International dental journal最新文献

{"title":"Mobility Limitations and Self-Perceived Unmet Dental Needs Among Korean Adults: A Nationwide Multilevel Analysis for Integrated Care","authors":"Han-Nah Kim ,&nbsp;Nam-Hee Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction and aims</h3><div>Self-perceived unmet dental needs reflect access barriers and inequities. In rapidly aging Korea, mobility limitations may exacerbate these barriers, yet evidence disentangling individual, household, and district-level influences is scarce. We examined the association between mobility limitations and self-perceived unmet dental needs and assessed contextual variation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) for adults aged ≥45 years (n = 167,474). Multilevel logistic regression with district random intercepts estimated adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for self-perceived unmet dental needs, incorporating survey weights and z-standardised district covariates. Absolute differences and prevalence ratios were derived from weighted cross-tabulations, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) summarised random effects.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mobility limitations were reported by 20.6%. Unmet needs were more common among those with limitations than without (17.3% vs 11.4%; difference = 5.9 points; prevalence ratio = 1.5). After adjustment, mobility limitations increased the odds of unmet need by about 20% (AOR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3). Need-related factors showed the strongest associations: unmet medical needs (AOR = 5.1), no regular scaling (AOR = 3.0), and chewing difficulty (AOR = 2.5). Between-district variation accounted for 2.3% of total variance (ICC = 0.023). Conventional supply indicators were not significant, while higher oral-health examination rates showed a modest positive association (per 1 SD, AOR = 1.1; <em>p</em> = .03).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Mobility limitations constitute an independent barrier beyond socioeconomic and household factors. Persistent unmet need appears driven more by detection–treatment linkage gaps and mobility-related obstacles than by nominal service supply.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical relevance</h3><div>Mobility-sensitive dental delivery—visiting dentistry, transport support, and assisted referral—may help reduce detection-to-treatment gaps for mobility-limited adults within community-based integrated care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109371"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145965907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep Learning-Based Detection of Periodontal Infrabony and Furcation Defects on Periapical Radiographs: A Feasibility Study","authors":"Nicola Alberto Valente ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Maria Americo ,&nbsp;Fabrizio Ciancetta ,&nbsp;Simone Mari","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Accurate radiographic detection and classification of periodontal osseous defects are essential for prognosis and surgical planning in regenerative periodontology. Traditional diagnostic methods offer limited morphological information, and interpretation can be operator-dependent. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have shown potential in medical image analysis, but their application to detailed classification of periodontal defects on periapical radiographs remains underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 7464 periapical radiographs were retrospectively collected from the clinical archive of the University Hospital of Cagliari. After expert annotation, 581 images containing at least 1 periodontal osseous defect were included. Defects were categorised into 4 types: 1-wall defects, 2-or-more-wall defects, crater-like defects, and furcation involvements. A YOLOv8 large (YOLOv8l) object detection model was trained using a patient-independent split (406 trainings, 58 validations, 117 testings). Performance was assessed using mean Average Precision (mAP) at IoU thresholds of 0.5 and 0.5:0.95, as well as class-wise precision and recall.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The model achieved an overall precision of 0.592, recall of 0.435, and [email protected] of 0.504. Furcation involvements showed the highest precision (0.669) and [email protected] (0.577), followed by crater-like defects and multi-wall defects. One-wall defects were the most difficult to detect. Qualitative analysis revealed that smaller or radiographically ambiguous defects were more frequently missed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>AI-assisted object detection demonstrated feasibility in classifying periodontal defects, but current performance remains limited. Although current performance is limited by dataset imbalance and the inherent constraints of 2D imaging, these models may enhance diagnostic consistency and support treatment planning.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical relevance</h3><div>This study demonstrates the feasibility of using an AI-based object detection model to classify such defects on standard periapical radiographs. By supporting clinicians in the radiographic interpretation of defect morphology, the proposed system may contribute to more consistent diagnoses, improved case selection, and enhanced predictability of surgical outcomes in periodontal therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109380"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Multimodal Model for Caries Screening Using Intraoral Images and Questionnaires","authors":"Zhuoying Liu ,&nbsp;Junjie Li ,&nbsp;Siwei Wang ,&nbsp;Weijia Liu ,&nbsp;Wenyu Wang ,&nbsp;Huancai Lin ,&nbsp;Liangyue Pang","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2026.109420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2026.109420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction and aims</h3><div>To develop a multimodal deep learning model for dental caries screening in children by integrating intraoral photographs and questionnaire-based data, and to compare its performance against that of a unimodal model utilising images alone.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In total, 7671 images (3913 occlusal and 3758 smooth surfaces) were collected from children across different dentition stages. Oral health questionnaires were also conducted. The images were clinically labelled into three categories: caries-free, early caries, and moderate-to-severe caries. A multimodal model integrating intraoral images and questionnaire data was trained and evaluated against an image-only unimodal model. The performance metrics included accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC). SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis was conducted to interpret feature importance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For the multimodal model, occlusal surface classification achieved an accuracy of 92.3% for the caries-free category, 89.2% for the early caries category, and 93.7% for the moderate-to-severe caries category, with ROC-AUCs of 0.967, 0.911, and 0.972, respectively. The performance of smooth surfaces was similarly strong (an accuracy of 92.1% for the caries-free category, 96.7% for the early caries category, and 93.4% for the moderate-to-severe caries category), with ROC-AUCs of 0.938, 0.908, and 0.963, respectively. Incorporating questionnaire data improved recall for the early caries category without compromising overall accuracy. SHAP analysis provided interpretable insights into model decision-making.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Compared with the image-only unimodal model, the multimodal deep learning model increased early caries recall while preserving overall diagnostic performance.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical relevance</h3><div>This study describes a multimodal caries intelligent screening model, demonstrating its potential as a population-level screening tool. However, further large-scale, multicentre validation is necessary to confirm its generalisability and effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109420"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146131748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-Cultural Validation of the Brazilian-Portuguese Oral Health Impact Profile for Temporomandibular Disorders","authors":"Priscilla Kelly Batista da Silva Leite Montenegro ,&nbsp;Robinsom Viegas Montenegro ,&nbsp;Yuri Wanderley Cavalcanti ,&nbsp;André Ulisses Dantas Batista ,&nbsp;Karen Glazer Peres","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) affect oral health-related quality of life, but no specific instruments validated in Brazilian Portuguese are currently available.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Oral Health Impact Profile for Temporomandibular Disorders (OHIP-TMD) into Brazilian Portuguese.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The original English version of the OHIP-TMD was translated and back-translated to produce the Brazilian version (OHIP-TMD-Br). Content validity was assessed by a panel of five TMD specialists, followed by pretesting in a sample of patients with TMD. The validation process included 72 patients with TMD and 72 control participants without TMD, classified using the Fonseca Anamnestic Index and diagnosed according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. Both the OHIP-14 and OHIP-TMD-Br were administered twice, with a 2-week interval between administrations. Reliability testing (test–retest) was conducted in a separate sample (<em>n</em> = 15). Psychometric properties were assessed through internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean age of TMD patients was 31.4 years, while the control group had a mean age of 28.3 years. Among TMD patients, 80.6% were female. The OHIP-TMD-Br showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95) and high test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.99).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The OHIP-TMD-Br is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian Portuguese-speaking populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109387"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to ‘GLS as a Key Cuproptosis-Related Gene in Periodontitis: Insights from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing’ [International Dental Journal Volume 75, Issue 2, April 2025, Pages 1360-1369]","authors":"Wenjie Wen ,&nbsp;Xiuan Zhu ,&nbsp;Donglin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.103953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.103953","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 103953"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two Decades of Real-World Data Reveals: Vigilance Signals of Drug-Induced Gingival Bleeding","authors":"Bozhao Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Chen ,&nbsp;Deli Niu ,&nbsp;Yuru Wang ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jian Li","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2026.109409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2026.109409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gingival bleeding (GB) is often the initial symptom of gingivitis and periodontitis, and also an oral manifestation of certain systemic diseases. Its early prevention is of great significance for both oral and systemic health. This study aimed to identify risk drugs and their clinical characteristics using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study analysed data from the FAERS database from January 2004 to December 2024. A disproportionality analysis was conducted to assess drug-related GB with positive signals, and drugs were classified and evaluated based on their risk and patient demographics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>From 2004 to 2024, the FAERS database recorded 12,310 reports related to GB. After disproportionality analysis and screening, 26 drugs were found to significantly increase the risk of drug-related GB. Among them, 14 were antithrombotic drugs, including alteplase (reporting odds ratio, ROR = 114.62), caplacizumab (ROR = 38.58), and eptifibatide (ROR = 17.73); 6 were antineoplastic drugs, including inotuzumab ozogamicin (ROR = 10.17), trastuzumab emtansine (ROR = 9.78), and mitoxantrone (ROR = 6.37); and 6 belonged to other categories.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study profiles drug-induced GB and identifies potential culprit drugs, which aids in understanding drug safety and optimising clinical practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109409"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of the Dental Implant Surface Topography and Macrophage Polarisation on Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis","authors":"Bin Liu ,&nbsp;Yanxiao Du ,&nbsp;Mengya Wang ,&nbsp;Zheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenjie Yin ,&nbsp;Yiming Hu ,&nbsp;Feng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109398","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction and aims</h3><div>We aimed to investigate the effects of micro-nano surface of titanium (Ti) implant on macrophage polarisation, osteogenesis and angiogenesis in the peri-implant microenvironment, and to explore the underlying mechanism.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Ti disks with a micro-nano hybrid topography were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cell viability of macrophages was detected by CCK-8 assay. Macrophage polarisation was assessed on these surfaces via quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence. The osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and angiogenic capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated using conditioned medium from macrophages cultured on the Ti disks. Finally, the osteoimmunomodulatory effects of the micro-nano Ti implants were validated in a rat alveolar bone defect model, with bone formation and inflammatory response analysed by micro-CT and histology.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Surface characterisation confirmed the successful fabrication of a hybrid micro-nano topography. This specific topography of the Ti disk promoted the M2 polarisation of macrophages, as evidenced by the upregulation of CD206/Arg1 and downregulation of iNOS/TNF-α/IL-6. Conditioned medium from these M2 macrophages enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and boosted the migration and tube formation of HUVECs. Consistently, in vivo implantation led to increased new bone formation and a reduced inflammatory response. Mechanistically, the micro-nano surface topography mediated macrophage polarisation via the YAP/Piezo1/AKT/ERK signalling axis.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The micro-nano surface topography of Ti implants can promote M2 polarisation of macrophages and potentially promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and angiogenesis of HUVECs, which may be related to the activation of YAP/Piezo1/AKT/ERK signalling axis.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical relevance</h3><div>This study presents a promising strategy for improving osseointegration and angiogenesis in clinical dental implant applications. By promoting M2 polarisation of macrophages and reducing inflammation, micro,nano-surefced implants may minimise implant failure rate and enhance long-term functional outcomes, particularly for patients with bone deficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109398"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Observed-Variable Socio-Ecological Model Chain Analysis of Socioeconomic Status, Parental Beliefs and Early-Childhood Caries in Chinese","authors":"Liyun Zhai ,&nbsp;Tiecheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Kong ,&nbsp;Fei Yan ,&nbsp;Yang Gu ,&nbsp;Zhimin Ding ,&nbsp;Ning Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109362","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction and Aims</h3><div>Early childhood caries (ECC) remains widespread in China. Although socioeconomic status (SES) is a recognised driver, its pathway through parental preventive beliefs (BeliefPrev) and child high-risk behaviors (BehaviorRisk) is seldom examined within a single model. This study quantified SES's direct and indirect effects on ECC in preschoolers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional survey of 595 children aged 3-6 years and their caregivers was conducted in 10 Nantong kindergartens (2024). Questionnaires captured SES, a 4-item BeliefPrev subscale, BehaviourRisk, and dmft. Scale reliability and factor structure (exploratory factor analysis, EFA) were assessed. Observed-variable SEM specified SES→BeliefPrev→BehaviourRisk→dmft. Coefficients are standardised <em>β</em> with bias-corrected bootstrap mediation. SES was characterised by family socioeconomic index; BeliefPrev was derived from the POHBS; BehaviourRisk combined parent-reported free-sugar exposure frequency and toothbrushing frequency; dmft was recorded using WHO criteria.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>SES showed a direct inverse association with dmft after adjusting for BeliefPrev and BehaviourRisk, while indirect paths via BeliefPrev or BehaviourRisk were non-significant. The belief scale showed low reliability (<em>α</em> = 0.18) and 2 factors (professional prevention/misconception and outcome appearance). SES was inversely associated with BehaviourRisk (<em>β</em> = −0.187, <em>p &lt;</em> .001) and retained a direct inverse effect on dmft after adjustment (<em>β</em> = −0.329, <em>p =</em> .044). BehaviourRisk did not predict dmft (<em>β</em> = 0.193, <em>p =</em> .233). Sensitivity analyses with extended behaviour items and sex or age-specific models produced similar patterns.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>SES was inversely associated with preschool ECC after accounting for behaviour and beliefs, whereas behaviour showed a modest association and parental beliefs showed none. These findings suggest that knowledge‑based interventions are unlikely to overcome the socioeconomic gradient.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical Relevance</h3><div>Population-level sugar-reduction policies, kindergarten fluoride schemes, and coverage for basic child dental care should be prioritised, with targeted education/behavior coaching as a complement, particularly for low-SES families (SES index Q1–Q2).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109362"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145911353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy Assessment of a Novel Device for Dental Aerosol Capture and Inactivation: An In Vitro Study","authors":"Yan Sun ,&nbsp;Jia-Chun Li ,&nbsp;Yu-Gang Li ,&nbsp;Xiao-Yan Yu ,&nbsp;Jie Hu ,&nbsp;Zhe Li ,&nbsp;Ji-Chao Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109331","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109331","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Tooth-grinding procedures generate a significant amount of potentially infectious and pathogenic aerosols, requiring timely and efficient control. The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of an integrated capture and inactivation approach for controlling aerosol contamination within a dental clinic.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>A novel device was developed for the efficient capture of suspended particles and the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms during tooth-grinding procedures in a controlled clinical dental setting. Six intact molars were pretreated to form uniformly sized cylinders prior to the <em>in vitro</em> tooth grinding experiments. Three replicates of the experiment were conducted, with 3 online real-time particle counters placed along the direction of the grinding particle jet at varying distances from the source to measure particle number concentration. High-energy ion tubes were used as low-temperature plasma generators in inactivation experiments against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and <em>Escherichia coli.</em> Two experimental groups were established based on single- and double-layer generator configurations (7 generators per layer), with a single-generator setup serving as the control group. The ORPC data were analysed using descriptive and differential statistics, and the inactivation rates were derived from pre- and post-treatment colony counts and presented as bar charts.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Kruskal-Wallis test results indicated that under negative pressure capture conditions, aerosol contamination levels differed significantly among the 3 sampling locations (<em>P</em> &lt; .05), but all levels were reduced to baseline within 1 minute. Low-temperature plasma generated by a dual-layer generator configuration achieved nearly 100% inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms within 7 minutes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The integrated capture and inactivation approach can effectively interrupt the indoor transmission of grinding aerosols while achieving efficient inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109331"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146018439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles From Pergularia daemia Fibre: Potential for Caries Prevention and Infection Control","authors":"Raja Thandavamoorthy ,&nbsp;Yuvarajan Devarajan ,&nbsp;Kulmani Mehar","doi":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.identj.2025.109396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction and aims</h3><div>Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm-associated infections present major challenges in oral healthcare, necessitating sustainable nanomaterials with multifunctional efficacy. This study reports the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from <em>Pergularia daemia</em> (<em>P. daemia</em>) fibre (PDF) extracts and evaluates their structural, thermal, and biological properties for dental and biomedical applications.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>ZnO NPs were synthesised using aqueous PDF extracts as natural reducing and stabilising agents. Structural crystallinity was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), functional groups by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Antibacterial performance against <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> and <em>Streptococcus mutans</em> was assessed via agar well diffusion, while antibiofilm efficacy was evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>XRD confirmed a semi-crystalline ZnO phase with a crystallite size of 28.6 nm and a crystallinity index of 21%. FTIR revealed hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylate groups contributing to nanoparticle stabilisation. SEM micrographs showed irregular, porous, and agglomerated morphologies spanning nanometre to submicron scales. TGA indicated multi-step degradation with a stable residual fraction of ∼14% at 670 °C. Antibacterial assays demonstrated strong inhibition zones (27 mm, 32 mm at 75 µg; 31 mm, 41 mm at 100 µg), comparable to streptomycin (34 mm and 43 mm). CLSM confirmed significant antibiofilm activity through membrane disruption and reduced bacterial viability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The enhanced antibacterial and antibiofilm performance of PDF-derived ZnO NPs arises from synergistic effects of nanoparticle cores, reactive oxygen species generation, and phytochemical surface functionalization. Their stability and bioactivity underscore their promise as sustainable nanomaterials.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical relevance</h3><div>PDF-mediated ZnO NPs show potential for dental applications, including caries prevention, root canal disinfection, and biofilm-resistant coatings for restorative and implant materials. Their multifunctional profile further supports broader biomedical use in antimicrobial therapy, drug delivery, and composite engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13785,"journal":{"name":"International dental journal","volume":"76 2","pages":"Article 109396"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}