A tangible prospect for the treatment of gingivitis using a potentially probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum MK06 isolated from traditional dairy products: a triple blind randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Frequent bacterial plaque buildup at the gingival margin and crevice can provoke an inflammatory reaction in gingival tissues which manifests as gingivitis. Probiotics could serve as a beneficial complementary therapy for treating gingival inflammation. The main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of the Lactobacillus plantarum MK06 probiotic strain on the treatment of gingivitis.

METHODS

Patients with gingivitis, who were referred to a private clinic and were systematically healthy, were included in this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. They were instructed to use either placebo or Lactobacillus plantarum suspensions for one minute two times a day after tooth-brushing for four weeks. Then, the clinical parameters of gingivitis, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and oral hygiene index (OHI-s), were measured in the first, second, and fourth weeks. A total of forty-two patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 21) groups. The mean age of the experimental and control groups was 29.10 and 28.48, respectively.

RESULTS

The mean scores of BOP, GI, PI, and OHI-s reduced over time in both the control and test groups. However, according to the Mann-Whitney test, the difference between the two groups was not significant at the same time intervals (P ≥ 0.05) and only GI showed a significant difference in the fourth week (GI-3, P = 0.006). Nevertheless, the experimental group experienced a higher overall reduction rate than the control group. The BOP, GI, PI, and OHI-s scores decreased by 0.081, 0.204, 0.186, and 0.172 times in the second week, respectively, resulting from the interaction of time and the intervention, which considerably diminished these indices.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the potential of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum MK06 suspension as a promoting therapeutic adjuvant in the treatment of gingivitis.

Retrospective evaluation of failure rate of 1,000 immediate implants placed in fresh extraction sockets and their risk factors

PURPOSE

To evaluate the failure rate of 1,000 immediately placed implants in fresh extraction sockets and their risk factors.

METHODS

The data comprised files of 1,000 fresh socket implants placed during the 2014-2019 interval in three Tehran-based private dental clinics. The statistical method was survival analysis consisting of shared frailty and intra-cluster correlation. Moreover, Chi-squared test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to statistically analyze the relationship between each independent variable and the response variable (immediate implant failure).

RESULTS

40 cases of failures among the implants were found, accounting for a 4% failure rate. Shared frailty survival model indicated that only the implant system significantly affects the failure rate. Intra-clustered correlation was 0.41. Chi-squared analysis showed that gender and implant system both significantly affect immediate implant failure. None of the quantitative variables were significantly related to immediate implant failure according to the Mann-Whitney U test.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The data was gathered using a relatively large sample size to perform a reliable evaluation on success and predictability of implants placed into fresh extraction sites. A brief review on articles focusing on fresh socket implant success or failure published from years 2000-2020 is presented.

Free-Hand versus Surgical Guide Implant Placement

One of the most key areas of dentistry is dental implant surgery. The use of digital equipment and software in dentistry has developed considerably in recent years compared to other fields of medicine. Since examining the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, along with case studies, can help physicians make informed decisions, this review study aims to raise the awareness of dentists to make easier decisions about using guided or free-hand surgery. When planning for a dental implant, one of the most challenging questions that doctors face is which method to use (guided surgery or free-hand). Choosing the right method, such as other clinical considerations, will depend on the individual circumstances of each patient and the preference of the treating physician. Free-hand surgery is a cost-effective method in which the flap is reflected, and, according to the doctor's diagnostic information, an implant is placed, which in many cases is a useful method. Guided surgery has the highest level of accuracy and control, in which osteotomy is designed and printed through a digital surgery guide, and depending on the complexity of the case and the patient's anatomy, it has a higher level of value than free surgery. The surgical guide helps the surgeon make the implant surgery more accurate, safer, simpler, at a lower cost, and in less time. In fact, there are patterns that convey information about the position of the tooth to the dentist before the implant is placed.

Efficacy of Adjunctive Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy to Mechanical Debridement in the Treatment of Peri-implantitis or Peri-implant Mucositis in Smokers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether adjunctive use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (a-PDT) in peri-implant diseases improves clinical outcomes in smokers. An electronic search was performed in MEDLINE (through PubMed), Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The primary outcome measures were bleeding on probing (BOP) and pocket depth (PD). Plaque index (PI) was the secondary outcome. Four RCTs, (188 participants) comprised of 118 cigarette smokers, 38 E-cig smokers and 32 water pipe smokers with follow-up periods ranged from 6 weeks to 6 months were recruited. All trials applied diode laser in one session with wavelengths ranged from 660 to 670 nm. There was a significant difference between mechanical debridement (MD)+a-PDT and MD alone groups in PD (WMD = -1.26 mm, 95% CI: -2.19 to -0.32, P = 0.01) and PI (WMD = -10.60%, 95% CI: -14.46 to -6.74, P < 0.001) at 3-month follow-up. However, a great amount of heterogeneity was observed (PD: χ² = 199.19, I² = 98%, P < 0.001 and PI: χ² = 25.63, I² = 84.4%, P < 0.001). Due to methodological heterogeneity and small number of studies, this systematic review was unable to reach conclusive evidence in regards of adjunctive a-PDT efficacy in improving clinical parameters in smokers.