Craniomaxillofacial bone defects exhibit high incidence rates and significantly impair patients’ quality of life. Effective reconstruction of these defects is crucial for functional rehabilitation and improved survival prognosis. As a key precursor in bone mineralization, amorphous calcium phosphate(ACP) exhibits exceptional bioactivity, plasticity, and controllable degradability, offering unique advantages in establishing mineralized microenvironments and promoting bone tissue regeneration. This review summarizes the biological mechanisms that regulate the stability and crystallization behavior of ACP, with a particular focus on its applications in various biomaterial systems, including coatings, bone cements, hydrogels, nanoparticle platforms, and gradient mineralization constructs. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the broader clinical translation of ACP-based biomaterials.

Objective To investigate the acoustic characteristics and phonological features of glottal stops in Mandarin-speaking individuals with cleft palate. Methods Consonant and vowel (CV) syllable speech samples with glottal stops replacing the initial consonants /g/, /j/, and /s/ were extracted from the cleft palate speech database as the patient group, while two CV syllable speech samples from healthy volunteers served as the control group. Using the Praat^@6.1.09, parameters including syllable duration, the first two formants(F1, F2), the vowel space, and spectral moments(M1-M4) of the consonant were extracted. Time-domain and frequency-domain correlation analyses were conducted, and phonological differences among the target consonants(/g/, /j/, /s/)were examined. Results Statistically significant differences(P<0.05)were ide.PNGied between the cleft group and the control group in terms of syllable duration, the F1 value of the vowel /a/, the F2 value of the vowel /i/, and the spectral moments(M1-M4) of the initial consonants. Within the cleft group, a negative correlation was observed between syllable duration and M1(r=-0.595, P<0.001). Furthermore, in the cleft group, M1 and F1 demonstrated a significant positive correlation(r=0.243, P<0.05). When comparing glottal stops across different target consonants, significant inter-phonemic differences were found in consonant duration and the values of M3/M4(duration: P<0.001; M3/M4: P<0.05). Conclusion This research offers a comprehensive analysis of the acoustic features associated with glottal stop substitution in Mandarin-speaking adults with cleft palate. The study introduces an innovative approach to qua.PNGying phonological distinctions in substitution patterns across different target consonants. It suggests that patients may be able to achieve phonemic differentiation by adjusting the duration and spectral characteristics of glottal stops. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the phonological mechanisms underlying cleft palate speech and the production of glottal stops.

Objective To develop a lycium barbarum glycopeptide(LbGP) spray based on oxidized sodium alginate(OSA) and gelatin microspheres to alleviate tobacco combustion product-induced oral mucositis. Methods ①Cigarette smoke extract(CSE) was prepared and screened for the optimal intervention concentration through CCK-8 assay. ②LbGP-loaded gelatin microspheres and OSA matrix were fabricated, characterizing morphology, oxidation degree, and physicochemical properties. ③pH, sustained-release capability, stability, and adhesion of LbGP-OSA spray were evaluated. ④The protective and antioxidant effects of the spray on tobacco-damaged human gingival fibroblasts(HGFs)were assessed by CCK-8 assay, live/dead staining, scratch assay, ROS, and GSH detection. ⑤A smoking rat oral mucositis model was established to analyze the healing efficacy through ulcer recovery, HE/Masson staining, and immunohistochemistry. Results ①LbGP-OSA spray exhibited an oxidation degree of 29.17%±2.46%, with microsphere size (13.3±2.3)μm, pH=6.8, and favorable sustained-release/adhesion properties. ②The spray significantly improved HGFs viability and migration, reduced ROS levels, and elevated GSH content. ③In rats, the spray accelerated mucositis healing(epithelial integrity restored at day 9), down-regulated TNF-α and IL-6(P<0.05), up-regulated IL-10(P<0.05), and showed no toxicity. Conclusion The LbGP-OSA spray demonstrates sustained-release capability, adhesion, and biocompatibility, mitigates oxidative damage, modulates inflammatory cytokines, promotes mucosal healing, and holds clinical potential for tobacco-related oral injuries.

Objective To develop an end-to-end lightweight deep learning network to automatically predict impacted maxillary anterior teeth in young children using panoramic X-rays. Methods Panoramic X-rays of 216 patients aged 5-12 years were collected, and 6 anterior teeth of each sample were selected, with a total of 1 296 tooth samples as the research objects. By constructing a lightweight deep network model(FA-UNet) based on the fusion attention mechanism, taking panoramic X-rays as input and the clinician’s diagnosis as the gold standard, the potential mapping relationship between image features and clinical diagnosis results was learned to achieve automatic prediction and segmentation of impacted teeth in the maxillary anterior teeth of young children. The performance was evaluated using both pixel-level metrics (accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, mIoU, F1-score) and tooth-level classification accuracy. Results Taking manual diagnosis as the standard, FA-UNet model demonstrated the following performance metrics for pixel-level prediction of maxillary anterior impacted teeth in pediatric patients: accuracy of 0.866, sensitivity of 0.551, specificity of 0.995, PPV of 0.977, mIoU of 0.544, and F1-score of 0.705. Additionally, it attained a tooth-level classification accuracy of 87.5%. Conclusion FA-UNet model effectively improves the prediction accuracy of impacted teeth in the maxillary anterior teeth of children.

Objective To evaluate and compare the cytotoxicity, osteogenic differentiation potential and cranial defect repair capacity of fish scale (FS) bone powder versus Bio-Oss bone powder. Methods FS bone powder was prepared, with Bio-Oss bone powder as the positive control. The microstructures of both materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytotoxicity of Bio-Oss and FS extracts (12.5-200.0 mg/mL) on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was assessed using live/dead cll staining and CCK-8 assays. BMSCs were co-cultured with Bio-Oss and FS powder and osteogenic gene expression (ALP, RUNX2, OPN) was detected by RT-PCR. Osteogenic mineralization capacity was observed by alizarin red staining. Bio-Oss and FS powder was implanted into rat calvarial critical-sized defects. The bone regeneration was analyzed at 8 weeks post-surgery using Micro-CT, hematoxylin-eosin (HE), and Masson’s trichrome staining. Results FS bone powder particles ranged from 200 to 800 μm in diameter, featuring a corrugated front surface, a relatively smooth back surface, and an irregular morphology. Both Bio-Oss and FS extracts showed no cytotoxicity at concentrations ≤50 mg/mL. Bio-Oss and FS significantly promoted the formation of calcified nodules and upregulated osteogenic genes (ALP, RUNX2, OPN)(P<0.05), with FS exhibiting higher RUNX2 and OPN expression than Bio-Oss (P<0.05). Micro-CT analysis revealed that both the Bio-Oss and FS groups exhibited significantly higher bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) (P<0.05). Histological analysis with HE and Masson’s trichrome staining demonstrated greater bone regeneration in both the Bio-Oss and FS groups. Conclusion FS demonstrates excellent cytocompatibility and osteogenic differentiation capacity, achieving comparable bone regeneration to Bio-Oss in rats, suggesting potential applications in bone tissue engineering.

Objective To investigate the effect of paeoniflorin (PF) on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hJBMMSCs) and its related mechanisms. Methods hJBMMSCs were isolated and cultured by tissue block method, cultured according to experimental requirements, and the effects of different concentrations (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 μmol/L) PF on the proliferation of hJBMMSCs were detected by CCK-8 method. The effects of PF on the osteogenic differentiation of hJBMMSCs and the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were investigated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alizarin red S staining, RT-qPCR and Western blot. Results PF (10 μmol/L) significantly promoted the proliferation of hJBMMSCs, while 100 μmol/L PF had obvious cytotoxicity. Among them, the expression levels of various osteogenic-related mRNA and protein in hJBMMSCs increased significantly under the condition of 10 μmol/L concentration, and the expression level of p-PI3K was up-regulated. After intervention with PI3K inhibitors, the osteogenic capacity of hJBMMSCs decreased significantly. Conclusion PF (10 μmol/L) may promote the osteogenic differentiation of hJBMMSCs by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of human single-stranded DNA-binding protein 1 (hSSB1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Methods A total of 30 OSCC patients treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University between January 2022 and December 2023 were included. The expression levels of hSSB1 in OSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and RT-qPCR. The correlation between hSSB1 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. Results Both protein and mRNA expression levels of hSSB1 were significantly elevated in OSCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). While hSSB1 mRNA expression was not significantly associated with any clinicopathological parameters (P>0.05), hSSB1 protein expression showed significant correlations with age, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (P<0.05). Conclusion hSSB1 is significantly up-regulated in OSCC and may play a role in the development and progression of the disease.

Objective To investigate the application value of buccal bone osteotomy with a 3D printed guide plate and piezosurgery method in extracting deeply impacted mandibular third molars. Methods A total of 20 patients who were admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Anhui Medical University from September 2022 to September 2024 and needed to have their deeply mandibular impacted third molar removed were randomly divided into 2 groups with 10 patients in each group. Mandibular impacted third molars in the control group were extracted using a 45° reverse angle dental high-speed air turbine handpiece and lengthened tungsten carbide fissure burs, while those in the observation group were extracted using buccal bone osteotomy with 3D printed guide plate and piezosurgery method. The operation time and 24-hour postoperative pain and swelling and complications of the two groups were recorded and analyzed comparatively. Results No significant differences in operation duration and postoperative pain between the two groups (P>0.05); the postoperative swelling of the observation group was significantly lower (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the operation time in the observation group and the control group(P>0.05), and the postoperative pain and swelling in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05). There was one case of postoperative infection and no nerve damage in the observation group, and one case of postoperative infection and one case of lower lip numbness in the control group. Conclusion The use of buccal bone osteotomy with 3D printed guide plate and piezosurgery method in extracting deeply impacted mandibular third molars can reduce the degree of swelling and the risk of nerve injury, and is of clinical promotion value.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of onlays and modified inlay-crowns in the restoration of posterior tooth defects. Methods A total of 190 patients(involving 206 crowns) with posterior teeth that required restoration of tooth defects after root canal therapy were collected from the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between May 2021 and May 2023. They were divided into two groups based on the tooth defect restoration method: the onlay group (102 crowns) and the modified inlay-crown group (104 crowns). Twelve months later, the restoration efficacy of the affected teeth in both groups was evaluated, and the incidence of restoration adverse events and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results Twelve months after the restoration of the affected teeth in both groups, the overall rate of achieving Grade A according to the modified United States Public Health Service(USPHS) criteria in the onlay group was lower than that in the modified inlay-crown group. There were no statistically significant differences in the Grade A rates regarding restoration marginal adaptation, restoration integrity,secondary caries,gingival health status and presence of food impaction between the two groups(P>0.05). The total incidence of adverse events in the onlay group was 11.96%, which was higher than the 3.06% in the modified inlay-crown group, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). In terms of follow-up patient satisfaction, the total satisfaction rate was 87.5% in the onlay group, lower than the 93.33% in the modified inlay-crown group, but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusion The short-term clinical efficacy of modified inlay-crowns in the restoration of posterior tooth defects is superior to that of onlays. Modified inlay-crowns can achieve good patient satisfaction and are an effective restoration method.

Dental zirconia ceramics have been widely applied in the field of oral restoration due to their excellent performance. The current preparation technology involves CAD/CAM manufacturing process. During the CAD/CAM machining stage, over 80% of the volume of zirconia pre-sintered blocks is removed as waste powder, leading to significant resource wastage. There is an urgent need to explore feasible technical pathways to recycle and reuse this waste zirconia powder. This paper reviews the recycling of waste dental zirconia powder, covering aspects such as CAD/CAM processes, purification of waste zirconia, powder grinding, forming, sintering, performance evaluation, and biocompatibility of recycled zirconia ceramics. The aim is to provide references for promoting the recycling of waste powder and establishing a green manufacturing system for dental ceramics.

Enhanced glycolysis and other host metabolic reprogramming are recognized as core drivers of sustained inflammation. As a rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, the pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) exerts important effects on various chronic inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis. This review focuses on the mu.PNGaceted regulatory mechanisms of PKM2 in periodontal inflammatory responses and further explores the potential of PKM2-targeted therapies, aiming to provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and clinical management of periodontitis.

Obesity may increase the prevalence of periodontitis, exacerbate the destruction of periodontal tissues, and affect the prognosis of periodontal treatment. This article aims to summarize the effects and potential mechanisms of obesity-related adipokines, oxidative stress, oral microbiota, insulin resistance, and psychological stress on periodontitis, in order to provide guidance for the comprehensive management of patients with obesity and periodontitis in clinical practice.

Root canal treatment (RCT) is an effective treatment for endodontic diseases, aimed at removing infection from the root canal. Root canal preparation is one of the key steps for the success of root canal treatment; and root canal irrigation is a crucial part of root canal preparation. Effective root canal irrigation depends on the application and innovation of root canal irrigants. At present, scholars at home and abroad have conducted a lot of research on the cleaning performance of different root canal irrigants. Different root canal irrigants can be selected according to the conditions of the affected teeth, the severity of infection and other different situations. This article summarizes the current research progress of root canal irrigants, with a view to providing new ideas for enhancing the effect of root canal irrigants and improving the success rate of root canal treatment.