Objective. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of laser application in temporomandibular joint disorder. Methods. PubMed, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched systematically with restricting the languages to only English and year (January 2001 to March 2020), and studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Study quality and publication bias were assessed by using the Robvis, a software package of R statistical software. Results. This systematic review included 32 studies (1172 patients) based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of the studies reported significant reduction of pain by the use of the laser during TMD treatment. Two-thirds of the study (78.13%) found a better outcome comparing with conventional one. According to Robvis, 84.4% of the studies were high methodological studies with low risk of bias. Conclusion. TMD patients suffer with continuous pain for long time even after conventional treatment. Laser therapy shows a promising outcome of pain reduction for TMD patients. Therefore, laser therapy can be recommended for the TMD patients’ better outcome. This trial is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020177562).

Charm needles or susuk are needle-shaped metallic objects inserted subcutaneously in different parts of the body. The practice of inserting susuk is, an indisputably cultural and superstitious traditional belief common in the south-east Asian region, especially to the people of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. With increased use of diagnostic radiographs in dental or medical practice, the discovery of charm needles has become more frequent. We report one such case of charm needles inserted in oro-facial region which was discovered in routine dental radiograph, with emphasis on cultural and traditional belief.

Quaternary ammonium silane [(QAS), codename – k21] is a novel biomaterial developed by sol-gel process having broad spectrum antimicrobial activities with low cytotoxicity. It has been used in various concentrations with maximum antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility. The antimicrobial mechanism is displayed via contact killing, causing conformational changes within the bacterial cell membrane, inhibiting Sortase-A enzyme, and causing cell disturbances due to osmotic changes. The compound can attach to S1' pockets on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), leading to massive MMP enzyme inhibition, making it one of the most potent protease inhibitors. Quaternary ammonium silane has been synthesized and used in dentistry to eliminate the biofilm from dental tissues. QAS has been tested for its antibacterial activity as a cavity disinfectant, endodontic irrigant, restorative and root canal medication, and a nanocarrier for drug delivery approaches. The review is first of its kind that aims to discuss applications of QAS as a novel antibacterial biomaterial for dental applications along with discussions on its cytotoxic effects and future prospects in dentistry.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a type of idiopathic orofacial pain. Inflammation, particularly elevated circulating levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been linked to pain symptoms. The purpose of this study was to compare hs-CRP, IL-6, and IL-8 biomarkers and pain intensity with different treatment strategies (LLLT, standard conservative treatment, and combination) for TMD patients. Methods: A total of 32 participants were randomly included in the study and divided into three groups (Group I, Group II, and Group III) referred from the Dental Clinic, School of Dental Science, HUSM. Patients received LLLT (Groups II and III) in five sessions for the duration of 10 days. Patients in Groups I and III received standard conservative TMD treatment (diet and stress counseling, jaw exercises, physical therapy, which was a hot towel application) by the principal investigator. All blood samples for biomarkers were performed before starting treatments and directly after finishing the treatment protocols, where all results were recorded. Results: The result showed a significant difference in the mean IL-8 (p = 0.001) between the three intervention groups (LLLT, standard treatment, and combined treatment). IL-6 showed an increase in the mean of IL-6 levels from baseline to post-treatment with a better mean in the LLLT treatment group without any significant differences. Additionally, there were no significant mean differences found between the groups and in the group for the hs-CRP biomarker. Conclusions: A statistically non-significant difference was found in hs-CRP and IL-6 before and after LLLT, conservative, and combined treatment strategies of TMD. A statistically significant difference was observed in the mean levels of IL-8 between the LLLT intervention group and the combined treatment group. Although there was no statistically significant correlation between pain intensity and biomarkers, a statistically significant difference was found in pain intensity before and after LLLT, conservative, and combined treatment strategies. TMJ degeneration could be exacerbated by elevated IL-8 levels. Thus, this can be an important biomarker to mark or identify the painful condition of TMJ.

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