Evaluation of the shear bond strength of a tricalcium silicate-based material to four self-adhering glass ionomer materials: an in vitro study

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate and compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of EQUIA Forte HT with that of other restorative materials, including EQUIA Forte, glass ionomer cement (GIC), and resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) when bonded to NeoMTA 2.Materials and methodsA total of 120 holes were created in Teflon molds and filled with NeoMTA 2. The restorative materials were immediately applied using customized silicone molds. The samples were randomly divided into two main groups: one to measure the immediate SBS and the other to measure the delayed SBS. These two main groups were further divided into four subgroups based on the restorative material used: EQUIA Forte HT, EQUIA Forte, GIC, and RMGIC.ResultsThe study groups showed statistically significant differences in the mean SBS (p < 0.0001). The immediate SBS of the RMGIC group (mean ± SD: 5.43 ± 1.22) was significantly higher than those of the GIC and EQUIA Forte groups, with no significant difference found compared to the SBS of EQUIA Forte HT. In the delayed SBS, both the RMGIC and EQUIA Forte HT groups (4.98 ± 0.67 and 4.93 ± 0.60, respectively) demonstrated significantly higher bond strengths than the GIC and EQUIA Forte groups (3.81 ± 0.57 and 4.2 ± 0.63, respectively). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the RMGIC and EQUIA Forte HT groups or between the GIC and EQUIA Forte groups.ConclusionBased on our findings, EQUIA Forte HT has shown promising outcomes when used as a restorative material following pulpotomies, with results comparable to those of RMGIC

Treating Mucocele in Pediatric Patients Using a Diode Laser: Three Case Reports

A mucocele is the most common minor salivary gland disease and among the most common biopsied oral lesions in pediatric patients. Clinically, a mucocele appears as a round well-circumscribed painless swelling ranging from deep blue to mucosa alike in color. Mucoceles rarely resolve on their own and surgical removal under local anesthesia is required in most cases. Different treatment options are described in the literature, including cryosurgery, intra-lesion injection of corticosteroid, micro-marsupialization and conventional surgical removal using a scalpel, and laser ablation. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to report three cases of mucocele removal in pediatric patients using a diode laser with a one-month follow-up. Mucoceles were removed by a pediatric dentist using a diode laser with a wavelength of 930 nm in continuous mode and a power setting of 1.8 Watts. In all cases, no bleeding occurred during or after the procedure and there was no need for suturing. On clinical examination during the one-month follow-up, in all three cases there was minimal or no scarring, minimal post-operative discomfort or pain, and no recurrence. Diode lasers provide an effective, rapid, simple, bloodless and well accepted procedure for treating mucocele in pediatric patients. Minimal post-operative discomfort and scarring was reported by all the three patients

The Use of a Dental Storybook as a Dental Anxiety Reduction Medium among Pediatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a specially designed dental storybook in reducing dental anxiety among children. Eighty-eight children (6–8 years old) were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group (received the storybook) and the control group (did not receive the storybook). Three dental visits (screening, examination and cleaning, and treatment) were provided for each child. Anxiety was assessed following each visit using the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the Venham clinical anxiety scale (VCAS). The behavior was assessed using the Frankl’s Behavior Rating Scale (FBRS). The intervention group showed significantly lower anxiety and more cooperative behavior during treatment than the control group (p < 0.0001). The intervention group showed a significant decrease in anxiety scores and more cooperative behavior across time according to the CFSS-DS (p = 0.001) and Frankl behavior scale OR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.18–8.76. Multivariate models found that using the storybook was a significant independent factor in reducing anxiety and improving behavior after controlling for sex, previous visits, family income, and mother’s education. In conclusion, the dental storybook can decrease children’s dental anxiety and improve their behavior during dental treatment

Halitosis in Children Undergoing Full Mouth Rehabilitation under General Anesthesia

Interventions and management modalities of pediatric halitosis have been suggested in the literature, however, the effect of full mouth rehabilitation (FMR) under general anesthesia (GA) on pediatric halitosis was not reported. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate parents’ perceptions of their child’s halitosis before and after FMR under GA; and to evaluate the effect of FMR on clinical halitosis. Fifty-seven children between 3–8 years old, scheduled for FMR under GA, were included after satisfying the inclusion criteria and upon parental consent. Parents’ perception of halitosis in their children was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire and a breath sample was collected to assess the level of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) using OralChromaTM before and after FMR under GA. Sixty percent (n = 34) of the parents perceived halitosis in their children before FMR and about 80% (n = 27) of them reported improvement in halitosis after FMR. Clinical halitosis was detected in 84.2% (n = 48) of the sample before treatment. A statistically significant reduction in halitosis was found in 56.3% (n = 27) of the children after treatment (p < 0.001). In conclusion, majority of parents perceived an absence or reduction of halitosis in their children following FMR and significant improvement of clinical halitosis

Evaluation of the Shear Bond Strength of Four Bioceramic Materials with Different Restorative Materials and Timings

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of a resin composite (RC) and a resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) to four different bioceramic materials and to compare the effects of the immediate vs. delayed placement of restoration on the SBS. A total of 160 Teflon blocks and 40 blocks/material, were randomly filled with one of the bioceramic materials (NeoPUTTY®, NeoMTA2®, TotalFill® BC RRM™ Fast Set Putty, and ProRoot® MTA). The restoration was performed immediately or in a delayed time frame (after 7 days) using a Filtek™ Z350 XT Flowable composite (bonded to the bioceramic materials using Single bond universal 3M) or GC Fuji II LC® RMGI. The SBS test was performed at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min, and the failure mode was evaluated under a digital microscope by one blinded examiner. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Games–Howell post hoc test was used to compare the mean SBS between the groups. The mean SBS of the bioceramic materials to RC was significantly higher than to RMGI except for ProRoot MTA (p-value 0.65). The SBS values to RC were as follows: ProRoot MTA (7.64 MPa); NeoMTA2 (8.57 MPa) which was significantly higher than both NeoPUTTY (4.04 MPa) and TotalFill® BC RRM™ Fast Set Putty (4.38 MPa). For RMGI groups, ProRoot MTA showed the highest SBS (7.18 MPa), followed by NeoMTA2 (4.15 MPa), NeoPUTTY (1.62 MPa), and TotalFill® BC RRM™ Fast Set Putty (1.54 MPa). The delayed timing restoration showed a significantly higher SBS than the immediate, except for the immediate RMGI restoration with MTA. To conclude, the SBS of RC to the bioceramic materials was significantly higher than RMGI, except for ProRoot MTA. Both restorative materials had a significantly higher SBS to the MTA groups in comparison to premixed bioceramics. Delayed RC restoration had a higher SBS than immediate restoration. Similarly, delayed RMGI restoration had a higher SBS than immediate restoration with premixed bioceramic but not with MTA

Knowledge Levels and Educational Experiences among Dental Graduates in Saudi Arabia Regarding Child Abuse and Neglect: A National Study

Background: Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is considered a serious problem worldwide. Dentists have a significant role in recognizing and reporting CAN cases. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the CAN-related knowledge and educational experiences among Saudi dental graduates. Design: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to dental graduates from all dental schools in Saudi Arabia (n = 1552). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between knowledge level and different predictors. Results: A total of 988 dental graduates completed the questionnaire. The majority of them were dissatisfied with the amount of education they had received in their school (56.4%). Around 60% of the participants had inadequate knowledge regarding CAN. Graduates from government schools who received dental education about CAN and female participants had significantly higher odds of having adequate knowledge scores than others (odds ratio = 2.0, 3.1, and 1.7, respectively). Only 39.5% of the participants felt confident in their ability to identify CAN cases, and only 9.7% knew how to report such cases. Conclusions: Graduate dental students have insufficient knowledge about CAN. More time should be dedicated to educating students about this important topic in dental curricula

Toothbrushes as a Source of DNA for Gender and Human Identification—A Systematic Review

Background: Few studies have reported the use of toothbrushes as a reliable source of DNA for human or gender identification. The present systematic review with the available information was conducted to answer the focus question “Is a toothbrush a reliable source of DNA for human or gender identification?”. Methods: The keyword combination “Toothbrush” and “DNA” was used to search databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science along with a manual search of reference lists of relevant articles. Duplicates and irrelevant articles were excluded, and the remaining articles were fully read for the final selection of articles. The risk of bias of the included studies was evaluated using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). Results: Of the 130 articles obtained, 122 duplicates or irrelevant articles were eliminated. Following the full-text reading of eight articles, five articles were selected based on eligibility criteria. The five studies reported that a toothbrush is a good source of DNA irrespective of the time interval. In a few studies some samples were not sufficient for complete DNA profiling due to factors such as the method of DNA extraction. Conclusion: Although a toothbrush is an excellent source of DNA for human and gender identification, future studies with a larger sample size, appropriate control group, and standardized technique of DNA extraction need to be conducted. Additionally, factors influencing the quantity and quality of DNA in toothbrushes need to be determined with standardized techniques