PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Marcello Melis

Publications and source records attributed to Marcello Melis.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Prevalence, intensity, and correlation of different TMJ symptoms in Lebanese and Italian subpopulations.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare self reported joint related temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms in Lebanese and Italian dental and non-dental students and to detect any correlation between different symptoms. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A questionnaire was distributed in Sardinia (Italy) to dental and psychology students and in Lebanon to dental, physical therapy, and biology students to investigate the prevalence, intensity, and correlation of four temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms. RESULTS: Prevalence of earache varied among the groups from 10.1% to 29.2%, ear stuffiness from 22.5% to 30.8%, TMJ pain from 13.2% to 21.2%, and TMJ sounds from 18.4% to 46.2%. DISCUSSION: Different prevalence and intensity of earache and TMJ sounds were found in the examined sub-populations diverse in cultural background and education. However, prevalence and intensity of ear stuffiness and TMJ pain were similar. Association between TMJ sounds and TMJ pain was detected in selected sub-populations, and correlation between one symptom on one side of the head with the same symptom on the contralateral side were noted suggesting most of these symptoms are bilateral. CONCLUSION: The results of the study might be useful to anticipate the possible occurrence of associated symptoms or the same symptom on both sides of the head. Correlations with cultural background and education are difficult to establish.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Migraine with aura and dental occlusion: a case report.

Migraine is defined as a primary headache; however, some reports may suggest a relationship with dental occlusion and dental parafunction (clenching or grinding of the teeth). A patient diagnosed with migraine with aura, with concomitant temporomandibular joint and masseter muscle pain, was treated by the use of a dental appliance. The treatment succeeded in eliminating headache and visual aura, and significantly reducing the other symptoms. A headache related to dental occlusion and dental parafunctions seems to be able to mimic a primary migraine headache. Therefore, dental evaluation is always advised for headache diagnosis.

Female↗
PubMed2005

Pressure pain threshold of the lateral pterygoid muscles in TMD patients and controls.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this experiment was to detect pressure pain threshold (PPT) differences on intra-oral palpation of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) between subjects diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and controls. METHODS: Thirty-one consecutive female TMD patients and 31 age and gender matched controls underwent palpation of the LPM using an algometer made with a queue-tip connected to a digital scale, and PPT was measured. RESULTS: Mean PPTs of the right and left LPM of the controls were respectively 191g (49KPa) and 200g (51KPa), and mean PPTs of the right and left LPM of TMD patients were respectively 245g (62KPa) and 256g (63KPa). ANOVA between the four PPT measurements showed significant difference only between the PPT readings of the right LPM of the controls and the left LPM of the patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that PPT measured by means of the described algometer is not decreased in TMD patients as compared to control subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Use of Theraflex-TMJ topical cream for the treatment of temporomandibular joint and muscle pain.

This randomized, double-blind study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the topical cream Theraflex-TMJ (NaBob/Rx, San Mateo, CA) in patients with masseter muscle pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. Fifty-two subjects (5 males and 47 females) were instructed to apply a cream over the afflicted masseter muscle(s) or over the jaw joint(s) twice daily for two weeks. Theraflex-TMJ cream was used by the experimental group, while a placebo cream was used by the control group. The means of pain ratings were calculated prior to the application of the cream (baseline), after ten days of tx (period 1), and 15 days of tx (period 2) days of treatment and five days after stopping the treatment (follow-up). There was a significant decrease in reported pain levels from baseline in the experimental group for period 1 (p < 0.01), period 2 (p < 0.001), and follow-up (p < 0.01). For the control group, no significant differences were found between the different time periods (p > 0.05). There was evidence of minor side effects such as skin irritation and/or burning on the site of the application in two subjects in the experimental as well as two subjects in the control groups. The data strongly suggest that Theraflex-TMJ topical cream is safe and effective for reducing pain in the masseter muscle and the temporomandibular joint.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Prevalence of bruxism in children receiving treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate reported bruxism among children affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty children diagnosed with ADHD and 30 healthy age and gender matched controls participated in the study. All subjects were examined for dental attrition, and the parents were asked for signs and symptoms of bruxism in their children using a questionnaire. Prevalence of oral parafunction was evaluated comparing ADHD children taking medications, ADHD children not taking medications, and controls. Subjects affected by ADHD and pharmacologically treated showed higher occurrence of bruxism compared to subjects affected by ADHD not taking medicines and controls; and within the ADHD group taking medications, CNS-stimulants have been associated with such side effect more frequently than the other drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Upper body musculoskeletal symptoms in Sardinian dental students.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine how early in a dental career musculoskeletal problems develop, by comparing the prevalence of such symptoms in a dental student population in Sardinia (Italy), a control sample of psychology students from the same university and a sample of dental students in Lebanon. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen dental students from the University of Cagliari (Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy) were surveyed by questionnaire about the presence of several upper body symptoms. Their responses were compared with those of 2 different populations: 114 psychology students from the same university, matched for age and sex, and 178 dental students from the University of Saint Joseph (Beirut, Lebanon). The psychology students were chosen for comparison because of the general dissimilarity of their daily activity to that of dentists. RESULTS: The Italian and Lebanese dental students did not differ with regard to presence of symptoms. The Italian dental students differed from the psychology students in just one respect, with the dental students reporting more lower back pain. Headache was the most prevalent symptom in all 3 groups and was more prevalent among women; however, this difference between the sexes did not reach statistical significance for the psychology students. CONCLUSIONS: The appearance of musculoskeletal symptoms among dental students, even after a relatively short clinical training period, suggests that ergonomics should be covered in the educational system to reduce risks to dental practitioners.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence of bruxism awareness in a Sardinian population.

1014 subjects on the island of Sardinia (Italy) were interviewed regarding the habit of clenching and grinding their teeth. They had to specify if this activity occurred during the day, during the night, or both. Other information recorded was their age, gender, marital status, and occupation. Overall prevalence of bruxism was 27.2% (276 subjects). No association was found between bruxism and age, gender and job. Even differentiating diurnal, nocturnal, diurnal and nocturnal bruxism, associations were non-significant. Marital status seems to make some difference: divorced people reported higher parafunctional activity compared to widows and widowers who reported the least. Although awareness of bruxism is not a precise measure of parafunction, based on the results we cannot support the role of stress on bruxism etiology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

An index for the measurement of normal maximum mouth opening.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the width of 3 or 4 fingers of one hand and maximum mouth opening (MMO) in healthy subjects. METHODS: One hundred and forty dental students (age 21 to 42 years, mean 27.4 years) participated in the study. The ability of each subject to position 3 or 4 fingers, vertically aligned, between the upper and lower central incisors up to the first distal interphalangeal folds, was documented. Measurements of MMO and the width of 3 fingers (index, middle and ring fingers) and 4 fingers (index, middle, ring and little fingers) were recorded. RESULTS: All subjects were able to position 3 fingers (of both the right and left hands) between the upper and lower central incisors. Only 12 subjects were able to position 4 fingers (both right and left) in this way. There were no significant differences among the measurements of MMO (mean 48.8 mm), 3 fingers of the right hand (mean 47.3 mm) and 3 fingers of the left hand (mean 47.0 mm) (p > 0.05). However, MMO was significantly different from the width of 4 fingers of the right hand (mean 58.1 mm) and 4 fingers of the left hand (mean 57.5 mm) (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a strong positive correlation between MMO and the 3-finger measurements (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly suggest that the ability to position 3 fingers in the mouth during dental examination is a convenient index for assessing normal MMO.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Complex regional pain syndrome in the head and neck: a review of the literature.

This article reviews the features of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), including its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. CRPS is a pathology that has been described as occurring almost always in a limb, but this review provides a focus on the literature reporting cases in which the face, head, and neck were affected. Very few cases were found that seemed to meet the International Association for the Study of Pain criteria for the disease. The clinical characteristics were similar to those of CRPS elsewhere in the body, with the main features being burning pain, hyperalgesia, and hyperesthesia starting after a trauma to the craniofacial region. Physical signs were reported less frequently. The treatment of choice was seen to be a series of stellate ganglion anesthetic blocks, which resulted in a good outcome in all the cases reviewed.

Autonomic Nerve Block↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Atypical odontalgia: a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To review previous reports of cases of atypical odontalgia to examine its epidemiological and clinical characteristics and to explore the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease. BACKGROUND: Atypical odontalgia is one of many painful conditions that affect the oral cavity and is often overlooked in the differential diagnosis. METHODS: A search of the literature was performed for all cases of atypical odontalgia reported from 1966 to the present. RESULTS: The typical clinical presentation of atypical odontalgia that has been reported involves pain in a tooth in the absence of any sign of pathology; the pain may spread to areas of the face, neck, and shoulder. The existing literature suggests that this condition occurs in 3% to 6% of the patients who undergo endodontic treatment, with high female preponderance and a concentration of cases in the fourth decade of life. Deafferentation seems to be the most likely mechanism to initiate the pain, but psychological factors, alteration of neural mechanisms, and even an idiopathic mechanism have been implicated. Not all reported cases were preceded by trauma to the teeth or gums. The treatment of choice is a tricyclic antidepressant, alone or in combination with a phenothiazine. The outcome is usually fair, with many patients obtaining complete relief from pain. Especially in the absence of overt pathology, particular attention should be paid to avoiding any unnecessary and potentially dangerous dental intervention on the teeth. CONCLUSION: Atypical odontalgia is surprisingly common, of uncertain origin, and potentially treatable.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗