[Advances in Molecular Regulatory Mechanisms of Jaw Repair and Reconstruction]

Jawbone injuries resulting from trauma, diseases, and surgical resections are commonly seen in clinical practice, necessitating precise and effective strategies for repair and reconstruction to restore both function and aesthetics. The precise and effective repair and the reconstruction of jawbone injuries pose a significant challenge in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, owing to the unique biomechanical characteristics and physiological functions of the jawbone. The natural repair process following jawbone injuries involves stages such as hematoma formation, inflammatory response, ossification, and bone remodeling. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and other growth factors play crucial roles in promoting jawbone regeneration. Cytokines such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor play dual roles in regulating inflammatory response and bone repair. In recent years, significant progress in molecular biology research has been made in the field of jawbone repair and reconstruction. Tissue engineering technologies, including stem cell therapy, bioactive scaffolds, and growth factor delivery systems, have found important applications in jawbone repair. However, the intricate molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in the complex jawbone repair and reconstruction methods are not fully understood and still require further research. Future research directions will be focused on the precise control of these molecular processes and the development of more efficient combination therapeutic strategies to promote the effective and functional reconstruction of the jawbone. This review aims to examine the latest findings on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of the repair and reconstruction of jawbone injuries and the therapeutic strategies. The conclusions drawn in this article provide a molecular-level understanding of the repair of jawbone injuries and highlight potential directions for future research.

[CiteSpace-Based Analysis of Hot Research Topics and Frontiers of Preclinical Dentistry Education]

Objective

To analyze the hot research topics and frontiers of preclinical dentistry education with bibliometric methods.

Methods

We launched searches in the Web of Science Core Collection database to find relevant literature on preclinical dentistry education, with the time frame of the searches limited between the creation of the database and January 1, 2022. After data extraction, we used the CiteSpace software to conduct visualized analysis of a number of factors, including the number of publications, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, etc.

Results

A total of 322 articles and reviews were included in the study, and the annual publication volume showed a trend of steady growth in the past decade. With 98 papers, the United States had the most number of published papers. The United States and the United Kingdom were important countries in the national cooperation network. There were 10 institutions that published more than 5 articles. The total number of authors of the papers covered in the study was as many as 410. One author published 4 articles and was the most published author among them. The hot research topics of preclinical dentistry education included computer-assisted instruction, instructional methodology, clinical skills and 3D printing. Moreover, computer-assisted instruction was the new hot issue of the past decade. Besides, technology, restoration, clinic skills and communication skills were identified as novel research frontiers.

Conclusion

Visualized analysis of the research literature generates an intuitive understanding of hot research topics and frontiers of preclinical dentistry education, which provides references for future studies.