Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that include obesity, impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Recently, more attention has been reserved to the correlation between periodontitis and systemic health. MetS is characterized by oxidative stress, a condition in which the equilibrium between the production and the inactivation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) becomes disrupted. ROS have an essential role in a variety of physiological systems, but under a condition of oxidative stress, they contribute to cellular dysfunction and damage. Oxidative stress may act as a common link to explain the relationship between each component of MetS and periodontitis. All those conditions show increased serum levels of products derived from oxidative damage, promoting a proinflammatory state. Moreover, adipocytokines, produced by the fat cells of fat tissue, might modulate the balance between oxidant and antioxidant activities. An increased caloric intake involves a higher metabolic activity, which results in an increased production of ROS, inducing insulin resistance. At the same time, obese patients require more insulin to maintain blood glucose homeostasis – a state known as hyperinsulinemia, a condition that can evolve into type 2 diabetes. Oxidation products can increase neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis, thus favoring oxidative damage. Hyperglycemia and an oxidizing state promote the genesis of advanced glycation end-products, which could also be implicated in the degeneration and damage of periodontal tissue. Thus, MetS, the whole of interconnected factors, presents systemic and local manifestations, such as cardiovascular disease and periodontitis, related by a common factor known as oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVES:Force platforms are widely used to evaluate the relationship between posture and dental occlusion. This study evaluated whether force platforms are able to detect eventual postural modifications resulting from dental occlusion.METHOD:A total of 44 healthy volunteers who were given no information on the aim of the study underwent six postural stabilometric exams under different mandibular and visual conditions. Four parameters were considered: sway area, sway velocity, X axis displacement of the center of the foot pressure and Y axis displacement of the center of the foot pressure.RESULTS:An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed the relative influence of each factor; specifically, the ocular afference significantly influenced the sway area and sway velocity parameters, and the mandibular position had only a weak influence on the sway area parameter.CONCLUSIONS:Vision was shown to influence body posture, and a weak correlation was observed between mandibular position and body posture in healthy subjects. However, the force platform is most likely not able to clearly detect this relationship. Gnathologists must use caution when using force platform analysis to modify a therapeutic plan. The sway area seems to be the most sensitive parameter for evaluating the effect of occlusion on body posture.

a b s t r a c tIntroduction: Recently, some published studies show there is a multifactorial origin for Temporomandibular Disorders, but the dental occlusion's contribution to the development of Temporomandibular Disorders, and how it may influence the adaptive capacity of the Stomatognathic system, it's still unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between the Occlusion Time and Temporomandibular Disorders. Methods: A total of 54 patients were enrolled in the study (24 males and 30 females, mean age 27.94 ± 8.21 years). The TMD group (8 males and 10 females) consisted of subjects who presented with at least 1 of the following signs of Temporomandibular Disorders: Temporomandibular Joint sounds (clicking or crepitation), Temporomandibular Joint locking episodes, limited mandibular opening, painful limitation of mandibular movements, pain to palpation of the Temporomandibular Joint or of the masticatory muscles. The control group (16 males and 20 females) presented as free from Temporomandibular Disorders. The T-Scan III computerized occlusal analysis system was to record the subjects' Occlusion. Times during eight mandibular opening-closing movements. Results: The two-ways ANOVA test analyzed the variations for group and sex, showing that the TMD group mean Occlusion Time (0.64 ± 0.21 s) was statistically significantly longer than the control group mean Occlusion Time (0.45 ± 0.17 s) (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also found for gender where the mean OT of female subjects was longer than males one with statistical significance (p-value < 0.01). Conclusions: The computerized analysis of the Occlusion Time in patients affected by TMJ problems has to be carefully considered as adjunctive instrumental device.

Objective: To investigate the influence of two different activation protocols on the timing and intensity of pain during rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Materials and Methods: A total of 112 prepubertal patients (54 males and 58 females, mean age 11.00 6 1.80 years) with constricted maxillary arches underwent RME with two different activation protocols (group 1: one activation/day; group 2: two activations/day). Patients were provided with a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Faces Pain Scale (FPS) to correctly assess their daily pain. Results: Subjects treated with RME at two activations/day reported statistically significantly greater amounts of pain than subjects treated with RME at one activation/day. Differences related to gender and skeletal maturity were found. Conclusion: The choice of activation protocol influences the perceived pain during RME, and less daily expansion is correlated to less pain. Pain reported during RME could be influenced by skeletal maturity and gender of the subjects under treatment. (Angle Orthod. 2015;85:1015-1020

The results of this analysis show that occlusion and visual function could influence posture in air force and civilian pilots.

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INTRODUCTION:Due to the physical stresses to which they are subjected, military pilots may experience bruxism, an " oral parafunction. "Parafunction can cause masticatory muscle suff ering and serious dental, periodontal, and temporomandibular joint damage. The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the temperature distribution in masticatory and upper trapezius muscles in a sample of bruxist air force pilots, to evaluate whether an occlusal splint would be able to induce skin temperature variations in the stomatognathic apparatus using the technology of infrared thermography.METHODS: A total of 11 male Italian Air Force pilots of high performance aircraft, ages from 27 to 40 yr (mean 34.91 6 2.15 yr) with 1000 -3000 fl ight hours, were enrolled in the study and analyzed using an infrared camera in order to evaluate the temperature of the masticatory muscles. All the recordings were taken on each subject using the same protocol with and without a temporary occlusal splint. RESULTS:The occlusal splint statistically increased each muscle temperature (0.10 -0.20°C) on both the sides of the body. No statistically signifi cant diff erences were found between the left and right muscles (asymmetries) before or after the wearing of the splint except for the anterior temporalis muscle. No signifi cant improvement or variations in temperature symmetry of this muscle was found after the application of the splint. DISCUSSION:The use of an occlusal splint could help in increasing muscles temperatures in Air Force pilots with consequent relaxation of their facial muscular system.