CBCT-based Diagnosis of Periapical Lesion of Maxillary First Premolar Mimicking That of Second Premolar

MnFe@N-CNTs Based Lactate Biomicrochips for Nonintrusive and Onsite Periodontitis Diagnosis

In clinical settings, saliva has been established as a straightforward, noninvasive medium for diagnosing periodontitis. However, the precise diagnosis is often hampered by the absence of a specialized analyzer capable of detecting low concentrations of biomarkers typically found in saliva. In this study, we present a noninvasive, on-site screen-printed biomicrochip specifically engineered for the precise and sensitive quantification of lactate concentrations in saliva, a critical biomarker in the diagnosis of periodontitis. The microchip is constructed using a nanostructured ink formulation that includes MnFe@N-doped carbon nanotubes (MnFe@N-CNTs). These MnFe@N-CNTs exhibit a high degree of graphitization and low electrical resistance, significantly augmenting the electrocatalytic efficiency of the enzymatic reaction of lactate. This results in doubled sensitivity and a detection limit that surpasses those of the current advanced salivary assay methods. Remarkably, within just 30 s, the biomicrochip can quantitatively and precisely measure lactate concentrations in the saliva of 10 patients, which provides valuable insights into the severity of their periodontitis. This biosensor holds excellent potential for large-scale production and could broaden the scope of biomarker recognition, paving the way for the analysis of a wider range of oral diseases.

Use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography for Identification of a Distant Causative Tooth: An Unusual Case of an Apical Lesion from a Maxillary Premolar Mimicking That from Maxillary Incisors

The article describes an unusual case of an apical lesion at the first premolar with spontaneous pain and swelling around the root and tooth mobility at the maxillary right central and lateral incisors. The patient was a 45-year-old man with a chief complaint of discomfort at the maxillary right central and lateral incisors for one year. Oral examination showed spontaneous pain, swelling, and tooth mobility of the maxillary right central and lateral incisors. Intraoral and panoramic radiographs showed clear apical radiolucency at these sites, although there were no carious incisors. Neither tooth had periodontal pockets, and there was no bleeding on probing sites. A cold thermal examination revealed normal responses of the vital dental pulp. Initial panoramic radiography showed an apical lesion of the maxillary right first premolar, which was root filled and without inflammatory symptoms. A cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed that the apical lesion of the premolar had extensively spread to the anterior through the palatal side, circumventing the palatal side of the adjacent canine, and reached the apical areas of the central and lateral incisors. We treated the apical lesion of the first premolar, and the radiolucent regions had almost disappeared after three years with regard to not only the apical lesion in the first premolar and incisors but also the primary symptoms on the incisors without endodontic treatment. This case shows that CBCT is an effective alternative that allows appropriate treatment to be selected more reliably.