Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)in children is the most serious type of sleep disordered breathing. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including malocclusion, which in turn can lead to the occurrence and development of OSA. The treatment of malocclusion in OSA children requires multidisciplinary cooperation. It is recommended that orthodontists pay close attention to the sleep breathing condition of children with OSA. The orthodontists should comprehensively consider children's age, growth and development stage, severity of OSA and malocclusion manifestations, and formulate personalized treatment plans to create favorable conditions for the healthy development of the dentofacial and even the whole body of children.

Mouth breathing in children not only affects the growth and development of teeth and maxillofacial, but also may seriously affect the physical and mental health of children with sleep disordered breathing. Mouth breathing can be divided into obstructive mouth breathing and habitual mouth breathing. Its occurrence and development may be related to various systemic diseases such as allergy, inflammation, immunity, genetics, etc. It also involves changes in the structure of the oral temporomandibular joint, perioral muscle group, dental arch morphology, and development of the upper and lower jaws. Therefore, the treatment of mouth breathing in children should be a multidisciplinary combined sequential treatment plan based on the causes associated with different organs or systems. From the perspective of orthodontists, this paper analyzes the diagnosis and treatment process of different types of mouth breathing, so as to provide reference for clinicians.

Cleft lip and palate is a common congenital developmental defect, which is mainly manifested as congenital oral and maxillofacial malformations. In patients with cleft lip and palate, jaw deformity often involves three-dimensional orientation, among which the correction of sagittal dysmorphism is the key point and difficulty in its diagnosis and treatment. In this article, we will elaborate on the indications and corrective methods for the treatment of maxillary retraction of cleft lip and palate, and introduce our experience in the sequential treatment of cleft lip and palate maxillary retraction in order to promote the standardization of its diagnosis and treatment.

The article discusses the application and importance of digital technology in the early intervention and multidisciplinary treatment of malocclusion in children. It emphasizes the significance of early intervention during the critical period of children's growth and development, pointing out that the high plasticity of children's jawbones can be leveraged to achieve efficient correction through simple and gentle methods. Additionally, the article introduces digital oral habit-blocking treatments, such as the application of tongue crib appliances, and explores the potential of digital clear aligner technology in the treatment of malocclusion in children. Finally, by discussing the multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, the article underscores the importance of multidisciplinary team collaboration in ensuring that patients receive scientific and effective treatment.

Objective To explore better methods of ceramic crown design and reduce foreign body sensation of prostheses by digitally replicating the lingual morphology of the original teeth in the patient's aesthetic zone. Methods Patients with anterior tooth defects were collected from July 2022 to December 2023 at Department of Second Clinical Division of the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University. Patients with crown prostheses designed using automatically matched tooth morphology from the tooth shape database served as the control group. Patients with crown prostheses designed using digital technology to replicate the lingual morphology of the original teeth were used as the experimental group. Differences in occlusal evaluation and foreign body sensation evaluation of the prostheses in the two groups were compared. Results Results showed that the minimal interocclusal distance of the experimental group was greater than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The occlusal evaluation of the prostheses in the experimental group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The foreign body sensation of the prostheses in the experimental group was also less than that of the control group. Conclusion Prostheses designed using digital technology to replicate the original lingual morphology of the teeth have a better lingual occlusal relationship with less foreign body sensation and better comfort.

Objective To investigate the Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary molars in Han Chinese college students. Methods Intraoral photos and plaster models from 803 Han Chinese college students were observed and the Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary molars were categorized by the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System. Chi-square tests were performed for the comparison of the differences between male and female, permanent maxillary first and second molars. Kendall's tau-b correlation analyses were performed for the correlation between bilateral antimeric molars. Results The frequencies of Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary first and second molars were 37.61% and 3.99% respectively, 46.73% and 6.30% in males, 27.95% and 1.54% in females, which were statistically significant between permanent maxillary first and second molars (P<0.01), male and female (P<0.01). In the positive expression, the low-grade expression (ASUDAS 1-4) was predominant and accounted for 67.37% and 59.52% on the permanent maxillary first and second molars. The correlation between bilateral antimeric teeth were statistically significant on permanent maxillary first molars (tau-b=0.756,P<0.01) and second molars (tau-b=0.477,P<0.01). Conclusion The Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary molars in Han Chinese college students mostly occur on permanent maxillary first molars with low-grade expression, and understanding this has great anthropological and clinical significance.

Objective To assess short- and long-term changes in the upper airway, natural head position and hyoid bone position in skeletal Class Ⅲ patients after bimaxillary surgery. Methods In this retrospective study, the cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT) of skeletal Class Ⅲ patients was taken before surgery(T0), 3 months after surgery(T1) and 2 years after surgery(T2). Three-dimensional images were created to assess postoperative changes and the correlation between the upper airway, natural head position and hyoid bone was analyzed. Results Thirty skeletal Class Ⅲ patients(13 men and 17 women) who underwent bimaxillary surgery with a mean(SD)age of 21 years(a range of 17-30 years)were evaluated. A significant decrease was observed in the volume of palatopharynx, glossopharynx and total airway after T1 and T2. There was a significant correlation between changes in the position of the mandible and changes in the volume of the upper airway(P<0.05). The NSL/OPT angle and the NSL/CVT angle were greater after T1 and T2. The change in the NSL/CVT angle was positively correlated with the change in palatopharyngeal and glossopharyngeal volume(P<0.05). Conclusion Bimaxillary surgery may cause a decrease in upper airway volume, an increase in the cranio-cervical angle, and a downward and backward movement of the hyoid bone. Changes in the cranio-cervical angle may cause changes in the upper airway.

Objective To investigate dynamic shifts in the oral microbiota and their association with the progression and aggravation of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis(RIOM) in patients with head and neck malignancies undergoing radiotherapy. Methods Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, dynamic changes of oral microbiota in patients was analyzed. Results Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria consistently constituted the predominant bacteria in the oral cavity. While there were no significant changes in the absolute abundance of microbiota, there were notable alterations in their relative richness and evenness. Analyses including CCA/RDA and Kruskal-Wallis indicated a significant increase in the proportions of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus genera in the later stages post-radiotherapy, showing statistically meaningful differences. Conclusion RIOM is associated with dysbiosis of oral microbiota. Microbial dysbiosis may aggravate the severity of RIOM. Streptococcus and Lactobacillus could be closely related to the progression of RIOM, pending further validation through animal experiments.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of emodin on cell proliferation in OSCC. Methods CAL-27 cells and SCC-15 cells were intervened with different concentrations of emodin, and the proliferative activity of the cells was detected by CCK-8 method, and the appropriate concentration was screened for follow-up experiments. The colony formation experiment helped detect the colony formation ability. The expressions of PCNA, Beclin1 and LC3 were detected using Western blot. After treating the cells with rapamycin and emodin, the cell proliferation activity and the colony formation ability were examined. PCNA, Beclin1 and LC3 expressions were detected. The tumor formation experiment helped detect the effect of emodin on tumor weight and volume in nude mice. The liver and kidney structure in nude mice was observed using HE staining. Moreover, the PCNA and Beclin1 protein expression was detected by IHC. Results Emodin could significantly decrease the proliferative activity and aggregation ability of CAL-27 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Emodin could down-regulate the PCNA, Beclin1, and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ expression levels. RAPA could reverse the inhibitory effect of emodin on cell proliferation. Emodin had no significant hepatorenal toxicity and could reduce the volume and mass of the tumor and down-regulate the expression of PCNA and Beclin1 protein inside the tumor. Moreover, the expression of PCNA and Beclin1 in tumor showed a certain positive correlation. Conclusion Emodin can inhibit oral squamous cell proliferation, and its effect may be associated with autophagy inhibition.

Bitter taste in the mouth is a prevalent clinical symptom that refers to a spontaneous bitterness in the mouth after excluding external factors such as diet, and belongs to the phantogeusia of dysgeusia. The etiology and mechanism of bitter taste in the mouth remain unclear. Studies have shown that bitter taste in the mouth is mainly associated with multiple factors such as diseases, medications and nutrition. In addition, effective and reliable treatments have also not yet been developed. This paper reviews the latest research advances in the etiology, mechanism and treatment of bitter taste in the mouth, with the aim of providing reference for the clinical management of patients with mouth bitterness.

The increasing incidence of peripheral nerve injuries brought on by trauma or tumors is substantially interfering with people's lives due to the causal sensory and motor dysfunctions. Peripheral nerves have some self-repair ability after injury, but they are limited by the degree of injury and the body's condition. The postoperative recovery of nerve function in patients is not satisfactory, which is closely related to the local inflammatory microenvironment after injury. Melatonin, a compound naturally synthesized in the pineal gland, protects peripheral nervous system cells from oxidative inflammation after injury and regulates their behavior and fate.Therefore, it has good application prospect in nerve tissue engineering. In this paper, we review the synthesis, metabolic processes underlying melatonin, mechanism of action as well as the current status of its application in peripheral nerve regeneration as well as potential application for oral diseases. In this way, it further provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injury.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory and destructive disease in which plaque acts as an initiator. Recruitment of host immune cells and production of multiple inflammatory mediators leads to periodontal tissue damage. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a self-destructive process that is actively initiated by cells under specific conditions and can be mainly categorized into apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, etc. Different types of programmed cell death have their own distinctive roles in periodontitis. In this review, we summarizes the characteristics of different types of PCD and their role in the progression of periodontitis, in order to provide new research ideas on the pathogenic mechanism of periodontitis and more references for the precise treatment of periodontitis.

The treatment of head and neck cancer is dominated by surgery and radiochemotherapy. For elderly patients, however, the rationality of invasive treatment is questioned in clinical practice. Although the proportion of geriatric patients with head and neck cancer is increasing, there are few consistent standards in the literature and guidelines. From the perspective of evidence-based medicine, this paper presents current evidence for treatment so as to provide specific recommendations for treating head and neck cancer in the elderly. Furthermore, based on a systematic literature review, a clinical algorithm is proposed to evaluate the treatment risk of elderly patients with head and neck cancer.

The lip plays a crucial role in facial aesthetics, making them a focal point of interest for orthodontists and patients throughout orthodontic treatment due to their three-dimensional changes in morphology and position. The degree of improvement in lip morphology significantly impacts post-treatment satisfaction among orthodontic patients. Therefore, understanding the influencing factors of lip morphology and its correlation with orthodontic interventions enables orthodontists to predict post-treatment changes in lip morphology more accurately, facilitating the customization of orthodontic treatment plans. In this paper, we reviewed the progress of methods for evaluating lip morphology and its influencing factors in order to provide reference for clinical practice.