were higher than those in the control group.The levels of gingival papillae and gingival margins were lower in the observation group after surgery(P<0.05).Additionally,patient satisfaction in the observation group was higher than in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The GBR technique combined with temporary bridge-guided gingival contouring for treating upper anterior tooth loss with labial bone defects can improve the aesthetic effect of gingival soft tissue,increase alveolar bone density and the thickness of the labial bone wall,and enhance patient satisfaction.This approach is suitable for widespread application in healthcare institutions.

高频电刀牙龈成形术应用于前牙CEREC全瓷贴面修复的实验研究

目的探讨和研究高频电刀牙龈成形术应用于前牙CEREC全瓷贴面修复的方法及效果。方法选择12例28颗前牙,经高频电刀牙龈成形术后,采用CEREC全瓷贴面修复,并进行为期1年的临床疗效随访。结果 28颗患牙中,27颗无异常,修复成功率为96.43,修复效果满意。结论高频电刀牙龈成形术应用于前牙CEREC全瓷贴面修复,能达到良好的修复效果。

Transplantation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth for bone regeneration in the dog mandibular defect

AIM: To investigate the effect of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth(SHED) transplanted for bone regeneration in the dog mandibular defect.METHODS: In this prospective comparative study, SHEDs had been isolated 5 years ago from human exfoliated deciduous teeth. The undifferentiated stem cells were seeded into mandibular bone through-andthrough defects of 4 dogs. Similar defects in control group were filled with cell-free collagen scaffold. After 12 wk, biopsies were taken and morphometric analysis was performed. The percentage of new bone formation and foreign body reaction were measured in each case. The data were subject to statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskalwalis statistical tests. Differences at P < 0.05 was considered as significant level.RESULTS: There were no significant differences between control and SHED-seeded groups in connective tissue(P = 0.248), woven bone(P = 0.248) and compact bone(P = 0.082). There were not any side effects in transplanted SHED group such as teratoma or malignancy and abnormalities in this period.CONCLUSION: SHEDs which had been isolated and characterized 5 years ago and stored with cryopreservation banking were capable of proliferation and osteogenesis after 5 years, and no immune response was observed after three months of seeded SHEDs.

Influence of masticatory fatigue on the fracture resistance of the pulpless teeth restored with quartz-fiber post-core and crown

To investigate whether masticatory fatigue affects the fracture resistance and pattern of lower premolars restored with quartz-fiber post-core and full crown, 44 single rooted lower premolars recently extracted from orthodontic patients were divided into two groups of 22 each. The crowns of all teeth were removed and endodontically treated and then restored with quartz-fiber post-core and full crown. Twenty-two teeth in one group were selected randomly and circularly loaded at 45° to the long axis of the teeth of 127.4 N at a 6 Hz frequency, and the other group was not delivered to cyclic loading and considered as control. Subsequently, all teeth in two groups were continually loaded to fail at 45° to the long axis of the teeth at a crosshead speed of 1 mm.min-1. The mean destructive force values were （733.88±254.99） and （869.14±280.26） N for the experimental and the control group, respectively, and no statistically significant differences were found between two groups （P〉O.05）. Bevel fracture and horizontal fracture in the neck of root were the major fracture mode of the specimens. Under the circumstances of this study, it seems that cyclic loading does not affect the fracture strength and pattern of the quartz-fiber post-core-crown complex.

Influence of Various Materials on Biomechanical Behavior of Endocrown-Restored, Endodontically-Treated Mandibular First Molar: A 3D-Finite Element Analysis

To evaluate the effect of restorative materials on stress distribution of endodontically treated teeth, the 3D models of an endodontically treated mand^ular first molar, restoration, and cement layer were created. Three different materials （composite resin, ceramage and ceramic） were studied and two loading conditions （vertical and oblique load） were simulated. Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion of enamel, dentine, endocrown and cement were evaluated separately. It is indicated that under both loading conditions, the highest values of Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion were observed in Ceramage-restored group for remaining tooth structure while in ceramic-restored group for the restoration. Compared to composite resin and Ceramage, ceramic endocrown transferred less stress, namely was more protective to the tooth structure.

New Species of Enantiornithes(Aves:Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei,China

We report on a new species of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Qiaotou Formation of northern Hebei, China. The new taxon, Shenqiornis mengi gen. et sp. nov., possesses several enantiornithine synapomorphies but is unique from other known species. The specimen has a well-preserved skull that reveals new information about enantiornithine cranial morphology. The new taxon possesses a large postorbital with a long tapering jugal process indicating that some enantiornithines may have had a fully diapsid skull, as in Confuciusornis. The tooth morphology of the specimen is unique and likely represents a previously unknown trophic specialization within Enantiornithes.

Effect of restoration technique on resistance to fracture of endodontically treated anterior teeth with flared root canals

This study was designed to compare the impact of post and core systems on resistance to fracture of endodontically treated anterior teeth with flared root canals and to assess their fracture pattern. Sixty central incisors were cut horizontally 2 mm coronal to the cementoenamel junction(CEJ). After root canal therapy, teeth were assigned into 6 groups(n = 10 each) based on a post system and used as follows: Group C, non-flared root received size #1 glass fiber posts(Control); Group AP, flared root restored with anatomical post; Group RC, flared root restored with size #1 fiber post and cemented with thick layer of resin cement; Group CR, flared root restored with size #1 and reinforced with composite resin; Group CM, cast post-core; Group CP, CAD/CAM polymer-infiltrated ceramic post and core.Following post cementation, core build-up and crown insertion, the specimens were thermo-cycled up to 10,000 cycles(5 C/55 C; 30 seconds dwell time, 6 seconds transition time) and then statically loaded at 1 mm/minute crosshead speed using a universal testing machine. One-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc test(α= 0.05) were used for data analysis. Group C recorded significantly higher resistance to fracture values [(826.9±39.1) N] followed by group CP [(793.8±55.6) N] while group RC yielded the lowest fracture resistance values [(586.7±51.4) N]. The resistance to fracture of wide root canals can be enhanced by using one-piece CAM/CAM post and core as an alternative to the use of either glass fiber post, relined with composite resin increasing the thickness of luting cement or the use of cast post and core system. However, this was an in vitro investigation and further in vivo studies are necessary.

《圣经》典故与常用语

《圣经》是西方世界信仰基督教的教徒们的精神食粮,是西方国家的文化源泉。《圣经》在西方社会流传极广,影响很大,渗透到了日常生活的各个方面。《圣经》里的一些典故、成语、格言已经成为家喻户晓、妇孺皆知的常用语,因此要准确理解文学作品,提高英语阅读能力,就不能不对《圣经》里的一些典故和常用语作一番了解。1.to cast pearls before swine 把东西给不知价值的人;以珠喂猪;对牛弹琴(常用于否定句中)。见《新约·马太福音》

Application of digital positioning guide plates for the surgical extraction of multiple impacted supernumerary teeth:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND An extra tooth in the normal tooth sequence in any region of the dental arch is regarded as a supernumerary tooth(SNT).Due to the large variation in location and morphology,the extraction of impacted SNTs is an extensive and complex procedure with high risks of several complications.This report presents a rare case of seven impacted SNTs in the bilateral upper and lower arch that were successfully extracted with the use of digital positioning guide plates.CASE SUMMARY In January 2022,a 21-year-old male was referred to our department with a chief complaint of pain in relation to tooth#36.Clinical examination showed a deep carious lesion with pulpal involvement in tooth#36 and lingual swelling of the bilateral mandibular posterior area.Radiographic examination revealed seven deeply impacted SNTs in the bilateral posterior area and bilateral impacted mandibular third molars.Based on these findings,the patient was diagnosed with bilateral,multiple impacted SNTs and tooth#36 chronic pulpitis.A root canal treatment and an all-ceramic crown restoration for tooth#36 were performed.An individualized digital positioning guide plate was designed by computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing technology and cone-beam computed tomography for extraction of the impacted SNTs.During the operation,the digital positioning guide plate allowed rapid positioning and exposure of the SNTs while avoiding adjacent important anatomical structures.At 3-month follow-up,regeneration of bone and soft tissues was visible.CONCLUSION The application of digital positioning guide plates is useful for the individualized and minimalized extraction of impacted supernumerary teeth.