Covid-19 Pandemic: The Use of Protective Visor in the Dentistry Degree Course of Dental Prosthetics Technology of the University of Messina

Assessment of oral tissue alterations in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate oral mucosal changes in patients with confirmed moderate-scale severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

METHODS

We analyzed 85 COVID-19 patients (50 males, 35 females) with an average age of 53.6 years, treated at the prehospital infectious disease center and Aldent University Clinic in Tirana, Albania, from May 2021 to June 2022.

RESULTS

Elevated C-reactive protein levels were observed in 82 patients (±44.20), with 20 patients showing significant fibrinogen increase (mean ± 5.85 g/L), and 22 patients having elevated D-Dimer (mean ± 336.6 mg/mL). Despite the absence of anticoagulant history, 13 patients exhibited bleeding. Xerodermia, xerostomia, and angular cheilitis were noted, with 41 patients displaying angular cheilitis. In 82 patients, oral mucosal and tongue examinations revealed color changes from white to bright yellow, with brown edema. Pigmentation in the fixed gingiva of upper and lower front teeth was observed in 35 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral mucosal changes during COVID-19 appear more influenced by drug treatment and disease progression than the infection itself, suggesting that secondary factors play a significant role. Despite the oral cavity's potential for viral entry, these changes seem connected to other underlying causes.

The use of intraoral ultrasound in the evaluation of the benign lesions in pediatric patients

Ultrasonography (US) or diagnostic sonography is a radiographic technique that uses sound waves with frequencies higher than 20 kHz to demonstrate soft tissues such as muscles, internal organs, joints, and tendons. The US has various applications in dentistry such as cervical lymph node examination, salivary gland examination, periodontal examination, maxillofacial fracture examination, temporomandibular joint examination, and orofacial swelling examination. One of the most important advantages of the US is it does not produce any ionizing radiation. Since the US does not produce any ionizing radiation, it is a favorable technique especially for the patients who are susceptible to ionizing radiation such as pregnant patients and pediatric patients. In this article, we presented benign tumor lesions that were examined with the US in children and conducted a review of the literature.

Trend of Academic Productivity in Plastic Surgery and the Impact of COVID-19: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Plastic surgery has grown rapidly over the past decade, with increasing scientific output. The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a considerable impact on plastic surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To identify trends in published literature in plastic surgery from 2011 to 2021. To explore the impact of COVID-19 on scientific research output through bibliometric analysis methods.

METHODS

Web of Science was searched by authors on December 23, 2021. Published papers about plastic surgery over the last decade were analyzed. The search output was imported into VOSviewer for science mapping.

RESULTS

The actual number of papers related to plastic surgery during the COVID-19 period was higher than expected one. For scientific outputs in plastic surgery, keywords about surgical practice had a high frequency. "Reconstruction," "effect," "flap," "tissue," "defect," "model" maintained a high level of heat before and after COVID-19. The heat of "risk," "complication," "review," "infection," "cohort," and "meta-analysis" increased after the outbreak of COVID-19. The international collaboration showed an upward trend despite the impact of COVID-19. From the perspective of the volume of plastic surgery publications, some journals had a more positive performance compared to the pre-epidemic period. The proportion of original articles decreased after the spread of COVID-19 from 70.26% to 63.84%.

CONCLUSION

Although the COVID-19 has a profound impact on the healthcare industry, the bibliographic data reveals an increasing scientific output in the field of plastic surgery over time. For plastic surgery, high-frequency terms, research hotspots, popular journals, article types, and international collaboration have changed under the influence of COVID-19.

Teledentistry in the Management of Patients with Dental and Temporomandibular Disorders

Telemedicine is a subunit of telehealth, and it uses telecommunication technology, video, digital images, and electronic medical records to allow the exchange of clinical information and images over remote distances for dental consultation, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Dental clinical practice requires face-to-face interaction with the patients, and therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has mostly been suspended. In this view, teledentistry offers the opportunity to continue dental practice, avoiding the face-to-face examination that put patients and healthcare professionals at infection risk. Teledentistry encompasses several subunits such as teleconsultation, telediagnosis, telemonitoring, and teletriage. To date, there are several experiences described in literature that suggest that teledentistry could be applied to support traditional care of different oral diseases. However, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Reimbursement concerns, costs, license regulations, limits in physical examinations, and expert equipment are principal issues that should be overcome in telemedicine and in teledentistry. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the different teledentistry approaches in the care of patients with dental and temporomandibular disorders, as well as discussing the issues that need to be addressed to implement this approach in clinical practice.

Long-Term Complications of Coronavirus Disease 2019; What the Oral Surgeon Needs To Know

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 manifests mainly as respiratory symptoms. Extrapulmonary manifestations have also been detected and several vital organs may sustain irreversible or long-standing damage. These extrapulmonary manifestations can be detected in cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, and hematologic systems. Maxillofacial surgeons may encounter patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still suffering long-term morbidities as a result of this incompletely understood infection. Consequently, they have to be aware of the various systemic complications that may be encountered in these patients as they may interfere with their treatment plan or may necessitate certain modifications and precautions.In this report the authors present the long-standing systemic complications of COVID-19 reported so far, and discuss their implications within the context of maxillofacial surgery with regards to the modifications and precautions in the process of treatment planning.Graphical abstract shows the long-term complications of COVID-19 that may complicate maxillofacial surgical procedures.

A Review of Prolonged Post-COVID-19 Symptoms and Their Implications on Dental Management

The available data regarding the short and long-term consequences of COVID-19 is still insufficient. This narrative review aims to provide information on the prolonged COVID-19 symptoms in recovered patients and their implications during dental management. Additionally, this manuscript highlights the oral manifestations of COVID-19 and its management. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases, WHO and CDC websites, and grey literature was searched through Google Scholar. Clinical articles (clinical trials, case-reports, cohort, and cross-sectional studies) were included, reporting prolonged post-COVID-19 symptoms. Although COVID-19 is an infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, its multi-organ involvement is responsible for several prolonged symptoms, including oral implications. In recovered patients with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms, considerations for providing dental treatment has to be made as they can present with assortment of symptoms. These prolonged post-COVID-19 symptoms can affect the delivery of the required dental treatment. Hence, the recommendations proposed in this narrative review can be a useful starting point to aid dental teams providing adequate care for such recovered patients.

An Eventual Sars-CoV-2 Infection Prevention Protocol in the Medical Setting and Dental Office

The current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the entire world population, and in particular the medical-health field, especially dentistry [...].