Nevin Manimala

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12903-026-07858-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ankylosis complicates the management of impacted maxillary canines (IMCs), yet its prevalence and extent, and associated bone characteristics remain understudied, limiting confident clinical decision-making. This study aims to determine the prevalence and extent of radiographic ankylosis in IMCs and investigate the associated surrounding bone density characteristics using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), providing parameters to improve diagnosis and treatment planning.

METHODS: Ethics committee approval was obtained for this single center, cross-sectional retrospective study. Fifty-six IMCs CBCT images from the radiology unit database between 2017 and 2022 were assessed for radiographic ankylosis. They were categorized as having clear signs, possible signs or no signs of radiographic ankylosis. The prevalence, extent and sites of radiographic signs suggestive of ankylosis were recorded. Bone density was quantified using CBCT grey values (relative values, not Hounsfield units) and measured using Materialise Mimics software (version 20). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests.

RESULTS: Radiographic signs of ankylosis were found in 26.8% of IMCs (8.9% clear signs; 17.9% possible signs), occurring primarily on palatal (73.3%) and cervical (60.0%) root surfaces. Three (20.0%) IMCs had the largest extent of four affected sites. Bone density was significantly higher at the sites suggestive of ankylosis (p < 0.001), with a mean grey value difference of 259.533 (SD 141.506).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of radiographic ankylosis in IMCs was low, mainly affecting the palatal and cervical root surfaces. Increased grey value on CBCT can serve as an indicator for radiographic ankylosis.

PMID:41703552 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-026-07858-x

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12903-026-07919-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a prevalent developmental enamel defect that frequently affects permanent molars and is associated with increased dentin permeability, hypersensitivity, and a higher risk of pulpal inflammation. These clinical features may necessitate endodontic treatment at an early age; however, information regarding potential variations in root canal morphology in MIH-affected molars remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the root canal morphology of hypomineralized permanent molars and compare it with that of healthy molars via microcomputed tomography (µCT).

METHODS: A total of sixty extracted permanent molars were included in this study, comprising thirty hypomineralized teeth and thirty healthy control teeth. All samples were scanned using a SkyScan 1172 µCT system. Root canal configurations were classified according to the Sert and Bayırlı classification system, and isthmus types were assessed according to the system described by Hsu and Kim. The numbers of major and minor apical foramina were recorded. Morphometric analyses included measurements of canal area, cervical width, and cervical thickness. All the data were statistically analyzed via independent t tests, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: The most common root canal configuration in both groups was Type I, defined as the presence of two canals without noticeable communication. Hypomineralized teeth exhibited a significantly greater number of minor apical foramina in the middle third of the root (p = 0.016) as well as a greater total number of minor apical foramina compared with healthy teeth (p = 0.047). The cervical width was significantly greater in the hypomineralized molars (p = 0.02), whereas no significant differences were observed in the cervical thickness, canal area, or isthmus distribution between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: µCT analysis demonstrated distinct morphological differences between hypomineralized and healthy permanent molars, particularly regarding the number of minor apical foramina and cervical width. These findings underscore the need to consider potential root canal variations during endodontic assessment and treatment planning in MIH-affected molars.

PMID:41703541 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-026-07919-1

BMC Oral Health. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12903-026-07925-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pain perception during dental procedures is a common cause of patient anxiety. The aim of this study was to compare the pain perception during anesthetic injection and patient preference between a conventional local anesthesia technique and a computer-controlled local anesthesia delivery (CCLAD) system.

METHODS: A randomized, crossover clinical trial was conducted with 40 patients who received both conventional and computerized local anesthesia using the SOGA Smart II device. A 2% lidocaine with epinephrine (1.8 ml, 1:100,000) was used for both techniques. In maxilla, infiltration technique was used and in mandible, Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block was administered. The pain during injection was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests.

RESULTS: The mean VAS score for conventional anesthesia was 4.20 ± 1.16, and for the CCLAD system was 2.23 ± 1.23. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). No gender-based differences in VAS scores were observed. The majority of patients expressed a preference for the computerized system.

CONCLUSION: The SOGA Smart II CCLAD system significantly reduces pain perception compared to conventional techniques. Most patients favored the electronic delivery method, suggesting its potential role as a patient-centered approach to reducing injection-related discomfort in selected clinical settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial was registered retrospectively with the registration number: TCTR20250517004, dated 17th May, 2025.

PMID:41703537 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-026-07925-3

BMC Pediatr. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-06379-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Because the respiratory system of extremely/very preterm infants is immature, respiratory support is essential to their care; however, the effects of invasive and non-invasive ventilation modes on prognosis and complications remain controversial. The efficacy and safety of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), and non-invasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV) were to be compared in extremely/very preterm infants. METHODS: Clinical data from 220 extremely/very preterm infants admitted between January 2024 and March 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Infants were stratified by initial ventilation modality into the invasive group (AG, n = 87), the non-invasive NCPAP group (BG, n = 82), and the non-invasive NHFOV group (CG, n = 51); treatment outcomes and complications were compared. RESULTS: The CG had the shortest total ventilation time (8.5 ± 2.8 days), the lowest rate of reintubation (17.6%), and the highest weaning success rate (88.2%), all of which were superior to the other groups (P < 0.05); the AG had the highest incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (37.9%) and intracranial hemorrhage (13.8%) (P < 0.05). Mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and sepsis incidence not statistically significant among the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Non-invasive ventilation, especially NHFOV, was found to optimize treatment outcomes and reduce complications in extremely/very preterm infants; its preferential use was recommended.

PMID:41703503 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-025-06379-w

BMC Public Health. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-26591-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: New York City has recorded a historically low supply of housing affecting disproportionally low-resourced areas, including the Bronx. Affordable housing buildings are being built, however, little is known about the quality of life of residents living in affordable housing, nor what the impact of housing is on their quality of life or health.

METHODS: A pilot cross sectional study without a comparison group was conducted, to characterize the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) of residents from an affordable housing development located in Mott Haven, in the South East area of the Bronx in NYC. It also examined the impact of individual, health-related and housing domains of physical and mental health HRQoL outcomes. Data was collected on two occasions at two affordable housing developments. Descriptive statistics, contingency table analysis, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare SF-12 v2^® variables across the levels of 14 predictor variables categorized into 3 domains: demographics, housing, and health status. In addition, each of the SF-12 v2^® scales and subscales was analyzed in a multiple regression framework to estimate Cohen’s f² effect size statistics on these domains. The SF-12v2^® was scored by the PRO CoRE software.

RESULTS: The total sample was of 188 residents self-idenitifed with the following characteristics: 79% were females; 67.3% were older than 35 years; 58.0% were Hispanics; 57.4% have more than a high school education, while 12.2% have less than a high school education; 53.5% were single-parent households; 21.6% were two parents households with dependents that are minors; and 37.3% had an annual income of less than $15,000. The statistically significant results show that having a disability and a greater number of morbidities are associated with having a lower HRQoL in the Physical Composite Summary (PCS) and Mental Composite Summary (MCS), and in all of their subscales. Aging showed to be statistically significant in the PCS and its subscales. The regression analyses indicate that the health status domains have the highest effect on HRQoL subscales for physical and mental health, and the lowest size effect was on the housing domain.

CONCLUSION: This study serves as a baseline to increase the understanding on how to study the relationship between housing and HRQoL. Results suggest that older adult residents, those with multiple co-morbidities, and with disabilities need to be prioritized when developing interventions or programs in housing developents. This pilot investigation is among the few that focuses on housing developments in the Bronx and has the potential to inform how to develop housing developments with a focus on promoting health and the well-being of their residents.

PMID:41703492 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-026-26591-2

BMC Infect Dis. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12879-026-12904-8. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41703469 | DOI:10.1186/s12879-026-12904-8

BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1186/s12872-026-05631-0. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41703467 | DOI:10.1186/s12872-026-05631-0

BMC Geriatr. 2026 Feb 18. doi: 10.1186/s12877-026-07161-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: With the accelerating aging of the global population, muscle health issue occurs commonly as an age-related process in older people. The conventional low muscle mass screening and diagnosis reliant on bulky and costly instruments, remain challenging for regular self-monitoring. If routine physical examination information from primary healthcare settings is integrated and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, it may be possible to derive robust predictions for low muscle mass screening. By doing so, we seek to explore an interpretable machine learning-based screening manner for low muscle mass among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS: We recruited aged ≥ 60 years older adults from the baseline of the elderly nutrition and health cohort. Low muscle mass was assessed by BIA-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) using AWGS 2019 consensus cut-offs. Following physical examination in community health settings, individual information about the participants was measured and gathered, including general information, medical history, physical measurements and biochemical indicators. The primary objective of this study was to explore an interpretable machine learning-based screening manner for low muscle mass. For predicting low muscle mass (by classification) or ASMI (by regression), three representative supervised machine learning models were constructed. To make the prediction behavior of the model transparent and ease clinical use, SHAP algorithm and Shiny framework were utilized, respectively.

RESULTS: 569 Chinese community-dwelling older adult were enrolled. Among them, 99 participants (17.4%) were assessed with low muscle mass. Among three models tested, the random forest model exhibited superior overall performance and better generalizability for low muscle mass (AUC = 0.872 in test set), and the elastic net showed the best prediction performance for ASMI (R² = 0.763 in test sets). The identified key predictors of low muscle mass based SHAP algorithm revealed expected patterns, such as the importance of BMI, age, calf circumference, MNA score, but also unexpected variables, such as HDL. The final optimal prediction model was deployed in an interactive and user-friendly decision support application to facilitate the clinical application.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that routine physical examination information could be a valuable component to incorporate into targeted assessments to screen low muscle mass among community-dwelling older adults. Building on this foundation, an interpretable machine learning approach was explored, which proves well-suited as a screening manner for low muscle mass to guide further standard assessment. Its suitability stems from superior predictive performance and operational feasibility in resource-constrained community health settings.

PMID:41703458 | DOI:10.1186/s12877-026-07161-y

J Public Health Dent. 2026 Feb 17. doi: 10.1111/jphd.70047. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Interim Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) provided financial support to families to cover dental care expenses for children < 12 years of age. The purpose of this study was to investigate oral health professionals’ (OHPs) views of the Interim CDB.

METHODS: OHPs in Manitoba, Canada were invited by e-mail to complete an online questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, and standard deviations), bivariate analysis (chi-squared and t-test), and multivariable logistic regression. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: Overall, 383 OHPs participated, the majority being women (80.9%), from metropolitan areas (77.8%), and working for 16.6 ± 12.9 years. Main respondents included dentists (24.3%), dental hygienists (23.3%), and dental assistants (38.7%). Awareness of the benefit was high (92.7%) yet 45.8% were uncertain whether it increased public awareness of children’s oral health. Encouragement to apply was low (39.3%), although 56.5% believed that the Interim CDB improved access to children’s oral care. Multivariate logistic regression showed that rural OHPs encouraged application 43% more than those working in urban areas. Significantly more positive responses were observed among rural-based OHPs and women toward the benefit’s ability to improve access to oral health for children.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, awareness was high among the OHPs, but uncertainty remained whether the benefit improved access to care for young children. OHPs in rural areas were more likely to believe that the Interim CDB improved access to care and were more likely to promote the program to families.

PMID:41703436 | DOI:10.1111/jphd.70047

Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2026 Feb 18:zvaf223. doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf223. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: To generally explore the relative importance of factors influencing medication adherence after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to provide a new perspective on the theoretical framework of medication adherence intervention.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A single-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted. Primary outcomes were indicators of medication nonadherence, including incorrect implementation behaviour, medication taking proportion <90% and discontinuation. Potential influencing factors included baseline characteristics at PCI and barriers to medication adherence after PCI. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with the indicators. A total of 901 cases with valid data were identified. Incorrect implementation behaviour, medication taking proportion <90%, and discontinuation after PCI were 39.3%, 16.6%, and 8.9%, respectively. Rural residence, lacking medication necessary, and medication side effects were common factors associated with the above three indicators, and complex prescriptions, disturbing routine, age (at this PCI), number of coronary stents (up to this PCI), economic difficulties, memory decline, inconvenience, busy, and extensive travel were uncommon factors associated with these three indicators.

CONCLUSION: Exploring the relative importance of factors influencing medication adherence after PCI provides a new perspective for integrating multifaceted and tailored interventions as a new system.

PMID:41703427 | DOI:10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf223