Animal studies and the scarce clinical trials available that have been conducted suggest that bioactive surfaces on dental implants could improve the osseointegration of such implants. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the effectiveness of osseointegration of titanium (Ti) dental implants using bioactive surfaces with that of Ti implants using conventional surfaces such as sandblasted large-grit acid-etched (SLA) or similar surfaces. Applying the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, the MEDLINE, PubMed Central and Web of Science databases were searched for scientific articles in April 2020. The keywords used were “dental implants”, “bioactive surfaces”, “biofunctionalized surfaces”, and “osseointegration”, according to the question: “Do bioactive dental implant surfaces have greater osseointegration capacity compared with conventional implant surfaces?” Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. 128 studies were identified, of which only 30 met the inclusion criteria: 3 clinical trials and 27 animal studies. The average STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) and ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) scores were 15.13 ± 2.08 and 17.7±1.4, respectively. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) was reported in 3 studies; removal torque test (RTT)—in 1 study; intraoral periapical X-ray and microcomputed tomography radiological evaluation (RE)—in 4 studies; shear force (SF)—in 1 study; bone-to-implant contact (BIC)—in 12 studies; and BIC and bone area (BA) jointly—in 5 studies. All animal studies reported better bone-to-implant contact surface for bioactive surfaces as compared to control implants with a statistical significance of p < 0.05. Regarding the bioactive surfaces investigated, the best results were yielded by the one where mechanical and chemical treatment methods of the Ti surfaces were combined. Hydroxyapatite (HA) and calcium–phosphate (Ca–Ph) were the most frequently used bioactive surfaces. According to the results of this systematic review, certain bioactive surfaces have a positive effect on osseointegration, although certain coating biomolecules seem to influence early peri-implant bone formation. Further and more in-depth research in this field is required to reduce the time needed for osseointegration of dental implants.

Background: Dental treatments often cause pain and anxiety in patients. Virtual reality (VR) is a novel procedure that can provide distraction during dental procedures or prepare patients to receive such type of treatments. This meta-analysis is the first to gather evidence on the effectiveness of VR on the reduction of pain (P) and dental anxiety (DA) in patients undergoing dental treatment, regardless of age. Methods: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, Wiley Library and Web of Science were searched for scientific articles in November 2019. The keywords used were: “virtual reality”, “distraction systems”, “dental anxiety” and “pain”. Studies where VR was used for children and adults as a measure against anxiety and pain during dental treatments were included. VR was defined as a three-dimensional environment that provides patients with a sense of immersion, transporting them to appealing and interactive settings. Anxiety and pain results were assessed during dental treatments where VR was used, and in standard care situations. Results: 31 studies were identified, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. Pain levels were evaluated in four studies (n = 4), anxiety levels in three (n = 3) and anxiety and pain together in seven (n = 7). Our meta-analysis was based on ten studies (n = 10). The effect of VR was studied mainly in the pediatric population (for pain SMD = −0.82). In the adult population, only two studies (not significant) were considered. Conclusions: The findings of the meta-analysis show that VR is an effective distraction method to reduce pain and anxiety in patients undergoing a variety of dental treatments; however, further research on VR as a tool to prepare patients for dental treatment is required because of the scarcity of studies in this area.

In recent times, the use of natural products has gained momentum, either as a treatment or as adjuvants for other drugs in the treatment of different conditions. Propolis is a natural substance produced by bees which has proven useful for treating periodontal disease. This systematic review and meta-analysis gather evidence of the effectiveness of propolis in this kind of condition. The MEDLINE, CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched for scientific articles to identify the findings published up to October 2020. The MeSH phrases used in the search were: “periodontal diseases AND propolis treatment”; “gingivitis AND propolis treatment”; “periodontitis AND propolis treatment”; “propolis treatment AND oral health”; “propolis AND oxidative stress AND periodontitis”. The Boolean operator “AND” was used to combine the searches. Randomized trials where propolis was used in the treatment of different periodontal conditions were included. Non-randomized clinical studies were systematically reviewed and 224 studies were detected, eight of which met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Only three of these were selected for quantitative synthesis. In conclusion, propolis is safe to use and can improve the results of periodontal disease treatment, reducing probing pocket depth compared with treatment with a placebo (difference in means, fixed effects −0.67 [95% CI: −0.84, −0.50]).

Background and Objectives: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJDs) are associated with pain and reduced jaw mobility. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with TMJ arthralgia when submitted to four different treatment modalities, in some cases using intra-articular injections of substances with anti-inflammatory properties and in others, a more conservative approach consisting only of a bite splint. Materials and Methods: The sample was made up of 80 patients, randomly distributed into 4 groups of 20 patients each. Each patient was given a nocturnal bite splint. One of the groups was treated with the bite splint only, while each patient in the other 3 was injected with betamethasone, sodium hyaluronate, or platelet-rich plasma in addition to using the bite splint. Two variables were assessed, namely pain intensity between 0 to 10 according to the visual analogue scale and maximum pain-free mouth opening in mm. The patients were evaluated at four different points: at the beginning of the treatment, as well as one week, one month and six months after initiation. Results: The results showed that maximum pain-free mouth opening improved in all the groups that made up the sample, with either a reduction in pain severity or with no pain. However, the group injected with platelet-rich plasma yielded the best results after six months, while patients treated with sodium hyaluronate or betamethasone obtained the best results at the end of the first week. Conclusions: We concluded that all the treatments used caused a reduction in pain and increased pain-free mouth opening. The splint combined with the platelet-rich plasma injection achieved long-term success.

Titanium (Ti) dental implant failure as a result of infection has been established at 40%, being regarded as one of the most habitual and untreatable problems. Current research is focused on the design of new surfaces that can generate long-lasting, infection-free osseointegration. The purpose of our study was to assess studies on Ti implants coated with different antibacterial surfaces, assessing their osseointegration. The PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were electronically searched for in vivo studies up to December 2020, selecting six studies that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the selected studies was assessed using the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) criteria and Systematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation’s (SYRCLE’s) risk of bias tool. Although all the included studies, proved greater osseointegration capacity of the different antibacterial surfaces studied, the methodological quality and experimental models used in some of them make it difficult to draw predictable conclusions. Because of the foregoing, we recommend caution when interpreting the results obtained.

(1) Background: Dental treatments often cause pain and anxiety in patients. Virtual reality (VR) is a novel procedure that can provide distraction during dental procedures or prepare patients to receive such type of treatments. This meta-analysis is the first to gather evidence on the effectiveness of VR on the reduction of pain (P) and dental anxiety (DA) in patients undergoing dental treatment, regardless of age. (2) Methods: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, Wiley Library and Web of Science were searched for scientific articles in November 2019. The keywords used were: “virtual reality”, “distraction systems”, “dental anxiety” and “pain”. Studies where VR was used for children and adults as a measure against anxiety and pain during dental treatments were included. VR was defined as a three-dimensional environment that provides patients with a sense of immersion, transporting them to appealing and interactive settings. Anxiety and pain results were assessed during dental treatments where VR was used and in standard care situations. (3) Results: 32 studies were identified, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. The effect of VR in children was significant, both for anxiety (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.75) and pain (SMD = −1.46). (4) Conclusions: The findings of the meta-analysis show that VR is an effective distraction method to reduce pain and anxiety in patients undergoing a variety of dental treatments; however, further research on VR as a tool to prepare patients for dental treatment is required because of the scarcity of studies in this area.

Ca-P coatings on Ti implants have demonstrated good osseointegration capability due to their similarity to bone mineral matter. Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched electronically in February 2021 for preclinical studies in unmodified experimental animals, with at least four weeks of follow-up, measuring bone-to-implant contact (BIC). Although 107 studies were found in the initial search, only eight experimental preclinical studies were included. Adverse events were selected by two independent investigators. The risk of bias assessment of the selected studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration Tool. Finally, a meta-analysis of the results found no statistical significance between implants coated with Ca-P and implants with etched conventional surfaces (difference of means, random effects: 5.40; 99% CI: −5.85, 16.65). With the limitations of the present review, Ca-P-coated Ti surfaces have similar osseointegration performance to conventional etched surfaces. Future well-designed studies with large samples are required to confirm our findings.

Halitosis or oral malodor is a condition caused by the putrefaction of sulfur-containing amino acids. It affects 30–50% of the population and causes social rejection, reducing quality of life, and self-esteem. Probiotics, especially Lactobacillus species, have been proposed for the treatment of genuine halitosis, due to their ability to reduce bacterial colonization. Our objective was to evaluate their use for the treatment of oral halitosis. Applying the PRISMA statement guidelines, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for scientific articles from the last 15 years, up to July 2021. The keywords used were “Probiotics”; “Halitosis”; “Mouth diseases”; “Oral health”; “Humans”; “Randomized Clinical Trials” according to the question, “Are probiotics effective for the reduction or elimination of oral halitosis?” Fourteen studies were identified, although only four met the inclusion criteria. We evaluated 283 participants treated with two different probiotics, with a follow-up of at least 2 weeks. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. A fixed-effects meta-analysis was performed. No statistical significance was found (p = 0.53). Despite the limitations of this meta-analysis, we believe that some probiotics have a beneficial effect on halitosis, although more clinical trials are needed to establish real evidence on this aspect.Systematic Review Registration:https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2021.9.0009, identifier: INPLASY20211900.