Low maternal 25(OH)D levels appear not only to be associated with an increase in the prevalence of allergic sensitization but also the risk of eczema and asthma in early childhood.

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Clinical decisions regarding the stability and osseointegration of mandibular implants positioned using the bone expansion techniques are conflicting and limited. The objective was to evaluate the stability of implants placed using 2 surgical techniques, selected according to the initial width of the mandibular posterior edentulous ridge, with D bone density, during a 12-week period. Fifty-eight implants in 33 patients were evaluated. Thirty-two implants in 24 patients were positioned using the osteotome expansion technique, and 26 fixtures in 17 patients were installed using the conventional drilling technique. The implant stability quotient values were recorded at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 postsurgery and evaluated using analysis of variance, independent, and paired t tests. Calibrated according to the stability reading of a 3.3-mm diameter implant, the osteotome expansion group was associated with a lower bone density than the conventional group (64.96 ± 6.25 vs 68.98 ± 5.06, P = .011). The osteotome expansion group achieved a comparable primary stability (ISQ, P = .124) and greater increases in secondary stability (ISQ, P = .07) than did the conventional technique. A D quality ridge with mild horizontal deficiency is expandable by using the osteotome expansion technique. Although the 2 groups presented similar implant stability quotient readings during the study period, the osteotome expansion technique showed significant improvement in secondary stability. The healing patterns for these techniques are therefore inconsistent.

During dental treatments, patients may experience negative emotions associated with the procedure. This study was conducted with the aim of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to visualize cerebral cortical stimulation among dental patients in response to auditory stimuli produced by ultrasonic scaling and power suction equipment. Subjects (n = 7) aged 23-35 years were recruited for this study. All were right-handed and underwent clinical pure-tone audiometry testing to reveal a normal hearing threshold below 20 dB hearing level (HL). As part of the study, subjects initially underwent a dental calculus removal treatment. During the treatment, subjects were exposed to ultrasonic auditory stimuli originating from the scaling handpiece and salivary suction instruments. After dental treatment, subjects were imaged with fMRI while being exposed to recordings of the noise from the same dental instrument so that cerebral cortical stimulation in response to aversive auditory stimulation could be observed. The independent sample confirmatory t-test was used. Subjects also showed stimulation in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, indicating that the ultrasonic auditory stimuli elicited an unpleasant response in the subjects. Patients experienced unpleasant sensations caused by contact stimuli in the treatment procedure. In addition, this study has demonstrated that aversive auditory stimuli such as sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece also cause aversive emotions. This study was indicated by observed stimulation of the auditory cortex as well as the amygdala, indicating that noise from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece was perceived as an aversive auditory stimulus by the subjects. Subjects can experience unpleasant sensations caused by the sounds from the ultrasonic scaling handpiece based on their auditory stimuli.