Relevance. Oral biofilms are integrated three-dimensional symbiontic microbial structures embedded in the extracellular matrix that form not only on the mucous membrane but also on hard surfaces such as enamel and root of teeth, as well as dentures. Our study correlated biofilms and the onset of such a serious oral disease as chronic generalized periodontitis.

Material and Methods. The analysis of national and international literature in PubMed, Google Search and eLIBRARY databases over the past 15 years served as material and methods.

Results. There is currently an increased interest in studying the mechanisms of microbial biofilms and the factors affecting this process. Planktonic bacteria are more sensitive to antimicrobials than bacteria in biofilms. Several factors, such as gas signalling molecules, may become an important tool for intermicrobial communication in a biofilm. Biofilm microorganisms are highly resistant to antibacterial drugs. Bacteria release enzymes and toxins that stimulate the body to produce large amounts of specific antibodies and cytokines. However, the immune components are blocked by the biofilm extracellular matrix and cannot enter the biofilm. Immune complexes are formed in the infection foci, damage the body's tissues, and aggravate inflammation.

Conclusion. Periodontal diseases are the most common oral diseases in humans, and their onset is closely related to the pathogenic properties of the oral microbiota, which exists in biofilms. The mechanisms of biofilm formation are complex and associated with the expression of various microorganism/matrix pathogenicity factors by oral commensal microorganisms. Further study is necessary to understand the way of biofilm formation neutralization and to find an effective treatment for chronic generalized periodontitis.

Relevance. Veillonella is associated with diseases of the oral cavity. Representatives of this genus occupy a significant share in the composition of the plaque microbiota and are involved in the formation of food chains and regulating the pH of the oral microbiome.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of scientific studies on the Veillonella taxonomic group's position in the oral microbiome and their possible impact on the development of infectious diseases of the oral cavity.

Materials and methods. A scientific search was conducted in the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, NCBI, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and eLibrary.RU for the last 40 years. 88 sources in English and 1 in Russian were analyzed and included in this review.

Results. Various species of Veillonella promote the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans and metabolize the lactate produced by streptococci. They also play an essential role in forming the periodontium microbial biofilm, entering into co-aggregation with primary, intermediate and late colonizers, including such periodontal pathogens as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Veilonella is involved in the formation of lipopolysaccharides and hydrogen sulfide in pulpitis, periapical periodontitis and halitosis.

Conclusion. Veillonella spp. is a significant component of the oral microbiome and can be viewed as a stabilizing component and as an indicator of a violation of the ecosystem's metabolic situation.

Relevance. Given the high prevalence of temporomandibular disorders and the multiple causes of the disease, specialists assign an important role to the rational diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders.
Material and methods. The study included 84 patients aged 21 to 55 years old. Of these, 69 patients were diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders. They formed group 1. The 2nd control group included 15 patients without TMDs (with no complaints of the dentoalveolar system). All patients underwent X-ray diagnosis: cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) 200 x 170 mm of the skull, including the area of C1 and C2 cervical vertebrae in the closed and open mouth position. The study used the Planmeca ProMax® 3D CT scanner.
Results. All examined patients with TMDs showed the spinous process deviation angles α from the Y axis (p ≤ 0.001), which indicated 100% involvement of the cervical spine in this pathology. Subgroup A comprised 60.1% of the subjects, where the mean angle in the closed mouth position was 12.90 ± 0.55 degrees, and in the open mouth position, the mean value was 9.2 ± 0.48 degrees, the deviation angle decreased by an average of 3.7 degrees. Subgroup B included 39.9% of the subjects, where the average value was 4.50 ± 0.66 degrees in the closed mouth position and 8.40 ± 0.75 degrees in the open mouth position. The angle of deviation increased by 3.9 degrees.
Conclusion. In patients with temporomandibular disorders, the proposed method of CBCT diagnosis (200 x 170) allows detection of the cervical spine (C2 region) pathology by one axial view image in the closed and open mouth position.

Relevance. Xerostomia is a common problem that significantly deteriorates patients’ quality of life and contributes to the development of hard dental tissue diseases and inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa. The study aimed to determine the informative value of xerostomia diagnosis methods.

Material and methods. The study examined 45 people, namely, 36 patients with xerostomia and 9 relatively healthy individuals aged 38 to 64 years old. Prior radiation therapy, type 2 diabetes mellitus and medications caused xerostomia. Patients had a standard dental examination, repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST); clinical oral dryness score (CODS) and stimulated and unstimulated salivation flow rates were determined, salivary short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were measured and the BANA test was done.

Results. The RSST, CODS, stimulated and unstimulated salivation showed significant differences between relatively healthy individuals and patients with xerostomia. The measurement of SCFA concentrations revealed significant differences in the acetic acid concentration (switching point is 0.376 mg/g), the concentration of all isoacids (switching point is 0.010 mg/g) and the anaerobic index (switching point is 0.248 units). Total concentration of isoacids and anaerobic index values significantly differed by xerostomia causes. The RSST result below 7 indicated the risk of xerostomia development.

Conclusion. A complex of clinical and laboratory methods allows for the effective detection of changes in the condition of patients with dry mouth and the personalization of prognosis and treatment.

Relevance. Numerous studies confirm the increase in malignant neoplasm number in the incidence pattern worldwide. The proportion of oral mucosa diseases, including precancerous lesions and cancer, is also quite high in dental diseases. Cancer alertness is a paramount professional competence for a dentist, and its implementation should be a priority in daily practical work. Studies conducted by a number of authors in various regions of our country prove the fact of low cancer alertness in clinicians.

The study aimed to assess the level of cancer alertness in dentists of the Altai Territory.

Material and methods. To achieve the goal, the study surveyed 1,150 dentists of the Altai Territory with various specializations and work experience in institutions of various forms of ownership.

Results. The mistakes made by dentists proved to be often caused by non-compliance with the patient examination protocol, insufficient knowledge of cancer alertness principles and existing screening methods. In addition, the study found routing errors in patients with a diagnosed malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity and little knowledge of the main regional documents concerning the provision of care to patients with cancer.

Conclusion. Thus, analyzing the survey results, we revealed the imperfection of early diagnosis of oncological diseases at a dental appointment in the Territory. Insufficient knowledge of screening tests and patient routing schemes by dentists, the principles of cancer alertness, and lack of examination represent a serious problem that prevents early diagnosis of a disease.

Relevance. The electrochemical potential measurement method is widely used to diagnose the phenomena of electrogalvanic intolerance and allows for non-invasive unbiased identification of metal inclusions responsible for the onset of pathological processes in the oral cavity. Nowadays, the domestic industry has developed a new domestic multifunctional device, which has a number of advantages over the previously used one.

Material and methods. By casting, we have prepared eight samples of noble and non-noble metal alloys of the same size, common in prosthodontics for denture manufacturing. The electrochemical potentials of the alloy contact pairs were measured relative to the titanium-based alloy in a neutral and acidic solution of artificial saliva using a new domestic multifunctional device and "BPM-03". We compared the indicators of electrochemical potential difference obtained by two devices.

Results. The average deviation values of the electrochemical potential difference indicators between the devices practically do not differ and reach ±0.9 mV. Titanium-based alloys and cobalt-chromium alloys can be combined with each other at acidity of 4.5 and 7.0. When a titanium alloy is combined with noble alloys, the electrochemical potential difference indicators exceed the acceptable limit of 80 mV.

Conclusion. The indicators of the difference in electrochemical potentials between dental noble and non-noble metal alloys, obtained by a new domestic device and previously used, are identical. The studied non-precious titanium-based and cobalt-chromium alloys can be combined for dental prosthesis manufacturing. The combination of a titanium alloy with noble metal alloys can contribute to the onset of electro-galvanic intolerance.

Relevance. Despite the variety of antibacterial drugs, including multicomponent ones, chlorhexidine-containing antiseptics are nowadays the gold standard of antiseptic products relevant for periodontal therapy. At the same time, adverse side effects and new data about unfavourable chlorhexidine effects on the microbiome determine it necessary to search for a new optimal chlorhexidine-containing product that combines high effectiveness and relative safety. Purpose. The study aimed to compare and analyze the effectiveness of chlorhexidine-containing antiseptics used in dental practice.

Material and Methods. The study analyzed the results of clinical studies published from 2018 to 2023 and devoted to the investigation of chlorhexidine effectiveness in the treatment of periodontal diseases. The publications were searched in the Pub Med database by the keywords 'chlorhexidine', 'periodontal disease', and 'periodontitis'. A total of eighty-four publications corresponded to the search criteria. After the primary analysis of all available publications corresponding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we studied and analyzed 32 publications.

Results. The analysis of the publications for the past five years extracted a trend for a more frequent increase of chlorhexidine concentrations to 0.12% and 0.2% in periodontal therapy medications.

Conclusion. Prescribing chlorhexidine-containing medications should be reasonable and respond to the characteristics of the clinical picture. At that, a thorough selection of chlorhexidine active agent concentration, a form of presentation and duration of use should correspond to the clinical situation and goal.

Relevance. The ubiquitin-proteasome system controls the activity and stability of various cellular proteins that affect cellular homeostasis by the regulation of signalling cascades. The system activity is associated with the onset and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma, as the system participates in the specific proteolysis of most intracellular proteins involved in cancer pathogenesis.

Material and methods. The study included 61 patients (28 men and 33 women) aged 21 to 75 y.o. The study determined chymotrypsin-like (CTL) and caspase-like (CL) activities of circulating and intracellular proteasomes in blood serum and biopsy specimens taken from the oral mucosa by hydrolysis of the corresponding fluorogenic oligopeptide on a «Cytation1» multi-mode microplate reader-imager at an excitation wavelength of 360 nm and an emission of 460 nm, the specific activity of the proteasomes was expressed in units of activity.

Results. The value of the specific chymotrypsin-like activity of circulating proteasomes in non-homogeneous leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma was 1.76 (p < 0.001) times and 2.27 (p < 0.001) times higher relative to the comparison group. Pairwise comparison of signs showed a statistically significant difference in chymotrypsinlike activity between the groups of non-homogeneous and homogeneous leukoplakia (p < 0.001), non-homogeneous leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.04). The values of specific chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities of intracellular proteasomes in biopsy specimens taken from the pathological focus in the groups of homogeneous, non-homogeneous leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were 1.6, 2.38, 3 (p = 0.002, p = 0.004, p = 0.03) and 1.5, 2.8 and 3.3 (p = 0.003, p = 0.012, p < 0.001) times higher compared to the control group.

Conclusion. The proposed logit model for risk assessment of oral leukoplakia malignant transformation, based on the indicators of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, can improve the quality of diagnosis.

Relevance. Today soft tissue augmentation is performed with autogenous and xenografts to achieve optimal gingival parameters around implants. It is worth noting the lack of clinical studies aimed at a comparative analysis of the postoperative condition of patients and aesthetic parameters.

Purpose. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical advantages and disadvantages of collagen matrix and autografts in soft tissue augmentation around dental implants.

Material and methods. Thirty-two patients with soft tissue thickness deficiency around intended implantation formed two groups: Group 1 had a subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) during surgery, and Group 2 had a xenogeneic collagen matrix (CM). In the postoperative period, we assessed the surgery duration, the severity of postoperative pain (VAS scale) and ooedema, daily NSAID dose, quality of life (OHIP-14), and pink aesthetics (PES).

Results. The surgery duration was 30.31 ± 6.98 (SD) and 26.31 ± 6.81 (SD) minutes in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.111). Patients in group 1 had more pronounced postoperative pain. On day one after the surgery, the mean value was 3.06 ± 1.73 (SD) in group 1 and 1.94 ± 1.48 (SD) in group 2 (p = 0.002). Patients in group 1 more often took NSAIDs on days 1 and 3 after surgery: 2.00 (Q1 1.00, Q3 3.00) and 1.50 (Q1 0.00, Q3 2.00), respectively, than patients in group 2: 1.00 (Q1 1.00, Q3 2.00) and 0.00 (Q1 0.00, Q3 1.00). Patients of Group 2 showed a more pronounced collateral oedema on days 1 and 3 (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the reduction in quality of life between patients in both groups. The aesthetic results in Group 1 were better than in Group 2 by the shape of the alveolar ridge and marginal soft tissue level. There was no difference in the colour of soft tissues between the surgical area and surrounding tissues in almost all patients.

Conclusion. The CM provides a more comfortable postoperative period but, however, leads to more pronounced collateral ooedema. The SCTG demonstrates the best aesthetic result of the treatment.

Relevance. The choice of the method for purulent wound management (open or closed) is a relevant problem in surgery. The way of drainage is the fundamental factor of the effect on the wound. The open-drainage systems are most frequent in maxillofacial surgery, and the drain is passive, combined with various drug administration. It has significant drawbacks: the short action of the injected substances, painful dressing changes, long wound healing time, etc. The instillation drainage therapy is not widely available and is used only in clinics with appropriate equipment. Active draining (negative pressure suction drainage system) allows closed wound management. Though, it is still rarely used in maxillofacial surgery.

Purpose. The study aimed to increase the effectiveness of the treatment of maxillofacial purulent wounds formed after the incision of odontogenic soft tissue purulent inflammatory processes using negative pressure wound therapy.

Material and methods. The study was a comparative analysis of clinical and laboratory indicators of 303 patients with purulent wounds formed after incision of superficial cellular spaces’ abscesses and phlegmons. The patients formed two groups: the main group had negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), and the comparison group had wound treatment with the traditional open method. NPWT methodology included the tubular drain placement into the purulent cavity formed after the incision and administration of a surgical film on the wound. The distal tube end was attached to a vacuum source that simultaneously was a canister for exudate collection and analysis. We followed up on clinical manifestations and endointoxication indicators and studied the wound content toxicity and the dynamics of the respiratory enzyme succinate dehydrogenase activity.

Results. The negative pressure system appears to allow fast and atraumatic wound management, reducing the inflammatory stage of the wound healing process, promoting quick normalization of endointoxication parameters, which improves the patient’s general condition (fast resolution of the clinical signs), and the effect of vacuum-assisted closure allows avoiding secondary wound closure.

Conclusion. Low-dose negative pressure provides the wound healing process with specific characteristics. Continuous exudate aspiration promotes rapid elimination of bacteria and detoxification of the wound and surrounding tissues, normalization of endointoxication parameters, provides anti-oedematous and analgesic effects, early restoration of impaired functions, and the time of wound healing process reaches that of healing by primary tension, which allows us to reduce the number of medications, as well as treatment and rehabilitation time.

Relevance. The wide range of home oral care products on the dental market requires professional attention and expertise. The method and tools are necessary to create efficient patient recommendations, providing for modern digital reality.

Purpose. To study the patient loyalty to receiving oral care recommendations and reveal common points of interest between dentists and patients of different age groups to optimize information delivery using NFC tags and QR codes.

Material and Methods. Using the questionnaire developed by the authors, the study surveyed 106 subjects in two age groups to obtain data on patient awareness of oral hygiene. We found out patients’ preferences for receiving oral care recommendations and their loyalty to the modern technology of getting information.

Results. The study revealed opposite views of different age groups in some questions, but the subjects unanimously spoke in favour of the pro-active position of a dentist regarding home oral care product choice.

Conclusion. Both age groups agreed on the need to hear specific professional recommendations on oral care product purchase, up to the names of stores, which explains the need to organize and optimize the advisory activity of dental clinics. We offered our method of recommendation delivery using modern technology.

Relevance. Prolonged exposure to various traumatic factors on the oral mucosa may provoke proto-oncogene expression, which means that the dentist’s strategy should strictly comply with the principles of cancer alertness.

Description of the clinical case. The article presents the examination data of three patients with various types of oral mucosa trauma, a presentation of clinical cases and cancer screening results.

Results. The most common causes of the mechanical insult of the oral mucosa were: chronic biting with sharp edges of the teeth, prostheses and orthodontic appliances, which need to be replaced. Overall, they prevailed in 89% of cases.

Conclusion. The analysis of observations substantiates the need for strict adherence to the principles of cancer alertness of dentists regarding chronic oral mucosa trauma, which has a high risk of malignancy.