Implant treatment in the maxillary anterior region requires favorable esthetic and functional outcomes. The buccal bone plate in this region is often thin and prone to resorption after tooth extraction, which may compromise treatment outcomes. The socket shield technique preserves part of the buccal root and the periodontal ligament blood supply, thereby helping to reduce post-extraction bone resorption and maintain the buccal bone plate. After more than 10 years of development, this technique has been increasingly applied in clinical practice and has shown advantages in preserving peri-implant hard and soft tissues. However, it is still associated with strict indications and high technical sensitivity. Based on current literature and our clinical experience, this article reviews case selection, shield design, surgical procedures, current limitations, and future directions of the socket shield technique, with the aim of providing a reference for its clinical application.

This study focuses on the prevention and minimally invasive management of titanium mesh exposure following guided bone regeneration in the anterior esthetic zone. Anterior tissue recession often causes contour collapse and "black triangles", while the high tension of titanium meshes frequently induces soft tissue dehiscence. The etiology of mesh exposure and the histological barrier role of the "pseudo-periosteum" are systematically reviewed, alongside evidence-based strategies ranging from conservative chlorhexidine decontamination to surgical interventions based on clinical grading. For prevention, the biomechanical advantages of tension-free passive closure designs, such as the modified poncho technique, are highlighted. To address exposed defects, the gold standard status of subepithelial connective tissue grafts for esthetic remodeling and the biostimulation potential of platelet-rich fibrin combined with minimally invasive tunneling are evaluated. Furthermore, cutting-edge protocols for Er: YAG laser decontamination and cytocompatibility restoration are introduced, anticipating the future applications of 3D-printed customized meshes, resorbable suture fixation, and bioactive copper-bearing titanium alloys. The objective is to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary solution encompassing morphological design, passive closure, minimally invasive repair, laser decontamination, and bioactive materials.

Conventional management of permanent tooth pulpitis predominantly involves root canal therapy (RCT), which is associated with several limitations, including prolonged treatment time, increased costs, the necessity for complete removal of pulp tissue, and diminished postoperative fracture resistance of the tooth. Vital pulp therapy (VPT), which focuses on excising infected or inflamed pulp tissue, establishing an effective seal, and employing bioactive materials to promote tissue repair, has recently broadened its application. Initially reserved for reversible pulpitis and immature permanent teeth, VPT is now increasingly utilized in selected cases involving mature permanent teeth and clinical presentations suggestive of irreversible pulpitis, facilitated by advancements in biomaterials and clinical methodologies. This review examines the diagnostic and preoperative evaluation processes, caries excavation techniques, pulp capping and pulpotomy procedures, innovations in therapeutic materials, adjunctive physical technologies, and follow-up assessment protocols pertinent to VPT in mature permanent teeth, structured according to the clinical workflow. Furthermore, it critically appraises the current limitations, ongoing debates, and prospective research avenues within the existing literature, with the objective of informing clinical decision-making and promoting standardized treatment practices.

The increasing use of medications in recent years has presented new challenges for healthcare systems. Treating patients with a medication history is inevitable in dental practice. It is essential for general dentists to consider possible drug-drug interactions between systemic medications and dental drugs. This review systematically examines the most frequently prescribed medications in China across major therapeutic categories, with particular focus on their clinically relevant interactions with dental therapeutics and associated oral hygiene recommendations.

This study utilized a three-dimensional finite element method to investigate the biomechanical effects of various loading modalities on the intrusion of maxillary posterior teeth using orthodontic miniscrews in a patient with high-angle Class Ⅱ skeletal pattern, aiming to provide guidance for clinical orthodontic practice.

A three-dimensional finite element model was developed for a patient with a high-angle Class Ⅱ skeletal pattern, incorporating the maxillary dentition, alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and clinical orthodontic appliances for the maxillary posterior teeth. The following loading conditions were configured: Condition 1: One miniscrew was placed on both the buccal and palatal sides between the first and second molars. Condition 2: One miniscrew was placed on the buccal side between the first and second molars, and the left and right first molars were connected via a transpalatal arch. Condition 3: One miniscrew was placed on the buccal side between the first and second molars, the left and right first molars were connected via a transpalatal arch, and a traction hook was designed extending from the palatal bar on the palatal sides of the second molars. Condition 4: One miniscrew was placed at the midpalatal suture region corresponding to the first molars, the left and right first molars were connected via a transpalatal arch, and midpoint traction hooks were designed on both sides of the palatal bar. Condition 5: One miniscrew was placed at the midpalatal suture region corresponding to the first molars, the left and right first molars were connected via a transpalatal arch, a traction hook was designed extending from the palatal bar on the palatal sides of the second molars, and midpoint traction hooks were added on both sides of the palatal bar. The stress distribution in the periodontal ligament and the displacement trends of the posterior teeth were investigated under these conditions.

In Condition 1, the stress gradients (defined as the ratio of mean stress in the cervical region to that in the apical region) for the second premolar, first molar, and second molar were 2.10, 2.09, and 2.26, respectively, the lowest among the five conditions. This setup exhibited the most uniform stress distribution and minimized the buccopalatal and mesiodistal inclination of the posterior teeth to the greatest extent, followed by Condition 4. In Condition 3, the hook designed on the palatal side of the second molar helped restrain its buccal inclinations, whereas in Condition 5, the palatally designed hook aggravated the degree of palatal inclination.

The most ideal method for intruding the maxillary posterior teeth is to place miniscrews on both the buccal and palatal sides between the maxillary first and second molars, followed by the use of a transpalatal arch combined with miniscrews placed in the midpalatal suture. When intruding the maxillary posterior teeth using buccal miniscrews with a transpalatal arch, a hook should be designed on the palatal side of the second molar to restrain buccal inclination. However, when using a midpalatal suture miniscrew with a transpalatal arch, it is unnecessary to design an additional hook on the palatal side of the second molar.

To compare and analyze the efficacy of functional extraction and minimally invasive extraction in the removal of impacted mandibular third molars (IMTM) .

A total of 94 patients who underwent the removal of impacted IMTM in our hospital from July 2024 to June 2025 were prospectively selected and randomly divided into a control group (minimally invasive tooth extraction) and a study group (functional tooth extraction) using a random number table, with 47 cases in each group. Follow-up was conducted at 1 day, 7 days, and 3 months after the operation. The surgical conditions (operation time, operation success rate, bleeding, difficulty of operation, integrity of the extraction socket, root fracture rate, and damage to adjacent teeth), symptoms at 1 day after the operation [bleeding, swelling, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score, numbness of the lower lip, and mouth opening], symptoms at 7 days after the operation (pain, mouth opening, swelling, numbness of the lower lip, and dry socket), and effects at 3 months after the operation (alveolar bone width and height, numbness of the lower lip, and temporomandibular joint symptoms) were compared between the two groups.

The integrity score of the extraction socket in the study group was (3.64 ± 0.28), which was significantly higher than that in the control group (2.47 ± 0.14), with a statistically significant difference (t = 25.623, P<0.001). At 1 day and 7 days postoperatively, the VAS scores in the study group were (0.83 ± 0.21) and (0.463 ± 0.010), respectively, which were lower than those in the control group (1.56 ± 0.24) and (0.527 ± 0.020), with statistically significant differences (t_{1 d} = 15.693, t_{7 d} = 19.622, P<0.001). At 3 months postoperatively, the alveolar bone height in the study group was (14.1 ± 2.3) mm, which was higher than that in the control group (12.8 ± 2.6) mm, with a statistically significant difference (t = 2.449, P = 0.016). The alveolar bone width in the study group was (6.2 ± 1.7) mm, compared with (5.6 ± 1.1) mm in the control group, and the difference was also statistically significant (t = 2.310, P = 0.023) .

When removing IMTM, functional extraction leads to higher integrity of the extraction socket compared with minimally invasive extraction. It can effectively alleviate short-term postoperative pain and discomfort, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions such as postoperative bleeding and swelling, and achieve better preservation of alveolar bone width and height three months after surgery, but it takes longer and involves more bleeding during the operation, and is more difficult to perform. Therefore, although functional tooth extraction has a long operation time and high difficulty, it offers good postoperative recovery outcomes and has certain clinical feasibility.

To investigate the relationship between oral frailty and physical frailty in elderly residents of Hanzhong communities, and to construct and validate a nomogram model that can predict the risk of physical frailty by using oral function indicators, so as to provide a practical tool for early screening in the community.

A cross-sectional study design was adopted. From August 2024 to April 2025, a total of 615 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years were recruited from 10 communities in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province by multistage random sampling. Physical frailty was assessed by Chinese modified frailty phenotype (CMFP), and oral function was assessed by Chinese version of oral frailty index-8 (OFI-8) and its specific items. Variables were screened by LASSO regression, and then a multivariate logistic regression model and a nomogram were constructed. The discriminative ability and calibration degree of the model were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve area (AUC) and calibration curve.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age (75-89 years: OR = 1.808, 95% CI: 1.084-3.015; ≥90 years: OR = 9.685, 95% CI: 3.320-28.251), diabetes (OR = 2.073, 95% CI: 1.187-3.619), masticatory difficulty (OR = 2.176, 95% CI: 1.226-3.861), dry mouth (OR = 1.769, 95% CI: 1.016-3.081), and denture use (OR = 1.512, 95% CI: 1.173-1.949) were independent risk factors for physical frailty, while higher body mass index (BMI) was a protective factor (18.5-24.0 kg/m²: OR = 0.249, 95% CI: 0.124-0.500; >24.0 kg/m²: OR = 0.309, 95% CI: 0.149-0.642). The nomogram model constructed based on these variables demonstrated moderate and stable predictive performance in both the training set (AUC = 0.760, 95% CI: 0.706-0.814) and the validation set (AUC = 0.746, 95% CI: 0.675-0.818). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P>0.05) and calibration curves indicated good model fit.

There is a significant association between oral frailty and physical frailty. The constructed nomogram integrates key predictors including advanced age, diabetes, BMI, masticatory difficulty, dry mouth, and denture use, providing an intuitive and practical tool for community healthcare workers to conduct initial screening for physical frailty risk. The findings suggest that in community-based health management for the elderly, in addition to focusing on traditional chronic diseases and nutritional indicators, attention should be paid to the assessment and intervention of masticatory function, oral wetness, and denture use, which may help in the early identification of high-risk individuals for frailty and the implementation of targeted measures.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a benign bone lesion characterized by the replacement of normal bone tissue with fibrous structures and disorganized woven bone. This lesion often affects the craniofacial skeleton, particularly the maxilla and mandible. Whether dental implant surgery can be successfully performed in patients with FD lacks consensus. Our department admitted a patient with missing right upper posterior teeth and fibrous dysplasia of the right maxilla. Two implants were placed in the edentulous region, one of which was partially located within the lesion area. Six months later, CBCT revealed successful osseointegration. Subsequently, a fixed bridge was fabricated, resulting in satisfactory functional restoration of mastication. At the one-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic, with no implant mobility observed clinically. Repeat CBCT imaging revealed no evidence of peri-implant bone resorption, and stable osseointegration was maintained. Collectively, this case suggests that fibrous dysplasia is not an absolute contraindication for dental implant rehabilitation. However, successful outcomes necessitate meticulous preoperative assessment, including precise lesion classification, adequate evaluation of host bone quantity and quality, and careful case selection to mitigate the risk of implant failure.

Drug-induced gingival enlargement (DIGE) is an abnormal gingival overgrowth caused by specific medications. Its management requires multidisciplinary collaboration to adjust the causative drugs and implement sequential periodontal therapy, with the ultimate goal of restoring normal gingival conditions and maintaining oral health. This report describes a patient with DIGE after kidney transplantation and hypertension. Through standardized initial periodontal therapy combined with periodontal surgery and long-term supportive periodontal care, gingival enlargement was effectively reduced and oral function was restored. During four years of follow-up, no extensive recurrence of gingival enlargement was observed, and satisfactory functional and esthetic outcomes were achieved. Multidisciplinary collaboration and continuous follow-up are crucial for reducing the risk of recurrence and may provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of similar cases.

Temporomandibular joint disorder is a chronic disease with high prevalence and difficult treatment in the oral and maxillofacial region, and its pathological mechanism is very complex. Clinically, it often directly manifests as a significant abnormality of mandibular motor function. Traditional diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and imaging examination, which is subjective and difficult to dynamically quantify joint motor function. The analysis of mandibular movement trajectory can provide an objective and quantitative core evaluation method, which has undergone a technological evolution from mechanical tracing to digital and three-dimensional real-time tracking. This article systematically reviews the development of this technology, deeply discusses its practical application status in clinical diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of TMD, and objectively analyzes the problems faced by current research as well as future directions for breakthroughs.