Corner Of Mouth Research Articles

Effect of Prosthodontic Rehabilitation on Perioral Units in Edentulous Patients

Background: Complete edentulous patients experience loss in fundamental mastication functions, the progressive absorption of the alveolar bone, and variation in facial appearance. Complete dentures (CD) fundamentally target edentulous patients and not only increase functionality but also restore the appearance of the face. This study aims to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation with removable CD on perioral wrinkles in complete edentulous patients, in line with growing aesthetic demand.
 Methods: Patients who had CD rehabilitation performed due to total edentulism were photographed before and after rehabilitation from the same angles to evaluate the perioral soft tissue changes. The photographs were scored using verified ranking scales and through evaluation by two observers. To evaluate the repeatability of the scales, measurements were repeated with the same method one month later.
 Results: When the effect of prosthetic rehabilitation administered successfully on perioral aesthetics and lip volume was analyzed, a significant improvement was observed in all other parameters evaluated, except for in the labiomental crease. The improvement in the labiomental crease was not statistically significant. In addition, re-measurement reliability was high (≥0.80) for all four perioral units (nasolabial folds, corners of mouth, labiomental crease and upper radial lip). In addition, all correlations were statistically significant (p

Stowaways: Marine Leeches Infecting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Entangled in Ghost Nets in Maldivian Waters

Sea turtles are known to host a wide variety of organisms, including parasitic marine leeches of the family Ozobranchidae. Leeches are sanguivorous (blood feeders) and are typically found on soft skin areas of turtles, such as the cloaca and corners of eyes and mouth. Superinfection with this parasite can lead to severe damage to the host. Additionally, Ozobranchidae have been shown to be a potential candidate as a mechanical vector for the tumor-inducing fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus. Marine Ozobranchidae have been found in all major ocean basins infecting all hard-shelled sea turtle species. Records from the Indian ocean are scarce but indicate a widespread distribution. In this study, we present the first cases of ozobranchid leeches found on sea turtles in the Maldives. The host turtles were entangled in abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets (also known as ghost nets), and treated at the Olive Ridley Project's Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa Atoll in the Maldives. All hosts were olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), which are typically not resident to the country, but are often observed entangled in ghost nets. The entangled turtles are thought to be carried over great distances when floating in various ocean currents. Ozobranchid leeches were identified to the species level with morphological and barcoding methods and compared to previously published sequences from around the globe. The presence of parasitic leeches on entangled turtles and potential epidemiological implications for the endemic populations of sea turtle species throughout the Indian Ocean are discussed.

Numerical investigation of flow behavior at the lateral intake using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Hydraulic and environmental engineering projects often utilize side channels. The water flow through the lateral intake of channels and rivers is turbulent including separation zone and lateral eddies. This causes many problems, the transfer and deposition of sediments to the sub-channel, being the most serious. In the current work, a hydrodynamic model using the Navier–Stokes equation for the flow of incompressible fluids was studied. Using the CFD software, ANSYS FlUENT 19.2, 3D flow patterns were simulated at a diversion channel. First, the simulation results were confirmed in this study utilizing the experimental data performed by earlier investigation. The results showed good agreement using the comparison between the experimental and numerical results when the k-omega turbulence viscous model was employed. Simulation of the flow pattern was then done at the lateral channel junction using a variety of geometry designs. These improvements include changing the intake's inclination angle and chamfering and rounding the inner corner of the intake mouth instead of the sharp edge.The flow parameters at the diversion including velocity streamlines, bed shear stress, and separation zone dimensions were computed in the current study. The findings demonstrated that changing the 90° lateral intake geometry can improve the flow pattern and bed shear stress at the intake junction. Consequently, sedimentation and erosion problems are reduced.According to the conclusions of this study, a branching angle of 30° to 45° is the best configuration for increasing branching channel discharge, lowering branching channel sediment concentration and lowering Scour depth at the junction region. It was also discovered that modifying the intake inlet's sharp interior corner with specific conditions has a favorable effect on reducing the size of the separation zone. The intake of chamfered inner edge with 30° angle to flow direction (α) and c value of 0.75b was found to be the best model for lowering separation area in this investigation. In addition, the separation area and stress distribution are negatively influenced by the Configuration E model (chamfered edge at 60° angle with the horizontal), notably the greater chamfer size by increasing chamfered vertical distance (c).

Paeoniflorin inhibits proliferation and promotes autophagy and apoptosis of sweat gland cells.

Axillary bromhidrosis is sweat excreted by apocrine glands in the armpits, mouth corners and other parts. The clinical manifestation includes excessive sweating and heavy odor, leading to the growth of bacteria and skin disease. The present study investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of paeoniflorin (PF) in the treatment of bromhidrosis. PF was injected into the feet of rats, and the foot skin was dissected for histological analysis. Primary human sweat gland cells (hSGCs) were isolated from patients with bromhidrosis. After 24 h treatment with PF or 3-methyladenine, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), autophagy, apoptosis, proliferation and cell cycle distribution were determined. PF induced nuclear pyknosis in rat SGCs. In vitro PF treatment inhibited cell proliferation with a 25% inhibitory concentration of 9.530 µM. Treatment with 9.530 µM PF for 24 h significantly increased apoptosis, ROS production and autophagy in hSGCs. PF promoted LC3B and Beclin 1 expression, but inhibited p62, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K and p-Akt expression. 3-methyladenine treatment reversed PF-induced changes in hSGCs. PF-induced inhibition of hSGC proliferation was associated with ROS production, apoptosis, and autophagy. These findings provide a basis for treating bromhidrosis.

Target-Specific Sandwich Technique: Facial rejuvenation leveraging CPM technology.

Injectable rejuvenation treatments used in Caucasians might not always suit Asians as the visible signs of aging manifest differently, underscoring a need for Asian-specific strategies that correct underlying structural deficiencies and cumulative age-related changes. The presented Target-Specific Sandwich Technique (TSST) aims to simultaneously restore, rejuvenate, and enhance faces through the distribution of minute amounts of different fillers with different rheologies, using a minimal number of entry points in strategic facial areas and different soft tissue layers in Asians. A total of 14 patients underwent the presented TSST and were subsequently assessed for satisfaction with the treatment and the outcome of the treatment. With 3cc of fillers, patients experienced a rejuvenated appearance with brow support, brow ridge softening, less severe nasolabial folds, and corrected tear trough hollows. Fillers in the lateral canthal and mandibular angles lifted mouth corners, improved submandibular jowls, and defined the lower face. Although the prejowl sulcus received minimal filler, it appeared subtler, relaxed, and had fewer lines visible while smiling. Overall, patients appeared less tense, rejuvenated, and had improved light reflection and firmer skin. These were due to tissues being supported upward and laterally by fillers in areas of bone resorption-induced volume loss.

Differentiating stroke, transient ischemic attack, or hemiplegic migraine in a teenager: a case report

Background: The symptoms of stroke in the pediatric population are less evaluated than in adults. Although certain indicators are characteristic of stroke – acute drooping of the mouth corners, hemiparesis, and headache – they are not pathognomonic. Other diseases may manifest with similar symptoms, such as the first episode of hemiplegic migraine, and should be differentiated from stroke at an emergency department. Aim of the study: We present the differential diagnosis between stroke, transient ischemic attack, and first episode of hemiplegic migraine in a teenager with alarming focal symptoms. Case report: We present a case of 15-year-old patient with acute headache, drooping of the right mouth corners, and hemiparesis of the right upper and lower limb. He was brought by ambulance to the emergency department under suspicion of a stroke. A series of diagnostic tests performed at the Emergency Department did not reveal any vascular incident. Further diagnosis was performed at the Neurology Department. The patient was discharged from the hospital with a suspicion of first attack of hemiplegic migraine or transient ischemic attack. Conclusions: Differentiating stroke from other conditions in young patients is a significant challenge. The stroke diagnostic process in children requires further research to support accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment as rapidly as possible.

Oral Commissure Lift: A Retrospective Analysis of Complication Rates and Overall Outcomes.

Downward-turning oral commissures and sagging mouth corners can present an unfavorable impression. We introduced a new oral commissure lift procedure and investigated its effectiveness and complication rates. Patients who underwent oral commissure lift in the plastic surgery clinic between January 2010 and December 2017 were enrolled retrospectively. Pre-and postoperative photographs were evaluated to measure oral commissure angles and analyze surgical complications, including visible scarring, unnatural appearance, and asymmetry. Many patients underwent a oral commissure lift with a simultaneous facelift. To exclude potential bias, we compared angular changes between patients receiving both oral commissure lift and facelift, with those receiving only oral commissure lift. Moreover, oral commissure angles of patients only receiving facelift were also measured. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Oral commissure lift was performed in 51 patients. The mean ages and follow-up periods were 46.7 ± 11.9 years, and 25.2 ± 22.9 months, respectively. The preoperative mean angles of the right and left oral commissures measured - 3.1 ± 4.0° and - 3.4 ± 3.7°, respectively, and postoperative mean angles measured 3.6 ± 3.2° and 3.3 ± 3.5°, respectively. Postoperative changes in oral commissure angles were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The low complication rate included undercorrection in one patient, asymmetry in one patient, and visible scarring in three patients. We found no statistically significant differences in the studies excluding bias. The new oral commissure lift procedure for correcting sagging oral commissures was simple, safe, and effective with a low complication rate. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

A Deep Convolutional Neural Network to Limit Virus Spread Using Facial Mask Segmentation

Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak the world has experienced many challenges. Limit and control the virus spread rate is one of them. This letter focuses on limiting the speed of virus spreading by monitoring the use of facial mask in crowded public environments such as tourism places, commercial centres, etc. The proposed method first accurately localizes faces using a state-of-the-art approach and, segments facial mask in a second step. The facial mask segmentation allows to distinguish whether the current subject is wearing a facial mask or not but also if it is properly covering the human face. Indeed, most recent face detection algorithms provide as output a set of facial features such as nose tip and mouth corners. By combining these facial features with facial mask segmentation, the proposed method detects real-time subjects that indirectly encourage virus spread in crowded environments. The proposed facial mask segmentation model is trained with pairs of RGB images and its corresponding alpha image created by extending the publicly available real-world masked face dataset. Further, the proposed model is pruned and optimized using the TensorRt library to be usable for real-world applications.

Efficacy of local hyaluronidase administration in guided bone regeneration surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

ObjectivesHyaluronoglucosaminidase (hyaluronidase) increases the local intercellular permeability of the peripheral lymphatic channel and capillaries, which may help reduce edema. In the present study, the effects of hyaluronidase on postoperative edema and pain reduction were evaluated.Materials and MethodsThe study included 38 patients who underwent guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgery before implantation. Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group (n=20) or the test group (n=18). Hyaluronidase was injected into the GBR site of subjects in the test group. Postoperative edema was evaluated by measuring the distance between specific facial landmarks immediately after surgery (T1) and 2-4 days after surgery (T2). The degree of pain at T2 and at 10-14 days after surgery (T3) was assessed.ResultsIn the test group, the degree of swelling was lower than in the control group, however, only two measurements, from the tragus to the mouth corner and from the outer canthus to the mouth corner, showed statistically significant differences (P=0.012 and P=0.001, respectively). The anti-edema effect of hyaluronidase was more effective in the maxilla than in the mandible. In the maxilla, the percentage of facial swelling was significant for three measurements. However, in the mandible, the percentage of facial swelling was significant for only one measurement. Low levels of pain that were similar at T2 and T3 were reported in both groups.ConclusionThe results indicate the degree of swelling was lower in the test group and hyaluronidase appeared to be more effective in the maxilla. The degree of pain reduction was similar between groups. Further in vivo and randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are warranted.

Full-field face vibration measurement in singing—Case study

This--> study presents a full-field measurement of facial vibrations employing electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) on one male subject. The measurement was performed in three states of mutual position of the first formant and fundamental frequency, where an effect of resonance of the vocal tract could be expected. Synchronous measurements of facial vibrations employing an accelerometer confirmed the dominance of the harmonic component closest to the position of the first formant in the entire area of the head and neck. In addition to the amplitude ratios of facial surface oscillations, ESPI also distinguished the phase differences. Standing waves dominate in the oscillations of the face. The area around the corners of the mouth always oscillated most strongly and coincided with the oscillation of the upper neck. Above the lower jaws, there was a hint of a travelling wave that progressed from the mandible angle towards the mouth corner and the neck. The biggest velocities and displacement measured in F4 for vowel /u/ could be explained as a resonance effect when the first harmonics match the first formant.

Acute Management Should Be Optimized in Patients with Less Specific Stroke Symptoms: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study.

Anterior circulation stroke (ACS) is associated with typical symptoms, while posterior circulation stroke (PCS) may cause a wide spectrum of less specific symptoms. We aim to assess the correlation between the initial presentation of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) symptoms and the treatment timeline. Using a retrospective, observational, single-center study, the set consists of 809 AIS patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT). We investigate the impact of baseline clinical AIS symptoms and the affected vascular territory on recanalization times in patients treated with IVT only and EVT (±IVT). Regarding the IVT-only group, increasing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission and speech difficulties are associated with shorter (by 1.59 ± 0.76 min per every one-point increase; p = 0.036, and by 24.56 ± 8.42 min; p = 0.004, respectively) and nausea/vomiting with longer (by 43.72 ± 13.13 min; p = 0.001) onset-to-needle times, and vertigo with longer (by 8.58 ± 3.84 min; p = 0.026) door-to-needle times (DNT). Regarding the EVT (±IVT) group, coma is associated with longer (by 22.68 ± 6.05 min; p = 0.0002) DNT, anterior circulation stroke with shorter (by 47.32 ± 16.89 min; p = 0.005) onset-to-groin time, and drooping of the mouth corner with shorter (by 20.79 ± 6.02 min; p = 0.0006) door-to-groin time. Our results demonstrate that treatment is initiated later in strokes with less specific symptoms than in strokes with typical symptoms.

Range of motion (ROM) in the lips and jaw during vowels assessed with 3D motion analysis in Swedish children with typical speech development and children with speech sound disorders

Purpose The aim was to compare movement patterns of lips and jaw in lateral, vertical and anteroposterior directions during vowel production in children with typical speech development (TSD) and in children with speech sound disorders (SSD) persisting after the age of six. Methods A total of 93 children were included, 42 children with TSD (6:0–12:2 years, mean age 8:9 ± 1:5, 19 girls and 23 boys) and 51 children with SSD (6:0–16:7 years, mean age 8:5 ± 3:0, 14 girls and 37 boys). Range of motion (ROM) in lips and jaw in the vowels [a, ʊ, ɪ] produced in a syllable repetition task and median values in resting position were measured with a system for 3D motion analysis. The analysis was based on the coordinates for the mouth corners and the chin centre. Results There were significant differences between the groups on movements in lateral direction in both lips and jaw. Children with TSD had generally smaller and more, symmetrical movements in the lips and jaw, in all three dimensions compared to children with SSD. There were no significant differences between the groups in resting position. Conclusion Children with SSD persisting after the age of six years show more asymmetrical and more variable movement patterns in lips and jaw during vowel production compared with children with TSD in a simple syllable repetition task. Differences were more pronounced in lateral direction in both lips and jaw.

Effective Locations for Injecting Botulinum Toxin into the Mentalis Muscle; Cadaveric and Ultrasonographic Study.

The mentalis muscle is now considered key structures when performing procedures for rejuvenating the lower face. The aim of this study was to determine the anatomical morphology and location of the mentalis muscle and thereby provide anatomical information for facilitating clinical procedures designed to rejuvenate the lower face. Forty-four adult hemifaces from five Thai cadavers and 21 Korean cadavers were dissected to identify the locations of the mentalis muscle. Sixty-six hemifaces from 33 healthy young Korean subjects were included in an ultrasonographic study. The depth of the mentalis muscle below the skin surface, the thickness of the mentalis muscle, and the distance from the bone to the mentalis muscle were measured at the two points that were 5 mm lateral to the most-prominent point of the chin. The mentalis muscle was classified into two types based to its shape: in type A (86.4%, 38 of the 44 cases) it was dome shaped in three dimensions, while in type B (13.6%, 6 of the 44 cases) it was flat. The mentalis muscle was present mostly at the area 5–10 mm from the midsagittal line and 20–30 mm from a horizontal line connecting the mouth corners. The mentalis muscle was present between depths of 6.7 to 10.7 mm below the skin. This new information about the location of the mentalis muscle may help when identifying the most effective and safe botulinum toxin injection points and depths during esthetic procedures for weakened facial rhytides on the lower face.

Management of secondary embolization that arose after intraarterial thrombolytic treatment of cosmetic facial filler-induced arterial occlusion

Facial injections with cosmetic fillers can lead to local artery occlusion. The bilateral nasolabial folds of a 39-year-old woman were injected with hyaluronic acid at another hospital. After the righthand injection, the patient immediately felt pain that ran from the right nasolabial fold to the nasal alar. The injecting doctor suspected embolism due to intravascular misinjection and immediately injected hyaluronidase and vasodilator subcutaneously and intravenously, respectively. Five days later, the patient presented at our hospital with extensive endovascular embolization-related signs: along with some oral mucosa, the skin of the right nasolabial fold, right nasal alar, and right mouth corner exhibited necrosis. We diagnosed secondary peripheral embolus, and we used the treatment, namely, subcutaneously flooding/immersing the embolization site in the peripheral blood vessels with 2000 units of hyaluronidase.

Of Bones and Rhododendrons

Of Bones and Rhododendrons Marguerite W. Sullivan (bio) Pamela’s sense of style, it could be argued, was impeccable. Even in the wretched heat she looked flawless, pressed and primmed, crisp as a picture postcard in lemon yellow shorts and top, hair folded in upon itself like a slice of bread, skin smooth and dry and repellent. She never hit a false note, and one had to love her for this consistency, this reliability. She had an especially intimate smile, on the rare occasions she offered it, and I sometimes waited for it to appear, that smile, wide and generous and entirely without artifice. A smile that located the whole of her being in it, as I knew her from years past, and in the smile she walked up and down in a marvelously peaceful kind of procession. I believed I could always meet her there, where she walked inside the smile, and that neither of us would have anything to say in our procession, or if saying something would say something new, something entirely unheard of before. I can’t say why this consoled me so, this image of a procession with no speaking, or, even better, the speaking of things not heard before, and yet it did, and I closed my eyes for a moment and considered her smile again, all the while aware I would not see it that day. Her garden was just as perfect, splendid and overabundant and burgeoning, the kind you saw in magazines, and as I sat sucking on the lemonade and considering the mountain of pink peonies, sumptuous as frosted cakes, it occurred to me this was one of multitudes of such gardens all across the country, stretching for thousands of miles, these self-same splendid, ineluctable gardens that graced the backyards of countless houses in which lived all these people, all of them, just like us. Wasn’t that true? Unseen, in some ways beyond imagination, these people, and yet quite known. People with similar gardens could be thought of as remarkably similar: that thought brought a downward pinch to the corners of my mouth, and I wondered why the image of all the people and all the gardens seemed unsavory in their conformations. In Pamela’s garden, four twig chairs set to one side echoed a semicircle of tiger lilies, invoking a type of order achieved only in past generations and suggesting a degree of certainty much sought after that could be accomplished merely by inhabiting them. The two-tiered fountain of wrought iron clam shells in the center was placed amid tall bluish grasses and usually gave off a sputtering trickle of music against which we chattered inconsequentially, though on that day the fountain was motionless and silent and brought a parched enervation to the garden, notwithstanding which the male cardinal repeatedly landed on the edge, [End Page 12] poked his beak into the bottom shell, and sought the water that was always, he must have thought, there. Often it’s Pamela I see on Thursday afternoons, Tuesday being my day at the hospital and Wednesday my afternoon with the trainer. All our days together proceeded forward in this assumed amiability, this lackadaisical assuredness; the only thing calling to us from the immediate future was dinner, chores for dinner, discourse about dinner, dressing for dinner, and so on. But that day I felt an inexplicable need to pay attention to something further. I found myself looking more closely, listening more carefully, examining each thing in my purview until that same urge to frown possessed me. As if the material elements of the day, heavy in the wet air, threatened to drop away and disintegrate in the preponderance of the hours, and I must be ready for that. The fountain, halfway down the lawn just beyond where the cherry tree branches swept out from a curved flower bed, somehow rose into the foreground and made the heat more intractable, nearly leaden. Pamela spoke with unusual animation—she’s a passionate woman, some would say—and her words provided a swift waterway down which I drifted. Generally I experience a measure of comfort when people are speaking. You could say...

To Check the Validity of Neoclassical Canon in Western Maharashtra- An Anthropometric Study

Introduction: In ancient days, it was believed that attractive and harmonious faces were having certain fixed proportions known as neoclassical canons. These canons were used extensively by Leonardo Da Vinci, Durer in their art during renaissance. They served as guidelines for artists as well as for aesthetic surgeons for centuries and proved to be helpful till now. From ancient days to modern era, the exact formula of beauty is not yet calculated. The norms of beauty changes from country to country and race to race. A face is beautiful and shows harmonious features if the individual components are proportional, this is what is referred as facial balance. In ancient Greece, they calculated the formula for creation of art and these formulae are called as neoclassical canons. The classical Greek canons of facial balance are still foundation of modern reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. Aim: To check the validity of neoclassical canon in Western Maharashtrian population. Materials and Methods: This was an observational type of study carried out from March 2018 to January 2020. The validity of Naso-oral canon was checked in Western Maharashtrian population. According to this canon ideal mouth width (ch-ch) (mouth width (distance between right and left corners of mouth called chelion)) is 1.5 times of Nose width/alar width (al-al) (alar width (distance between right and left ala of nose)). Mouth width=1.5 times of Nose width. However, the mouth width can be less than 1.5 times of nose width or mouth width can be greater than 1.5 times of nose width. This study was carried out in the five cities Sangli, Kolhapur, Islampur, Karad and Satara of Western Maharashtra, India. Total 1500 male and female students, 300 from each city, between the age group of 18-20 years were selected. Measurements were taken with the help of digital Vernier caliper. The methodology adopted for the measurements was taken from the guidelines given by Farkas LG in his book- “Anthropometric facial proportions in Medicine”. Results: In present study, total 68.33% subjects including males and females were having mouth width (ch-ch) lesser than one and half times of nose width/alar width (al-al) i.e., ch-ch &lt;1.5 (al-al). Remaining 31.67% subjects were having mouth width greater than one and half times of nose width/alar width i.e., ch-ch &gt;1.5 (al-al). Conclusion: Naso-oral neoclassical canon was not found valid in Western Maharashtrian young adults. In 78.32% male and 62.80% female population of Western Maharashtra, mouth width was found lesser than one and half times of nose width.

Bilateral complete transverse facial cleft: A case report

Transverse facial cleft is rare congenital craniofacial anomalies, affecting the esthetics and function of the oral cavity. In the 1st and 2nd branchial arches, it occurs usually with different structural deformities. However, alone occurrence of bilateral facial clefts is rare. Embryonic procedure of mandibular and maxillary approaches of the primary arch of bronchi fails to fuse to form the mouth corner resulting in the development of this anomaly. Number of incidence is identified at birth, at the several times are identified prenatally. In given scenario, the case of complete facial cleft as a bilateral transverse detected by three-dimensional ultrasonography at 19 weeks and 6 days of gestational age in a 24-year-old pregnant patient. The ultrasound findings revealed a singleton intrauterine fetus with normal growth and polyhydramnios (mild). An abnormal fetal face was identified with complete transverse (two sided) facial cleft extended from the mouth through commissure up to both ears. This report illustrates the advantages of three-dimensional ultrasonography in the diagnosis of developmental anomalies prenatally.

Negative Mood States Are Related to the Characteristics of Facial Expression Drawing: A Cross-Sectional Study.

An assessment of mood or emotion is important in developing mental health measures, and facial expressions are strongly related to mood or emotion. This study thus aimed to examine the relationship between levels of negative mood and characteristics of mouth parts when moods are drawn as facial expressions on a common platform. A cross-sectional study of Japanese college freshmen was conducted, and 1,068 valid responses were analyzed. The questionnaire survey consisted of participants’ characteristics, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and a sheet of facial expression drawing (FACED), and the sheet was digitized and analyzed using an image-analysis software. Based on the total POMS score as an index of negative mood, the participants were divided into four groups: low (L), normal (N), high (H), and very high (VH). Lengths of drawn lines and between both mouth corners were significantly longer, and circularity and roundness were significantly higher in the L group. With increasing levels of negative mood, significant decreasing trends were observed in these lengths. Convex downward and enclosed figures were significantly predominant in the L group, while convex upward figures were significantly predominant and a tendency toward predominance of no drawn mouths or line figures was found in the H and VH groups. Our results suggest that mood states can be significantly related to the size and figure characteristics of drawn mouths of FACED on a non-verbal common platform. That is, these findings mean that subjects with low negative mood may draw a greater and rounder mouth and figures that may be enclosed and downward convex, while subjects with a high negative mood may not draw the line, or if any, may draw the line shorter and upward convex.

Oral Dysphagia and Its Associations With Nutrition, Physical Functions, and Depression for the Elderly in the Community

Objectives: To explore the occurrence of oral dysphagia problems among elderly in community and to investigate whether the severity of oral dysphagia problems is associated with nutrition, physical functions and mental health. Methods: Trained nurses conducted a rigorous assessment of 679 elderly people living in communities in Zhuzhou. Basic personal information, The Short Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNASF), Activities of daily living (ADL), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess each elderly. Oral dysphagia was assessed by means of a standardized questionnaire including clinically symptoms of oral dysphagia such as coughing and choking. Results: A total of 654 old people was enrolled in this study, including 250 (38.2%) developing the one or more symptoms of oral dysphagia, the most common symptoms were: drinking water choking (30.7%), followed by saliva (9.6%), dysphagia or pain (6.4%),food loss from the corner of the mouth (2.3%), foreign body sensation of the esophagus (1.8%),food residue (1.2%).The severity of oral dysphagia problems was linearly associated with nutrition, physical function, depression, education level and current care status. The higher the burden of oral symptoms, the lower the self-rated health. Conclusions: The occurrence of oral dysphagia symptom was associated in a stepwise fashion with nutrition, physical function, depression, education level and current care status. In the community, the early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of oral dysphagia is an important link of reducing the mortality and improving the rehabilitation outcome. Additionally, the psychological construction in the elderly should be taken seriously by their families and community workers.

THE CLINICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL LESIONS OF THE ORAL MUCOSA AND PERIODONTIUM WITH VIRAL HEPATITIS C

Background: Interest in the study of combined pathology has recently been explained by the accumulation of new facts, the emergence of new information about interorgan, intertissue and intercellular levels of interactionin the system of the whole organism. Studies of the oral cavity in chronic diffuse liver diseases are of great interest to clinicians, since pathological processes developing in the liver, as a rule, lead to organic and functional disorders in the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to study the clinical and morphological lesions of the oral mucosa and periodontium in viral hepatitis C. Material and methods: 196 patients were examined, of which: the control group consisted of 100 patients with lesions of the oral mucosa (OM) and periodontal disease who were not diagnosed with HCV and 96 patients of the main study group. Dental status was studied. A pathological examination was carried out. Results: HCV patients group included 96 (63.5% males) and non-HCV group - 100 subjects (62.0% males) with lesions of oral mucous membrane. The lesions of lips and oral mucosa were more frequent in HCV than in the non-HCV group – e.g. erosion (13.5% vs 1%), cracks in the mouth corners (42.7% vs 0%), changes of oral mucosa surface (89.6% vs 3.0%), hemorrhages - (78.1% vs 0%) etc. Conclusion: Thus, during the clinical examination of patients with HCV, the average severity of periodontal damage prevailed. Numerous morphological features can be divided into those that are indicators of the severity and activity of inflammation.