The purpose of laboratory tests in the field of oral medicine can be divided into two categories: (1) medical evaluation of patients with systemic diseases that are planning to receive dental care and (2) diagnosis of patients with certain oral diseases. First, laboratory tests are commonly used to evaluate patients with systemic diseases who need dental management. A combination of multiple tests is usually prescribed as a test panel to diagnose and assess a specific disease. Test panels closely related to oral medicine include those for rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease/lupus, liver function, thyroid screening, anemia, and bleeding disorders. Second, laboratory tests are used as auxiliary diagnostic methods for certain oral diseases. They often provide crucial diagnostic information for infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are associated with pathology in the oral and maxillofacial regions. Laboratory tests for infectious diseases are composed of growth-dependent methods, immunologic assays, and molecular biology. As the field develops, further application of laboratory tests, including synovial fluid analysis in temporomandibular joint disorders, salivary diagnostics, and hematologic biomarkers associated with temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain conditions, is currently under scrutiny for their reliability as diagnostic tools.

In this article, the contemporary root canal treatment procedure using nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments was reviewed to understand the correlations between the properties of files and safety of the clinical usage. Literatures were reviewed according to the process of clinical procedure of the root canal preparation, mainly for shaping during orifice flaring, glide-path preparation, and main canal instrumentation. Considering the reasons for NiTi file fracture, clinically implacable issues and ideas were discussed to reduce the fracture risk and increase clinical efficiency of the NiTi file systems. Various kinds of NiTi file systems have their own characteristics and properties given from their geometries and heat treatments and so on. Proper selection and careful usage of the NiTi file systems may reduce the risk of file fracture and increase the efficiency of NiTi file systems. Understanding of the clinical implications from the mechanical properties and characteristics of the engine driven NiTi instruments may decrease the risk of NiTi file fractures and increase the success rate in root canal treatment.

Ameloblastoma is the most representative epithelial odontogenic tumor in the craniofacial region. Through several studies on Ameloblastoma that have been conducted so far, we have been able to get closer to the reality of Ameloblastoma. However, groundbreaking insight into the pathophysiology of Ameloblastoma has not yet been provided. This review assessed three aspects of five recently published papers on Ameloblastoma: cancer stem cells, calcium signaling, and tumor microenvironment, and compared them with previous studies on tumor physiology, including cancer. In addition, the characteristics of Ameloblastoma revealed by the experimental methods presented in the currently published five papers provide the possibility of Ameloblastoma as a study model in general tumor or cancer studies. Furthermore, the mechanisms of action of the chemicals identified in the studies support their potential as candidates for the second-line treatment of Ameloblastoma.

Purpose: Dental diagnostic records derived from study models are a popular method of obtaining reliable and vital information. Conventional plaster models are the most common method, however, they are being gradually replaced by digital impressions as technology advances. Moreover, three-dimensional dental models are becoming increasingly common in dental offices, and various methods are available for obtaining them. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the measurement of dental digital models by comparing them with conventional plaster and to determine their clinical validity. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 16 patients' maxillary and mandibular dental models. Tooth size (TS), intercanine width (ICW), intermolar width (IMW), and Bolton analysis were taken by using a digital caliper on a plaster model obtained from each patient, while intraoral scans were manually measured using two digital analysis software. A one-way analysis of variance test was used to compare the dental measurements of the three methods. Result: No significant differences were reported between the TS, the ICW and IMW, and the Bolton analysis through the conventional and two digital groups. Conclusion: Measurements of TS, arch width, and Bolton analysis produced from digital models have shown acceptable clinical validity. No significant differences were observed between the three dental measurement techniques.

Leukemia is a neoplastic disease with an excessive proliferation of immature white blood cells and their precursors. Common oral manifestations of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) include ulceration, petechiae, spontaneous bleeding, and gingival hyperplasia. The estimated prevalence of AML is 19 per 100,000 populations, the median age of diagnosis is over 65 years, and of all the subtypes of leukemia, AML accounts for the highest percentage of leukemic deaths. The purpose of this study is to report the case of a 77-year-old female patient, who visited our outpatient clinic due to consistent inflammatory findings. Though she received surgical treatment, she was diagnosed with AML by chance after a preoperative blood test. We also discuss the necessity of performing a preoperative blood test prior to invasive dental procedures such as tooth extraction or biopsy.

Horizontal root fracture (HRF) is a result of trauma to teeth and periodontium, which implies severe injury to cementum, dentin, and pulp. This is a rare case of HRF in the maxillary lateral incisor of a 62-year-old male who only presented persistent gingival swelling, fistula, and dull pain at first. An apical radiolucency of unknown origin turned out to be a result of hidden HRF at the coronal third level that was later visualized radiographically during endodontic treatment. The tooth was scheduled to be extracted upon the patient's agreement. The purpose of this report is to alert clinicians about the importance of diagnosing HRF through thorough clinical and radiographic examinations. Where there is persistent fistula without proper cause, HRF should be considered as a causative factor, and the diagnosis could be effective with aid of cone beam computed tomography, electronic root apex locator, as well as other clinical signs.

Mandibular implant overdenture is a good treatment option for complete edentulous patients with restoring removable prosthesis. Mandibular implant overdenture with two implants and locator attachments is widely used. It is tissue-supported overdenture that is made with the concept of conventional complete denture fabrication. There are two patients who provided impressions by open mouth technique and closed mouth technique in each case. In both cases, mandibular implant overdentures were restored with functionally and aesthetically satisfying results.

Burkitt lymphoma is a highly aggressive type of hematopoietic malignancy that is comparatively common in children and young people. It is important that Burkitt lymphoma be diagnosed as early as possible for prompt intervention due to its rapidly progressive, high-grade malignant nature. Dentists, especially maxillofacial surgeons, can play a life-saving role in patients with such unknown malignancy as the first clinical or radiological manifestation might occur in the oral region.

This case report describes a dynamic digital esthetic rehabilitation procedure that integrates a new three-dimensional augmented reality (3D-AR) technique to treat a patient with multiple missing anterior teeth. The prostheses were designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software and virtually trialed using static and dynamic visualization methods. In the static method, the prostheses were visualized by integrating the CAD model with a 3D face scan of the patient. For the dynamic method, the 3D-AR application was used for real-time tracking and projection of the CAD prostheses in the patient's mouth. Results of a quick survey on patient satisfaction with the two visualization methods showed that the patient felt more satisfied with the dynamic visualization method because it allowed him to observe the prostheses directly on his face and be more proactive in the treatment process.

Ameloblastic fibro-odontoma (AFO) is a rare odontogenic tumor, which occurs in young children before the age of 20 years. Radiologically, it is a well-defined radiolucent lesion containing radiopaque masses. Histopathologically, AFO is composed of odontogenic epithelium in a primitive-appearing connective tissue and hard tissue consisting of enamel and dentin. It is commonly found in the mandibular posterior region. AFO may be asymptomatic and is often associated with delayed tooth eruption. As it shows similar characteristics clinically and radiologically to odontoma, differential diagnosis through histopathological examination is important. Treatment of AFO is conservative enucleation, and teeth enclosed or associated with the lesion may require extraction. In this report, 2 young patients who visited our clinic with a chief complaint of delayed eruption were diagnosed as AFO with radiological and histopathological examination. After the surgery, the healing status was found to be favorable, and no evidence of recurrence was observed.

Molar incisor malformation (MIM) has been introduced as a new type of dental anomaly. Currently, the morphological and histological characteristics of MIM are known; however, its etiology has not been clearly identified. To date, the long-term prognosis of first permanent molars (FPM) affected by MIM has rarely been reported, and few treatment guidelines have been established. The purpose of this case report was to present guidelines for the extraction of FPM affected by MIM, depending on the presence of the third molar. In patients with a third molar, spontaneous mesial shift of the posterior molars might be induced by extracting the FPM at an appropriate time, that is, when the second permanent molar is at an early furcation stage of the tooth. However, it is recommended that FPM be preserved for as long as possible if a third molar does not exist. When an FPM needs to be extracted, it is suggested to consider space maintenance.