Inhibitory activity of glass-ionomer cements on cariogenic bacteria

This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of the glass-ionomer cements Vitrebond (3M ESPE), Ketac Molar (3M ESPE) and Fuji IX (GC America) against S mutans, S sobrinus, L acidophilus and A viscosus, using the agar diffusion test. Inocula were obtained by the seed of indicators cultures in BHI broth incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. Base layers containing 15 mL of BHI agar and 300 μL of each bacteria suspension were prepared in Petri dishes. Six wells measuring 4 mm in diameter were made in each plate and completely filled with one of the testing materials. A 0.2% chlorhexidine solution applied in round filter papers was used as control. Tests were performed 12 times for each material and bacteria strain. After incubation of the plates at 37°C for 24 hours, the zones of bacterial growth inhibition around the wells were measured. Overall, the results showed the following sequence of antibacterial activity: Vitrebond (despite the activation mode) > 0.2% chlorhexidine > Ketac Molar > Fuji IX, according to Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney statistical tests. This study confirmed significant antibacterial activity for two conventional glass-ionomers and one resin-modified glass-ionomer material. The resin-modified glass-ionomer cement Vitrebond, regardless of the activation mode, presented the best antibacterial activity against S mutans and S sobrinus. The antibacterial activity against A viscosus for Vitrebond was similar to 0.2% chlorhexidine, while light activation reduced its antibacterial activity against L acidophilus. ©Operative Dentistry, 2005.

Odontomas in pediatric dentistry: Report of two cases

Odontomas are developmental disturbances which manifest in the form of denticles or amorphous informes masses comprising all dental tissues, especially enamel and dentin, with variable amounts of pulp and cement. We describe here two clinical cases of odontomas in children, focusing on diagnostic means and the importance of early treatment of these lesions. The standard treatment for the two present cases was surgical removal.

Dentistry and HIV: University professors' role in establishing a basis for judgment

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the attitudes of Dentistry School Professors from two universities, one private and one public concerning HIV-positive patients or HIV-positive health care professionals. A questionnaire Was handled to all profession at the Araçatuba Dental School of São Paulo State University - FOA-UNESP (public) and Lins Dental School of the Piracicaba Methodist University - FOL-UNIMEP (private). When asked if they would be willing to be treated by an HIV-infected health care professional, 38.9% of the 77 professors at FOA-UNESP replied that they would accept only non-invasive treatments and 13% would not accept any kind of treatment; the same applied to 42.4% and 15.2% of the 33 FOL-UNIMEP professors. Among the 54 professors at FOA-UNESP and 27 at FOL-UNIMEP providing clinical service, only 31.5% and 18.5% stated that they treat HIV-infected persons like any other patient. The results were very similar in both schools. Although they reported that they taught their students not to act in a discriminatory manner towards HIV-positive patient the professors themselves showed prejudice towards infected patients and professionals. Consequently, this topic trust be further debated in the academic milieu.

Ozone therapy in medicine and dentistry

Aim: The purpose of this review is to present the potential for the incorporation of ozone therapy into the practice of dentistry. Background: Ozone gas has a high oxidation potential and is 1.5 times greater than chloride when used as an antimicrobial agent against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. It also has the capacity to stimulate blood circulation and the immune response. Such features justify the current interest in its application in medicine and dentistry and have been indicated for the treatment of 260 different pathologies. It can be used for the treatment of alveolitis as a replacement for antibiotic therapy, as a mouthwash for reducing the oral microflora, as well as the adherence of microorganisms to tooth surfaces. Ozone has been shown to stimulate remineralization of recent caries-affected teeth after a period of about six to eight weeks. Conclusion: The future of ozone therapy must focus on the establishment of safe and well-defined parameters in accordance with randomized, controlled trials to determine the precise indications and guidelines in order to treat various medical and dental pathologies. Scientific support, as suggested by demonstrated studies, for ozone therapy presents a potential for an atraumatic, biologically-based treatment for conditions encountered in dental practice.

Response of human dental pulp capped with MTA and calcium hydroxide powder

Objectives: To compare the response of human dental pulp capped with a mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Ca(OH) 2 powder. Methods and Material: Pulp exposures were performed on the occlusal floor of 40 permanent premolars. The pulp was then capped with either Ca(OH) 2 powder (CH) or MTA and restored with resin composite. After 30 days (groups CH30 and MTA30) and 60 days (groups CH60 and MTA60), the teeth were extracted and processed for HE and categorized in a histological score system. The data were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis and Conover tests (α=0.05). Results: In regard to dentin bridge formation, CH30 showed a tendency towards superior performance compared to MTA30 (p>0.05), although the products showed comparable results at day 60. In the item Inflammation and General State of the Pulp (p>0.05), CH showed a tendency towards presenting a higher inflammatory response. In the item Other Pulpal Findings, MTA and Ca(OH) 2 showed equal and excellent performance after 30 and 60 days (p>0.05). Conclusion: After 30 days, Ca(OH) 2 powder covered with calcium hydroxide cement showed faster hard tissue bridge formation compared to MTA. After 60 days, Ca(OH) 2 powder or MTA materials showed a similar and excellent histological response with the formation of a hard tissue bridge in almost all cases with low inflammatory infiltrate. © Operative Dentistry, 2008.

Effect of light energy density on conversion degree and hardness of dual-cured resin cement

This study evaluated the effect of different light energy densities on conversion degree (CD) and Knoop hardness number (KHN) of RelyX ARC (RLX) resin cement. After manipulation according to the manufacturer's instructions, RLX was inserted into a rubber mold (0.8 mm X 5 mm) and covered with a Mylar strip. The tip of the lightcuring unit (LCU) was positioned in contact with the Mylar surface. Quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) and light-emitting diode (LED) LCUs with light densities of 10, 20 and 30 J/cm2 were used to light-cure the specimens. After light curing, the specimens were stored dry in lightproof containers at 37°C. After 24 hours, the CD was analyzed by FT-Raman and, after an additional 24-hours, samples were submitted to Knoop hardness testing. The data of the CD (%) and KHN were submitted to two-way ANOVA and the Tukey's test (α=0.05). QTH and LED were effective light curing units. For QTH, there were no differences among the light energy densities for CD or KHN. For LED, there was a significant reduction in CD with the light energy density set at 10 J/cm2. KHN was not influenced by the lightcuring unit and by its light energy density. © Operative Dentistry.

Dentistry for babies: Caries experience vs. Assiduity in clinical care

Aim: This study analyzed and compared the experience of dental caries in 300 children aged 0 to 48 months, who were participants and non-participants of a preventive program 'Dentistry for babies', as well as the correlation between assiduity of dental visits and experience of dental caries. Methods: The subjects were randomly selected and divided into two groups: G1 'Non participant children of the Program' (n=100) and G2 'Participant Children of the Program' (n=200). Each group was subdivided in two subgroups: 0-24 months and 25-48 months. The collected data from G2 were analyzed, relating the variation of the dmft index (dmft refers to primary teeth: d = decayed, m = missing/extracted due to caries, f = filled, t = teeth) (C) and dental caries prevalence (P) with the influence of assiduity factor in each subgroup. To collect data, clinical examinations were performed using tactile and visual criteria by a single calibrated examiner. The data were statistically analyzed using the 'paired t-test', 'Mann-Whitney' and 'Chi-Squared' tests (p<0.05). Results: It was found that prevalence and dmft index were statistically significant (P=0.0001) with the greatest values observed in G1 (p=0.0001). The values were: PG1 (73%), PG2 (22%), CG1 (3.45±3.84), CG2 (0.66±1.57). Assiduity was significant in G2 (p=0.0001). The values observed were: P-Assiduous (2%), P-Non-assiduous (42%), C-Assiduous (0.04±0.31), and C-Non-assiduous (1.29±2.01). Conclusions: The participation in the program had a positive influence on the oral health of babies. Complete assiduity to the program resulted in the lowest rates and prevalence of dental caries.

One-year clinical evaluation of composite restorations in posterior teeth: Effect of adhesive systems

This clinical study assessed the performance of posterior composite resins applied with the Adper™ Single Bond Plus (SB) and Adper ™ Scotchbond SE (SE) adhesive systems and Filtek ™ Supreme Plus composite resin, using modified US Public Health Service criteria. A total of 97 restorations were placed in posterior teeth by two calibrated operators. Application of the materials followed manufacturers' instructions. The restorations were evaluated by two examiners at baseline and after one year. Statistical analyses were conducted using the proportion test at a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). All the restorations evaluated (ie, 100%) received an alpha rating for the criteria of marginal discoloration and marginal integrity at baseline. At one year, for marginal discoloration, 64.6% of SB and 61.2% of SE received an alpha rating. For marginal integrity, 72.9% of SB and 77.6% of SE received an alpha rating. The other restorations received bravo ratings for both criteria. None of the teeth that received the restorative systems presented caries lesions around the restorations. A total of eight teeth presented postoperative sensitivity one week after baseline, five with SB and three with SE; the symptom had disappeared one year later. One year later, composite resin restorations using either adhesive system showed satisfactory clinical performance.

Design and evaluation of an advanced virtual reality system for visualization of dentistry structures

This paper presents the development of an application created to assist the teaching of dental structures, generate rich content information and different manners of interaction. An ontology was created to provide semantics informations for virtual models. We also used two devices gesture-based interaction: Kinect and Wii Remote. It was developed a system which use intuitive interaction, and it is able to generate three dimensional images, making the experience of teaching / learning motivating. The projection environment used by the system was called Mini CAVE. © 2012 IEEE.

Dentistry scientometric analysis: A comparative study between Brazil and other most productive countries in the area

This research aims at performing a comparative study between the Brazilian scientific production in Dentistry, from 2000 to 2009 and countries that contribute with at least 2 % of the world's scientific production indexed in the Scopus database. More specifically, we intend to assess the annual Brazilian scientific production by comparing it to the other countries', analyze the Brazilian and other countries' publications in journals with higher impact factors, as well as to highlight the scientific production from these countries and its international visibility, measured by its total and by its average of citations and normalized citation index per year, by comparing the countries, and to compare the index h of such countries. As work procedure, the SCImago Journal and Country Rank was used as source, identifying the group of producing countries in the Dentistry area from 1996 to 2009. From a total of 136 countries, 13 were highlighted as the most productive, each one of them accounting for at least 2 % the worldwide scientific production in the area. The following indicators were raised for each country: number of produced documents, total of citations, self-citations, average of citations per document and index h. We verified that Brazil is the only country in Latin America that is pictured among the most productive ones in the Dentistry area. We observed that Brazil presents a growing visibility and impact in the international scenery, what suggests that its production is constantly consolidating, with Brazilian scientific recognition in the main vehicles of dissemination in the area. © 2012 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.

Efficacy of mouth rinses and toothpaste on tooth whitening.

People increasingly desire tooth whitening. Considering the wide range of whitening products on the market, this study evaluated the efficacy of whitening toothpastes and mouth rinses compared with the 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) whitening gel. We obtained 120 cylindrical specimens from bovine teeth, which were darkened for 24 hours in a coffee solution. The color measurement was performed by a spectrophotometer using the CIE L*a*b* system, and specimens were divided into six groups according to the use of the following agents: group 1, conventional fluoridated toothpaste; group 2, Close Up White Now; group 3, Listerine Whitening; group 4, Colgate Plax Whitening; group 5, experimental mouth rinse with Plasdone; and group 6, 10% CP Whiteness Perfect. After the simulation of 12 weeks of treatment for groups 1 to 5 and 14 days of treatment for group 6, the specimens were subjected to a new color reading. Data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (α=0.05), which showed significant differences among groups after 12 weeks for ΔE (p=0.001). Results of the Tukey test revealed that groups 3, 4, and 6 presented significantly higher color alteration than groups 1, 2, and 5. The whitening toothpaste Close Up White Now and the experimental mouth rinse with Plasdone showed similar color alteration as conventional toothpaste after a 12-week treatment simulation. These groups presented significantly lower color alteration compared with whitening mouth rinses Listerine and Colgate Plax Whitening, which showed similar results to those observed after 14 days of bleaching with 10% CP treatment.

Effects of Chronic Stress and Alendronate Therapy on the Osseointegration of Titanium Implants

Purposes: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the influence of chronic stress (CS) on implant osseointegration and also to analyze whether alendronate (ALN) therapy could prevent these eventual stress-negative effects. Materials and Methods: Adult male Holtzmann rats were assigned to one of the four experimental groups: AL (ALN; 1mg/kg/week; n=12), ALS (ALN+CS; 1mg/kg/week; n=12), CTL (sterile physiological saline; n=12), or CTLS (sterile physiological saline+CS; n=12). After 58 days of drug therapy, the ALS and CTLS groups were exposed to CS, and 2 days later all animals underwent tibial implant installation. The animals were euthanized 28 days following the operative surgical procedure. Results: It was observed that the CTLS group presented an impairment of bone metabolism represented by lowest levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and bone area fraction occupancy values. Furthermore, these animals presented a higher proportion of empty osteocytic lacunae. In contrast, the ALN therapy showed increased osseointegration and torque value parameters, regardless of stress exposition. Conclusions: Analysis of the data presented suggests that CS partially impairs the osseointegration of tibial implants and that ALN therapy is able to prevent these negative effects. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Titanium in Dentistry: Historical development, state of the art and future perspectives

Titanium is a metallic element known by several attractive characteristics, such as biocompatibility, excellent corrosion resistance and high mechanical resistance. It is widely used in Dentistry, with high success rates, providing a favorable biological response when in contact with live tissues. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the different uses of titanium in Dentistry, reviewing its historical development and discoursing about its state of art and future perspective of its utilization. A search in the MEDLINE/PubMed database was performed using the terms 'titanium', 'dentistry' and 'implants'. The title and abstract of articles were read, and after this first screening 20 articles were selected and their full-texts were downloaded. Additional text books and manual search of reference lists within selected articles were included. Correlated literature showed that titanium is the most used metal in Implantology for manufacturing osseointegrated implants and their systems, with a totally consolidated utilization. Moreover, titanium can be also employed in prosthodontics to obtain frameworks. However, problems related to its machining, casting, welding and ceramic application for dental prosthesis are still limiting its use. In Endodontics, titanium has been used in association to nickel for manufacturing rotatory instruments, providing a higher resistance to deformation. However, although the different possibilities of using titanium in modern Dentistry, its use for prostheses frameworks still needs technological improvements in order to surpass its limitations. © 2012 Indian Prosthodontic Society.

Cytotoxicity of Brazilian plant extracts against oral microorganisms of interest to dentistry

Background: With the emergence of strains resistant to conventional antibiotics, it is important to carry studies using alternative methods to control these microorganisms causing important infections, such as the use of products of plant origin that has demonstrated effective antimicrobial activity besides biocompatibility. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts of Equisetum arvense L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Punica granatum L. and Stryphnodendron barbatimam Mart. against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida glabrata, and to analyze the cytotoxicity of these extracts in cultured murine macrophages (RAW 264.7).Methods: Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts was evaluated by microdilution method based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), M7-A6 and M27-A2 standards. The cytotoxicity of concentrations that eliminated the microorganisms was evaluated by MTT colorimetric method and by quantification of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) using ELISA.Results: In determining the minimum microbicidal concentration, E. arvense L., P. granatum L., and S. barbatimam Mart. extracts at a concentration of 50 mg/mL and G. glabra L. extract at a concentration of 100 mg/mL, were effective against all microorganisms tested. Regarding cell viability, values were 48% for E. arvense L., 76% for P. granatum L, 86% for S. barbatimam Mart. and 79% for G. glabra L. at the same concentrations. About cytokine production after stimulation with the most effective concentrations of the extracts, there was a significant increase of IL-1β in macrophage cultures treated with S. barbatimam Mart. (3.98 pg/mL) and P. granatum L. (7.72 pg/mL) compared to control (2.20 pg/mL) and a significant decrease of TNF-α was observed in cultures treated with G. glabra L. (4.92 pg/mL), S. barbatimam Mart. (0.85 pg/mL), E. arvense L. (0.83 pg/mL), and P. granatum L. (0.00 pg/mL) when compared to control (41.96 pg/mL).Conclusions: All plant extracts were effective against the microorganisms tested. The G. glabra L. extract exhibited least cytotoxicity and the E. arvense L. extract was the most cytotoxic. © 2013 de Oliveira et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.