Frontiers in dental medicine最新文献

{"title":"Denoising autoencoder framework for reconstructing missing periodontal clinical records.","authors":"Asok Mathew, Pradeep Kumar Yadalam","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1710316","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1710316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Missing clinical data pose a significant challenge for retrospective analyses and predictive modelling in periodontal research. Traditional imputation methods often overlook the complex correlations among variables and produce implausible values. This study examines the application of generative models to reconstruct missing periodontal clinical records and outlines a comprehensive workflow that spans from data generation to evaluation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A synthetic periodontal dataset of 200 virtual patients was constructed, capturing realistic distributions of demographic factors (age, gender, smoking, and diabetes) and tooth-level measurements (probing depth, attachment loss, furcation involvement, and bleeding on probing) across eight sites. Missingness was introduced at random to 15% of the clinical variables. A denoising autoencoder with a single hidden layer of 18 neurons was trained to reconstruct the original data from corrupted inputs over 100 epochs. The model learned latent representations of the data and was then used to impute missing entries.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Performance was assessed by comparing reconstructed values to the original data using mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) across individual variables and categories. Overall, MAE and RMSE were 0.61 and 0.74, respectively, with attachment loss and bleeding on probing exhibiting lower errors than probing depth and furcation involvement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Distribution comparisons showed that imputed values closely matched original distributions. The approach offers a practical framework for handling missing periodontal data and highlights the potential of generative models to improve data completeness without introducing unrealistic values. Limitations include the simplicity of the network architecture. Future work should explore advanced models, integrate multimodal data, and evaluate on real datasets. The workflow-from synthetic data creation and masking to training, imputation, and evaluation-serves as a template for researchers tackling missing clinical data.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1710316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13033649/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147596681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in transverse dimensions in growing patients treated with AMCOP® and electromyographic assessment with Teethan®.","authors":"Laura Ferrante, Gianna Dipalma, Filippo Cardarelli, Angela Di Noia, Grazia Marinelli, Antonio Di Lorenzo, Francesco Inchingolo, Daniela Di Venere, Andrea Palermo, Angelo Michele Inchingolo, Alessio Danilo Inchingolo","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1738007","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1738007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To retrospectively evaluate transverse maxillary changes and neuromuscular balance in growing patients treated with AMCOP® elastodontic appliances by combining three-dimensional digital model analysis and surface electromyography (sEMG).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This monocentric retrospective case series included 12 children (8 females, 4 males; aged 4-7 years) treated for transverse maxillary deficiency with AMCOP® Integral or Class III (TC) devices for 10-18 months. Transverse widths were measured on digital models (Deltadent®) at baseline (T0) and post-treatment (T1) at the intercanine, inter-second deciduous molar (inter-5), and intermediate or first molar regions when erupted. Neuromuscular function was assessed using surface electromyography (Teethan®), evaluating symmetry indices (POC TA/MM), barycenter (BAR), torsion (TORS), asymmetry (ASIM), and impact index (IMP).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All patients showed transverse maxillary expansion. Intercanine increases ranged from +0.5 to +4.9 mm, inter-5 from +1.15 to +6.26 mm, and intermolar measurements (available in 6 patients) from +1.83 to +4.87 mm. sEMG recordings demonstrated improvement in neuromuscular coordination in most cases, including normalization or improvement of BAR, reduction of TORS and ASIM values, and enhancement of IMP toward physiological ranges. No adverse events were recorded.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Within the limitations of this retrospective case series, AMCOP® elastodontic therapy was associated with clinically relevant transverse maxillary widening and favorable neuromuscular rebalancing. These preliminary findings support elastodontic functional interception as a conservative approach for early transverse deficiency, although controlled comparative studies are required to confirm treatment efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1738007"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13017839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Case Report: Fabrication of a plumper-type music splint for saxophone performance in a patient with a full-arch implant-supported prosthesis.","authors":"Mariko Hattori, Yuichi Yamatani, Yuka Sumita, Noriyuki Wakabayashi","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1767272","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1767272","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The orofacial region, particularly the lips, tongue, and teeth, plays a critical role in wind instrument performance. Wind instrument players may experience lip pain, trauma, or discomfort during performance. In patients rehabilitated with fixed implant-supported full-arch prostheses, reduced soft tissue support and intraoral volume may compromise embouchure stability and endurance.</p><p><strong>Case description: </strong>A 55-year-old male amateur saxophone player reported early fatigue and difficulty maintaining embouchure stability after receiving a fixed implant-supported full-arch prosthesis. Clinical examination revealed a space between the prosthetic superstructure, residual alveolar ridge, and buccal mucosa. To compensate for the reduced intraoral tissue volume, a plumper-type music splint worn exclusively during instrument playing was planned. The appliance was initially fabricated as a provisional music splint, digitized using a model scanner, and finalized through computer-controlled milling of acrylic resin. Subjective evaluation of playing comfort was conducted using an exploratory 10-point scale, and maximum sustained note duration was measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One month after delivery, the splint showed good fit and resulted in marked improvement in playing comfort and reduction of fatigue. Performance-related functions that had been severely compromised without the splint, including buccal stability and low-register tone production, improved to clinically meaningful levels. After one year of follow-up, further improvements were observed, and the patient reported increased ease and confidence during performance, accompanied by prolonged maximum sustained note duration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The plumper-type music splint effectively compensated for insufficient intraoral tissue volume caused by the existing implant-supported prosthesis and enhanced embouchure stability and playing comfort. This removable, low-risk appliance may represent a useful adjunct for wind instrument players who experience performance-related functional impairment following fixed full-arch implant rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1767272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13013402/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147522953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pediatric dental treatment under general anesthesia: a retrospective analysis of clinical indications and a survey of pediatric dentist referral practices.","authors":"Avia Fux-Noy, Maya Raz, Karam Masrawa, Aviv Shmueli, Elinor Halperson, Moti Moskovitz","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1789221","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1789221","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The utilization of general anesthesia for pediatric dental treatments has increased. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for dental general anesthesia use in a pediatric dentistry department and to survey pediatric dentists' perspectives on dental general anesthesia indications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort study analyzed electronic medical records of patients undergoing dental general anesthesia. Additionally, a questionnaire was distributed to pediatric dentists at professional conferences, collecting responses to seven questions regarding dental general anesthesia indications.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cohort consisted of 245 dental records. The primary reasons for dental general anesthesia were extensive treatment needs (56%), young age (41%), parental preference (39%), lack of cooperation (27%), and medical comorbidities (23%). Parental preference correlated with the child's behavior during examination (<i>p</i> = 0.030). Younger children (<5 years) more frequently underwent dental general anesthesia due to extensive caries, while older children (>5 years) were more likely referred due to behavioral issues and medical comorbidities. Of the 110 dentists who completed the survey, those performing dental general anesthesia were more likely to require a sedation visit before referral (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and less likely to consider parental preference alone as an indication (<i>p</i> = 0.010) compared to those not performing dental general anesthesia. Dentists performing moderate sedation were less likely to consider multiple visits (<i>p</i> = 0.042), multiple extractions (<i>p</i> = 0.028), multiple crowns (<i>p</i> = 0.047), or parental preference alone (<i>p</i> = 0.021) as indications for dental general anesthesia compared to those who did not perform moderate sedation.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Partnership with parents and taking their preferences into account are essential in decision-making regarding dental general anesthesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1789221"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13013349/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147523009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Expanding knowledge on mineralized tissues in dental science: enamel, dentin, and pulp tissue.","authors":"Emi Shimizu, Maiko Suzuki, Motoki Okamoto, Hayato Ohshima","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1814550","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1814550","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1814550"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13013473/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147522946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanical behavior of endocrowns with different axial wall heights: a finite-element study.","authors":"Waleed M S Al Qahtani, Mohammad Zarbah, Nasser Hussein Shaheen, Ali Barakat, Hend Mohamed Elsayed, Shaimaa F K Habib, Lama Ahmed Alqahtani, Ebaa Ibrahim Alagha, Salah A Yousief, Diaaeldin Farag","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1737491","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1737491","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The aim of this study was to compare endocrown restorations of mandibular first molars using four distinct preparation designs with different residual tooth heights by employing finite-element analysis. A butt joint marginal design was compared with three shoulder finish line preparations.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Four three-dimensional finite-element models were developed to represent different endocrown configurations. Model 1 simulated a butt joint margin design, whereas Models 2, 3, and 4 represented shoulder finish line designs with remaining tooth structure heights of 1, 2, and 3 mm, respectively. Two restorative materials, zirconia and IPS e.max® computer-aided design, were evaluated. The geometry of a healthy mandibular first molar was obtained from computed tomography data and reconstructed using SolidWorks®. Cortical and cancellous bone were modeled as coaxial cylinders. Two loading conditions were applied, i.e., a 400 N vertical load and a 200 N oblique load at 45°, both of which were directed to the buccal cusp tips and central fossa<b>.</b></p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Under vertical loading, the butt joint design exhibited the lowest von Mises stress values, whereas the shoulder finish line designs showed progressively higher stresses with increasing axial wall height. The butt joint design also reduced stresses in the cortical bone by up to 15% compared with the shoulder finish line designs. The choice of restorative material had minimal influence on stress distribution; however, zirconia crowns demonstrated slightly higher stress values, suggesting greater material durability<b>.</b></p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Endocrowns with a butt joint margin demonstrated superior biomechanical behavior by minimizing stress transfer to the underlying tooth and supporting bone. The influence of the endocrown's design decreased toward the alveolar bone, while the restorative material only exerted a minor effect on the stress distribution.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1737491"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008903/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147517360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulated risk of root and neurovascular bundle damage during miniscrew insertion in the anterior palate without radiological data.","authors":"Antonino Lo Giudice, Vincenzo Ronsivalle, Alessandro Polizzi, Orazio Bennici, Giuseppe Palazzo","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1729079","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1729079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to explore the risk of potential root and nerve damage in planning the insertion of paramedian miniscrews without radiological information.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>The study included CBCT and intra-oral scan (IOS) records of 60 subjects (28 males, 32 females) featuring normal transverse palate dimension (Group A = 30 subjects, mean age 20.5 ± 4.7) and skeletal maxillary constriction (Group B = 30 subjects, mean age 21.9 ± 5.1). Two miniscrews (Spider Screws Regular Plus Konic - HDC Srl, Vicenza, Italy), featuring 2 mm in diameter and 9 mm in length were virtually inserted using only the.stl IOS file following established clinical guidelines (T-Zone). Specific linear measurements were registered to calculate the distance between the miniscrews and both incisors' roots and the naso-palatine duct after integrating CBCT images; same measurements were performed after adjusting the position with the aid of CBCT. All data were analyzed for comparison between both procedures and groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Safe distances were recorded between miniscrews and incisors' roots in both groups (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The distances from the nasopalatine duct were significantly closer (and in few cases risky) in group B and required significant adjustment using CBCT (<i>p</i> < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The present findings would discourage planning or inserting miniscrews in the paramedian region without radiological information (CBCT) in subjects with skeletal maxillary constricted.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1729079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006589/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147517365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of chlorhexidine pretreatment on clinical performance of adhesive restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Rim Bourgi, Ahmed A Holiel, Carlos Enrique Cuevas-Suárez, Miguel Ángel Fernández-Barrera, Evandro Piva, Louis Hardan, Tatiana Roman, Naji Kharouf, Youssef Haikel","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1746184","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1746184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Statement of problem: </strong>The long-term stability of resin-dentin adhesion remains a major concern in restorative dentistry. Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation of the hybrid layer contributes to the deterioration of resin-bonded restorations. Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) has been proposed to preserve the hybrid layer and improve adhesive durability.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of dentin pretreatment with CHX on the clinical performance and longevity of resin-based restorations compared with no CHX application.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, electronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to September 2025. Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials assessing CHX pretreatment before adhesive application were included. Primary outcomes were restoration retention, postoperative sensitivity, and secondary caries after ≥6 months of follow-up. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using risk differences (RDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven clinical trials (6 months-4 years of follow-up) met the inclusion criteria. CHX concentrations ranged from 0.2% to 2% with application times of 15-30 s. Most studies used etch-and-rinse adhesives. Pooled analyses showed no significant differences between CHX and control groups for restoration retention (RD = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.04; <i>p</i> = .53), postoperative sensitivity (RD = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.06; <i>p</i> = .67), or secondary caries (RD = -0.00; 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.03; <i>p</i> = .80), with no heterogeneity (I² = 0%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although CHX demonstrates MMPs inhibition <i>in vitro</i>, current clinical evidence does not support its routine use for enhancing the longevity of resin-dentin bonds, particularly with etch-and-rinse adhesive systems. CHX may still be useful for antimicrobial purposes or in high-caries-risk patients. Further standardized, long-term randomized clinical trials are warranted to clarify its potential benefits with self-etch and universal adhesives.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>PROSPERO CRD420251165239.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1746184"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006674/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147517328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association among oral health, social participation, and higher-level functional capacity in Japanese older people.","authors":"Tian Zhu, Nanami Sawada, Michiko Furuta, Toshihide Kimura, Misa Maruoka, Shino Suma, Haruhiko Kashiwazaki, Toru Takeshita","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1782479","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1782479","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maintaining a high level of functional ability, which is essential for independent living in older adults, is influenced by social participation. Oral health has been associated with higher-level functional ability; however, whether social participation is related to this association remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association among oral health, higher-level functional ability, and social participation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 154 participants aged ≥65 years (mean age: 82.6 ± 5.5 years) in an underpopulated area. Higher-level functional ability was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. Oral health was evaluated based on the number of teeth present, occlusal status, and swallowing function. Social participation was measured by the number of participants in social groups, such as sports groups, neighborhood groups, senior citizen clubs, hobby groups, learning and culture clubs, and other types of groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After adjusting for age, sex, nutritional status, comorbidities, drug use, cognitive decline, mental health status, marital status, educational level, and going outside, Poisson analysis showed that the number of teeth present was positively associated with higher-level functional ability (B = 0.006, <i>P</i> = 0.026). Inclusion of social participation as a covariate attenuated this association (B = 0.005, <i>P</i> = 0.089). Occupational status and swallowing function were not associated with higher-level functional ability.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that the number of teeth present is associated with higher-level functional ability and that social participation might affect this association.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1782479"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006676/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147517350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cellular and molecular response of dental stem cells to decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds in regenerative endodontics: a systematic review.","authors":"Hanna Saith, Shishir Shetty, Nireeksha","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1766825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1766825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs) have gained increasing attention in regenerative dentistry due to their ability to replicate aspects of the native cellular microenvironment while reducing immunogenicity. Dental-derived stem cells exhibit regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, making them promising candidates for tissue repair when combined with biologically derived scaffolds such as dECMs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review aimed to evaluate the cellular and molecular responses of dental-derived stem cells exposed to decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds in experimental <i>in vitro</i> models.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify relevant <i>in vitro</i> studies investigating interactions between dental stem cells and decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds. Ten studies published between 2015 and 2024 met the eligibility criteria and were included. Data on cell viability, adhesion, proliferation, migration, differentiation, and gene or protein expression were extracted. Due to heterogeneity in stem cell sources, scaffold origins, and decellularization protocols, a qualitative synthesis was performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for <i>In Vitro</i> studies tool.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across the included studies, dECM scaffolds were generally associated with favorable cellular responses, including improved cell attachment, survival, and proliferation. Molecular analyses frequently reported increased expression of markers related to odontogenic and osteogenic differentiation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cell-matrix interactions. However, the magnitude and consistency of these responses varied according to the dECM source and decellularization methodology. The majority of the studies demonstrated a medium risk of bias, reflecting limitations in methodological reporting and experimental design.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The current <i>in vitro</i> evidence suggests that dECM scaffolds may support beneficial cellular and molecular responses in dental-derived stem cells. Nevertheless, confidence in these findings is constrained by methodological heterogeneity, the lack of standardized protocols, and a predominance of studies with medium risk of bias. Consequently, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary, underscoring the need for rigorously designed and standardized preclinical investigations prior to clinical translation to regenerative dental therapies.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z25HR, identifier Z25HR.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1766825"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13002784/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147500809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}