Nitrate reduction capacity of the oral microbiota is impaired in periodontitis:potential implications for systemic nitric oxide availability

The reduction of nitrate to nitrite by the oral microbiota has been proposed to be important for oral health and results in nitric oxide formation that can improve cardiometabolic conditions. Studies of bacterial composition in subgingival plaque suggest that nitrate-reducing bacteria are associated with periodontal health, but the impact of periodontitis on nitrate-reducing capacity(NRC)and, therefore, nitric oxide availability has not been evaluated. The current study aimed to evaluate how periodontitis affects the NRC of the oral microbiota. First, 16S rRNA sequencing data from five different countries were analyzed, revealing that nitratereducing bacteria were significantly lower in subgingival plaque of periodontitis patients compared with healthy individuals(P < 0.05 in all five datasets with n = 20–82 samples per dataset). Secondly, subgingival plaque, saliva, and plasma samples were obtained from 42 periodontitis patients before and after periodontal treatment. The oral NRC was determined in vitro by incubating saliva with 8 mmol/L nitrate(a concentration found in saliva after nitrate-rich vegetable intake) and compared with the NRC of 15healthy individuals. Salivary NRC was found to be diminished in periodontal patients before treatment(P < 0.05) but recovered to healthy levels 90 days post-treatment. Additionally, the subgingival levels of nitrate-reducing bacteria increased after treatment and correlated negatively with periodontitis-associated bacteria(P < 0.01). No significant effect of periodontal treatment on the baseline saliva and plasma nitrate and nitrite levels was found, indicating that differences in the NRC may only be revealed after nitrate intake. Our results suggest that an impaired NRC in periodontitis could limit dietary nitrate-derived nitric oxide levels, and the effect on systemic health should be explored in future studies.

Effects and Predictions of Oral Appliances in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Since April 2004, the Asahi University Medical and Dental Center (hereinafter referred to as our center) has been providing oral appliances (hereinafter referred to as OA) to treat patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The effects of using the OA and progress of 71 patients who received treatment at our center by wearing OA from March 2005 to the end of March 2016 were examined through questionnaires sent by physical mail. In 21 of 24 patients who underwent polysomnography after wearing OA, the apnea-hypopnea index (hereinafter referred to as AHI) significantly decreased after wearing OA (9.44 ± 10.37) compared to that before wearing OA (24.02 ± 13.57) (p = 8.7 × 10-8). The results showed that for patients who continuously use OA, it is necessary to have sound sleep/sleep soundly;further, the patients experienced a decrease in snoring when wearing OA, with only a few side effects on the temporomandibular joints and teeth. In addition, the closer the distance from the plane of the lower margin of the mandible to the hyoid bone after wearing OA, the more likely it was for the AHI to decrease, which suggests that wearing OA contributes to the prediction of therapeutic effects.

Oral Health Management of Three Head and Neck Cancer Patients Performed by Dental Hygienists

Introduction: Oral health management is often difficult in patients after surgical tumor resection and/or radiotherapy due to defects, bulky flaps, limitation of tongue movement, and trismus. In addition, patients who have undergone radiotherapy have serious disabilities such as oral mucositis, mucosal weakening, soft tissue fibrosis, salivary gland disorder, and osteoradionecrosis. Dental hygienists must understand the characteristics of patients after surgical tumor resection and/or radiotherapy. In this report, the oral health management of three patients after maxillectomy, mandibulectomy, and radiotherapy was shown. Case Description: Case 1: A 53-year-old male patient visited our clinic after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and partial maxillectomy for cancer of the right maxillary gingiva. Case 2: A 65-year-old male patient visited our clinic after radiotherapy for a right-sided tongue cancer, partial mandibulectomy of the right tongue to the oropharynx, a right-sided segmental mandibulectomy and a speech aid and a mandibular prosthesis were provided. Case 3: A 36-year-old female visited our clinic for radiotherapy for left-sided tongue cancer. Dental hygienists provided oral health management to the patients. In oral health management, it was suggested that intervention before cancer treatment, oral hygiene instructions tailored to patients’ symptoms, and frequent professional care are important. Conclusion: Oral health management by dental hygienists is extremely important for patients undergoing maxillofacial cancer treatment to maintain their quality of life in the long term.

Hybrid treatment of varied orthodontic appliances for a patient with skeletal class II and temporomandibular joint disorders:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND The relation between orthodontic treatment and temporomandibular disorders(TMDs)is under debate;the management of TMD during orthodontic treatment has always been a challenge.If TMD symptoms occur during orthodontic treatment,an immediate pause of orthodontic adjustments is recommended;the treatment can resume when the symptoms are managed and stabilized.CASE SUMMARY This case report presents a patient(26-year-old,female)with angle class I,skeletal class II and TMDs.The treatment was a hybrid of clear aligners,fixed appliances and temporary anchorage devices(TADs).After 3 mo resting and treatment on her TMD,the patient’s TMD symptom alleviated,but her anterior occlusion displayed deep overbite.Therefore,the fixed appliances with TAD were used to correct the anterior deep-bite and level maxillary and mandibular deep curves.After the levelling,the patient showed dual bite with centric relation and maximum intercuspation discrepancy on her occlusion.After careful examination of temporomandibular joints(TMJ)position,the stable bite splint and Invisible Mandibular Advancement appliance were used to reconstruct her occlusion.Eventually,the improved facial appearance and relatively stable occlusion were achieved.The 1-year follow-up records showed there was no obvious change in TMJ morphology,and her occlusion was stable.CONCLUSION TMD screening and monitoring is of great clinical importance in the TMD susceptible patients.Hybrid treatment with clear aligners and fixed appliances and TADs is an effective treatment modality for the complex cases.

The Effect of Umami Stimulation on Salivary Secretion Rate and Duration

Purpose: Umami reportedly promotes salivation. We aimed to investigate the effects of taste stimuli on slow and fast salivary secretion in humans using umami, sweet, and sour stimuli. Methods: Eight healthy women participated between 14:00 and 15:00, taking the circadian rhythm of salivary secretion into account. The types and concentrations of the taste solutions were glutamic acid (1.7 × 10−3 M), inosinic acid (9.8 × 10−3 M), and guanylic acid (9.8 × 10−3 M) for umami stimulation, citric acid (6.5 × 10−3 M) for acidity stimulation, and sucrose (1.6 × 10−2 M) for sweetness stimulation. First, the unstimulated salivary flow rate was measured. Then, 3 ml of a flavor solution was dropped under the tongue using a syringe. The saliva was expelled into an aluminum cup every minute and weighed. The first minute’s value minus 3 ml flavor solution was the stimulated salivary secretion rate produced by each flavor. The time-to-return to the initial unstimulated salivary flow rate was the duration of the stimulated saliva secretion rate. Results: The mean unstimulated salivary flow rate across participants was 0.64 ± 0.25 ml/min (range: 0.23 - 1.03 ml/min). The highest amount of saliva was induced by citric acid. There were significant differences between citric acid and the other flavor solutions (p < 0.05 for glutamic acid, inosinic acid, and sucrose;p < 0.01 for guanylic acid). There were no significant differences in duration of salivation between the flavor solutions. When the participants were divided into slow (0.45 ± 0.16 ml/min) and fast groups (0.83 ± 0.15 ml/min) based on their median resting salivary secretion rate, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the amount of saliva secreted at 1 minute after stimulation and the duration of the salivary secretion rate. Conclusion: Umami stimulation was effective in slowing salivary secretion and sustaining salivary secretion after stimulation.

The neutrophil–osteogenic cell axis promotes bone destruction in periodontitis

The immune-stromal cell interactions play a key role in health and diseases. In periodontitis, the most prevalent infectious disease in humans, immune cells accumulate in the oral mucosa and promote bone destruction by inducing receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) expression in osteogenic cells such as osteoblasts and periodontal ligament cells. However, the detailed mechanism underlying immune–bone cell interactions in periodontitis is not fully understood. Here, we performed single-cell RNAsequencing analysis on mouse periodontal lesions and showed that neutrophil–osteogenic cell crosstalk is involved in periodontitis-induced bone loss. The periodontal lesions displayed marked infiltration of neutrophils, and in silico analyses suggested that the neutrophils interacted with osteogenic cells through cytokine production. Among the cytokines expressed in the periodontal neutrophils, oncostatin M (OSM) potently induced RANKL expression in the primary osteoblasts, and deletion of the OSM receptor in osteogenic cells significantly ameliorated periodontitis-induced bone loss. Epigenomic data analyses identified the OSM-regulated RANKL enhancer region in osteogenic cells, and mice lacking this enhancer showed decreased periodontal bone loss while maintaining physiological bone metabolism. These findings shed light on the role of neutrophils in bone regulation during bacterial infection, highlighting the novel mechanism underlying osteoimmune crosstalk.

Diagnostic delay in oral squamous cell carcinoma: the role of cognitive and psychological variables

This retrospective study investigated, in two cohorts of subjects living in Southern Italy and awaiting treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma （OSCC）, the variables related to diagnostic delay ascribable to the patient, with particular reference to the cognitive and psychological ones. A total of 156 patients with OSCC （mean age： 62 years, M/F： 2.39 ： 1） were recruited at the Universities of Palermo and Naples. Risk factors related to patient delay included： sociodemographic, health-related, cognitive and psychological variables. The analysis was conducted by considering two different delay ranges： dichotomous （≤1 month vs. 〉 1 month） and polytomous （〈1 month, 1-3 months, 〉3 months） delay. Data were investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses and a Pvalue≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. For both delay measurements, the most relevant variables were： ＇Personal experience of cancer＇ （dichotomous delay： P=0.05, odds ratio （0R）=0.33, 95% confidence interval （CI）=0. 11-0.99; polytomous delay： P=0.006, Chi-square= 10.224） and ＇Unawareness＇ （dichotomous delay： P〈0.01, 0R=4.96, 95% CI--2.16-11.37; polytomous delay： P=0.087, Chi-square=4.77）. Also ＇Denial＇ （P〈0.01, 0R=6.84, 95% CI=2.31-20.24） and ＇Knowledge of cancer＇ （P=0.079, Chi-square=8.359） were found to be statistically significant both for dichotomous and for polytomous categorization of delay, respectively. The findings of this study indicated that, in the investigated cohorts, the knowledge about cancer issues is strongly linked to the patient delay. Educational interventions on the Mediterranean population are necessary in order to increase the patient awareness and to emphasize his/her key role in early diagnosis of OSCC.

International Journal of Oral Science再次获选中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划

2016年8月12日,中国科学技术协会公布了由中国科学技术协会、财政部、教育部、国家新闻出版广电总局、中国科学院和中国工程院共同组织的“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划第二期”遴选结果。经过项目发布、自主申报、资格审查、专家评审和项目公示等严谨的程序,

Epidemiological observations of invasive group B Streptococcus infections in six major hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia

Objective:To address the lack of research on invasive group B Streptococcus(GBS)infections in Malaysia and Southeast Asia through a comprehensive analysis of GBS isolates obtained from hospitals.Methods:Medical records from patients with GBS infection isolated from the sterile site,such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid from 14 July 2019 to 15 December 2020,were reviewed from six major hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia.Inclusion criteria were invasive GBS,sterile sites and non-repeated GBS isolated from the same patients in the same admission.Viable isolates were re-identified for GBS and serotyped.Results:A total of 118 patients were eligible,with a majority of non-pregnant adults(76.3%).Over half of the patients(62.7%)had underlying medical conditions,with diabetes as the most common disease,followed by respiratory disease,renal disease,cardiovascular disease and skin and soft tissue disease.The most common manifestations were sepsis,followed by soft tissue abscess,diabetic foot ulcer,wet gangrene and cellulitis.The overall mortality was 7.6%.The most common serotype was serotype桋.Conclusions:Invasive GBS infection among non-pregnant adults showed a rising trend,particularly among diabetic individuals.The study underscores the importance of reducing risk factors and highlights the necessity of developing GBS vaccination as a preventive strategy for both infants and adults.

International Journal of Oral Science最新影响因子公布

近日,美国Thomson Reuter发布最新期刊引文报告（Journal Citation Report,JCR）,口腔疾病研究国家重点实验室、四川大学华西口腔医院主办英文专业期刊International Journal of Oral Science（IJOS）最新影响因子（IF）2.531,连续3年位居Q1方阵（即IF前25%）,是亚洲排名第一的口腔医学英文期刊,进入世界权威口腔医学期刊行列。

International Journal of Oral Science荣获四川出版物奖·期刊奖

为深入贯彻落实“高举旗帜、围绕大局、服务人民、改革创新”的要求，大力实施精品战略，四川省新闻出版局开展了2013年“四川出版物奖”评选活动。通过“四川出版物奖”评选规定和评奖办法，经组织评审，在全省数百种期刊中评选出10种期刊为四川出版物奖？期刊奖。International Journal of Oral Science荣获四川出版物奖？期刊奖，是这10种获奖期刊中唯一的科技学术期刊。

International Journal of Oral Science入选“2014中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”

2014年12月16日,中国学术文献国际评价研究中心、《中国学术期刊（光盘版）》电子杂志社有限公司、清华大学图书馆联合在北京公布了“2014中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”,International Journal of Oral Science入选。 通过统计中国出版的6 400多种人文社科和科技期刊的国际被引频次,中国学术文献国际评价研究中心评定出“2014中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”。175种自然科学与工程技术类期刊和60种人文社会科学类期刊入选“2014中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”。

International Journal of Oral Science再次入选中国“百强科技期刊”

为深入贯彻落实党的十八大和十八届三中、四中全会精神，深入学习习近平总书记系列重要讲话精神，实施精品报刊工程，重点培育和推出一批具有较强舆论引导能力、传播能力和市场竞争力的优秀品牌报刊，国家新闻出版广电总局开展了“百强报刊”评选活动。继2013年首次人选“百强报刊”后，时隔两年，国家新闻出版广电总局又评选2015年“百强报刊”。

International Journal of Oral Science入选“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划”并获得最高类别资助

为了促进中国科技期刊国际化发展，提升英文科技期刊国际影响力与核心竞争力，中国科协联合财政部、教育部、国家新闻出版广电总局、中国科学院、中国工程院等部门，自2013年起组织实施了“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划”。

International Journal of Oral Science入选“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划”并获得最高类别资助

为了促进中国科技期刊国际化发展，提升英文科技期刊国际影响力与核心竞争能力，中国科协联合财政部、教育部、国家新闻出版广电总局、中国科学院、中国工程院等部门，自2013年起组织实施了“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划”。International Journal of Oral Science通过六部委组织的严格评审，

International Journal of Oral Science再次获选中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划

2016年8月12日，中国科学技术协会公布了由中国科学技术协会、财政部、教育部、国家新闻出版广电总局、中国科学院和中国工程院共同组织的“中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划第二期”遴选结果。经过项目发布、自主申报、资格审查、专家评审和项目公示等严谨的程序，International Journal of Oral Science（《国际口腔科学杂志》英文版）继获选第一期项目最高类别（A类）资助之后，再次成为中国科技期刊国际影响力提升计划第2期A类入选项目。

International Journal of Oral Science最新影响因子公布

近日,美国Thomson Reuter发布最新期刊引文报告（Journal Citation Report,JCR）,口腔疾病研究国家重点实验室、四川大学华西口腔医院主办英文专业期刊International Journal of Oral Science（IJOS）最新影响因子（IF）为2.531,连续3年位居Q1区（即IF前25%）,是亚洲排名第一的口腔医学英文期刊,进入了世界权威口腔医学期刊行列。

International Journal of Oral Science获选2014年“中国最美期刊”

中国（武汉）期刊交易博览会是由国家新闻出版广电总局、湖北省人民政府、中国邮政集团公司联合主办的我国唯一国家级、国际化、综合性期刊交易博览会。2014年9月20日,由期刊交易博览会组委会组织的2014年＂中国最美期刊＂遴选活动揭晓,100种文化品位高尚、艺术格调高雅,期刊整体设计艺术效果和制作工艺和谐统一的期刊获选成为＂中国最美期刊＂。

International Journal of Oral Science再次入选中国“百强科技期刊”

为深入贯彻落实党的十八大和十八届三中、四中全会精神,深入学习习近平总书记系列重要讲话精神,实施精品报刊工程,重点培育和推出一批具有较强舆论引导能力、传播能力和市场竞争力的优秀品牌报刊,国家新闻出版广电总局开展了＂百强报刊＂评选活动。

International Journal of Oral Science连续5次入选“中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”

由中国学术文献国际评价研究中心、清华大学图书馆联合研制的，《中国学术期刊（光盘版）》电子杂志社有限公司出版的《中国学术期刊国际引证年报》于2017年11月正式发行。根据其显示，International Journal of Oral Science入选“2017中国最具国际影响力学术期刊”（自然科学与工程技术类）。