Pyogenic granuloma is a benign, non-neoplastic, mucocutaneous lesion and is especially common on the tongue, lips, and gums. This case report presents a large oral pyogenic granuloma of the gingiva and the surgical treatment of this lesion with Nd:YAG laser. A 14-year-old female patient referred with a complaint of a swelling and growth on the buccal side of her mandibular left premolar teeth. A comprehensive intraoral examination revealed a localized gingival mass between mandibular left premolar teeth on the buccal aspect. The treatment selected was surgical removal using Nd:YAG laser with the following irradiation parameters: power output 4 W, energy 100 mJ, frequency 40 Hz, and pulsed emission mode. During surgery, complications including hemorrhage were not observed, and no scarring developed after surgery. The excised area gradually improved within 1 month. The use of Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of pyogenic granuloma reduced bleeding during surgery, with a consequent reduction in operating time, promoted rapid postoperative hemostasis, and has better patient acceptance.

Purpose:The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the performance of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography in detecting the presence and location of maxillary sinus septa.Materials and Methods:This study included radiographic examination of 104 maxillary sinuses of 52 individuals (26 females, 50% and 26 males, 50%) whose panoramic radiographs and CBCT images were obtained for several dental causes which were examined by the consensus of four dentomaxillofacial radiologists. The posterior maxillary segments in proximity of maxillary sinus were classified as edentulous and dentate maxillary segments. The location of maxillary sinus septa was classified as primary septa and secondary septa according to the presence of maxillary tooth at the affected site. The maxillary sinus septa were divided into three categories (anterior, middle and posterior) according to its relation with posterior maxillary teeth. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.Results:The septa were found in 23.1% and 29.8% of the maxillary sinuses on panoramic radiography and CBCT images, respectively. The majority of maxillary sinus septa were observed in dentate posterior maxillary segments on both panoramic (45.8%) radiography and CBCT (64.5%) images. Statistically significant differences (p<0.001) were found between panoramic radiography and CBCT images for presence, location and neighborhood with the posterior maxillary teeth of maxillary sinus septa.Conclusion:The results of this study demonstrated the low reliability of panoramic radiography images in the detection of maxillary sinus septa. CBCT images can provide valuable information to the clinicians about the presence and location of maxillary sinus septa.

The prevalence of complete edentulism varies from country to country and from one region to another. Previous studies have reported the high prevalence of significant radiographic findings in edentulous patients. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of complete edentulism retrospectively and to evaluate the frequency and location of significant radiographic findings on panoramic radiographs in edentulous jaws of dental patients in northeastern Turkey. Methods: The digital panoramic images of all ≥35 year-old patients admitted to our faculty from January 2014 to August 2015 were evaluated. The prevalence of complete edentulism was determined among 8314 panoramic images retrospectively. Radiographic findings identified as impacted teeth, retained roots, radiopaque, and radiolucent areas detected in panoramic radiographs of completely edentulous patients (CEP) were recorded. The obtained data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and cross-tabs. Chi-square test was employed to evaluate the statistical significance of the results at 0.05 levels. Results: A total of 8314 panoramic images were examined, and 508 (6.11%) CEP were defined. The prevalence of edentulism was higher (24.85%) among the patients older than 64 years old. A total of 206 radiographic findings were detected on panoramic images of CEP. The prevalence values of retained roots, impacted teeth, radiopacities, and radiolucencies were 18.9%, 7.09%, 2.76%, and 1.57%, respectively. Conclusions: Given the high frequency of significant radiographic findings, the radiographic examination of CEP should be performed with consideration of the cumulative effects of radiation.

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Introduction: Oral soft tissue lesions cause discomfort and potentially serious clinical problems. Case Series: These case reports present different gingival and/or mucosal lesions (pyogenic granuloma, verruca vulgaris, giant cell granuloma, fibroma, etc.) and the surgical treatment of these lesions with a neodymium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet (Nd:YAG) laser (320‐μm optic fiber; 4 W; 100 mJ, 40 Hz; emission mode, pulsed, and contact mode). Patients were evaluated after laser surgery on degree of postoperative pain; discomfort; functional complications (eating and speech); and recurrence. Results indicated that patients had minimal postoperative pain, few functional complications, and low rates of pain. Laser surgery produced minimal bleeding, damage to the surrounding tissue, and post‐surgical edema. Conclusion: In these cases, the Nd:YAG laser provided a non‐bleeding environment at the surgical area with an acceptable operating time, quick postoperative hemostasis, good patient acceptance, low rates of pain, and no post‐treatment adverse events among patients with oral soft tissue lesions.