Comfort-oriented dental technology has reached a high level of maturity. This review focuses on pain ma-nagement in dental procedures, examining recent advancements and analyzing the critical role of perioperative pain ma-nagement in enhancing patient experience, reducing dental anxiety, and optimizing clinical outcomes. Through literature review and the authors’ clinical practice, we analyze the current status and challenges of novel analgesic techniques/pharmaceuticals, comfort management strategies, and related technological applications. This synthesis provides valuable insights for the future development of comfort-oriented dental care.

In the process of orthodontic tooth movement, periodontal tissue related cells perceive and respond to mechanical stimulation, and the periodontal tissue adaptive reconstruction occurs, and finally the tooth movement is realized. Several mechanosensitive receptors, such as Piezo1, transient receptor potential vanilloid, primary cilia and integrin, have been found to play a role in orthodontic tooth movement, but the specific mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. In this paper, the mechanism of mechanosensitive receptors in orthodontic tooth movement in recent years and their possible interaction were summarized, in order to provide reference for the study of the mechanobiology mechanism of orthodontic tooth movement.

The facemask is the common appliance for the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ patients with maxillary retrusion. Bone-anchored maxillary protraction (BAMP) appliances have recently been used to overcome the limitations of tooth-borne appliances in the interceptive treatment of class Ⅲ malocclusions. BAMP has demonstrated promising initial results, attributed to its potential to offer great skeletal changes with less unwanted displacement of dentition during the late mixed dentition and early permanent dentition stages. BAMP therapy techniques significantly improve the soft tissue profile, which leads to an improvement of the concave profile. Moreover, BAMP protocol with class Ⅲ elastics has shown certain advantages in controlling vertical skeletal pattern. This work aims to review the research progress in the selection of BAMP protocol, necessity of combining transverse arch expansion, optimal treatment timing, and long-term treatment outcomes and explore its future development.

Objective　This study aims to investigate the correlation between the inclination of the occlusal plane of maxillary canines and first molars in adult patients with different sagittal skeletal patterns, as well as the differences in the direction of occlusal plane inclination and the sagittal relationship of molars between Angle’s subclasses, which provides a reference for the clinical treatment of such patients. Methods　A total of 180 adult patients with normal occlusion were selected, including 60 cases of Angle class Ⅰ, 60 cases of Angle class Ⅱ division 1, and 60 cases of Angle class Ⅲ (with 30 cases of subclass and non-subclass for Angle class Ⅱ division 1 and Ⅲ). Three-dimensional reconstruction of cone beam computed tomography was performed using Mimics software. The vertical distances from the maxillary bilateral canines and first molars to the Frankfort horizontal plane were measured, and the inclination of the occlusal plane was calculated. The direction of the occlusal plane inclination and the sagittal relationship of the molars were recorded. SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the correlation between the inclination of the occlusal plane and diffe-rent sagittal skeletal patterns. The correlation between the sagittal relationship of molars and the direction of occlusal plane inclination in Angle subclasses was also explored. Results　A correlation existed between the inclination of the occlusal plane of canines and first molars and different sagittal skeletal groups (P<0.05). A correlation existed between the inclination of the occlusal plane in Angle subclass groups and non-subclass groups (P<0.05). In the Angle subclass group, a correlation existed between the bilateral molar relationships and the direction of occlusal plane inclination (P<0.05). Conclusion　Certain differences are observed in the inclination of the occlusal plane in adult patients with different sagittal skeletal patterns. The correction of the occlusal plane inclination should not be ignored in the clinical diagnosis, analysis, and treatment of patients with Angle class Ⅱ and Angle class Ⅲ, as well as their subclass.

Dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (or dental pulp stem cells) are mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp tissues, possessing notable capacities for immunomodulation and tissue regeneration. Macrophages, as key immune effector cells, are prevalent in inflammatory microenvironments and exhibit phenotypic plasticity through polarization into distinct functional subsets. Hence, understanding the bidirectional interactions between dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells and macrophages is essential for advancing the therapeutic application of dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells in inflammation-related diseases. This review explores the mechanisms by which dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells influence macrophage polarization, migration, and differentiation and how macrophages of various phenotypes influence the proliferation and differentiation of dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have potential for self-renewal and differentiation into various cell types. They can be transplanted into the defect area of the alveolar bone to induce their differentiation into osteoblasts, thereby promoting the regeneration and reconstruction of the alveolar bone. This study reviews the osteogenic ability of DPSCs in alveolar bone regeneration and the factors that influence their osteogenic ability. The challenges faced in the clinical application of DPSCs are analyzed to provide insights into the basic research and clinical application of DPSCs for repairing the alveolar bone.

Objective　This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical cyclosporine in the treatment of oral lichen planus (OLP) and to provide reference for clinicians. Methods　Databases, such as Pubmed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP, were searched. The System for Information on Grey Li-terature in Europe (SIGLE) and ClinicalTrials websites were searched online to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cyclosporine for OLP from the establishment of the database to March 25, 2023. Two reviewers independently evalua-ted the study quality and extracted data, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan (version 5.4) and STATA (version 14.0) software. Results　A total of seven RCT studies on cyclosporine in the treatment of OLP were included, including 317 patients. Among them, six compared cyclosporine with corticosteroid, and one compared cyclosporine with placebo. Meta-analysis results showed no statistically significant difference in clinical effectiveness between the cyclosporine and corticosteroid groups [risk ratio (RR)=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-1.14, P=0.32]. After 4 weeks of treatment, no statistically significant difference was observed in the improvement of pain scores between the cyclosporine and corticosteroid groups (standardized mean difference=-0.23, 95%CI: -0.54-0.07, P=0.13). No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of adverse reactions between the cyclosporine and corticosteroid groups (RR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.18-2.79, P=0.62). Conclusion　Current evidence shows that cyclosporine has no advantage over corticosteroid in terms of clinical efficacy, improvement in pain scores, and safety. More high-quality studies are required to verify the above conclusion due to limitations in the quantity and quality of included studies.

[Abstract] Objective　This study aimed to investigate the current status and influencing factors of stigma among mo-thers of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP), providing new perspectives and intervention evidence for psychological support for CLP families. Methods　A total of 127 mothers serving as primary caregivers for children with CLP were selected as the study subjects. Surveys were conducted using the social impact scale, social support rating scale, psychological resilience scale, caregiver burden scale, and a self-designed demographic questionnaire. Scores from each scale were statistically analyzed, and correlation analysis was performed. Results　The extent of stigma among mothers of children with CLP showed significant relationships with monthly household income and the child’s age (<3 years vs. 7-12 years; P<0.05). This stigma was significantly associated with social support (P<0.05), but the correlation was not li-near. It was negatively correlated with psychological resi-lience (β=-0.241, P=0.002) and positively correlated with caregi-ver burden (β=0.428, P<0.001). Chain mediating effect analysis revealed that caregiver burden-psychological resilience-social support partially mediated the stigma experienced by these mothers (P<0.05). Conclusion　Stigma is prevalent among mothers of children with CLP. The factors influencing this stigma include the child’s age, economic status, psychological resilience, caregiver burden, and social support. Healthcare professionals should implement targeted interventions to reduce maternal stigma and improve the long-term quality of life for these child-centered families.

Objective　This study aimed to assess the causal relationship between programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and the risk of head and neck cancer. Methods　Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed using large-scale genetic data to evaluate the causal relationship between PD-L1 and the risk of different types of head and neck cancers via inverse variance weighted (IVW), Mendelian randomization-Egger (MR-Egger), simple mode, and weighted median. Additionally, MR-Egger and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used to analyze horizontal pleiotropy, Cochran’s Q test was performed to examine heterogeneity, and leave-one-out experiment was conducted to measure sensitivity. Results　The genetic prediction results revealed a causal relationship between PD-L1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (OR=1.000 3, 95%CI: 1.000 0-1.000 6, P=0.049) and between PD-L1 and oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer (OC&PC) (OR=1.000 3, 95%CI: 1.000 1-1.000 6, P=0.018). Conclusion　PD-L1 may be a risk factor for the development of HNSCC and OC&PC.

Discomfort symptoms, such as pain, during the progression and treatment of oral diseases often lead to fear in patients, which delays treatment and is not conducive to oral and systemic health. Cariology and endodontics is a common disease that has obvious pain-related characteristics, and its treatment plays an important role in oral clinical practice. Oral comfort therapy improves patients’ treatment experience by reducing pain and fear and presents a personalized plan when dealing with such disease. The program includes sedation, anesthesia, minimally invasive treatment, computer-assisted technique, etc. This review focuses on the applications of oral comfort therapy in cariology and endodontics and discusses how treatments open up a new path for diagnosis and clinical management. With the improvement of patients’ expectations for medical experience and the progress of science and technology, the comfortable treatment of cariology and endodontics will have a broad development prospect.

Periodontitis is one of the common causes of tooth extraction in adult patients. After tooth extraction, the alveolar cavity frequently undergoes bone resorption, which in turn affects the efficacy of implant restoration. Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is a bone augmentation procedure involving the implantation of biological materials into the extraction socket during tooth extraction. It delays alveolar bone resorption and restores the aesthetic and functional integrity of the alveolar ridge. In contrast to non-periodontitis tooth extraction pits, periodontitis tooth extraction pits features a more intricate and diverse healing process. The morphology of the buccal bone wall considerably influences linear and volumetric changes in bone tissue, changes in soft tissue volume and histological features after the healing of tooth extraction pits. This article summarizes and analyzes the influence of various buccal bone wall configurations on the efficacy of ARP in periodontitis tooth extraction sites. Thick buccal walls influenced the deceleration of alveolar bone resorption more markedly than thin buccal walls, whereas extensive buccal wall defect sites necessitated supplementary soft and hard tissue augmentation surgery. This study offers initial diagnostic and therapeutic concepts for the selection of surgical interventions for ARP on the basis of various indications.

Periodontitis is an immune-inflammatory response triggered by periodontal pathogens. In this condition, disrupted immune responses and chronic inflammation play crucial roles in the degradation of periodontal tissues. Cuproptosis, a recently identified form of programmed cell death, is triggered by excessive intracellular copper ions and specifically targets the tricarboxylic acid cycle. It is characterized by the abnormal oligomerization of mitochondrial lipoacylated proteins and the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins. Cuproptosis has garnered significant attention for its nonnegligible role in the development and progression of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancers. Cuproptosis-related genes participate in the pathogenesis of periodontitis by modulating immune cells and cytokines. The abnormal expression of these genes reflects the disease status and aids in clinical diagnosis, providing novel therapeutic targets for periodontitis treatment. Considering these insights, this work presents a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanisms underlying cuproptosis and its role in the initiation and progression of periodontitis.

Dental caries is a chronic infectious disease occurring in the hard tissue of teeth under the influence of bacteria. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is considered the major etiological agent of dental caries in humans. Mutanobactin is one of the secondary metabolites of S. mutans. It is one of non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide hybrid products and is mainly synthesized by the mub gene located in the TnSmu2 gene island. Additionally, the major types of this product are Mutanobactin A, B, C, and D, which can be synthesized in vitro. The Mutanobactin of S. mutans plays an important role in physiological functions ranging from oxidative stress resistance and interspecies competition to immunoregulation. Moreover, its production is affected by various regulatory mechanisms in vivo, the external environment, and commensal bacteria. This work mainly reviews the synthesis, physiological role, and related regulatory mechanisms of Mutanobactin to provide a new horizon for elucidating the caries virulence of S. mutans and new methods for oral microecological regulation and management of caries.

Raman spectroscopy (RS) provides characteristic spectral information that represents specific molecular “fingerprints” of substances. This technique enables the identification of subtle biochemical alterations in biological tissues, offering advantages such as rapid analysis, real-time capability, noninvasiveness, and minimal sample preparation requirements. It demonstrates considerable promise in the diagnosis and management of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). This review summarizes recent advancements in RS-based diagnosis of OSCC and OPMDs using tissue and biofluid samples. The applications of RS in assessing surgical margins du-ring OSCC resection, investigating relevant molecular mechanisms, and enabling artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis are briefly outlined.

Cleft lip is one of the common congenital deformities in the craniofacial region, often accompanied by va-rying degrees of nasal deformity. Non-surgical methods for nasal cartilage correction play a positive role in maintaining surgical outcomes. The combination of non-surgical and surgical treatments is a successful treatment model that improves not only nasal deformities but also the effectiveness and stability of surgical treatment. This review focuses on summari-zing the mechanisms, clinical application, and basic science of non-surgical nasal cartilage correction methods for cleft lip nasal deformity.

Vascular anastomosis is widely used in oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and cardiovascular surgery. Conventional vascular anastomosis is challenging and time-consuming, hence demanding for surgeons. In recent years, new vascular suture anastomosis techniques, endoscopic anastomosis, and microvascular anastomosis have provided additional choices for clinical practice, improved the efficiency of the operation, and reduced the risk of the operation. These methods have demonstrated unique advantages in microvascular anastomosis, organ reconstruction, and ultra-microsurgery. These advances not only provide increased convenience for surgeons but also meet the needs of different types of patients for enhanced therapeutic outcomes. In this review, the recent advances in the techniques of vascular anastomosis are summarized from three aspects: manual suture techniques, vascular anastomosis assistive devi-ces and digital technology, and anastomosis based on biomaterials. This review aims to help surgeons understand the deve-lopment trends of vascular anastomosis technology and provide references for the selection of surgical procedures.

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in education (especially dental education) has significantly facilitated the transformation of dental education and promoted the shift from traditional dental teaching to “digital intelligence” teaching. Different from traditional teaching models, AI-assisted dental teaching brings many opportunities for dental educators but new and high demands regarding teachers’ role positioning. In the era of AI, the role of dental educators is no longer that of a simple knowledge transmitter, as in the traditional models, but must be transformed to new roles positioned to adapt to the future intelligent development of dental education. This study reviews the role reconstruction of dental educators under the AI-assisted dental teaching model and provides a theoretical reference for promoting the rapid development of dental education, overall teaching quality, and breakthrough and innovation of teaching methods.