At present, researchers in the field of biomaterials are focusing on the oral hard and soft tissue engineering with bioactive ingredients by activating body immune cells or different proteins of the body. By doing this natural ground substance, tissue component and long-lasting tissues grow. One of the current biomaterials is known as bioactive glass (BAG). The bioactive properties make BAG applicable to several clinical applications involving the regeneration of hard tissues in medicine and dentistry. In dentistry, its uses include dental restorative materials, mineralizing agents, as a coating material for dental implants, pulp capping, root canal treatment, and air-abrasion, and in medicine it has its applications from orthopedics to soft-tissue restoration. This review aims to provide an overview of promising and current uses of bioactive glasses in dentistry.

Graphene is a versatile compound with several outstanding properties, providing a combination of impressive surface area, high strength, thermal and electrical properties, with a wide array of functionalization possibilities. This review aims to present an introduction of graphene and presents a comprehensive up-to-date review of graphene as an antimicrobial and coating application in medicine and dentistry. Available articles on graphene for biomedical applications were reviewed from January 1957 to August 2020) using MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The selected articles were included in this study. Extensive research on graphene in several fields exists. However, the available literature on graphene-based coatings in dentistry and medical implant technology is limited. Graphene exhibits high biocompatibility, corrosion prevention, antimicrobial properties to prevent the colonization of bacteria. Graphene coatings enhance adhesion of cells, osteogenic differentiation, and promote antibacterial activity to parts of titanium unaffected by the thermal treatment. Furthermore, the graphene layer can improve the surface properties of implants which can be used for biomedical applications. Hence, graphene and its derivatives may hold the key for the next revolution in dental and medical technology.

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is an ulcerative disease of the oral cavity and can occur in isolation or as a manifestation of many systemic diseases. It is a quite common entity and may hence often be overlooked as an isolated lesion. Gilbert’s syndrome is a genetic disorder where a deficiency of an enzyme associated with the conjugation of bilirubin results in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. The disease is generally asymptomatic and is aggravated by certain trigger factors. No associated oral manifestations are known. In this case report, we discuss the concomitant presence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis in a patient of Gilbert’s syndrome. The presence of such recurrent stomatitis may represent as an oral manifestation of Gilbert’s syndrome. Early identification of these entities may improve the overall quality of life of the patient.

A very low percentage of lung cancer (LC) cases are discovered at an early and treatable stage of the disease, leading to an abysmally low 5-year survival rate. This underscores the immediate necessity for improved diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for LC. Biopsied lung tissue, blood, and plasma are common sources used for LC diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. A growing number of studies have reported saliva to be a useful biological sample for early and noninvasive detection of oral and systemic diseases. Nevertheless, salivary biomarker discovery remains underresearched. Here, we have compiled the available literature to provide an overview of the current understanding of salivary markers for LC detection and provided perspectives for future clinical significance. Valuable markers with diagnostic and prognostic potentials in LC have been discovered in saliva, including metabolic (catalase activity, triene conjugates, and Schiff bases), inflammatory (interleukin 10, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10), proteomic (haptoglobin, zinc-α-2-glycoprotein, and calprotectin), genomic (epidermal growth factor receptor), and microbial candidates (Veillonella and Streptococcus). In combination, with each other and with other established screening methods, these salivary markers could be useful for improving early detection of the disease and ultimately improve the survival odds of LC patients. The existing literature suggests that saliva is a promising biological sample for identification and validation of biomarkers in LC, but how saliva can be utilized most effectively in a clinical setting for LC management is still under investigation.

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Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are emerging smart materials that have the ability to change to a shape and revert to their permanent shape on application of external stimulus. SMPs can be divided into four types based on their permanent shape, elasticity origin, and temporary shape fixing mechanism: chemically cross-linked glassy thermosets, chemically cross-linked semi-crystalline, physically cross-linked glassy copolymers, and physically cross-linked block copolymers. The broad overview of recent developments on SMPs for biomedical applications proves their wide applicability in the field of general medicine, drug delivery, regenerative medicine, dentistry, neuromedicine, cancer therapy, orthopedics, and corrosion protection. Herein, a comprehensive analysis of SMPs and their composites with focus on their types, mechanism, functionality and biomedical applications is presented. Relevant biomedical technologies based on SMPs and their future advancement towards biomedical applications are also discussed.

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