Frontiers in dental medicine最新文献

{"title":"A narrative discussion on the impact of respiratory infectious diseases on dental education in China: implications for curriculum design and student outcomes.","authors":"Shuhao Xu, Xiaolong Li, Wei Li, Ruijie Huang","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1897947","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1897947","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Recent outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases, transmitted via aerosols, have placed dental healthcare workers at high risk. Traditional dental education, based on student-teacher-patient interactions, faces unprecedented challenges across all stages. From admissions to classroom teaching, laboratory instruction, clinical training, and final examinations, every aspect of dental education is undergoing significant challenges and is in urgent need of change.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This narrative review with content analysis synthesized literature on the impact of respiratory infections on dental education. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI (2020-2026) using relevant keywords. Two reviewers independently screened and selected studies. Data were thematically analyzed into five core domains: classroom teaching, laboratory teaching, clinical teaching, student admissions/assessment, and licensing examinations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In classroom teaching, online platforms and AI-augmented PBL/CBL were rapidly adopted, yet persistent issues included network instability, limited interaction, digital inequities, and heavy reliance on student self-discipline. In laboratory teaching, AR/VR and iLab-X enabled remote training, but were constrained by high costs, poor haptic realism, inability to replicate patient emotions, and equipment dependence. In clinical teaching, enhanced infection controls-including PPE, rubber dams, and HEPA filtration-were implemented, though bio-aerosol risks, reduced patient flow, and limited clinical exposure remained. In admissions, online exams with dual-camera proctoring, open-ended questions, AI-generated items, and virtual OSCEs were adopted, while challenges persisted in cheating prevention, subjective scoring, validity, and privacy. Licensing examinations remained in-person with strict protection; VSP showed promise but lacked robust evidence and incurred high costs. Overall, technological innovations enabled educational continuity, yet significant infrastructure gaps, inequities, and unresolved validity issues persist across all domains.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>China's dental education rapidly adapted to respiratory epidemics through online teaching, simulation, and enhanced infection control, yet persistent challenges remain in digital equity, cost, validity, and infrastructure. These innovations are important primarily because they directly influence student learning outcomes-including knowledge acquisition, clinical reasoning, and skill retention-while also shaping curriculum design. Future preparedness requires sustained investment, faculty development, equitable access, and rigorous longitudinal research to validate skill transfer to clinical practice, ensuring that technological advances ultimately translate into measurable improvements in student competency and patient safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1897947"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13586709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149009271","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: Dental treatment under general anesthesia for a child with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy.","authors":"SokIok Cheang, WeiYun Chen, Shuang Wang, XinXin Wang, Kuo Wan, Lin Ma","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1881573","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1881573","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is a rare inherited myopathy caused by mutations in the COL6 gene and is frequently associated with multisystem complications affecting the respiratory and skeletal systems, which may increase airway and anesthetic risks during dental treatment.</p><p><strong>Case report: </strong>This report describes a 4-year-old girl with UCMD who presented with pain in the left lower molar. After a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation by the Department of Stomatology, Anesthesiology, and Pediatrics, the patient was classified as ASA III and underwent dental treatment under total intravenous anesthesia, with tracheal intubation performed under fiberoptic bronchoscopic guidance. The procedures included pulpotomy, tooth extraction, resin restoration, placement of preformed metal crowns, and topical fluoride application. The perioperative course was uneventful and no respiratory, airway, or anesthesia-related adverse events were observed. The patient was followed up continuously for 6 to 12 months after dental treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This report delineates the multidisciplinary perioperative management of comprehensive dental treatment in a 4-year-old patient with UCMD, thereby providing a clinical reference for oral healthcare in individuals with this rare disorder.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1881573"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148992874","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":"Clinical and perioperative outcomes of computer-guided versus conventional plan-transfer workflows in orthognathic surgery for skeletal anterior open bite: a randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Ammar Abu Shama, Dirar Dibs","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1923688","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1923688","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Skeletal anterior open bite (AOB) often requires orthognathic surgery. This study compared the clinical and perioperative outcomes of computer-guided and conventional plan-transfer workflows following virtual surgical planning.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighteen adults with skeletal AOB underwent virtual surgical planning and were subsequently randomized to computer-guided transfer of the established surgical plan using CAD/CAM guides (<i>n</i> = 9) or conventional model-surgery transfer using articulator-mounted casts and occlusal wafers (<i>n</i> = 9). Outcomes included intraoperative handling, operative time, blood loss, complications, healing, and AOB correction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean operative time was 6.0 ± 0.5 h versus 6.5 ± 0.6 h (<i>p</i> = 0.08), and blood loss was 450 ± 60 versus 520 ± 80 mL (<i>p</i> = 0.12) for the computer-guided and conventional groups, respectively. Intraoperative handling was perceived as easier with computer guidance, although this assessment was subjective. No major intraoperative complications occurred. Mean postoperative AOB was 1.33 ± 0.50 mm in both groups (<i>p</i> = 1.00).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>No statistically significant between-group differences were detected in operative time, blood loss, or postoperative AOB. Computer-guided plan transfer was perceived to facilitate intraoperative handling, although this assessment was subjective. Given the small sample size and limited statistical power, the absence of statistically significant differences should not be interpreted as evidence of equivalence between the workflows. Larger adequately powered studies are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1923688"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993025","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":"A novel image-based algorithm to support future remote assessment of chewing function.","authors":"Dawn Branley-Bell, Richard Brown, Elias Obreque-Sepúlveda, Claire McGrogan, Helen Cartner, Elhassan Mohamed, Chee Siang Ang, Robert Pellegrino","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1870425","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1870425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chewing difficulty is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Objective measurement of chewing function is currently limited to methods that require specialist lab equipment (for example lab-based manipulation or comminution tests). A remote method for estimating chewing-related metrics would support the development of accessible and scalable means of detecting and monitoring chewing-related health issues.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This paper details initial work on developing a novel smartphone-based, image-analysis algorithm to estimate particle-size metrics from photographs of masticated raw carrot deposited in a Petri dish. A two-stage image-processing pipeline was developed, comprising geometric calibration and particle segmentation, enabling estimation of particle-size metrics from smartphone photographs. The algorithm was implemented both as a Python script and as a graphical user interface (GUI), the latter allowing semi-automated per-image adjustment of calibration and segmentation parameters with visual feedback. The script and graphical user interface (GUI) are publicly available: osf.io/kgx9f.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Performance was evaluated on artificially generated test images to benchmark the algorithm against ground-truth data with known sizes, while also assessing data-collection processes, usability and key challenges. On the more realistic synthetic-particle images, which include overlapping particles of varying size, the algorithm produced a cumulative area error of 20.6% and a mean per-particle relative error of 21.1% (median 14.8%; mean absolute error 1.02 mm²), with the largest errors occurring for the smallest and most overlapped particles. These synthetic-particle figures reflect performance on successfully matched particles; end-to-end performance including undetected particles would be lower. On simpler geometric-shape images, total-area relative error was lower, at 3.10% for the large-shape set, 3.00% for the small-shape set, and 3.12% across all shapes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The algorithm demonstrates quantifiable analytical performance in estimating chewing-related particle-size metrics from smartphone images, supporting its potential use as a foundation for future remote measurement of chewing function. However, the method is not yet clinically validated. In its current form, the method achieves its best performance through a semi-automated, GUI-based workflow, which introduces a subjective element but provides a practical way to handle heterogeneous image conditions and inform future automation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1870425"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148992918","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":"Correction: Evaluation of treatment outcomes of zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures using foley catheter ballooning technique.","authors":"Rounak Mukherjee, Tripthi P Shetty, Padmaraj J Hegde","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1954964","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1954964","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fdmed.2026.1843337.].</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1954964"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581619/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148992962","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":"Making periodontal risk visible: the role of artificial intelligence in recall adherence.","authors":"Prajakta Karkare","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1927437","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1927437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Supportive periodontal care is essential for maintaining periodontal stability after active therapy, yet adherence to periodontal maintenance remains difficult. Once bleeding, halitosis or other presenting concerns improve, some patients may interpret the disease as resolved and the maintenance visit as \"just a clean.\" This Perspective uses the intention-behaviour gap to examine behavioural, financial and health-literacy barriers to continued supportive care. It then considers a narrower, testable hypothesis: artificial intelligence (AI) might assist clinicians in organising clinician-verified periodontal information and presenting it through personalised visual summaries or prompts. Evidence that AI improves periodontal recall attendance is currently sparse; most dental AI research concerns image interpretation or classification, and the only directly relevant periodontal adherence study is proof-of-concept. Proposed risk projections are therefore presented as a distant research concept rather than a clinically validated tool. AI should not replace clinical judgement, and any future system would require validation, transparent uncertainty, consent, governance, equity safeguards and comparison with simpler non-AI interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1927437"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581688/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148992686","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: Oral health and successful aging: integrating basic research, clinical insights and community health.","authors":"Jonathan Y An, Maria Cecilia Ciaccio Vendola, Wilson Jacob-Filho, Martha J Somerman","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1954839","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1954839","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1954839"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581965/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148992630","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":"Curcumin as an adjunct in periodontal therapy: local effects, delivery systems, and clinical perspectives.","authors":"Ana Carolina Aparecida Rivas, Mario Taba, Paola Gomes Souza","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1861025","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1861025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Curcumin, the active polyphenol in turmeric (Curcuma longa), is well-known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, making it a promising therapeutic agent for a range of diseases, including neuroinflammatory conditions and periodontal disease. Periodontitis, a prevalent oral disease, is associated with chronic inflammation and bacterial infection. Curcumin has demonstrated antibacterial effects against periodontal pathogens such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia when applied locally as a sub-gingival gel in conjunction with scaling and root planning (SRP). Furthermore, curcumin's ability to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under visible light exposure enhances its effects through photodynamic therapy (PDT) and potentiates its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions. Curcumin demonstrates promising potential as an adjunctive therapy for periodontitis, indicating that it may serve as a valuable adjuvant strategy for improving periodontal management. Nonetheless, additional well-designed clinical and translational studies are warranted to confirm these benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1861025"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13581582/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993018","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":"Developmental defects of enamel and dentin in individuals born preterm: a scoping review of evidence and mechanisms.","authors":"Sadhvi B, Manju R, Samiksha Uchil, Rupali D, Swagata Saha","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1918126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1918126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation) occurs during critical stages of odontogenesis and is associated with developmental defects in dental hard tissues. Enamel hypoplasia, enamel hypomineralization, and structural dentin alterations may compromise esthetics, function, and long-term oral health outcomes. However, the nature and extent of these defects and their underlying mechanisms have not been comprehensively investigated.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To map and evaluate the available evidence regarding developmental defects of enamel and dentin in individuals born preterm, identify proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, and highlight the gaps in the current literature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Arksey and O'Malley framework, incorporating methodological refinements proposed by Levac et al., and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A structured search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed for studies published until July 2026. Studies evaluating enamel and/or dentin outcomes in individuals born preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) were eligible for inclusion.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fourteen studies, including cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, longitudinal, and histological investigations, met the eligibility criteria. Enamel hypoplasia and hypomineralization were the most frequently reported defects, with greater prevalence and severity observed among individuals with lower gestational age and birth weight. Dentin alterations, including reduced mineralisation, altered hardness, and structural irregularities, were reported in only three of the included studies. Although these findings suggest an association with prematurity, the limited evidence base means that they should be regarded as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than conclusive. Proposed mechanisms include perinatal hypoxia, nutritional deficiencies, systemic inflammation, and neonatal intensive care-related interventions, such as endotracheal intubation and prolonged assisted ventilation. The available evidence is characterised by methodological heterogeneity, variations in diagnostic criteria, and a paucity of longitudinal studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Current evidence suggests that preterm birth is associated with developmental defects in both enamel and dentin. Nevertheless, significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding dentin-specific pathologies, long-term outcomes, and underlying biological mechanisms. Future research should prioritise standardised diagnostic approaches and well-designed longitudinal studies to strengthen the evidence base and inform preventive and therapeutic strategies for this condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1918126"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578726/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993000","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":"The effect of neuromuscular re-education and oral motor exercises on adaptation and masticatory performance in complete denture wearers- a systematic review.","authors":"Diya Shetty Ganesh, Shipha Hegde, R Nirupama","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1949919","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1949919","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular re-education, oral motor exercises, or biofeedback compared to standard post-insertion care on objective masticatory function and patient-reported outcomes in completely edentulous adults receiving new conventional complete dentures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A pre-piloted search protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses - Protocol guidelines (PRSIMA-P) and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251186130). A comprehensive electronic search was conducted across various databases. The selected studies were further evaluated using the Cochrane ROB 2 tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the ROBINS-I V2 tool for non-randomized studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The initial search yielded 1,517 records from which a final set of 3 articles (2 RCTs and 1 clinical trial) were included. Quality assessment indicated that one RCT had \"some concerns,\" one RCT was \"high risk,\" and the clinical trial was at \"critical risk\" of bias. A sensitivity analysis suggested that excluding the higher-risk studies did not alter the overall positive direction of the findings. The findings of the included studies indicated that oral motor exercises and biofeedback significantly improved the functional adaptation as well as patient satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The presented evidence suggests that active neuromuscular training is a cost-effective and feasible intervention to improve the functional adaptation to conventional complete dentures. Further high-quality research is recommended to substantiate these findings and to develop a protocol advocating for oral motor exercises and biofeedback to be included as a part of post-insertion instructions for conventional complete dentures.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>PROSPERO(CRD420251186130).</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1949919"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13574555/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978882","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}