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INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic degenerative joint disease that leads to damage and disability of the joints. Several studies mentioned the association between inflammatory process and clinical changes. However, there is no drug approved yet to cure the disease and to regenerate the tissues. Lysyl Oxidase-Like-2 (LOXL2) could be a potential candidate as shown in our previous studies. We showed that LOXL2 is elevated during fracture healing and critical regulator of chondrogenesis. Recently, we showed that LOXL2 is shown to be anabolic to human OA cartilage. The goal of this study is to determine the protective effect of LOXL2 in temporomandibular (TMJ) and knee joint OA and to evaluate if LOXL2 attenuates the adverse effects induced by IL-1β in chondrocytes and osteoblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate the anti-catabolic effect of LOXL2 in vitro, ATDC5 and MC3T3 cells have been transduced with Adv-RFP-LOXL2 and treated with IL-1β. The protective effect of LOXL2 in vivo was evaluated by systemic injection of adenovirus LOXL2 in a chondrodysplasia mouse model (Cho/+) and intra-articular MIA injection in LOXL2 in transgenic mice followed by an analysis of TMJ and knee joints structural and functional analysis. RESULTS: LOXL2 protects from adverse effects induced by IL-1β in ATDC5 and MC3T3 cells by inhibiting the phospho-NF-κB signaling pathway independent of LOXL2 enzymatic activity. Also, LOXL2 increased the mRNA expression of Aggrecan and SOX9 and decreased the level of ADAMTS5, MMP13 and RANKL induced by IL-1β. LOXL2 promotes the mRNA level of ACAN and SOX9 in Cho/+ in TMJ and knee joints. Moreover, IHC analysis showed that ACAN expression is increased and MMP13 decreased in TMJ and knee tissues. LOXL2 overexpressed mice injected with MIA covered more distances and spent more time on the treadmill than wild-type littermates in a treadmill test. IHC analysis showed more ACAN and less MMP13 staining in the LOXL2 overexpressed group than the control one. CONCLUSION: LOXL2 was shown to attenuate adverse effects induced by IL-1β in chondrocytes and osteoblasts. LOXL2 has a protective and anabolic role in TMJ and knee joints affected by OA. Further, LOXL2 was shown to have a protective function during OA-related disability.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of surface finish on wear of dental ceramics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 192 ceramic specimens (2×12×14 mm) were prepared using Vita Enamic, Vita Mark II, IPS e.max, and InCoris Zirconia TZI (n=48 for each material). Each material was divided into four main groups (n=12) according to their surface treatment (polished, machined, polished, then glazed, and machined, then glazed). Ceramics were subjected to 200,000 cycles against Vita Mark II using the two-body pin-on-plate linear wear tester under dead weight a load of 1 Newton. The wear performance of ceramic was determined using volume loss and wear depth. The antagonist’s wear was determined using height loss. Surface roughness was evaluated, and SEM was used to assess the microstructural changes. RESULTS: ANOVA statistical analysis revealed a significant effect of wear on ceramics in terms of volume loss and wear depth (P<0.05). Vita Mark II, IPS e.max showed the most abrasive effect. InCoris Zirconia TZI showed excellent wear resistance, while Vita Mark II exhibited intermediate wear resistance. Glazed ceramics demonstrated more wear than non-glazed ceramics. Less wear was observed in polished ceramics compared to machined. Antagonist ceramics showed more abrasion on glass-matrix substrates than zirconia. Antagonist abrasion was less on Vita Enamic ceramics. A significant difference in surface roughness between materials before and after the wear test (P<0.05) was observed. Vita Enamic showed a rougher surface after wear test, while InCoris Zirconia TZI was smoother. CONCLUSION: Vita Mark II, IPS e.max CAD were very abrasive when opposed by Vita Mark-II than InCoris Zirconia TZI and Vita Enamic. The glaze layer showed increases wear. Therefore, polishing restorations is recommended for the best results of wear resistance.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the microleakage, margin gap, and microtensile bond strength of lithium disilicate under different dentin conditions using four different resin-based cements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four extracted posterior teeth were prepared to receive lithium disilicate crowns to evaluate microleakage and margin gap. Four cements (Variolink Esthetic, Multilink Automix, Panavia SA, and GC FujiCEM 2) were assigned to different dentin conditions (control, immediate dentin sealing [IDS], and delayed dentin sealing [DDS]). The control group received a final restoration immediately, while IDS received OptiBond FL bonding agent then was temporized, and DDS were temporized without any additions. IDS and DDS groups were temporized and stored for two weeks in 37 °C to simulate clinical scenarios. All groups were then embedded in 50% ammoniacal silver nitrate for 24 h, then exposed to constant white LED light in a photo-developer solution for 8 h. All teeth were sectioned and evaluated using SEM. For microtensile bond strength, thirty extracted posterior teeth and the same cements and dentin conditions were used. Dentin and e.max CAD blocks were sectioned into 1x1x6 mm2 beams and cemented according to their respective groups. After storage at 37 °C for 24 h, microtensile bond strength was analyzed, and failure mode was evaluated by SEM. RESULTS: Analysis by one-way ANOVA and Tukey test revealed that the microleakage in the control groups was significantly lower than in the DDS group, except for Panavia SA (SAM). IDS groups were significantly lower than DDS groups except for Variolink Esthetic and Panavia SA (SAM). The margin gap for the different dentin conditions was not significant for each cement except IDS Variolink Esthetic group. Microtensile bond strength of the control and IDS groups was significantly higher than DDS groups except for Variolink Esthetic and Panavia SA with Clearfil Universal Bond Quick. CONCLUSION: Margin gap has no effect on microleakage. Control groups showed the lowest leakage and the highest microtensile bond strength except for the Panavia SA (SAM) IDS group. IDS produced bond strength as high as that observed in the control groups for all cement types but could not prevent microleakage as efficiently as in the control group with cement containing 10-MDP monomer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an SBIRT-modeled intervention on improving oral hygiene in adolescent orthodontic patients with fixed appliances. Methods: A prospective, randomized trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an SBIRT-inspired strategy aimed at improving oral hygiene. Subjects were recruited from patients undergoing orthodontic treatment at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics. The subjects were in the permanent dentition, and were being treated with full fixed appliances in both arches. Subjects were screened for caries risk, and individuals with moderate-high risk for caries were allocated randomly to either a control (traditional oral hygiene instruction) or intervention (SBIRT protocol) group. Plaque (PI) and gingival index (GI) scores were collected at baseline (T0), 1-2 month follow-up (T1), and 3-4 month follow-up (T2). At the T1 follow-up, those non-responsive to the intervention were referred for treatment by a hygienist. Subjects also completed a pre- and post-intervention survey to evaluate change in homecare habits and self-assessment of hygiene. Results: A total of 25 (15 female, 10 male) patients were recruited for the study and had baseline (T0) data collected. The majority of the sample was female (60.0%) and African American (68.0%), and the average age of the sample was 13.6±1.5 years. Regarding caries risk, 64.0% were classified as high risk, while 36.0% had moderate risk. No significant differences in baseline scores were observed between the two trial arms for key demographics. Of the initial 25 subjects, 19 (7 control, 12 intervention) had T1 data collected. The mean PI and GI scores for both groups improved from T0 to T1. There were greater differences between T0 to T1 for the SBIRT group when compared to the control: PI improved 0.36±0.44 for the intervention group and 0.18±0.45 for the control group; GI improved 0.50±0.28 for the intervention group and 0.09±0.37 for the control group. Brushing and flossing frequency also increased for both groups. Conclusions: The SBIRT intervention group had greater improvement in oral hygiene than traditional oral hygiene instruction after a 1-2 month follow up. An MI protocol for improving oral hygiene in adolescent patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment shows promise in changing patient behaviors and outlook in regards to oral health. However, due to small sample size and significant loss to follow-up as a result of school and clinic closures due to the novel coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2), a more extensive study with a larger sample size is necessary to definitively prove the effectiveness of MI in improving oral hygiene. / Oral Biology

ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate if contemporary tooth measurements in the Greater Philadelphia area differ from those of a historical sample, from the Michigan Growth Study “Standards of Human Occlusal Development”, that are used in diagnosis and treatment planning. The objective is to compare mesiodistal and buccolingual dental measurements from contemporary Hispanic American and African American patients to a previously determined historic population of Caucasians. Methods: Intraoral scans of 20 Hispanic (12F, 8M) and 38 African American (28F, 10M) patients screened for orthodontic treatment were measured using Amira® morphometric software. The mesiodistal & buccolingual tooth crown diameters of greatest distance were measured for all permanent teeth excluding second and third molars. Results: Overall, the Philadelphia population had significantly larger tooth sizes when compared to the historic population. Further examination reveals males have larger teeth than females, and contemporary African Americans have larger teeth than contemporary Hispanic Americans, who in turn have larger teeth that historic Caucasians. Conclusions: Differences in tooth sizes exist between contemporary Hispanic and African Americans from a historical sample of Caucasian gathered over 50 years ago. Past standards attained from Caucasian subjects such as mixed dentition prediction equations & Bolton discrepancies may not apply to all patients treated at Temple University’s Dental School. / Oral Biology

Introduction: The advent of intraoral scanning, computer-aided design and manufacturing, and three-dimensional radiographic imaging has made orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning more comprehensive and multi-dimensional. With the aid of such advances, the SureSmile® technology eliminates manual wire bending performed by the orthodontist through robotically fabricated wires. These wires incorporate all the requisite bends to achieve the tooth movements desired by the clinician. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the accuracy of the tip and torque virtual predictions that are expressed by the robotically manufactured wires of SureSmile®. Materials and Methods: CBCTs taken after treatment using the SureSmile® technology were procured from a private practice. These CBCT images were superimposed with the predicted tooth positions using stable skeletal structures in the Dolphin Imaging Software. The tooth apex and crown were digitized and used to calculate tip and torque values for each tooth type. A paired samples t-test was performed to assess if differences in tip and torque values are present between the predicted and actual final outcomes. Results: 16 patients were utilized in this study, which encompassed evaluation of 339 teeth. Paired samples t-test show that: 1) SureSmile® predictions of most teeth were statistically similar to the actual clinical outcomes (p≥0.05); however, 2) torque expression on upper canines (p=0.003) and lower lateral incisors (p=0.007) were not accurately predicted. Conclusions: SureSmile® archwires can reliably predict tooth tip and torque positions and translate them to clinical movements for most of the types of teeth studied. It is recommended that overcorrections for upper canine torques and lower lateral incisors are incorporated into the planned movements if the clinician deems it clinically necessary. / Oral Biology

As the national economy has declined over the past few years, the majority of orthodontic practices have suffered. While most orthodontic practices have experienced a decline in patient starts, there remains a select few who have managed to maintain their practice growth despite difficult economic times. It is unknown as to whether marketing techniques can give a practice the necessary competitive advantage to weather the current economy. The objective of the survey was to extract information on the following topics: practice demographics, practice growth rate, aggressive and innovative marketing techniques used, tracking new patient referrals, and return on marketing investments. Two surveys were used in this study. The first was an online survey intended for practicing orthodontists to fill out. Out of the 99 Temple Orthodontic Alumni emailed, 57 Alumni began the survey and 49 completed it, giving a completion rate of 86%. The second was a paper survey for new patients. Twenty-six (26) Temple Orthodontic Alumni out of the 96 contacted agreed to participate in the new patient survey. Each participant was sent 120 surveys and asked to distribute them to all new patients over a period of 12 weeks. Out of the 26 Alumni who agreed to participate, 19 returned a total of 1,024 new patient surveys that were used in this study. Based on the result collected from the two surveys, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Solo, suburban practitioners have been affected the most by the difficult economy. New graduates who have been in practice less than ten years appear to have had the most success. 2. There is no magic marketing plan to guarantee practice success. 3. Thriving practices have spent more money on extravagant external marketing methods while those experiencing the effect of the economy focused efforts on budget friendly methods such as internal marketing and marketing to the local general practitioners. 4. Successful practices report much more confidence in their marketing return on investment than those whose practices experienced a decline in gross income. It is unknown how these practices are tracking their return on investment or, as the investigator suspects, their response is based on a hunch rather than collected data. 5. New patients still report their general dentist as the primary referral source, followed by friends and family. Despite this, marketing experts continue to push extravagant marketing ploys and social networking, even though there is no reportable return on investment. / Oral Biology

Mankind has always sought ways to improve appearance. These esthetic goals have been ever-present throughout our history and have evolved dramatically over time. The teeth and smile have always been a central focus in the way we view ourselves and others. Thus, we have appropriately sought ways to improve upon this appearance and alter the look of our teeth. Although orthodontics has evolved greatly over time, the goals of this specialty continue to change as paradigms shift. The subjective nature of treatment success and the judgment of an individual patient's outcome illustrate the importance of a qualitative approach. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the factors that influence facial preferences and self-perceptions, in order to maximize patient-doctor communication and treatment goals. Eleven orthodontic residents participated in a sculpture course and subsequent interviews to determine how they qualitatively analyze faces. The residents enlarged the most liked, important, and defining internal features (nose, eyes, and mouth) in their respective clay busts. A self enhancement bias was observed in the form of thinned faces and improvements in the shape and size of certain sculpted features. The importance of symmetry, averageness, and sexually dimorphic (primarily feminine) alterations were witnessed. The reliance on expression to convey personality was seen in all of the women that participated in this study. Facial distinctiveness was increased by accentuating liked or defining facial features and over-exaggerating disliked features, as in a caricature. The accuracy of a residents' perception was greatest in a frontal two dimensional view but decreased markedly in three dimensions. Residents prioritized physical characteristics over personality traits. Residents were able to correctly identify which features were the least accurately recreated in the bust and closely estimated the measurement differences. The results of this study illustrate the importance of employing carefully structured interviews and evaluations to psychologically analyze patients considering treatment. / Oral Biology

Lingual arches are frequently used in orthodontic extraction treatment, with the intended purpose of achieving maximum anchorage in the mandibular arch; however, little evidence exists in the literature that supports this anchorage approach. The lingual arch is widely supported in the literature for space maintenance and sagittal correction. It has been proven effective at minimizing any decreases in arch depth and perimeter when there is early loss of primary teeth. Theoretically, the lingual arch as a passive maintenance appliance should exert no forces on the teeth, yet studies have shown both the molars and incisors to move. To examine its anchorage efficiency further, we compared incisor and molar position in extraction treatment with and without the use of a lingual arch. Pre and post-treatment cephalograms that included lower premolar extractions were recruited from a depository of images. Canine retraction with power chain or NiTi closing coils with or without the use of a lingual arch for maximum anchorage were compared for incisor and molar position. Angular and millimetric measurements for IMPA, L1-NB, L1-APog and molar mesialization were measured and compared using a t-test. The greatest difference between pre and post-treatment was the IMPA with 5.19° more uprighting of the incisors in the group with no lingual arch, followed by 4.38° more uprighting in the L1-APog measurement. However, none of the differences between the groups were significant: IMPA (p=0.129), L1-NB (angular p=0.161, millimetric p=0.205), L1-APog (angular p=0.197, millimetric p=0.196) and mesialization of the molar (p=0.308). The change in incisor and molar position does not significantly differ with or without the use of a lingual arch in extraction treatment. Clinically, this suggests that the lingual arch does not provide maximum anchorage. Another modality, such as TADs, may provide a better source of anchorage for space closure. / Oral Biology