The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and secondary oral burning (SOB) by unstimulated sialometry, symptom assessment, and measurement of salivary TNF-α levels. Forty-four patients were randomized into four treatment groups: BMS/laser (n = 10), BMS/ALA (n = 5), SOB/laser (n = 15), and SOB/ALA (n = 14). The control group consisted of eight healthy female subjects. Unstimulated salivary flow was measured before and after treatment, and the collected saliva was stored at - 20 °C for the analysis of TNF-α. Symptoms were evaluated before and after treatment using a pain visual analog scale. Most patients were women (81.8%) during menopause (72.2%). LLLT and ALA were efficient in increasing salivary flow only in BMS but provided symptom relief in both conditions. TNF-α levels did not differ between patients with BMS and SOB or between those patients and the control group. No differences were observed in posttreatment TNF-α levels in either condition. The results of this study suggest that LLLT and ALA are efficient therapies in reducing burning mouth symptoms, with LLLT being more efficient than ALA.

Background Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia (FCOD) has been described as a condition that characteristically affects the jaws of middle-aged black women. Radiographically, FCOD appears as dense, lobulated masses, often symmetrically located in various regions of the jaws. FCOD is usually asymptomatic. In severe cases, focal expansion may occur due to infection. Management of the symptomatic patient is more difficult due to the avascular nature of the lesion which contributes to susceptibility severe infection, bone sequestration, and osteomyelitis when surgery is performed. Case report This paper presents a rare case of severe FCOD; the black woman patient was diagnosed based on clinical and radiographic findings and treated conservatively. The examination of panoramic radiographs revealed a multiple sclerotic masses with radiolucent borders, found in the mandible and maxilla which were symmetrical at presentation. The patient continuous with the follow-up. Discussion This report confirms that a diagnosis can be made with accurate clinical and radiographic assessment. The correct selection of treatment for FCOD depends on this information.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression of metalloproteinases-1, -2, and -9 in solid ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor. METHODS: A total of 20 cases of solid ameloblastoma and 10 cases of adenomatoid odontogenic tumors were selected and immunohistochemically assessed. Metalloproteinases-1, -2, and -9 immunoexpression and their distribution pattern were noted and semiquantitatively scored. The scores obtained were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 showed a predominant expression in both tumors and was found in stroma and parenchyma. For MMP-2, there was a varied expression, with 80% and 60% of immunoreactive tumor cells in ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor respectively. Regarding stromal cells, 65% of ameloblastomas and 80% of adenomatoid odontogenic tumors showed positivity. There was immunoexpression of the MMP-9 in parenchymal and stromal cells in all cases of both tumors analyzed. A statistically significant difference in the expression of MMP-1 in relation to the expression of MMP-2 and -9 in ameloblastomas (P < 0.001) was observed. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that these metalloproteinases are related to growth and progression of tumors analyzed, and particularly in ameloblastoma, its highest aggressiveness may be, in part, a result of the active participation of the stromal cells and their products, such as the MMPs studied. Oral Diseases (2009) 15, 472-477

BACKGROUNDRecurrent aphthous ulcerations are common benign ulcerated lesions on the mouth, whose etiology is poorly understood, with controversial treatment and difficult to control in clinical practice.OBJECTIVETo evaluate the cases of recurrent aphthous ulcerations with a focus on treatment, diagnosis and etiology.METHODSThis is a retrospective study of the cases of the Oral Diagnosis service of the Rio Grande do Norte Federal University in Natal/RN. Data such as sex, age, race, location, smoking habits, types of treatment, relapsing episodes, laboratory test results and clinical characteristics were collected. The associations between the variables were analyzed using the Pearson Chi-square test (p <0.05).RESULTSA total of 4895 patients were seen in the service over a period of 11 years. Of these, 161 (3.3%) had complaints of oral aphthous ulcerations, of which 76 (47.2%) were diagnosed as suffering from recurrent aphthous ulcerations and 68 (42.2%) with clinical information necessary for evaluation. The tongue was the most affected anatomical region, with 27 individuals (39.7%), followed by the buccal mucosa, with 22 cases (32.3%).STUDY LIMITATIONSRetrospective study with data from medical records.CONCLUSIONDental surgeons, dermatologists and otorhinolaryngologists are the main responsible for the first contact with patients with this disease and should be attentive to the clinical aspects and treat each patient in an individualized way, since the therapy is palliative, its diagnosis is by exclusion and its etiology is unknown.