Respiratory Disorders Overview

Respiratory Disorders

• Asthma is a variable obstructive airway disease characterized by unpredictable, disabling attacks of dyspnea, coughing, and wheezing triggered by sudden episodes of bronchospasms.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
• Sleep apnea is characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep.
• Respiratory tract infections are common.
• Cystic fibrosis causes excessive mucus in the respiratory and digestive systems.
• Tuberculosis primarily infects the lungs and can be fatal if left untreated.
• Asthma attacks are often triggered by allergens and result in bronchoconstriction and inflammation.
• Allergic (atopic) asthma is a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction triggered by allergens like foods, animal sources, environmental factors, medication, and others.
• Non-allergic (non-atopic) asthma can be triggered by drugs like aspirin and NSAIDs.
• Bronchodilators, such as salbutamol (Ventolin), are used to relieve asthma symptoms by relaxing airway smooth muscle.
• Inhaled corticosteroids, such as beclomethasone and budesonide, are anti-inflammatory agents used to prevent asthma attacks.
• Dental environments can pose a risk of asthma attacks due to dental materials, products, medications (aspirin, NSAIDs, opioid analgesics), anxiety, and stress.
• COPD is the 4th leading cause of death worldwide.
• Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, along with exposure to lung irritants such as chemical vapors, pollutants, dust from grain or wood, and genetic predisposition to disorders like alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
• Chronic bronchitis is characterized by persistent cough with sputum for at least 3 months in at least 2 consecutive years in the absence of any other identifiable cause.
• Emphysema involves irreversible enlargement of airspaces distal to terminal bronchioles with destruction of their walls.
• There are four major types of emphysema based on the segments of the respiratory units involved: centriacinar, panacinar, paraseptal, and irregular.
• Centriacinar emphysema is the most common form and affects the central or proximal parts of acini, sparing the distal alveoli.
• Panacinar emphysema is associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and is exacerbated by smoking.
• COPD can manifest as pure chronic bronchitis, severe emphysema, or a combination of both.
• There's a link between COPD and oral health, with periodontal disease potentially contributing to the progression of COPD.
• Periodontal therapy in COPD patients may improve lung function and decrease the frequency of COPD exacerbations.
• Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep.
• Obstructive sleep apnea is a common type of sleep apnea.
• Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs.
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB.
• Patients with active TB are infectious and require specialized medical treatment.
• Patients with latent tuberculosis are not infectious and can be treated under standard infection control precautions.
• Dental health care providers should defer non-emergency treatment of patients with TB until they are non-contagious after medical treatment.

Dental Material Properties

• Enamel is the hardest material in the body, 300-500 KHN, and is translucent, brittle, and permeable.
• Dentin is more susceptible to demineralization than enamel, is more opaque and resilient, and has a hardness value of 50-70 KHN.
• The color of dental materials is crucial for matching natural tissues.
• The Munsell scale analyzes color in three dimensions: wavelength, intensity, and brightness.
• Hue and chroma are inherent material properties, while brightness can be altered by surface polishing.
• Value is the total amount of light reflected from an object, influenced by enamel thickness and quality.
• Fluorescence is the property of a material to absorb light at one wavelength and emit light at a different wavelength, causing a color shift.
• Metamerism occurs when objects match under one light condition but mismatch under another due to differences in light spectral properties.
• Composite resins are organic resin materials containing filler particles like quartz, fused silica, and silica-based glass particles.
• Hybird composite resins have a combination of glass particles (5-20 micrometers) and colloidal silica (0.01-0.05 micrometers).
• Small particle-hybrid composites use glass particles (0.1-6 micrometers) and colloidal silica.
• Nanocomposites use silica nanoparticles (2-20nm) and zirconia-silica nonclusters (0.6 micrometers).
• Filler particles play a crucial role in composite resin properties, including reducing polymerization shrinkage, improving mechanical properties, providing radiopacity, and controlling aesthetics.
• Composite resins are classified based on their application as conventional resin composites, packable composites, flowable composites, and bulk-fill composites.
• Bulk-fill composites are designed for larger restorations, often with modified resin matrices, different filler particle types, and sensitive light initiators.
• Short fiber reinforced composites are indicated for dentin replacement in direct restorations and core build-up.