Potential use of natural silk for bio-dental applications

AbstractObjectivesSilks are protein polymers that are spun into fibres by silkworms and spiders under ambient conditions. Silk has been used as a biomaterial in a variety of biological applications for many years, whereas there are few applications in dentistry. The aim of this study was to explore the potential properties of natural silk for dental applications by determining the structure and features that make natural silk a biocompatible candidate.MethodsWe conducted a literature search through the recognized databases of medline, ISI web of science, SCOPUS, and EBASE to elucidate the natural properties of silk, its processing for biomedical applications and its use in dental applications.ResultsSilk has excellent natural properties, such as strength, resistance to light, temperature and humidity and biocompatibility. Once silk has been dissolved, it can be used to produce a variety of materials, such as films, gels, fibres, nanofibres, granules, foams, spheres and electrospun mats, on a micro or nano scale. Applications in dentistry include biomineralization, tissue engineering for scaffold applications and drug delivery.ConclusionsThere has been renewed research on silk-based materials for various biomedical applications, including dentistry

Prevalence of First Permanent Molar Caries in and Its Relationship to the Dental Knowledge of 9–12-Year Olds from Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The carious status of the first permanent molar (FPM) was studied in 432 school children (aged 9–12 years) from a randomly selected primary schools from Sharfia area of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 108 children from each age group of 9, 10, 11, and 12 years old. In total, 24.5% had all of their FPMs sound and 6% had all FPMs carious. The prevalence of four sound FPMs varied according to age with the highest (33%) amongst the nine-year olds and the lowest (16.5%) in the oldest children (12 years). Almost one-third (32.5%) of the children, who knew the age of eruption of the FPMs, had all of their molars sound. The children who had received advice regarding oral hygiene from a dentist or parent had more sound FPMs compared to the children who did not receive any advice. The number of carious FPMs increased with age. The prevalence of caries of the FPM was high and increased with increasing age. The level of knowledge had a positive correlation with the caries levels amongst this cohort of scholars

Pain and anxiety management for pediatric dental procedures using various combinations of sedative drugs: A review

AbstractFor fearful and uncooperative children behavioral management techniques are used. In order to control the pain and anxiety in pedodontic patients, pharmacologic sedation, anesthesia and analgesia are commonly used. Midazolam is commonly used as an oral sedation agent in children; it has several features such as safety of use, quick onset and certain degree of amnesia that makes it a desirable sedation agent in children. This review paper discusses various aspects of oral midazolam, ketamine and their combinations in conscious sedation including, advantages of oral route of sedation, pharmacokinetics, range of oral doses, and antagonists for clinical dental treatment procedures

The Impact of Hyposalivation on Quality of Life (QoL) and Oral Health in the Aging Population of Al Madinah Al Munawarrah

Hyposalivation (HS) affects aging individuals by causing pain and discomfort in the oral cavity. The aim here was to determine the impact of hyposalivation and the saliva pH on the quality of life and caries status of geriatrics population. A total of 138 male outpatients attending the Taibah University College of Dentistry (TUCoD) dental clinic were included in the study. The saliva flow, pH, Quality of Life (QoL), and caries status were recorded. The QoL was measured using the Arabic version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the caries status was recorded using the Decayed, Missed, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. The mean age was 67.5 years and 64% were classified as having hyposalivation. The older respondents tended to have a lower saliva flow and pH compared to their younger counterparts. There was a significant inverse association (p = 0.02) between the caries status and mean saliva flow rate. There was also a significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation between caries and the OHIP-14 scores (Spearman’s ρ = 0.293). The prevalence of hyposalivation was relatively high and there was an inverse relationship between the age, the saliva flow, and pH. Those with more caries reported significantly poor QoL

Chitosan Biomaterials for Current and Potential Dental Applications

Chitosan (CHS) is a very versatile natural biomaterial that has been explored for a range of bio-dental applications. CHS has numerous favourable properties such as biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, and a broad antibacterial spectrum (covering gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as fungi). In addition, the molecular structure boasts reactive functional groups that provide numerous reaction sites and opportunities for forging electrochemical relationships at the cellular and molecular levels. The unique properties of CHS have attracted materials scientists around the globe to explore it for bio-dental applications. This review aims to highlight and discuss the hype around the development of novel chitosan biomaterials. Utilizing chitosan as a critical additive for the modification and improvement of existing dental materials has also been discussed