Background. Transferrin is a negative acute phase protein, which decreases during inflammation and infection. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate changes in the transferrin serum levels subsequent to non-surgical treatment of chronic periodontal disease.Methods. Twenty patients with chronic periodontitis and 20 systemically healthy subjects without periodontal disease, who had referred to Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry, were selected. Transferrin serum levels and clinical periodontal parameters (pocket depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, bleeding index and plaque index) were measured at baseline and 3 months after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods (means ± standard deviations). Independent samples t-test was used to compare transferrin serum levels and clinical variables between the test and control groups. Paired samples t-test was used in the test group for comparisons before and after treatment. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results. The mean transferrin serum level in patients with chronic periodontitis (213.1 ± 9.2 mg/dL) was significantly less than that in periodontally healthy subjects (307.8 ± 11.7 mg/dL). Three months after periodontal treatment, the transferrin serum level increased significantly (298.3 ± 7.6 mg/dL) and approached the levels in periodontally healthy subjects (P < 0.05).Conclusion. The decrease and increase in transferrin serum levels with periodontal disease and periodontal treatment, respectively, indicated an inverse relationship between transferrin serum levels and chronic periodontitis.

Objective: To evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial effect of Listerine-green tea mouthwash on Streptococcus mutans (SM) in comparison with 0.12% Chlorhexidine (CHX) and Listerine-Zero. Material and Methods: The sensitivity and growth inhibition of SM bacterial species were evaluated and compared between Listerine-green tea, 0.12% CHX and Listerine-Zero mouthwashes. Sixty plates containing SM colonies were prepared in three groups (n=20), and growth inhibition zones were measured using the disk diffusion agar test in mm. Data were analyzed with SPSS 21. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the efficacy of the three mouthwashes tested. Post hoc Tukey tests were used for two-by-two comparisons. Statistical significance was defined at P<0.05. Results: Analysis of data showed significant differences between the three groups (p<0.001); 0.12% CHX was the most effective mouthwash, and Listerine-Zero exhibited the least effect on the growth inhibition of SM (p<0.004). Conclusion: All three mouthwashes were significantly effective in inhibiting the growth of SM. The effect of Listerine-green tea mouthwash was higher than that of Listerine-Zero and less than that of 0.12% CHX.

Background. Maxillary sinus pathologic conditions increase the risk of complications during sinus augmentation surgeries in the posterior maxilla. The present study aimed to determine the frequencies of maxillary sinus pathologic findings on patients’ cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images to receive dental implants. Methods. In this descriptive/cross-sectional study, 140 CBCT images of patients who were candidates to receive dental implants were evaluated for the presence of maxillary sinus pathologic entities during 6 months, were divided into five categories: mucosal thickening of >5 mm, retention cyst, partial or complete opacification of the sinus, polypoidal mucosal thickening, and healthy patients. Age, gender, and dental status were evaluated in terms of relationship with the sinus pathologic findings. Absolute and relative frequencies were used to describe data. The chi-squared test was used to analyze the variables. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results. The frequency of maxillary sinus pathologic entities on CBCT images was 63.5%. The pathologic conditions in descending frequency were as follows: mucosal thickening (31.4%), retention cyst (17.1%), partial or complete opacification of the sinus (9.3%), and polypoidal mucosal thickening (5.7%). The frequency of pathologic findings in the maxillary sinus was higher in the <46-year age group and subjects with partial edentulism; however, the differences were not significant. Conclusion. In the present study, the most frequent maxillary sinus pathologic entity was mucosal thickening. There was no relationship between age, sex, and dentition status and maxillary sinus pathologic findings.

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Background. Limited evidence is available on the effect of milk as a mouthwash on treating dentin hypersensitivity. The present study aimed to compare the effect of milk as a mouthwash with one anti-hypersensitivity mouthwash in decreasing dentin hypersensitivity after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Methods. Patients with generalized moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis were selected randomly in the present study and underwent scaling and root planing (SRP). Seventy patients with severe dentin hypersensitivity after two days were assigned to two groups. In group A, the patients were asked to use milk as a mouthwash, and in group B, the patients were asked to use anti-hypersensitiv­ity Misswake mouthwash. The patients’ hypersensitivity was measured during follow-up visits. The independent t-test was used to compare denim hypersensitivity between the two groups. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results. The results showed a significant decrease in dentin hypersensitivity in both groups on days 15 and 30. In the milk group, 11 and 29 patients fully recovered from dentin hypersensitivity on days 15 and 30, respectively. However, in the anti-hypersensitivity mouthwash group, 8 and 27 patients fully recovered from dentin hypersensitivity on days 15 and 30, respectively. Therefore, more patients benefited from the anti-hypersensitivity effects of milk as a mouthwash. However, the differences were not significant during the whole treatment sessions. Conclusion. Using milk as an inexpensive and available mouthwash can decrease dentin hypersensi­tivity after SRP.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of two types of light-curing units (second and third generations) and two types of bulk-fill composite resins with different photoinitiators -Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill (TNCB) and Xtra Fil (XTF) on gap formation at the gingival margins of Cl II restorations. Material and Methods: Fiftysix standard Cl II cavities were prepared on the mesial and distal surfaces of premolar teeth, with the gingival margin of the cavities 1 mm apical to the CEJ. The samples were randomly assigned to two groups based on the composite resin type and two subgroups based on the light-curing unit type and restored. After 5000 rounds of thermocycling, gingival margin gap in each sample was measured in µm under an electron microscope at ×2000 magnification. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (α=0.05). Results: Marginal gaps of TNCB composite resin were significantly smaller than those of XTF composite resin (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two light-curing units in each group (p=0.887 with XTF and p=0.999 with TNCB). Conclusion: The gaps at gingival margins of Cl II cavities with TNCB bulk-fill composite were smaller than XTF composite resin. Both composite resins can be cured with both the second-and third-generation LEDs.

Background Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease with the production of cytokines that can lead to local and systemic inflammatory responses. On the other hand, during systemic inflammation in the body, the levels of acute phase proteins (APPs) can change. APPs include positive and negative types, which in response to inflammatory conditions, the concentration of positive types increases and negative types decreases. Therefore, examining changes in APPs can be used as a marker during periodontitis and periodontal treatment. Objective The purpose of this review article was to investigate the effect of periodontitis and periodontal treatment on positive APPs. The distinguishing feature of this article is the investigation of the effect of periodontal disease and its treatment on positive APPs. In addition, the introduction of new positive APPs in the future can be used to conduct new studies. Methods In this study, the keywords periodontitis, acute phase proteins, periodontal debridement, and inflammation mediators in English were searched in Google Scholar and PubMed and Scopus databases from 2000 to 2022. Among the found articles, finally, 65 related articles were selected and reviewed. Results Periodontal treatment can reduce the levels of positive APPs increased during periodontitis. Conclusion Periodontitis as an inflammatory disease can lead to changes in the levels of positive APPs leading to an increase in the levels of these proteins. Periodontal treatment, which includes non-surgical treatment (the first step of periodontal treatment and the gold standard of this treatment is scaling above and below the gums and leveling the root surfaces to remove etiological factors) and, if necessary, surgical treatment can lead to the reduction of their levels.