Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a qualitative disturbance of the enamel of the permanent molars and/or incisors. Its etiology is not clearly defined but is connected with different factors occurring before and after birth. It remains difficult to identify a single factor or group of factors, and the problem is further complicated by various overlapping mechanisms. In this study, we attempted to determine whether DNA methylation—an epigenetic mechanism—plays a key role in the etiology of MIH. We collected the epithelium of the oral mucosa from children with MIH and healthy individuals and analyzed its global DNA methylation level in each child using a 5-mC DNA ELISA kit after DNA isolation. There was no statistically significant difference between the global DNA methylation levels in the study and control groups. Then, we also analyzed the associations of the DNA methylation levels with different prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors, using appropriate statistical methods. Factors such as number of pregnancies, number of births, type of delivery, varicella infection (under 3 years old), and high fever (under 3 years old) were significantly important. This work can be seen as the first step towards further studies of the epigenetic background of the MIH etiology.

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Introduction: Dental erosion is a progressive chemical degradation of tooth substance in an acidic environment, which is unrelated to the presence of dental plaque. Dehydration induced by sport activities reduces protective salivary flow and its buffering capacity, which may aggravate the erosive effect of consumed acidic beverages. Objectives: To evaluate the erosive potential of ready-to-drink and powdered sports drinks. Material and methods: Seven ready-to-drink sports beverages (Oshee, Isotonic Lemon Taste, Gatorade, Powerade, Isotonic Veroni, Isostar, and 4Move) and four prepared from powder (Isoactive, Race Isotonic Drink ALE, IsoPlus, and Isostar) were analysed. A 1% citric acid was used as a reference. Human enamel specimens (five per group) were exposed to the tested solution in a short pH-cycling model (1 min erosion-5 min artificial saliva without mucin) repeated five times. Surface microhardness was measured before and after the pH-cycling using a Vickers indenter. A correlation between the pH of the drink and enamel softening was determined. Results: All tested beverages decreased the enamel microhardness. Gatorade and Powerade had the lowest pH and exhibited the highest erosive potential, comparable with 1% citric acid. In general, the erosive potential of ready-to-drink beverages was higher than powdered drinks, except for Isostar. There was a significant negative correlation between enamel softening and the pH value of the drink (r =-0.55). Conclusions: Sports drinks exhibit different erosive potential related to their pH. Patients frequently consuming these beverages should be aware of the potential risk for dental erosion.

Chronic tonsillitis is a problem related to bacterial and viral infections. Ficolins play a key role in the defence against various pathogens. In the present study, we investigated the associations between the selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FCN2 gene and chronic tonsillitis in the Polish population. The study included 101 patients with chronic tonsillitis and 101 healthy individuals. The selected SNPs of FCN2 (rs3124953, rs17514136 and rs3124954) were genotyped using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays (Applied Biosystem, Foster City, CA, USA). The analysis of rs17514136 and rs3124953 showed no significant differences in genotype frequencies between the chronic tonsillitis patients and controls (p > 0.01). The CT genotype of rs3124954 was significantly more frequent, while the CC genotype was less frequent in chronic tonsillitis patients (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). The frequency of the A/G/T haplotype (rs17514136/rs3124953/rs3124954) was significantly more common in chronic tonsillitis patients (p = 0.0011). Moreover, the FCN2 CT genotype of rs3124954 was associated with a higher risk of chronic tonsillitis, while the CC genotype of rs3124954 decreased this risk. Our findings demonstrate that FCN2 rs3124954 may be associated with chronic tonsillitis in the Polish adult population.