Abstract. The purpose of this viewpoint is to provide a framework that is used within the Mayo Clinic to align recommendations from infectious disease experts, dental specialists, and orthopedic surgeons with regards to need for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to invasive dental procedures.

Oral cavity lymphomas constitute only 3% of all lymphomas in the general population but are the third most common oral malignancy. A 67-year-old female with a history of osteoporosis, Graves' disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was referred to the Department of Dental Specialties with a chief complaint of persistent soft tissue swelling facial to the maxillary incisors of possible non-odontogenic origin. To expedite care, the patient was first seen via teledentistry and subsequently appointed for an in-person evaluation and treatment. Examination revealed 1-3 mm probing depths and a firm, non-tender, non-fluctuant mass in the facial soft tissues approximating teeth nos. 7-10.Biopsy of the affected area was performed. A diagnosis of recurrent follicle center cell lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, was rendered.The patient was subsequently referred to the Oncology and Hematology team, followed for 6 weeks and remained symptom-free. This case underlies the importance of teledentistry to expedite care and manage patient expectations.Additionally, it also underscores the importance of microscopic examination of tissue samples from oral lesions that appear non-odontogenic in nature and reinforces the role of dentistry in uncovering the oral-systemic link.

A retrospective chart review was conducted of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images captured between November 2019 and April 2021 on patients who underwent dental implant placement and had a periodontal charting. The buccal and lingual bone thickness around the implants was measured as an average of three measurements taken from the buccal and lingual aspects of implants. Implants with peri-implantitis were placed in group 1 while implants with peri-implant mucositis or peri-implant health were placed in group 2. A Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test was used to compare the differences between the bone thickness between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 93 CBCT radiographs were screened, resulting in the analysis of 15 CBCT images that contained both a dental implant and a corresponding periodontal charting. Of the 15 dental implants examined, five implants presented with peri-implantitis, one with peri-implant mucositis and nine with peri-implant health, rendering a percentage of patients with peri-implantitis at 33%. Within the limitations of this study, buccal bone thickness averaging ≥1.10 mm or midlingual probing depths (PDs) ≤3.4 mm correlates with a more favorable peri-implant response. Larger studies are needed to substantiate these findings.

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