Yilmaz, Onur; Sivrikaya, Efe Can; Taskesen, Fatih; Pirpir, Cagasan; Ciftci, Sezai

Purpose: Masticatory myofascial trigger points (TrP) are one of the major causes of nondental pain in the orofacial region. Intramuscular injections are considered the first-line treatment for myofascial TrPs. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of local anesthesia (LA), botulinum toxin (BTX), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for the treatment of myofascial TrPs in the masseter muscle. Methods: In this retrospective study, the sample was composed of patients with myofascial TrPs in masseter muscle who were treated between 2016 and 2019. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to treatment methods: group I (LA injection), group II (BTX injection), and group III (PRP injection). Primary outcome variable was the average pain level at rest and while chewing, and pressure pain intensity (PPI), Jaw Functional Limitation Scale (JFLS) value, and quality-of-life (measured using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14)) were secondary outcomes. The outcome variables were assessed at diagnosis, and 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. Results: The study consisted of 82 patients (group I, 27; group II, 26; group III, 29). At 1 and 3 months, improvement in all parameters was recorded in all groups. Groups I and II showed superior improvement in all parameters compared with group III at 3 months. Improvements in VAS pain, JFLS, and OHIP-14 values were significantly better in group II than group I at 3 months (P =.009; P =.004; P =.002). At 6 months, significant improvement in VAS pain, JFLS, and OHIP-14 (P =.008; P <.001; P <.01) values was recorded only in group II. Conclusions: All procedures successfully improved the symptoms of TrPs in the masseter muscle at 1 and 3 months. However, BTX injection seemed superior at the 3-month follow-up and remained effective up to 6 months.

Kupeli, Ilke; Gülnahar, Yakup

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the music genre reducing anxiety best in patients whose third molars were extracted. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were included in this prospective, observational, randomized controlled trial. They were divided into 4 groups: group 1, Turkish music; group 2, classical music of a Western culture; group 3, soft rock music; and group 4, no music (control group). The preoperative blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation of each patient were measured, and the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) questionnaire was applied, with the values being measured and recorded at 5-minute intervals. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, and the P value was set at.05. Results: Of the 80 patients, 44 were women and 36 were men. The average age was 24.1 ± 5.9 years. No significant differences between the groups were found in terms of age; gender; or preoperative HR, mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation (as measured by pulse oximetry), and CDAS values (P >.05). Although no significant correlations was found between anxiety levels and age (P =.330), HR (P =.694), or mean arterial pressure (P =.775), it was detected that anxiety was high in women (P <.05). Anxiety levels decreased at all times in all groups, but the postoperative CDAS values of the classical music group were significantly lower than those of the other groups (P =.024). Conclusions: This study found that classical Western music that was started in the preoperative period and continued until the end of the operation significantly reduced the anxiety associated with third molar extraction in patients aged between 18 and 30 years.