Opalescence in Australian-grown pecan kernels: Occurrence and causes

Opalescence is an unattractive browning of the interior of the pecan kernel compared to the white interior of normal kernels. The discoloration is due to the presence of free oil, resulting from decompartmentalization in the endosperm of opalescent,pecans. Using a subjective scoring system, approximately 70% of Australian-grown pecan kernels tested were found to exhibit opalescence to some degree. Evaluation of kernels for opalescence during the harvesting-processing chain showed that opalescence first becomes evident in kernels after mechanical cracking. Opalescent kernels were found to have lower levels of calcium and higher amounts of oil compared to nonoptalescent kernels. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that kernels do not freeze at -18 degreesC.

In Vitro Effects Of Hydrogen Peroxide Combined With Different Activators For The In-office Bleaching Technique On Enamel.

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the alteration of human enamel bleached with high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide associated with different activators. Materials and methods. Fifty enamel/dentin blocks (4 × 4 mm) were obtained from human third molars and randomized divided according to the bleaching procedure (n = 10): G1 = 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP - Whiteness HP Maxx); G2 = HP + Halogen lamp (HL); G3 = HP + 7% sodium bicarbonate (SB); G4 = HP + 20% sodium hydroxide (SH); and G5 = 38% hydrogen peroxide (OXB - Opalescence Xtra Boost). The bleaching treatments were performed in three sessions with a 7-day interval between them. The enamel content, before (baseline) and after bleaching, was determined using an FT-Raman spectrometer and was based on the concentration of phosphate, carbonate, and organic matrix. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA for repeated measures and Tukey's test. Results. The results showed no significant differences between time of analysis (p = 0.5175) for most treatments and peak areas analyzed; and among bleaching treatments (p = 0.4184). The comparisons during and after bleaching revealed a significant difference in the HP group for the peak areas of carbonate and organic matrix, and for the organic matrix in OXB and HP+SH groups. Tukey's analysis determined that the difference, peak areas, and the interaction among treatment, time and peak was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The association of activators with hydrogen peroxide was effective in the alteration of enamel, mainly with regards to the organic matrix.

Maturation studies of pecan nuts grown in Queensland

Changes in chemical composition, physical and sensory characteristics were followed in two pecan cultivars Wichita and Western Schley harvested from a commercial orchard at Gatton in Queensland seven times during 1996. Testa colour of both pecan cultivars darkened and opalescence decreased as the nuts matured. Bitterness of Western Schley pecans decreased with maturity. Colour of shuck, shell and kernel of both cultivars developed as the nuts matured. Wichita pecans were larger than Western Schley at all harvest times. Both nut-in-shell and kernel moisture decreased with maturity, whereas oil and sucrose contents increased. Both pecan cultivars had reached advanced maturation by the first harvest on March 18.

Immunological response mounted by Aboriginal Australians living in the Northern Territory of Australia against Streptococcus pyogenes serum opacity factor

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus) interacts with host fibronectin via a number of distinct surface components. The streptococcal serum opacity factor (SOF) is a cell-surface protein of S. pyogenes which opalescence of human serum and mediates bacterial binding to fibronectin. In this study, hexahistidyl-tagged fusion proteins encompassing full-length SOF, and domains of SOF encompassing opacity factor activity and fibronectin-binding regions, were used in the characterization of the Aboriginal immune response to SOF. Anti-SOF serum IgG responses were found to be significantly higher (P

Microscopic structure of opalescent and nonopalescent pecans

The ultrastructure of pecans was investigated using light microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Specific methodology for the sample preparation of pecans for electron microscopy investigations was developed. Electron microscopy of the ultrastructure of opalescent (discoloration of the interior) and nonopalescent kernels revealed that cellular damage was occurring in opalescent kernels. The damage was due to cell wall and membrane rupture, which accounted for the release of oil throughout the kernel. This rupture is due to the lower level of calcium in the cell membranes of opalescent pecans, as shown by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, making them more susceptible to damage.

Effect of different bleaching systems on the ultrastructure of bovine dentin

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of different in-office bleaching systems on the surface morphology of bovine dentin. Thirty tooth fragments measuring 4 x 4mm, containing enamel and dentin, were obtained from the crowns of extracted bovine incisors. Samples were subjected to simulated intracoronal bleaching techniques using conventional (Opalescence Endo (R) and Whiteness Super Endo (R)) and light-activated systems (Opalescence Xtra (R) and Whiteness HP Maxx (R)). Controls were treated with either sodium perborate mixed with 10% hydrogen peroxide or no bleaching agent. The samples were observed under SEM and the recorded images were evaluated for topographic alterations. The ultrastructural alterations of dentin observed in this study varied greatly between groups according to the products used. Higher pH products (Whiteness HP Maxx (R) and Opalescence Xtra (R)) associated with in-office techniques yielded better maintenance of dentin ultrastructure. Apparently, both low pH and hydrogen peroxide oxidation play a role in altering the ultrastructure of dentin during internal dental bleaching. The use of alkaline products with reduced time of application (in-office techniques) may decrease such morphological alterations.

Efetividade do clareamento dentário com peróxido de carbamida a 10% e avaliação dos efeitos adversos sobre o esmalte dentário

The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness and adverse effects on dental enamel caused by nightguard vital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide. This was accomplished through the interaction of researchers from different areas such as dentistry, materials engineering and physics. Fifty volunteers took part in the doubleblind randomized controlled clinical trial. They were allocated to an experimental group that used Opalescence PF 10% (OPA) and a control group that used a placebo gel (PLA). Fragments of human dental enamel from the vestibular surface of healthy premolars, extracted for orthodontic reasons, were fixed to the vestibular surface of the first upper molars of the volunteers for in situ observation. Bleaching was performed at night for 21 days. The observation periods included Baseline (BL), T0 (21 days), T30 (30 days after treatment) and T180 (180 days after treatment, only for the OPA group). Tooth color was assessed by comparing it with the Vita® scale and by the degree of satisfaction expressed by the volunteer. We also assessed adverse clinical effects, dental sensitivity and gingival bleeding. The study of adverse effects on enamel was conducted in vivo and in situ, using the DIAGNOdent® laser fluorescence device to detect mineral loss. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to check for superficial morphological alterations, energy dispersive spectrophotometry (EDS) to semiquantitatively assess chemical composition using the Ca/P ratio, and the x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique to observe alterations in enamel microstructure. The results showed that nightguard vital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide was effective in 96% of the cases, versus 8% for the PLA group. Dental sensitivity was present in 36% (9/25) of the cases. There was no significant association between gingival bleeding and the type of gel used (p = 1.00). In vivo laser fluorescence analysis showed no difference in values for the control group, whereas in the OPA group there was a statistically significant difference between baseline values in relation to the subsequent periods (p<0.01), with lower mean values for post-bleaching times. There was a significant difference between the groups for times T0 and T30. Micrographic analysis showed no enamel surface alterations related to the treatment performed. No significant alteration in Ca/P ratio was observed in the OPA group (p = 0.624) or in the PLA group (p = 0.462) for each of the observation periods, nor between the groups studied (p=0.102). The XRD pattern for both groups showed the presence of three-phase Hydroxyapatite according to JCPDS files (9-0432[Ca5(PO4)3(OH)], 18-0303[Ca3(PO4)2.xH2O] and 25-0166[Ca5(PO4)3(OH, Cl, F)]). No other peak associated to other phases was found, independent of the group analyzed, which reveals there was no disappearance, nucleation or phase transformation. Neither was there any alteration in peak pattern location. With the methodology and protocol used in this study, nightguard vital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide proved to be an effective and safe procedure for dental enamel

12-Month color stability of enamel, dentine, and enamel-dentine samples after bleaching

The study aimed to quantify the color regression of enamel (E), dentine (D), and combined enamel-dentine (ED) of differently bleached ED specimens over a period of 12 months in vitro. Two ED samples were obtained from the labial surfaces of bovine teeth and prepared to a standardized thickness with the enamel and dentine layer each 1 mm. The ED samples were distributed on four groups (each n=80), in which the different bleaching products were applied on enamel (1, Whitestrips; 2, Illumine 15%; 3, Opalescence Xtra Boost) or dentine surfaces (4, mixture of sodium perborate/distilled water). Eighty ED samples were not bleached (control). Color (L*a*b*) of ED was assessed at baseline, subsequently after bleaching and at 3, 6, and 12 months of storage after bleaching (each 20 samples/group). E and D samples were prepared by removing the dentine or enamel layer of ED samples to allow for separate color analysis. Bleaching resulted in a significant color change (Delta E) of ED specimens. Within the observation period, Delta L but not Delta b declined to baseline. L* values of E and D samples also declined and were not significantly different from control samples after 12 months, while b* values did not decrease to baseline. Generally, no differences between the bleaching agents could be observed. Color change of enamel, dentine, and combined ED of in vitro bleached tooth samples is not stable over time with regard to lightness. However, yellowness did not return to baseline within 1 year.

Response of human pulps after professionally applied vital tooth bleaching

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Direct Esthetic Restorations Based on Translucency and Opacity of Composite Resins

Light dynamics is a relevant phenomenon with respect to esthetic restorations, as incorrect analysis of the optical behavior of natural dentition may lead to potential clinical failures. The nature of incident light plays a major role in determining the amount of light transmission or reflection, and how an object is perceived depends on the nature of the light source. Natural teeth demonstrate translucency, opalescence, and fluorescence, all of which must be replicated by restorative materials in order to achieve clinical success. Translucency is the intermediary between complete opacity and complete transparency, making its analysis highly subjective. In nature, the translucency of dental enamel varies from tooth to tooth, and from individual to individual. Therefore, four important factors must be considered when appraising translucency. Presence or absence of color, thickness of the enamel, degree of translucency, and surface texture are essential components when determining translucency. State-of-the-art resin composites provide varying shades and opacities that deliver a more faithful reproduction of the chromaticity and translucency/opacity of enamel and dentin. This enables the attainment of individualized and customized composite restorations. The objective of this article is to provide a review of the phenomena of translucency and opacity in the natural dentition and composite resins, under the scope of optics, and to describe how to implement these concepts in the clinical setting.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEChoosing composite resins, based on optical properties alone, in order to mimic the properties of natural tooth structures, does not necessarily provide a satisfactory esthetic outcome. In many instances, failure ensues from incorrect analysis of the optical behaviors of the natural dentition as well as the improper use of restorative materials. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a technique that enables a restorative material to be utilized to its full potential to correctly replicate the natural teeth.(J Esthet Restor Dent 23:73-88, 2011).

Effect of antioxidant agents on bond strength of composite to bleached enamel with 38% hydrogen peroxide

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

In vitro evaluation of dental bleaching effectiveness using hybrid lights activation

OBJETIVO: Avaliar se fontes de luz aumentam a eficácia do peróxido de hidrogênio na técnica de clareamento profissional. METODOLOGIA: Foram empregados 60 dentes incisivos bovinos, com dimensões coronárias e radiculares padronizadas a partir do limite amelo-cementário, sendo descartada a porção lingual. Os corpos-de-prova (cp) foram limpos em ultra-som por 20 min e a dentina condicionada com H3PO4 a 38% por 15 s, sendo os (cp) imersos em solução de café solúvel a 25% por duas semanas. A dentina foi impermeabilizada com esmalte e os (cp) divididos em 5 grupos, sendo a cor inicial mensurada através do espectofotômetro-EasyShade (VITA). Todos os (cp) receberam três aplicações por 10 min do gel clareador Opalescence Xtra-Boost (Ultradent) conforme segue: Grupo 1 - controle, não recebeu fotoativação, Grupo 2 - ativado com luz halôgena, Grupo 3 - ativado com LED azul/LASER, Grupo 4 - ativado com LED verde/LASER e Grupo 5 - ativado com LED vermelho. Após o clareamento foi mensurada a variação de cor E, a*, b*e L* e as referentes à escala de cor Vita Clássico. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, teste de Tukey e de Dunn (α=5%). RESULTADOS: A diferença geral da cor foi reduzida quando se empregou LED Azul e Luz Halógena, sendo que o desempenho do peróxido de hidrogênio a 38% foi intensificado dependendo da fonte de luz utilizada. A avaliação quantitativa de cor, obtida por espectrofotômetro e pela escala de cor Vita Clássico, foram coincidentes. CONCLUSÃO: O tipo de fonte de luz empregada interfere na eficácia do agente clareador.

Microhardness change of enamel due to bleaching with in-office bleaching gels of different acidity

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the enamel microhardness treated with three in-office bleaching agents, containing 35% hydrogen peroxide with different acidity. Materials and methods. Bovine incisors were divided into three groups that received the following bleaching agents: Whiteness HP, Total Bleach and Opalescence Xtra. Three gel applications/10-min each, totaling 30-min of bleaching treatment, were made on the teeth and activated with a blue LED (1000 mW/470 nm) combined to a LASER (120 mW/795 nm) device (Easy Bleach-Clean Line). Vickers hardness (VH) was evaluated at baseline and after the bleaching procedure. The values of Hardness loss [HNL] (% reduction) were calculated. The two-sample t-test was used for comparison of the HNL of the three bleaching products (5% level of significance). Results. The Opalescence Xtra, which had the lowest pH value (pH = 4.30), showed a significant increase of HNL when compared with Total Bleach bleaching agent, which had the highest pH value (pH = 6.62). Conclusions. The 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents resulted in a reduction in surface enamel microhardness and bleaching with the most acid agent resulted in a significant enamel hardness loss compared to the less acid agent (4.30 vs 6.62). Strategies proposed to reduce the enamel loss after bleaching treatment may include the use of daily fluoride therapy, mouth rinsing (fluoride, milk and sodium bicarbonate solution), fluoride/bicarbonate dentifrices without abrasives, do not toothbrush immediately after bleaching, fluorides and calcium add to bleaching agents.

Effects of 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching materials on enamel microhardness

Purpose: To evaluate the microhardness of enamel treated with two different 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching materials at different time intervals. Materials and Methods: Two bleaching agents were analyzed: Opalescence (OPA) and Rembrandt (REM). The control group (CON) consisted of dental fragments maintained in artificial saliva. Bleaching was accomplished for 8 hrs per day and stored during the remaining time in an individual recipient with artificial saliva. Enamel microhardness testing was performed before the initial exposure to the treatments and after 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days. Results: the ANOVA, followed by the Bartlet and Tukey tests, showed significant differences for treatments (P < 0.00001) from day 7-day 42. From the 7th to the 14th day, OPA presented an increase of enamel microhardness over time while REM presented a decrease of microhardness. Statistical differences were not found between REM and the control group (OPA > CON = REM). From the 21st-35th day, enamel fragments bleached with OPA and REM presented a decrease of microhardness. Statistical differences of microhardness were verified among all the treatments (OPA > CON > REM). on the day 42, statistical differences were not found between OPA and the control group, but they were found between REM and the control group (OPA = CON > REM). The polynomial regression showed an increase of microhardness for OPA until the 21st day, followed by a decrease of microhardness up to the 42nd day. A decrease of microhardness for REM was verified. There were alterations in enamel microhardness as a function of bleaching time when using the two different 10% carbamide peroxide whiteners. Over a 42-day treatment time, bleaching with REM agent caused a decrease in enamel microhardness. The OPA agent initially increased the microhardness, then returned to the control level. Different bleaching materials with the same concentration of carbamide peroxide have different effects on the enamel.

Quantification of Peroxide Ion Passage in Dentin, Enamel, and Cementum After Internal Bleaching With Hydrogen Peroxide

The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of peroxide passage from the pulp chamber to the external enamel surface during the internal bleaching technique. Fifty bovine teeth were sectioned transversally 5 mm below the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ), and the remaining part of the root was sealed with a 2-mm layer of glass ionomer cement. The external surface of the samples was coated with nail varnish, with the exception of standardized circular areas (6-mm diameter) located on the enamel, exposed dentin, or cementum surface of the tooth. The teeth were divided into three experimental groups according to exposed areas close to the CEJ and into two control groups (n=10/group), as follows: GE, enamel exposure area; GC, cementum exposed area; GD, dentin exposed area; Negative control, no presence of internal bleaching agent and uncoated surface; and Positive control, pulp chamber filled with bleaching agent and external surface totally coated with nail varnish. The pulp chamber was filled with 35% hydrogen peroxide (Opalescence Endo, Ultradent). Each sample was placed inside of individual flasks with 1000 mu L of acetate buffer solution, 2 M (pH 4.5). After seven days, the buffer solution was transferred to a glass tube, in which 100 mu L of leuco-crystal violet and 50 mu L of horseradish peroxidase were added, producing a blue solution. The optical density of the blue solution was determined by spectrophotometer and converted into microgram equivalents of hydrogen peroxide. Data were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn-Bonferroni tests (alpha=0.05). All experimental groups presented passage of peroxide to the external surface that was statistically different from that observed in the control groups. It was verified that the passage of peroxide was higher in GD than in GE (p<0.01). The GC group presented a significantly lower peroxide passage than did GD and GE (p<0.01). It can be concluded that the hydrogen peroxide placed into the pulp chamber passed through the dental hard tissues, reaching the external surface and the periodontal tissue. The cementum surface was less permeable than were the dentin and enamel surfaces.