We recently demonstrated that a co-culture system of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) could enhance angiogenesis ability in vitro. However, whether tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) could promote blood vessel formation during pulp regeneration remained unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TNF-α on the formation of endothelial tubules and vascular networks in a co-culture system of hDPSCs and HUVECs. hDPSCs were co-cultured with HUVECs at a ratio of 1:5. The Matrigel assay was performed to detect the total tubule branching lengths and numbers of branches, and the Cell-Counting Kit 8 assay was performed to examine the effect of TNF-α on cell proliferation. Real-time polymerase chain reactions and western blot were used to detect vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and protein expression. The Matrigel assay showed significantly greater total branching lengths and numbers of branches formed in the experimental groups treated with different concentrations of TNF-α compared with the control group. The decomposition times of the tubule structures were also significantly prolonged (P < 0.05). Treatment with 50 ng/ml TNF-α did not significantly change the proliferation of co-cultured cells, but it significantly increased the VEGF mRNA and protein expression levels (p < 0.05). In addition, the migration abilities of HUVECs and hDPSCs increased after co-culture with TNF-α (p < 0.05). TNF-α enhanced angiogenic ability in vitro in the co-culture system of hDPSCs and HUVECs.
Many modern advancements have taken place in dentistry that have exponentially impacted the progress and practice of dentistry. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming the trend in the practice of modern dentistry because of their impact on changing the patient’s experience. The use of AR and VR has been beneficial in different fields of science, but their use in dentistry is yet to be thoroughly explored, and conventional ways of dentistry are still practiced at large. Over the past few years, dental treatment has been significantly reshaped by technological advancements. In dentistry, the use of AR and VR systems has not become widespread, but their different uses should be explored. Therefore, the aim of this review was to provide an update on the contemporary knowledge, to report on the ongoing progress of AR and VR in various fields of dental medicine and education, and to identify the further research required to achieve their translation into clinical practice. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles in peer-reviewed English-language journals published in the last 10 years up to 31 March 2021, with the help of specific keywords related to AR and VR in various dental fields. Of the total of 101 articles found in the literature search, 68 abstracts were considered suitable and further evaluated, and consequently, 33 full-texts were identified. Finally, a total of 13 full-texts were excluded from further analysis, resulting in 20 articles for final inclusion. The overall number of studies included in this review was low; thus, at this point in time, scientifically-proven recommendations could not be stated. AR and VR have been found to be beneficial tools for clinical practice and for enhancing the learning experiences of students during their pre-clinical education and training sessions. Clinicians can use VR technology to show their patients the expected outcomes before the undergo dental procedures. Additionally, AR and VR can be implemented to overcome dental phobia, which is commonly experienced by pediatric patients. Future studies should focus on forming technological standards with high-quality data and developing scientifically-proven AR/VR gadgets for dental practice.
Objective: To evaluate the mean clinical oral dryness score (CODs) and salivary flow rate (SFR) in subjects exposed to active and passive smoking. The secondary aim was to determine the correlation between CODs and SFR and potential factors associated with CODs and SFR in our subjects. Study Design and Setting: The clinical observational study was conducted at the Outpatient department of oral diagnosis at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi from Jan 2019-Jul 2019. Methodology: A total of 217 participants of ages 15 – 80years coming for routine dental checkup of either gender were included. A thorough oral examination was performed for all the subjects. A non-stimulated saliva sample was collected from the oral cavity of subjects in a graduated container. The salivary flow rate was noted in ml/min for 5 minutes. Assessment of oral dryness/hypo-salivation was examined through CODs (clinical oral dryness score).The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23. Results: The mean COD score and SFR were calculated as 1 and 0.42 ml/5min respectively. The Pearson’s correlation between COD score and SFR level was calculated as -0.281 (negative correlation) such as the SFR significantly decreased when the COD score increased (p<0.05). The age, gender, smoking status, betel quid and areca nut consumption showed statistically significant difference in mean COD score and SFR levels (p<0.05). Conclusion: Salivary flow rate was significantly decreased with increase in COD score thus having an implication on oral dryness feeling in these participants.
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