Frontiers in dental medicine最新文献

{"title":"Childhood dental caries in context: associations with parental oral health literacy, parenting practices, stress, and socioeconomic status.","authors":"Maria Eugênia Domingueti Rabelo Ribeiro, Lara Evangelista Orlandi, François Isnaldo Dias Caldeira, Leandro Araújo Fernandes, Lucas Guimarães Abreu, Murilo César do Nascimento, Daniela Coelho de Lima, Heloisa de Sousa Gomes","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1862989","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1862989","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Dental caries remains a global public health issue influenced by multiple family, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors, including parental oral health literacy and parenting practices. However, the associations between parental oral health literacy, parental stress, parenting practices, and children's dental caries experience are still not fully understood. Therefore, this cross-sectional study evaluated the associations of parental oral health literacy, parental stress, parenting practices, and socioeconomic status with children's dental caries experience assessed during dental care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study involved children aged 4 to 12 attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at the School of Dentistry, Federal University of Alfenas. Children underwent dental prophylaxis and a clinical examination to assess caries using the dmft/DMFT index. Parents' oral health literacy was measured with the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30), parental stress with the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and family bonding with the Parenting Practices Inventory (PPI). Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Walli's test and Poisson regression, with a significance level of 5%.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 134 parent-child dyads, children were mostly male (52.2%; <i>n</i> = 70; mean age: 7.64 ± 2.21 years), and parents/guardians were predominantly female (88.1%; <i>n</i> = 118; age: 29-40 years). Higher parental oral health literacy, more positive parenting practices, older parental age, and older child age were associated with lower dmft/DMFT values, whereas lower family income was associated with higher dmft/DMFT values.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Higher parental oral health literacy was associated with lower DMFT/dmft values in children. Parenting practices, socioeconomic status, parental age, and child age were also associated with children's dental caries experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1862989"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13574670/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978899","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":"Prevalence of the second mesiobuccal canal of maxillary molars in the South American population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of CBCT studies.","authors":"Kevin José Poclin-Quispe, Heber Isac Arbildo-Vega, Fray L Becerra-Suarez, Gabriel Guerra-Gonzales, David Yeret Rodríguez-Salazar, Franz Tito Coronel-Zubiate","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1928424","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1928424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of the second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal in permanent maxillary molars within the South American population, evaluated exclusively through cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the PRISMA guidelines, an electronic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, SciELO, LILACS, and gray literature until May 2026. Observational studies published from 1990 onwards were included. A meta-analysis of proportions was executed using a random-effects model. The risk of bias was assessed with the JBI tool, and the certainty of evidence using the GRADE framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 23 observational studies were included. The pooled overall prevalence of the MB2 canal was 59% (95% CI: 53%-66%). In the tooth-specific analysis, prevalence reached 66% in first molars and 41% in second molars. Significant sexual dimorphism was evident in second molars, where males presented a 35% higher probability of possessing the canal (OR = 1.35). The GRADE analysis indicated a High certainty for the overall and first molar prevalences, and Moderate for second molars.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The MB2 canal is a highly prevalent anatomical variation in South America, constituting the anatomical norm in first molars. The clinical use of CBCT is crucial for its diagnostic prediction and successful management.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/KRG4Z.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1928424"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13572276/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148972568","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":"Entrustable professional activities as a framework for longitudinal geriatric oral health curriculum reform in undergraduate dental education.","authors":"Kiran Kumar Ganji, Shivasakthy Manivasakan, Mohammad Khursheed Alam, Mohammed Katib Alruwaili, Meshal Aber Alonazi, Hmoud Ali Algarni","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1847717","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1847717","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Population ageing is increasing the complexity of oral health care and creating new expectations for undergraduate dental education. Elder adults increasingly present with multimorbidity, frailty, polypharmacy, functional dependency, cognitive decline, and social vulnerability, all of which require dental graduates to move beyond procedural competence toward integrated, person-centred, and collaborative care. However, the literature continues to show substantial variability and underdevelopment in undergraduate gerodontology teaching, with inconsistent curricular structure, limited standardization, and insufficient attention to authentic clinical performance. Recent work in dental education also suggests that Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) may provide a practical bridge between competency frameworks and workplace-relevant assessment, yet their use in geriatric oral health education remains limited. This article presents a curriculum innovation framework for longitudinal integration of geriatric oral health in undergraduate dental education, informed by competency-based education, contextualized EPAs, constructive alignment, spiral curriculum design, interprofessional education, and programmatic assessment. On this basis, six context-sensitive geriatric oral health EPAs are proposed, together with a longitudinal curriculum model, suggested pedagogical approaches, and an assessment framework. Rather than being restricted to a single institutional curriculum, the model is intended as a flexible reform framework that can be adapted across diverse undergraduate BDS programs. EPA-informed curricular reform offers a theory-informed and practically relevant approach for making geriatric oral health teaching more explicit, longitudinal, interprofessional, and assessable in undergraduate dental education.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1847717"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13572119/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148972519","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 different scaling instruments on the roughness of esthetic resin composite restorations: an <i>in vitro</i> study.","authors":"Abdulkareem Alhumaidan, Turki Alshehri, Shahad T Alameer, Dhai Albishri, Abdullah Al Madani, Mohammed Al Qranei, Hoda Albaqawi, Abdulrahman A Balhaddad","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1894177","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1894177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This <i>in vitro</i> study aimed to evaluate the effect of different scaling methods on the roughness of various resin composites used in anterior teeth.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Seven commercially available resin composite materials were tested: 3M™ Filtek™ Z350 XT, Beautifil II, and Beautifil II LS, G-ænial Anterior, IPS Empress Direct, Tokuyama PALFIQUE LX5, Vittra APS FKG. Disc-shaped specimens (6 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness) were prepared using a 3D-printed mold. A total of 30 specimens per brand were fabricated and randomly divided into three sub-groups according to the scaling technique: stainless-steel hand scaler (metal scaling), plastic hand scaler (plastic scaling), and piezoelectric ultra-sonic scaler tip (ultra-sonic scaling). Baseline surface roughness values were measured using a non-contact optical profilometer. Each specimen was then subjected to 40 scaling strokes, and post-scaling surface roughness was remeasured using the same method. The change in average surface roughness was calculated. Two and One-way ANOVA with Tukey's <i>post hoc</i> test analyzed the data (<i>α</i>= 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both scaler method and resin composite type were determinant factors (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in modulating the roughness of resin composite restorations. Metal scaling consistently produced the greatest surface roughness change (<i>Δ</i>Ra, µm) across all composites, with G-ænial Anterior recording the highest <i>Δ</i>Ra value (2.23 ± 0.91 µm) and IPS Empress Direct the lowest (1.23 ± 0.82 µm). Plastic scaling resulted in the least <i>Δ</i>Ra across all materials (range: 0.00-0.10 µm), with IPS Empress Direct recording the highest change (0.10 ± 0.08 µm) and G-ænial Anterior and Tokuyama PALFIQUE LX5 revealing almost no change. Ultra-sonic scaling produced intermediate roughness change, with G-ænial Anterior again recording the highest value (1.61 ± 0.98 µm). Metal scaling produced significantly higher <i>Δ</i>Ra than both plastic and ultra-sonic methods in most resin composites (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while plastic and ultra-sonic groups were largely comparable.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Within the limitations of the study, plastic scalers caused the least surface alteration and may be considered the most conservative option for maintaining the surface smoothness of resin composites.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1894177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13561887/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148957180","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":"Oral dysbiosis in children with renal failure: a systematic review.","authors":"Juan Antonio Ruiz-Roca, María Pilar Pecci-Lloret, Antonio Romano, Francesco Carinci, Dorina Lauritano, Nuria Pérez-Guzmán, Alberta Lucchese","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1832651","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1832651","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The oral microbiome plays an important role in maintaining host homeostasis and may interact with systemic diseases through the oral-systemic axis. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in childhood is associated with chronic inflammation, metabolic alterations, and immune dysfunction, which may influence microbial ecosystems. While intestinal dysbiosis has been widely studied in paediatric CKD, alterations in the oral microbiome remain less well understood. The aim of this study was to qualitatively synthesize evidence on oral microbiome alterations in children and adolescents with CKD compared with systemically healthy controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261334000). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and SciELO were searched (February 24, 2026). Eligible studies included participants aged 0-18 years with CKD (any stage), dialysis, or kidney transplantation and a healthy control group. Risk of bias was assessed using JBI and ROBINS-I v2 tools.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 109 records, 7 studies were included. Most used saliva, tongue/oral swabs, or dental plaque, and 16S rRNA sequencing was the most frequent method. Five studies reported oral dysbiosis in CKD, including severe dysbiosis grades in adolescents with end-stage disease, while two studies reported no significant differences versus controls.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings on individual taxa were inconsistent across studies, likely due to heterogeneity in renal phenotype, oral niche sampled, and analytical methods. Evidence suggests that salivary biochemical alterations (notably urea and pH) and inflammatory burden may influence microbial composition, whereas the tongue microbiome may show relative ecological stability in some paediatric cohorts. Children and adolescents with CKD may present oral microbiome alterations, but current evidence is limited by methodological heterogeneity and moderate-to-high risk of bias. Standardized sampling and longitudinal multicentre studies are needed to determine robust microbial signatures and their value as non-invasive biomarkers in paediatric nephrology.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261334000.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1832651"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557979/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931535","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":"Rare mandibular metastasis of neuroblastoma in a child: a case report.","authors":"Safaa El Omari, Malika Afif, Sana Bensouda, Samira El Arabi","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1885548","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1885548","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although neuroblastoma is a common malignant tumor in children and distant metastases are frequently observed, involvement of the mandible remains rare. We report the case of a 7-year-old boy presenting with a right mandibular mass associated with an oral lesion in the region of tooth 46, suggestive of a secondary lesion. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis, whereas imaging initially suggested lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, or osteosarcoma. Staging work-up revealed an adrenal neuroblastoma with multiple bone metastases. Given the extent of tumor involvement and the advanced stage of the disease, palliative chemotherapy was initiated. The clinical course was unfavorable, marked by the development of additional disseminated metastases, leading to the patient's death 14 months after the diagnosis of mandibular metastasis. This case highlights the importance of early multidisciplinary collaboration between pediatric dentistry and pediatric oncology teams to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic management in such patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1885548"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13558099/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931661","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 chitosan and bioactive glass nanoparticles on pulp-dentin regeneration: a systematic review of <i>in vitro</i> studies.","authors":"Anjali Ann Cherian, Lakshmi Nidhi Rao, Aditya Shetty, Shishir Shetty, Lavanya Anumula, Krishna Prasad Shetty","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1891874","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1891874","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;Regenerative endodontics aims to restore the structure and function of the pulp-dentin complex through biologically based therapeutic approaches. Among the various biomaterials investigated, bioactive glass (BG) nanoparticles and chitosan nanoparticles have emerged as promising candidates due to their favourable physicochemical and biological properties. BG nanoparticles can release calcium and phosphate ions that support mineralization and stimulate odontogenic differentiation. Chitosan nanoparticles have the ability to release bioactive molecules. Both have demonstrated promising biological properties associated with pulp-dentin regeneration in &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; studies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;To systematically evaluate and critically appraise experimental &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; studies investigating the effects of bioactive glass nanoparticles and chitosan nanoparticles on pulp-dentin regeneration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methodology: &lt;/strong&gt;A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Experimental &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; studies evaluating bioactive glass nanoparticles or chitosan nanoparticles for pulp-dentin regeneration were selected according to predefined eligibility criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; Studies (QUIN). Due to substantial heterogeneity in biomaterial formulations, cell types, experimental protocols, and outcome measures, the findings were synthesized qualitatively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Four studies fulfilled the predefined eligibility criteria. Despite the limited number of eligible studies, the available evidence consistently demonstrated that bioactive glass nanoparticles enhanced odontogenic differentiation, mineralization, and expression of odontogenic markers in human dental pulp stem cells, whereas chitosan nanoparticle-based materials promoted cell viability, proliferation, and odontogenic differentiation under experimental laboratory conditions. However, considerable methodological heterogeneity and the exclusive inclusion of &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; investigations precluded quantitative synthesis and limit the certainty of the available evidence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Current &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; evidence suggests that bioactive glass nanoparticles and chitosan nanoparticle-based materials possess promising biological properties relevant to pulp-dentin regeneration. Nevertheless, the evidence base remains limited because of the small number of eligible studies, methodological heterogeneity, and the absence of animal and clinical investigations. Consequently, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, and well-designed standardized preclinical and clinical studies are required before the translational potential and clinical applicability of these nanoparticle-based biomaterials can be established.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Systematic review registration: &lt;/strong&gt;http","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1891874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13553394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921968","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":"Micro- and nanoplastics in periodontitis: mechanistic pathways and clinical implications.","authors":"Bharathi Ganesan, Nina Shenoy","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1918044","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1918044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as pervasive environmental contaminants with potential relevance to oral and periodontal health. The oral cavity is continuously exposed to MNPs through water, food, air, oral-care products, and polymer-based dental materials, placing periodontal tissues at a plausible interface between environmental exposure and chronic inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that MNPs can aggravate biologic processes central to periodontitis, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory signaling, epithelial barrier disruption, dysbiosis, inflammasome activation, and imbalanced bone remodeling. MNPs may also act as colonization surfaces for biofilm development, alter microbial selection pressures, and contribute to antibiotic resistance gene enrichment, although direct evidence for an oral plastisphere remains limited. Epigenetic changes, including altered DNA methylation, histone marks, and microRNA profiles, provide an additional mechanism by which MNP exposure may sustain inflammatory priming. Current evidence remains predominantly preclinical, and contamination-controlled studies directly quantifying oral MNP burden in relation to periodontal phenotype are still lacking. This review summarizes current evidence on oral exposure pathways, mechanistic links between MNPs and periodontal breakdown, translational implications, and priorities for future research. Present data support viewing MNPs as plausible environmental modifiers of periodontitis rather than established independent causal agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1918044"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13555898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921971","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":"Evaluation of print angle on accuracy of 3D printed dental models.","authors":"Aarthi Chand, Hashmi K M, K Saidath","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1931793","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1931793","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Additive manufacturing, introduced by Charles Hull through stereolithography, enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) structures with high precision by curing material layer by layer. In dentistry, print orientation significantly influences the dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of 3D-printed models used for surgical splints, aligners, drill guides, and other orthodontic applications. This study evaluated the effect of different print orientations on the dimensional accuracy of maxillary and mandibular dental models fabricated using a Digital Light Processing (DLP) printer.</p><p><strong>Aim and objective: </strong>To evaluate the effect of different 3D printing angles on the dimensional accuracy of dental models fabricated using a Digital Light Processing (DLP) printer.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Type IV gypsum dental casts were scanned using the 3Shape OrthoAnalyzer and printed at four orientations (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°) using a DLP printer. The printed models were washed, post-cured, rescanned, and digitally superimposed onto the original scans to assess dimensional accuracy. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA followed by Tukey's <i>post hoc</i> test, with a significance level of <i>p</i> < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Print orientation significantly affected the dimensional accuracy of maxillary models, with significant differences observed among selected orientation groups. No significant differences were found among mandibular models printed at different orientations. Significant differences were also observed between maxillary and mandibular models printed at 30° and 60°.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Maxillary models printed at 30° and 60° demonstrated greater dimensional accuracy than those printed at 0° and 90°. Although print orientation influenced accuracy, all deviations were within clinically acceptable limits, indicating that orientation may be selected based on clinical requirements, printing time, resin usage, and build platform efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1931793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13553454/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921982","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":"Innovative herbal oil formulation as a pre-prosthetic mucosal conditioner: a prospective controlled cytological study on the degree of keratinization in edentulous ridge mucosa before and after Its topical application.","authors":"Savitha Dandekery, Rajesh Shetty, Sanath Shetty, Suman B, Mallikarjuna Ragher, Riaz Abdulla, Uma M Prabhu","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1903095","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1903095","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Adequate keratinization of the edentulous ridge is fundamental for denture support, retention, stability, and mucosal resilience. This study evaluated the effect of topical Moringa oleifera stem bark oil on oral mucosal keratinization in edentulous ridges using a prospective controlled clinical trial design with a water-massage control group.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;One hundred and eight completely edentulous participants were enrolled between April 2025 and September 2025: a treatment group (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 54) received twice-daily topical Moringa oleifera stem bark oil for four weeks, and a control group (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 54) received twice-daily water massage of the same ridge area. Exfoliative cytology was performed at baseline (T0), Week 2 (T2), and Week 4 (T4). The &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; cytocompatibility of the oil was additionally evaluated in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells using the MTT assay, performed in three independent experiments (biological triplicate), each with three technical replicates per concentration. Statistical analyses included the Friedman test (within-group temporal changes), the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction (post-hoc pairwise comparisons), and the Mann-Whitney U test (between-group comparisons) for the clinical cytology data. Effect sizes are reported as Kendall's W and rank-biserial correlation (r).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The treatment group demonstrated a significant progressive increase in superficial keratinized cells, from a median of 57.5 at T0 to 114.0 at T4 [Friedman &lt;i&gt;χ&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;(2) = 59.40, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.632]. &lt;i&gt;Post-hoc&lt;/i&gt; Wilcoxon analysis confirmed significant improvements at each interval (all Bonferroni-corrected &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001, r = 0.615-0.796). The control group showed no significant temporal change in superficial cells (Friedman &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.162, Kendall's W = 0.037). Between-group differences became more pronounced over time: superficial cell counts were not significantly different at baseline (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.433), diverged at Week 2 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.002, r = 0.319), and were highly significantly different at Week 4 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001, r = 0.777). The MTT assay (three independent experiments, each with technical triplicates; &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 3 per concentration) showed that the oil was non-toxic to HaCaT keratinocytes at concentrations up to 50 μg/mL. Mean cell viability trended higher than the untreated control in a concentration-dependent manner; however, this comparison was descriptive only, as no inferential statistical test was applied to the &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; dataset, and the apparent trend should not be interpreted as a statistically confirmed effect. No adverse reactions were observed clinically.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Topical Moringa oleifera stem bark oil was associated with a significant increase in cytological markers of keratinization, with no change in the water-massage control group, and descriptive","PeriodicalId":73077,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in dental medicine","volume":"7 ","pages":"1903095"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13553274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148922007","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}