Avivi-Arber, Limor

The world has been suffering incredible loss due to a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; 2019-nCoV). The disease was later named the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The transmission routes of COVID-19 include respiratory transmission, aerosol transmission, and contact transmission. Many dental diagnosis and treatment procedures generate droplets and aerosols, and thus both dental staff and patients are at a high risk of becoming infected and transmitting COVID-19 to others. Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital is a comprehensive hospital with 18 craniofacial-/dental-related departments. During the outbreak of COVID-19 and up to the present date, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in this hospital thanks to strict protocols for infection prevention and control. In this communication, we would like to share with the prosthodontic community our experience in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in our dental departments and hope it will contribute to the worldwide efforts to overcome the global COVID-19 pandemic.

A young female patient suffering from Satoyoshi syndrome had the first characteristic signs and symptoms of hair loss and progressive spontaneous intermittent painful spasms of limb muscles at age 6.5 years. Thereafter, she developed chronic diarrhea, amenorrhea, and skeletal deformities. In the orofacial region, she suffered from painful spasms of the masseter (jaw closing) muscles, progressive tooth loss, and degeneration of the mandibular condyles. Treatment with steroids and provision of complete dentures improved the signs and symptoms. Early diagnosis and timely provision of multidisciplinary care can minimize complications in these patients and improve their orofacial functions and quality of life.

This tribute article to Professor Barry J. Sessle summarizes the 6 presentations delivered at the July 1, 2008 symposium at the University of Toronto. The symposium honored 3 "giants" in orofacial neuroscience, Professors B.J. Sessle, J.P. Lund, and A.G. Hannam. The 6 presentations paying tribute to Sessle spanned the period from the early phase of his career up to some of his most recent studies with colleagues in Asia, Europe, and Australia as well as Canada. The studies have included those providing an improved understanding of the cortical control of sensory inputs in pain perception (presented by R. Dubner) and in the control of mastication and swallowing, as well as brainstem mechanisms of orofacial pain (K. Iwata, G. Murray). His current activities in his laboratory and in Denmark are also highlighted (L. Avivi-Arber, P. Svensson). The potential transfer of basic research discoveries toward drug development in pain control that stem from some of his research is also described (B. Cairns). The final section of the paper includes a commentary from Professor Sessle. Keywords: experimental pain, hypertonic saline, jaw muscles, jaw movement, motor cortex, sensorimotor

Forty-one patients received 49 single-tooth implants placed in different jaw locations. One implant was not osseointegrated at stage 2 surgery. Three successfully osseointegrated implants were not available for follow-up. Forty-five implants were monitored for 1 to 8 years after loading. Each one of the implants met all of the traditionally accepted success criteria, except for nine individual implants that did not meet the proposed bone level criterion. No success criteria exist for natural teeth adjacent to implants. Although preliminary results are favorable, extensive long-term studies are needed to determine which specific criteria comprise optimal functional and esthetic results with minimal risk of morbidity. Keywords: clinical study, dental implants, effectiveness, single-tooth implant