Dental implications in oral cancer patients

Objectives. A study is made of the dental implications of oral cancer, with a view to avoiding the complications that appear once oncological treatment is started. Patients and Methods. The study comprised a total of 22 patients diagnosed with oral cancer according to clinical and histological criteria in the Service of Maxillofacial Surgery (Dental Clinic of the University of Barcelona, Spain) during the period 1996-2005, and posteriorly treated in different hospital centers in Barcelona. Results. Of the 22 patients diagnosed with oral cancer in our Service, the present study finally analyzed the 12 subjects who reported for the dental controls. As regards the remaining 10 patients, 5 had died and 5 could not be located; these subjects were thus excluded from the analysis. All of the smokers had abandoned the habit. The most common tumor location was the lateral margin of the tongue. None of the patients visited the dentist regularly before the diagnosis of oral cancer. T1N0M0 was the most common tumor stage. Surgery was carried out in 50% of the cases, while 8.4% of the patients received radiotherapy and 41.6% underwent surgery with postoperative radiotherapy. In turn, 66.6% of the patients reported treatment sequelae such as dysgeusia, xerostomia or speech difficulties, and one patient suffered osteoradionecrosis. Forty-one percent of the patients did not undergo regular dental controls after cancer treatment. As regards oral and dental health, 16.6% presented caries, and 50% had active periodontal disease. Conclusions. Protocols are available for preventing the complications of oral cancer treatment, and thus for improving patient quality of life. However, important shortcomings in the application of such protocols on the part of the public health authorities make it difficult to reach these objectives

Dental implications in oral cancer patients

Objectives. A study is made of the dental implications of oral cancer, with a view to avoiding the complications that appear once oncological treatment is started. Patients and Methods. The study comprised a total of 22 patients diagnosed with oral cancer according to clinical and histological criteria in the Service of Maxillofacial Surgery (Dental Clinic of the University of Barcelona, Spain) during the period 1996-2005, and posteriorly treated in different hospital centers in Barcelona. Results. Of the 22 patients diagnosed with oral cancer in our Service, the present study finally analyzed the 12 subjects who reported for the dental controls. As regards the remaining 10 patients, 5 had died and 5 could not be located; these subjects were thus excluded from the analysis. All of the smokers had abandoned the habit. The most common tumor location was the lateral margin of the tongue. None of the patients visited the dentist regularly before the diagnosis of oral cancer. T1N0M0 was the most common tumor stage. Surgery was carried out in 50% of the cases, while 8.4% of the patients received radiotherapy and 41.6% underwent surgery with postoperative radiotherapy. In turn, 66.6% of the patients reported treatment sequelae such as dysgeusia, xerostomia or speech difficulties, and one patient suffered osteoradionecrosis. Forty-one percent of the patients did not undergo regular dental controls after cancer treatment. As regards oral and dental health, 16.6% presented caries, and 50% had active periodontal disease. Conclusions. Protocols are available for preventing the complications of oral cancer treatment, and thus for improving patient quality of life. However, important shortcomings in the application of such protocols on the part of the public health authorities make it difficult to reach these objectives

The reappearance of a forgotten disease in the oral cavity: syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) produced by Treponema pallidum, which mainly affects humans and is able to invade practically any organ in the body. Its infection facilitates the transmission of other STDs. Since the end of the last decade, successive outbreaks of syphilis have been reported in most western European countries. Like other STDs, syphilis is a notifiable disease in the European Union. In Spain, epidemiological information is obtained nationwide via the country"s system for recording notifiable diseases (Spanish acronym EDO) and the national microbiological information system (Spanish acronym SIM), which compiles information from a network of 46 sentinel laboratories in twelve Spanish regions. The STDs that are epidemiologically controlled are gonococcal infection, syphilis, and congenital syphilis. The incidence of each of these diseases is recorded weekly. The information compiled indicates an increase in the cases of syphilis and gonococcal infection in Spain in recent years. According to the EDO, in 1999, the number of cases of syphilis per 100,000 inhabitants was recorded to be 1.69, which has risen to 4.38 in 2007. In this article, we review the reappearance and the evolution of this infectious disease in eight European countries, and alert dentists to the importance of a) diagnosing sexuallytransmitted diseases and b) notifying the centres that control them

Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome. Case report and literature review

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome is a genetic disorder that was first described by Richard Ellis and Simon van Creveld in 1940. The four principal characteristics are chondrodysplasia, polydactyly, ectodermal dysplasia and congenital heart defects. The orofacial manifestations include multiple gingivolabial musculofibrous fraenula, dental anomalies, hypodontia and malocclusion. The disease can be diagnosed at any age, even during pregnancy. The differentiation should be made between Jeune syndrome and other orofaciodigital syndromes

Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome. Case report and literature review

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome is a genetic disorder that was first described by Richard Ellis and Simon van Creveld in 1940. The four principal characteristics are chondrodysplasia, polydactyly, ectodermal dysplasia and congenital heart defects. The orofacial manifestations include multiple gingivolabial musculofibrous fraenula, dental anomalies, hypodontia and malocclusion. The disease can be diagnosed at any age, even during pregnancy. The differentiation should be made between Jeune syndrome and other orofaciodigital syndromes

Response to topical clonazepam in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a clinical study

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a difficult disease for patients and clinicians. Moreover, there is not a general consensus on how to treat the disease. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate BMS patients' response to topical clonazepam treatment. A double blind study was performed. Among a total of 66 patients, 33 were treated with tablets of clonazepam and another 33 were treated with a placebo. Symptoms were evaluated after 1 month and 6 months of treatment and scored on an analogical scale from 0 to 10. Among the 33 patients treated with clonazepam, 23 showed at least a 50% reduction in symptoms after 1 month of treatment. On the contrary, only 4 in the placebo group exhibited significant improvement. After 6 months, significant differences were observed again, as 23 of the 33 patients treated with the drug reported at least a 50% reduction in symptoms, whereas only 2 among those treated with the placebo significantly improved. However, when measured in terms of a complete cure (lack of symptoms), the differences were not significant: 5 drug-treated patients and one belonging to the placebo group were asymptomatic after one month of treatment. In summary, it seems that clonazepam applied topically was effective in treating BMS in a large proportion of patients

Erupted odontomas: a report of three cases and review of the literature

Introduction: Odontomas are benign odontogenic tumors composed of enamel, dentine, cement and pulp tissue. They are usually clinically asymptomatic, but often associated with tooth eruption disturbances. In exceptional cases the odontoma erupts into the mouth. The present study reports three cases of odontomas erupted into the oral cavity and reviews the literature. Clinical cases: The first case was an 11-year-old girl with impacted 4.6 associated to a radiopaque mass measuring about 2 cm in diameter. The histological diagnosis was complex odontoma. A clinical and radiological follow-up of 4.6 was carried out until its spontaneous eruption. The second case was a 26-year-old male presenting a hard, yellowish-brown mass located distal to the upper left second molar. Computed tomography confi rmed the presence of a radiopaque lesion, and the histopathological study confirmed a complex odontoma. The third patient was a 27-year-old male reporting tongue irritation due to tooth eruption in the inferior lingual region. A periapical radiograph revealed a mixed radiopaque lesion associated to impacted 3.2. The histological report in this case indicated a compound odontoma. Discussion: Odontomas erupting into the oral cavity are rare. The first case was published in 1980, and since then only 17 cases have been reported in the literature. Eight of the 17 cases were complex odontomas; the rest were compound odontomas. Pain, swelling and infection were the most common symptoms, and 13 cases presented an impacted tooth associated with the lesion

Eficacia de la terapia y/o los ejercicios terapéuticos en pacientes con trastorno temporomandibular. Alteración cóndilo-discal posterior.

Pregunta: ¿Qué tipo de terapia manual y/o ejercicios terapéuticos son más eficaces en pacientes con trastorno temporomandibular? Objetivo: Evaluar y comparar la eficacia de la terapia manual y/o los ejercicios terapéuticos en pacientes con trastorno temporomandibular. Metodología: la presente revisión bibliográfica se centra en bases de datos Medline, Scopus, PEDro y Google Scholar. Los artículos obtenidos fueron publicados entre los años 2004 y 2014. Se incluyen un total de 12 ensayos clínicos aleatorios. La literatura consta de pacientes con trastorno temporomandibular que hayan sido intervenidos con técnicas de terapia manual y/o ejercicios terapéuticos aplicados por un fisioterapeuta. Resultados: fueron seleccionados 10 estudios de alta evidencia científica para demostrar que la terapia manual combinada con ejercicio terapéutico disminuye el dolor, aumenta la abertura de la boca y corrige la anteversión de la cabeza. Conclusiones: la terapia manual combinada con ejercicios terapéuticos es efectiva para disminuir los síntomas en pacientes con trastornos temporomandibulares.

Study of the effect of oral health on physical condition of professional soccer players of the Football Club Barcelona

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of professional soccer players of F.C. Barcelona and its relation to the incidence of sport lesions. Methods: Thirty professional soccer players were consecutively evaluated in the seasons 2003/4, 2004/5 and 2005/6. A research protocol to assess their oral health was developed. DMFT, Quigley & Hein plaque index (PI), Löe & Silness gingival index (GI), World Health Organization malocclusion index, Ramfjord teeth probing pocket depth (PPD), TMJ examination and history of dental trauma were recorded. All physical injuries sustained by players during the season were documented from F.C. Barcelona medical services. Results: Mean DMFT score was 5.7 (SD 4.1), Quigley & Hein plaque index score was 2.3 (SD 1.1), Löe & Silness gingival index was 1.1 (SD 0.8), and periodontal pocket depth was 1.9 mm (SD 0.3). Pearson"s analysis showed a significant correlation between PI and GI (p<0.01). Nine players (30%) presented bruxism - the same proportion of those with severe malocclusion. Seven (23.3%) players had suffered uncomplicated crown fractures. The mean incidence of physical injuries was 8 (SD 3.4) per player. PI and PPD showed a statistically significant correlation to muscle injuries (p<0.05). Conclusions: Soccer players, despite intensive medical follow-up, have significant oral health problems such as untreated caries, gingivitis or malocclusion, and suffer dental trauma as a result of sports activities. Their physical condition could also be associated to oral health

Relationship between oral cancer and implants: clinical cases and systematic literature review

The use of implants for oral rehabilitation of edentulous spaces has recently been on the increase, which has also led to an increase in complications such as peri-implant inflammation or peri-implantitis. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Objectives: To review the literature of cases that associate implant placement with the development of oral cancer. Study design: We present two clinical cases and a systematic review of literature published on the relationship between oral cancer and implants. Results: We found 13 articles published between the years 1996 and 2009, referencing 18 cases in which the osseointegrated implants are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Of those, 6 articles were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 18 cases reported, only 7 cases did not present a previous history of oral cancer or cancer in other parts of the body. Conclusions: Based on the review of these cases, a clear cause-effect relationship cannot be established, although it can be deduced that there is a possibility that implant treatment may constitute an irritant and/or inflammatory cofactor which contributes to the formation and/or development of OSCC.

La reaparición de una olvidada enfermedad en la cavidad oral: la sífilis

La sífilis es una enfermedad de transmisión sexual (ETS) producida por el Treponema pallidum, que infecta principalmente a seres humanos y que es capaz de invadir casi cualquier órgano del cuerpo. Su infección facilita la transmisión de otras ETS. Desde finales de la última década hasta la actualidad, han ido apareciendo sucesivos brotes de sífilis en la mayor parte de países de la Europa Occidental. La sífilis, junto con otras ETS, es una enfermedad de declaración obligatoria en los países de la Unión Europea. Concretamente en España, la infonnación epidemiológica a nivel estatal se obtiene a través del Sistema de Enfemledades de Declaración Obligatoria (EDO) y del Sistema de Información Microbiológica (SIM), que recopila infonnación de una red de 46 laboratorios centinela situados en 12 Comunidades Autónomas. Las ETS sometidas a vigilancia epidemiológica son la infección gonocócica, la sífilis y la sífilis congénita, todas ellas de declaración numérica semanal. Con esta información se ha podido apreciar en los últimos años un incremento en los casos de sífilis y gonococia notificados en España (las tasas de sífilis por 100.000 habitantes en el año 1999 fueron de 1,69 y en el 2007 de 4,38 notificadas al sistema EDO). En este artículo revisamos el resurgimiento y la evolución de esta enfermedad infecciosa en ocho países europeos, a la vez que pretendemos llamar la atención a los dentistas acerca del papel que deben desempeñar en el diagnóstico de la enfennedad y en la derivación a centros de control de infecciones de transmisión sexual

Fisiología bucal infantil: función y crecimiento de la cavidad oral del lactante

Todas las funciones que se realizan en la cavidad oral (respiración, succión, deglución, masticación y fonación), estimulan el crecimiento y desarrollo del tercio inferior de la cara. Por ello, el tipo de lactancia, así como los hábitos orales disfuncionales, pueden influir sobre la morfología definitiva de los maxilares y de la oclusión dentaria.

O espaço sublingual

O espaço sublingual é um espaço de forma semilunar situado no soalho da boca. Estende-se desde a superfície interna da margem alveolar até a base da língua. Localiza-se medialmente ao músculo milo-hióideo, que o separa dos espaços submentoniano e submandibular,anteriormente ao complexo hioglosso-estiloglosso e lateralmente ao músculo genioglosso. A presença de tecido conjuntivo frouxo e tecido gorduroso como conteúdo neste espaço confere aspecto característico na tomografia computadorizada e na ressonância magnética, permitindo sua fácil identificação. Contém ainda a glândula sublingual, a porção profunda da glândula submandibular e seu ducto, a artéria e veia lingual, além dos nervos lingual, glossofaríngeo e hipoglosso. Suas relações são de grande importância, uma vez que lesões originadas na orofaringe e na cavidade oral podem envolver esta área. Os autores analisam a anatomia deste espaço e suas estruturas componentes, relacionando-as com enfermidades que o acometem. Os métodos de imagem são úteis na avaliação e compreensão dessas lesões, podendo também orientar condutas terapêuticas.