In Vitro and Sensory Evaluation of Capsaicin-Loaded Nanoformulations

Capsaicin has known health beneficial and therapeutic properties. It is also able to enhance the permeability of drugs across epithelial tissues. Unfortunately, due to its pungency the oral administration of capsaicin is limited. To this end, we assessed the effect of nanoencapsulation of capsaicin, under the hypothesis that this would reduce its pungency. Core-shell nanocapsules with an oily core and stabilized with phospholipids were used. This system was used with or without chitosan coating. In this work, we investigated the in vitro release behavior of capsaicin-loaded formulations in different physiological media (including simulated saliva fluid). We also evaluated the influence of encapsulation of capsaicin on the cell viability of buccal cells (TR146). To study the changes in pungency after encapsulation we carried out a sensory analysis with a trained panel of 24 students. The in vitro release study showed that the systems discharged capsaicin slowly in a monotonic manner and that the chitosan coating had an effect on the release profile. The cytotoxic response of TR146 cells to capsaicin at a concentration of 500 μM, which was evident for the free compound, was reduced following its encapsulation. The sensory study revealed that a chitosan coating results in a lower threshold of perception of the formulation. The nanoencapsulation of capsaicin resulted in attenuation of the sensation of pungency significantly. However, the presence of a chitosan shell around the nanoformulations did not mask the pungency, when compared with uncoated systems

Latex Allergy in Dental Care

Natural rubber latex is found in numerous medical and dental products. Adverse latex reactions in dental patients and practitioners have significantly increased since the introduction of universal precautions for infection control. These reactions range from contact dermatitis to potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity. Patients with a history of spina bifida, urogenital anomalies, multiple surgical procedures, allergic reactions or atopy, health care personnel and latex production workers are at increased risk of latex allergy. Diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical history and laboratory tests. Identification of latex sources and the avoidance of latex exposure are critical for protecting both dental patients and dental personnel

Direct Pulp Capping of Carious Primary Molars. A Specialty Practice Based Study

Objective: Recommendations against direct pulp capping (DPC) for carious primary teeth are based on old, low level evidence. This study investigates the medium to long term clinical and radiographic outcomes of such treatment. Study design: Each of 62 3-9 year old children with any deep, primary molar cavity was included if a pulp exposure occurred during caries excavation. Exclusion criteria were irreversible pulp damage / uncontrolled hemorrhage. Using rubber-dam, fast setting calcium hydroxide (CH) and tooth restoration were placed. Patients were followed up for signs/symptoms. Survival analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method and the Mantel-Cox test were used for statistically analyzing the data. Results: Seven patients (11.3%) dropped out. Controlled hemorrhage occurred in 25 exposures. Fourteen exposures were large and 46 were pin point. Out of 60 primary molars with DPC (in 55 patients), 7 failed by clinical and/or radiographic criteria. The remaining 53/60 (88.3%) teeth survived for 21.0 (±9.0) months. The 4 year cumulative survival rate by Kaplan-Meier analysis was 80%. All restorations remained in place with 3 needing replacement without affecting pulp survival. Conclusion: The CH success rate of carious primary molar DPC justifies further research based on careful initial diagnosis of pulp inflammation reversibility.</jats:p

Oxidative Stress and Salivary Physicochemical Characteristics Relative to Dental Caries and Restorative Treatment in Children

Numerous studies investigating oxidative stress in saliva in relation to dental caries and dental treatment focus on parameters such as total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde. This study is the first to utilize 8-isoprostane as a salivary biomarker to assess oxidative stress in relation to both caries and dental treatment. Salivary properties are also evaluated. The innovation of this study lies in its unique approach: although these salivary parameters have been examined individually in past research, this is the first study to evaluate them in conjunction with oxidative stress. A total of 26 children with caries and 20 caries-free children aged between 4 and 12 years old were included in this study. From both groups, stimulated saliva was collected and used to assess salivary properties and the 8-isoprostane level. For the caries group, the same measurements were also conducted after dental treatment. Children with caries had significantly lower levels of pH, and conductivity compared to caries-free children. The concentration of 8-isoprostane did not differ significantly between the two groups. In the caries group, dental treatment led to an increase in salivary conductivity and buffer capacity, along with a decrease in 8-isoprostane levels

Cytotoxic Evaluation and Determination of Organic and Inorganic Eluates from Restorative Materials

Over the last years, diverse commercial resin-based composites have dominated as dental filling materials. The purpose of the present study was to determine organic and inorganic eluates from five restorative materials using GC/MS and ICP–OES and to compare the effect on cell survival of human gingival fibroblasts of a conventional and a bioactive resin. Five commercially available restorative materials were employed for this study: ActivaTM Bioactive Restorative, ENA HRi, Enamel plus HRi Biofunction, Fuji II LC Capsule, and Fuji IX Capsule. Disks that were polymerized with a curing LED light or left to set were immersed in: 1 mL methanol or artificial saliva for GC/MS analysis, 5mL deionized water for ICP–OES, and 5mL of culture medium for cell viability. Cell viability was investigated with a modified staining sulforhodamine B assay.The following organic substances were detected: ACP, BHT, BPA, 1,4-BDDMA, CQ, DBP, DMABEE, HEMA, MCE, MeHQ, MOPA, MS, TMPTMA, and TPSb and the ions silicon, aluminum, calcium, sodium, and barium. Activa Bioactive Restorative was found to be biocompatible. Elution of organic substances depended on material’s composition, the nature of the solvent and the storage time. Ions’ release depended on material’s composition and storage time. The newly introduced bioactive restorative was found to be more biocompatible