Dr. Maria Eugenia Guerrero is working as full professor at Universidad Nacional mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Perú. Dr. Guerrero graduated as a dentist at Saint Mary Catholic University in Perú. In 2004 she won the Belgian Technical Cooperation grant and travelled to Belgium to perform a Master in Medical Sciences. She was an ITI Scholar at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She further received the Interfaculty Council for Development Co-operation (IRO, KU Leuven) grant to continue her PhD studies at the Oral Imaging Center and the OMFS IMPATH research group (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dept Imaging and Pathology) at the KU Leuven. Her research interests include Oral Imaging, Periodontics and Dental Implants
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Cone-beam CT, dental implants, Periodontology, third molar
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Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Periodontal bone loss analysis via keypoint detection with heuristic post-processing Ryan Banks, Vishal Thengane, María Eugenia Guerrero, Nelly Maria García-Madueño, Yunpeng Li, Hongying Tang, Akhilanand Chaurasia Computers in Biology and Medicine, 2026 Objectives: This study proposes a deep learning framework and an annotation methodology for the automatic detection of periodontal bone loss landmarks, associated conditions, and staging. Methods 192 periapical radiographs were collected and annotated using a stage agnostic methodology, labelling clinically relevant landmarks regardless of disease presence or extent. We propose a heuristic post-processing module that aligns predicted keypoints to tooth boundaries using an auxiliary instance segmentation model. An evaluation metric, Percentage of Relative Correct Keypoints ( P R C K ), is proposed to capture keypoint performance in dental imaging domains. Four donor pose estimation models were adapted with fine-tuning for our keypoint problem. Results Post-processing improved fine-grained localisation, raising average P R C K 0.05 by + 0.028 , but reduced coarse performance for P R C K 0.25 by − 0.0523 and P R C K 0.5 by − 0.0345 . Orientation estimation shows excellent performance for auxiliary segmentation when filtered with either stage 1 object detection model. Periodontal staging was detected sufficiently, with the best mesial and distal Dice scores of 0.508 and 0.489 , while furcation involvement and widened periodontal ligament space tasks remained challenging due to scarce positive samples. Scalability is implied with similar validation and external set performance. Conclusion The annotation methodology enables stage agnostic training with balanced representation across disease severities for some detection tasks. The P R C K metric provides a domain-specific alternative to generic pose metrics, while the heuristic post-processing module consistently corrected implausible predictions with occasional catastrophic failures. Clinical significance: The proposed framework demonstrates the feasibility of clinically interpretable periodontal bone loss assessment, with the potential to reduce diagnostic variability and clinician workload. • We propose a keypoint annotation methodology for periodontal disease detection. • It is stage agnostic and increases class counts, with staging done during inference. • We propose a dental keypoint evaluation metric, Percentage of Relative Keypoints. • We propose a heuristic post-processing method, to improve detections. • Automating periodontal staging can reduce diagnostic time and improve accuracy.
Histological evaluation of palatal donor site healing with leukocyte–platelet–rich fibrin versus collagen sponge JC. Rosas-Díaz, ME. Guerrero, NE. Córdova-Limaylla, C. Padilla-Avalos, JJ. Palomino-Zorrilla, Rd. Alvarez-Medina Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, 2026 Background: The palate is the primary donor site for autogenous connective tissue grafts in periodontal and peri-implant plastic surgery, yet healing by secondary intention often results in morbidity. Collagen sponge (CS) and leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) have been proposed to enhance donor site repair, but comparative histological evidence in humans remains scarce. Objective: To compare the histological characteristics of palatal donor site healing following coverage with CS or L-PRF. Material and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional histological study was performed on palatal biopsies collected four months after connective tissue graft harvesting covered with CS (n = 9) or L-PRF (n = 9). Epithelial type and thickness, lamina propria thickness, submucosal composition, inflammatory infiltrate, vascular congestion, and edema were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: Both biomaterials supported uneventful healing without necrosis or severe inflammation. Compared with CS, L-PRF was associated with thicker epithelium, a higher frequency of hyperparakeratinization, and the presence of orthokeratinization. Lamina propria thickness was slightly greater in L-PRF, while fibrous submucosa predominated in both groups. Mild leukocyte infiltration and transient edema were more common with L-PRF, suggesting a more active regenerative response. Conclusions: CS and L-PRF both promoted favorable palatal donor site healing. L-PRF demonstrated histological features consistent with enhanced tissue regeneration, likely due to its growth factor content. These preliminary findings warrant validation in randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes.
Transversal competencies among Peruvian dental students in times of the COVID-19 pandemic Dora N. Gómez-Meza, Víctor F. Lamas-Lara, Manuel A. Mattos-Vela, Teresa A. Evaristo-Chiyong, Luis A. Cuadrao-Zavaleta, Maria Eugenia Guerrero Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025 Transversal competencies are not related to any specific degree program but are crucial with respect to university students’ academic and professional training and entry into the labor force. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the transversal competencies (including instrumental, interpersonal, and systemic competencies) exhibited by Peruvian dental students in times of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the relationships between these competencies and various sociodemographic characteristics. A cross-sectional study second to 6th-year students in a Peruvian dental school was performed. A validated paper and pencil questionnaire that collected information concerning transversal competencies was used in this research. This questionnaire contained three sections; the first section solicited informed consent, the second section focused on the sociodemographic characteristics of participants (6 items) and the third section pertained to transversal competencies (185 items). The survey was conducted between May and August 2022. Descriptive statistics were calculated with respect to each of the competencies investigated in this research. The Friedman, Dunn‒Bonferroni post-hoc, Mann‒Whitney U, and Kruskal‒Wallis tests were used to compare the variables included in this study. The three categories of competencies exhibited similar median values (3), while four subcompetencies exhibited lower median values. Furthermore, interpersonal competencies exhibited significantly lower values ( p = 0.003) than did instrumental or systemic competencies. No statistically significant relationships were observed between each group of transversal competencies and the corresponding sociodemographic variables.
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PERCEPTION OF RADIOLOGICAL RISKS AND USE OF RADIOLOGY-INFORMED CONSENT AMONG PERUVIAN DENTISTS Leslie Romina Paredes-Cruz, Laura Ricardina Ramírez-Sotelo, María Eugenia Guerrero Revista Cientifica Odontologica, 2025 Objetivo: Evaluar el nivel de conocimiento, actitud y percepción sobre los riesgos radiológicos y el uso del consentimiento informado en radiología bucal y maxilofacial entre los odontólogos que laboran en la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), en Lima, Perú. Material y métodos: El diseño del presente estudio fue de tipo observacional, descriptivo y transversal. Se elaboró un instrumento de 25 ítems en forma de cuestionario de opción múltiple utilizando Google Forms. La primera sección incluye datos sociodemográficos y la segunda presenta la evaluación del conocimiento, actitud y percepción sobre los riesgos radiológicos y el uso del consentimiento informado (CI) en radiología bucal y maxilofacial. Para el análisis se incluyeron 89 profesionales docentes. Los datos fueron analizados por la prueba de chi-cuadrado y mediante un análisis de regresión logística, para lo cual se utilizó un nivel de significación de p ≤ 0,05. Resultados: Se encontró que el nivel de conocimiento fue alto (76,40%) y medio (23,60%), mientras que las preguntas relacionadas al órgano que requiere protección radiográfica y el conocimiento de los principios de protección radiológica fueron estadísticamente diferentes según el grado académico y años de experiencia clínica, respectivamente (p ≤ 0,05). Con respecto a la actitud y percepción, la mayoría de los participantes usan siempre o muy frecuentemente delantal de plomo (62,93%) y collar tiroideo (42,70%) en sus pacientes. La percepción presentó diferencias significativas según el grado académico y entidad clínica en la que labora (p ≤ 0,05). Conclusiones: Los resultados ofrecen una mirada representativa del conocimiento, actitud y percepciones que podrían estar presentes en otros entornos educativos y clínicos, los cuales contribuyen a generar conciencia en los odontólogos, promover el uso del CI en radiología odontológica, orientar intervenciones formativas, políticas institucionales y marcos normativos.
A Preliminary Exploratory Bibliometric Study on COVID-19 and Pregnancy Fatima Aguirre-Vegas, Jakeline Ramos-Aliaga, Maria E Guerrero, Juan Alvitez, Abigail Temoche, Frank Mayta-Tovalino Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2025 Aim: To evaluate the influence, trends, and attributes of global scholarly work on coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy.Materials and methods: A bibliometric analysis of scientific literature on COVID-19 in pregnancy published in Scopus was conducted.The search strategy was confined to the field of nursing from 2019 to 2021.SciVal of Scopus was utilized for the analysis.The literature was collected using the keywords "COVID-19, " "gestation, " and "nursing, " along with their respective MeSH terms.Results: A total of 351 manuscripts were discovered, with 160 found in Q1 journals and 101 in Q2 journals.The journal with the highest citation count was Maternal Child and Nutrition, while Women and Birth had the highest number of publications.The Burnet Institute had the highest number of publications and citations, with 10 manuscripts receiving 140 citations.The authors with the most publications were Caroline Homer, followed by Alyce Wilson.The most frequently used subject categories were Maternity and Midwifery, General Nursing, and Dietetics.Conclusion: Most of the manuscripts were published in Australia, with 2021 being the year when most of them were published in Q1 journals.Caroline Homer, Alyce Wilson, and Claudia Ravaldi were the authors with the most articles.The Burnet Institute's journal far exceeded the others mentioned due to its substantial scientific output.Clinical significance: This study can assist healthcare professionals in better understanding the current state of clinical research in this area, identifying gaps in existing knowledge, and guiding future research directions.This is crucial for enhancing care and outcomes for pregnant women and their infants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMPARISON IN THE ESTIMATION OF THE AGE OF MAJORITY ACCORDING TO THE DEMIRJIAN INDICES AND THE THIRD MOLAR OF CAMERIERE USING CONE BEAM TOMOGRAPHY IN A PERUVIAN POPULATION Martín Lopez-Muñoz, Milushka Miroslava Quezada-Márquez, Roberto Antonio León-Manco, Yris Chávez-Lazo, Rocío Cárdenas-Angulo, et al. Journal of Oral Research, 2025 Objetive: To compare majority age estimation according to Demirjian's method and Cameriere's third molar maturity index using cone-beam computed tomography in patients who attended the Maxillofacial Diagnostic Institute during 2014-2018, Lima- Peru. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional and analytical analysis was performed evaluating 492 lower third molars corresponding to 38 and 48 teeth. Patients included were between 12 and 23 years-old and were of both sexes. Data obtained were analyzed with a double entry frequencies distribution table. Sensitivity, specificity tests, and plotting on a ROC curve were selected to assess the methods capacity to estimate the majority age. Results: Sensitivity values for Demirjian's and Cameriere's indexes were 0.80 and 0.70. Specificity values were 0.87 and 0.93, respectively. The AUC for Demirjian's and Cameriere's indexes were 0.84 (0.79-0.88) and 0.81 (0.77-0.86) respectively and the Delong test p-value was > 0.05. Conclusions: There was no difference on majority age estimation accuracy according to Demirjian's method and Cameriere's third molar maturity index using cone-beam computed tomography.
The relationship between self-perception of smile aesthetics and personality traits of university students: A cross-sectional study Claudia Denisse Piscoche-Rodríguez, Livia Sonia Zambrano de la Peña, Maria Eugenia Guerrero, Dian Agustin Wahjuningrum, Novaldy Wahjudianto, Karissa Navita Saragih Heliyon, 2025 This study aims to determine the relationship between self-perception of smile aesthetics and personality traits of first-year undergraduate students at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. This study used an observational design, and an electronic research form distributed via the institutional email addresses of the first-year undergraduate students enrolled at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in 2021. The forms include four sections: informed consent, personal data, questions about self-perception of smile aesthetics (the SPIRQoL questionnaire), and questions about personality traits (the Revised NEO-FFI questionnaire). The data gathered from the forms were analyzed using the chi-squared test and the student's t-test. Of the 338 students, 55.9 % were females, and 44.1 % were males. The mean age of the student respondents was 20.5 ± 1.7 years. A relationship was observed between self-perception of smile aesthetics and personality traits (p < 0.05). In general, the majority of respondents (91.7 %) had a positive self-perception of their smiles, while the remaining respondents (8.3 %) had a negative self-perception. In particular, 36.69 % of respondents were satisfied with and confident about their smiles, and 48.82 % of respondents had never been socially judged because of their smiles. In addition, 64.50 % of respondents had never experienced offense or discrimination because of their smiles, and the majority of respondents (46.8 %) obtained an average score in personality traits. In other words, the students were open to suggestions, able to express their opinions, respectful of others, willing to embrace change, and capable of adapting to such change. Specifically, 82.6 % of those who obtained a low score in personality traits had a positive self-perception, and so do 94.3 % of those with an average score. Besides, 96.6 % of those who obtained a high score in personality traits had a positive self-perception. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between sexes (p > 0.05). The majority of students who had a positive self-perception of their smile obtained an average score in personality traits. Studies on self-perception of smile and personality traits must be further explored in large populations and specific age groups.
Validity and reliability of a smartphone-based photographic method for detection of dental caries in adults for use in teledentistry Victor F. Lamas-Lara, Manuel A. Mattos-Vela, Teresa A. Evaristo-Chiyong, Maria Eugenia Guerrero, Juan F. Jiménez-Yano, Dora N. Gómez-Meza Frontiers in Oral Health, 2025 IntroductionWith the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of teledentistry increased its need for implementation. In this sense, the study aimed to validate a smartphone-based remote photographic method for diagnosing dental caries in adults attending a polyclinic in Lima, Peru.MethodsA cross-sectional, descriptive research was conducted; 87 patients were selected, and 2020 teeth were evaluated. Each participant underwent a clinical diagnosis of dental caries by two trained and calibrated dentists, considering the diagnostic criteria of the WHO; during the same visit, after the clinical examination, a family member of the patient was instructed to take a photographic record with a cell phone, through a video. Five photographs of the dental arches were recorded, where the centering of images, resolution, and visualization of all the teeth were evaluated. The photographic evaluation was performed by two independent evaluators blinded to the visual evaluation performed, following the same criteria as the clinical visual evaluation. For the data analysis, Cohen's kappa index was determined for interexaminer reliability; sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were obtained.ResultsOverall, high sensitivity: 90.19% [Interquartile 95% (CI): 88.23–92.16]; and specificity: 95.15% (95% CI: 93.83–96.47). The interexaminer agreement was almost perfect, with a kappa of 0.935 and 0.974 for clinical and photographic evaluation, respectively.ConclusionsIt is concluded that the photographic method using a smartphone has demonstrated a satisfactory level of caries detection in adults.
The Influence of the Degree of Dental Implant Insertion Compression on Primary Stability Measured by Resonance Frequency and Progressive Insertion Torque: In Vitro Study José Rosas-Díaz, Maria Eugenia Guerrero, Nancy Córdova-Limaylla, Maisely Galindo-Gómez, Marco García-Luna, César Cayo-Rojas Biomedicines, 2024 Background: This study aimed to evaluate the primary stability, according to the insertion torque value (ITV) and resonance frequency analysis (RFA), of dental implants placed in standardized blocks of bone quality equivalent to type II-A bone, using three surgical undersized protocols of 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.8 mm, considering different dental implant diameters and lengths. Methods: One hundred and twenty dental implants (DIs) of different diameters (3.5, 3.8, 4.5, and 5.0 mm) and lengths (8.5, 10.0, 11.5, 13.0, and 15.0 mm) placed in polyurethane blocks equivalent to type II-A bone, according to the Lekholm and Zarb classification modified by Rosas et al., were examined with three surgical protocols of under-milling of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 mm. The ITV and the RFA were the determinants of primary stability, and their respective values were recorded as Ncm and the implant stability quotient (ISQ) immediately after the placement of the DIs. These were evaluated according to each surgical insertion protocol, length, and diameter of the DI under a multivariate analysis model (MANOVA). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: It was observed that the average of the ITV was significantly higher when a 0.8 mm under-milling protocol was used (63.2 ± 14.9 Ncm) (p < 0.001). However, the ITV was significantly lower when a 0.2 mm under-milling protocol was used (25.1 ± 8.3 Ncm) (p < 0.001). On the other hand, the ISQ did not present significant differences (p = 0.166) when comparing the 0.2 (67.6 ISQ ± 5.4 ISQ), 0.5 (65.8 ISQ ± 3.4 ISQ), and 0.8 (65.7 ISQ ± 4.0 ISQ) under-milling protocols in the evaluation of the primary stability of the dental implant. The multivariate effect size (ηp2 = 0.639) indicated that the variability detected in the insertion torque and the ISQ, at the same time, was explained by 63.9% (p < 0.001) due only to the compression protocol, while the implant diameter explained this variability by 27.0% (ηp2 = 0.270) (p < 0.001) and the implant length only significantly explained this variability by 12.1% (ηp2 = 0.121) (p = 0.030). Finally, any interaction between the compression protocol, implant diameter, and length did not influence insertion torque variability or the ISQ (p > 0.05). Conclusions: It can be concluded that when the surgical protocol for subpreparation is optimal according to the prepared bone bed, regardless of the diameter or length of the dental implant used, primary stability was assured according to the ITV and the RFA in 63.9%. This finding allows us to recommend carrying out a correct analysis of bone quality in order to subsequently select the most appropriate surgical protocol for the subpreparation of the bone bed to achieve better primary stability of the dental implant.
Importance of local and systemic factors in preventing implant displacement in the mandibular body: a scoping review of existing literature José Rosas-Díaz, Maria Eugenia Guerrero, Diana Castillo-Andamayo, Maisely Galindo-Gómez, Marco García-Luna, Luis Cervantes-Ganoza, César Cayo-Rojas BMC Oral Health, 2024 BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to analyse the current literature on displaced dental implants in the mandibular body, including local and systemic variables related to their cause, and to identify the most frequent location. METHODS: The study conducted a search of three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science) using specific index terms such as 'dental implant', 'displacement', 'dislocation', 'displaced', and 'mandible'. The analysis focused on the direction of displacement and the characteristics of the bone tissue (bone quality, density, and quantity) in cases where dental implants were displaced. RESULTS: A total of 371 articles were obtained. Thirteen of these articles were selected and read in full. To define bone quality, the Lekholm and Zarb classification, modified by Rosas et al., was used. The type II-B bone, which is characterized by thick cortical bone surrounding cancellous bone with extremely wide medullary spaces, presented the largest number of complications. Twenty-two cases were found in which the displacement direction was horizontal. Of these, four were displaced vestibularly, fourteen lingually, and four remained in the center. Additionally, 24 cases presented vertical displacement, with 12 displaced towards the inferior border of the mandible, 9 towards the middle or adjacent to the inferior dental nerve canal, and 3 above the inferior dental nerve canal. CONCLUSION: The accidental displacement of implants within the mandibular body is associated with various risk factors, including the characteristics of the bony trabeculum and the size of the medullary spaces. It is reasonable to suggest that only an adequate pre-surgical diagnostic evaluation, with the help of high-resolution tomographic images that allow a previous evaluation of these structures, will help to have better control over the other factors, thus minimizing the risk of displacement.
Periodontitis and Neuropathic Diseases: A Literature Review Jesus Cabanillas, Ruth Risco, Arnaldo Munive-Degregori, Maria Eugenia Guerrero, Franco Mauricio, Frank Mayta-Tovalino Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, 2024
Relation between the Stages of Root Calcification of Third Molars and Chronological Age of Peruvian People from 13 to 23 Years Old Journal of International Dental and Medical Research, 2023
Precision of the CAD/CAM Planmeca System Computer-Guided Surgery for the Placement of Dental Implants Journal of International Dental and Medical Research, 2022
Maxillary-arch Shape Associated with the Position of the Greater Palatine Foramen Journal of International Dental and Medical Research, 2022
A comparison of jaw dimensional and quality assessments of bone characteristics with cone-beam CT, spiral tomography, and multi-slice spiral CT International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, 2007
