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Researchers have reported false positive/negative results of the cold test in the diagnosis of pulpitis. Knowledge of the correlation between results of the cold test and proteins could aid in decreasing the frequency of incorrect diagnosis. To associate the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) with the responses (in seconds) to the cold test in teeth diagnosed with reversible and irreversible pulpitis. A cross-sectional study was performed. A total of 150 subjects were evaluated, of which 60 subjects met the selection criteria. The participants were divided into 3 groups: Group 1, healthy pulps, 20 subjects with 20 posterior teeth (premolars) with clinically normal pulp tissue; Group 2, reversible pulpitis, 20 patients with 20 teeth diagnosed with reversible pulpitis; and Group 3, irreversible pulpitis, 20 subjects with 20 teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis. All participants were evaluated based on the following variables: medical and dental history, cold test, and expression of MMP-8 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in dentin samples. Responses to the cold test between 4 to 5 seconds (second evaluation; P < .0001) were associated with high levels of MMP-8 (mean, 0.36 ng/mL) in the reversible pulpitis group. In the irreversible pulpitis group, the responses from 6 to ≥10 seconds (second evaluation; P < .0001) were associated with a higher average of MMP-8 levels (mean, 1.97 ng/mL). We determined that an increase in the duration of response to the cold test was associated with an increase in MMP-8 levels (Rho = 0.81, P < .0001) in teeth with pulpitis. The above correlations can be considered an adjunct to the clinical diagnosis of pulpitis.

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The aim of this study was to determine the effect of propolis on non-surgical periodontal therapy in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) as it appears in the recent literature. Propolis is a natural and biocompatible resinous substance that has shown, by means of several scientific studies, to possess medicinal properties such as antimicrobial, healing, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic, among others. There are several studies that have reported the use of propolis as a non-surgical treatment of CP, its comparison with other antimicrobials, and the improvement of clinical and microbiological parameters with scaling and root planing (SRP). A bibliographic search was conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases up to 2021. The results showed that there are very few reports focused on clinical studies; however, according to the analyzed data, propolis could be a good adjuvant for the treatment of patients with chronic periodontitis compared to the conventional treatment (SRP).