Prognostic factors in direct pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate or calcium hydroxide: 2- to 6-year follow-up

PubMed ID: 27041110Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of various predictors on healing outcomes after direct pulp capping (DPC) using either mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or calcium hydroxide (CH) as a pulp-dressing agent. Materials and methods: The present study included 172 mature asymptomatic permanent teeth with carious-exposed pulp. The teeth were treated with DPC, using either MTA or CH, and the treatment outcome was evaluated clinically and radiographically. The effect of potential clinical variables on the treatment outcome of DPC was evaluated clinically and radiographically during a 24–72-month follow-up. In order to assess the cumulative successes of CH and MTA after DPC, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test was used. The subgroups were compared by means of the log-rank test. Also, univariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratio of clinical variables. Results: One hundred and fifty-two teeth of 172 capped teeth were available for follow-up, with an overall recall rate of 87.6 % for MTA vs 89.3 % for CH. The mean period of follow-up was 37.3 (±17.2) months. Overall success rates of 85.9 and 77.6 % in the MTA and CH groups were observed, respectively. The cumulative success rate of both materials was not statistically different when analysed by the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis (P = 0.282). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that 2-year overall pulp survival was 91.4 %, while the 4- and 6-year survival rates were 84 and 65 %, respectively. None of the clinical variables had a considerable influence on the outcome of DPC (p > 0.05). Conclusions: MTA-capped teeth demonstrated a slightly higher success rate than CH, revealing that it can be recommended as a reliable direct pulp-capping material. None of the clinical variables investigated significantly affected posttreatment healing. Clinical relevance: DPC with MTA is a straightforward procedure with favourable outcome of 24- to 72-month follow-ups in vital mature asymptomatic permanent teeth with cariously exposed pulp, and it may be considered a realistic alternative therapy to RCT. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Importance of a dental approach in head and neck cancer therapy

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form of head and neck cancer, which is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. These patients receive surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy to improve their survival rates; however, these therapy protocols have significant side-effects, which cause considerable morbidity that can affect the patients' quality of life and even interfere with the patients' therapy compliance. Inclusion of dental healthcare providers in the multidisciplinary team not only helps to prevent or decrease the severity of side-effects of cancer therapy, but also influences its prognosis

The need to reassess studies on detection of potentially premalignant and malignant oral lesions

PubMed ID: 19932049[No abstract available

The effects of incremental brightness and contrast adjustments on radiographic data: A quantitative study

PubMed ID: 15709101Objectives: To determine the border level of brightness and contrast changes in order to prevent the loss of originality of the quantitative data on digital dental radiographs. Methods: After measuring the baseline mean grey values (MGVs) of a fixed region of interest on the alveolar bone and an aluminium step wedge, incremental brightness and contrast adjustments were performed on a digital periapical radiograph. The distribution of the data was analysed to investigate the significance of the changes on radiodensitometric data after incremental increase of brightness and contrast. Results: The original MGVs were easily retrieved after brightness adjustments; however, the contrast increase led to more complicated density changes. The originality of the data was saved up to 50 units of contrast increase, but further than this limit, significant radiodensitometric changes occurred. Conclusions: Contrast adjustments should be performed cautiously when making quantitative analyses on the digital radiographs. © 2005 The British Institute of Radiology