Antimicrobial efficacy of Kerr pulp canal sealer (EWT) in combination with 10% amoxicillin on Enterococcus faecalis: A confocal laser scanning microscopic study [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Background: Sealers with antimicrobial properties play an important role in endodontic therapy success especially against Enterococcus faecalis infection found in failed root canal therapy. Addition of antibiotic agents to endodontic sealers may show significant increase in their antibacterial properties both against anaerobic and aerobic microbes. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy of Kerr pulp canal sealer (EWT) in combination with 10% amoxicillin against E. faecalis and post-root canal treatment viability of Enterococcus faecalis on the first and seventh day. Methods: A total of 60 extracted human mandibular premolar teeth were decoronated after initial decontamination with 1% NaOCl. Root length standardized to 12 mm. Canal instrumentation was done using ProTaper Universal file system till size F2 using 5.25% NaOCl. It was then infected with a pure strain of E. faecalis for a period of four days. Obturation was done using plain sealer, (n=30) and sealer-antibiotic combination, (n=30). Half of the teeth were sectioned at 24 hours (S, SA) and other half were sectioned seven days after obturation (S7, SA7). All samples were stained with SYTO9 and propidium iodide for imaging under Confocal Laser Scanning microscope. Statistical analysis was performed with the statistical software SPSS v. 17.0 (SPSS for Windows; SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Data was analysed using One Way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test to determine statistical significance with p value < 0.01 considered significant. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in green to red ratio between group S (9.561976) and S7 (0.435418) (p < 0.01). There was no difference found between SA (mean of green to red ratio, (0.70431) and SA7 (mean of green to red ratio, 0.85184). Conclusions: Antibiotics added to the sealer effectively eradicated of E. faecalis 24 hours post-obturation. However, after seven days, plain sealer was as effective as sealer-antibiotic combination

Antimicrobial efficacy of Kerr pulp canal sealer (EWT) in combination with 10% amoxicillin on Enterococcus faecalis: A confocal laser scanning microscopic study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Background: Sealers with antimicrobial properties play an important role in endodontic therapy success especially against Enterococcus faecalis infection found in failed root canal therapy. Addition of antibiotic agents to endodontic sealers may show significant increase in their antibacterial properties both against anaerobic and aerobic microbes. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy of Kerr pulp canal sealer (EWT) in combination with 10% amoxicillin against E. faecalis and post-root canal treatment viability of Enterococcus faecalis on the first and seventh day. Methods: A total of 60 extracted human mandibular premolar teeth were decoronated after initial decontamination with 1% NaOCl. Root length standardized to 12 mm. Canal instrumentation was done using ProTaper Universal file system till size F2 using 5.25% NaOCl. It was then infected with a pure strain of E. faecalis for a period of four days. Obturation was done using plain sealer, (n=30) and sealer-antibiotic combination, (n=30). Half of the teeth were sectioned at 24 hours (S, SA) and other half were sectioned seven days after obturation (S7, SA7). All samples were stained with SYTO9 and propidium iodide for imaging under Confocal Laser Scanning microscope. Statistical analysis was performed with the statistical software SPSS v. 17.0 (SPSS for Windows; SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Data was analysed using One Way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test to determine statistical significance with p value < 0.01 considered significant. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in green to red ratio between group S (9.561976) and S7 (0.435418) (p < 0.01). There was no difference found between SA (mean of green to red ratio, (0.70431) and SA7 (mean of green to red ratio, 0.85184). Conclusions: Antibiotics added to the sealer effectively eradicated of E. faecalis 24 hours post-obturation. However, after seven days, plain sealer was as effective as sealer-antibiotic combination

Retinal Phenotyping of Ferrochelatase Mutant Mice Reveals Protoporphyrin Accumulation and Reduced Neovascular Response

Purpose: Heme depletion, through inhibition of ferrochelatase (FECH), blocks retinal and choroidal neovascularization. Both pharmacologic FECH inhibition and a partial loss-of-function Fech mutation (Fechm1Pas) are associated with decreased neovascularization. However, the ocular physiology of Fechm1Pas mice under basal conditions has not been characterized. Here, we aimed to characterize the retinal phenotype of Fechm1Pas mice. Methods: We monitored retinal vasculature at postnatal day 17, 2 months, and 6 months in Fechm1Pas homozygotes, heterozygotes, and their wild-type littermates. We characterized Fech substrate protoporphyrin (PPIX) fluorescence in the eye (excitation = 403 nm, emission = 628 nm), retinal function by electroretinogram, visual acuity by optomotor reflex, and retinal morphology by optical coherence tomography and histology. We stained vasculature using isolectin B4 and fluorescein angiography. We determined endothelial sprouting of retinal and choroidal tissue ex vivo and bioenergetics of retinal punches using a Seahorse flux analyzer. Results: Fundi, retinal vasculature, venous width, and arterial tortuosity showed no aberrations. However, VEGF-induced retinal and choroidal sprouting was decreased in Fechm1Pas mutants. Homozygous Fechm1Pas mice had pronounced buildup of PPIX in the posterior eye with no damage to visual function, bioenergetics, and integrity of retinal layers. Conclusions: Even with a buildup of PPIX in the retinal vessels in Fechm1Pas homozygotes, the vasculature remains normal. Notably, stimulus-induced ex vivo angiogenesis was decreased in Fechm1Pas mutants, consistent with reduced pathologic angiogenesis seen previously in neovascular animal models. Our findings indicate that Fechm1Pas mice are a useful model for studying the effects of heme deficiency on neovascularization due to Fech blockade

Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions

Evaluation of calcium ion release and change in pH on combining calcium hydroxide with different vehicles

Introduction: Intracanal medicaments have traditionally been used in endodontics to disinfect root canals between appointments. Calcium hydroxide is widely used as an intracanal medicament for disinfection and to promote periapical healing. It is stable for long periods, harmless to the body, and bactericidal in a limited area. The efficacy of calcium hydroxide as a disinfectant is dependent on the availability of the hydroxyl ions in the solution that depends on the vehicle in which the calcium hydroxide is carried. In general, three types of vehicles are used: Aqueous, viscous or oily. Some in vitro studies have shown that the type of vehicle has a direct relationship with the concentration and the velocity of ionic liberation as well as with the antibacterial action when the paste is carried into a contaminated area. Aim of the Study: To evaluate the calcium ion release and measure the change in pH of the environment that occurred when calcium hydroxide was combined with different vehicles (distilled water, propylene glycol, calcium hydroxide containing gutta-percha points and chitosan) over different time periods. Materials and Methods: Forty single rooted mandibular first premolar teeth were decoronated for this study. Working length was established and the root canals were enlarged and irrigation accomplished with 2 ml of NaOCl solution after every file. The teeth were then randomly divided into four groups. The canals were then packed with different preparations of calcium hydroxide using the following vehicles-distilled water, propylene glycol, gutta-percha points and chitosan. Calcium ion release in different groups was analyzed using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer at 220 nm. The change in pH of was determined using a pH meter. Results were statistically evaluated using one-way ANOVA test. Result: For calcium ion release, Group 2 showed cumulative drug release of 81.97% at the end of 15 days, whereas Group 1, 3 and 4 showed a release of 99.53, 17.98, 74.93% respectively with a significant difference among all groups. Group 1 reached the highest Ca 2+ level (39.79%) at the end of 1 day but showed almost complete release of calcium hydroxide at the end of 15 days. Group 3 showed least calcium ion release (17.98%) at 15 days. Group 4 showed a sustained release of Ca +2 ions from 74% at 15 days to 95% at the end of 30 days. After the 1 st h; Group 1 showed the highest pH level (11.8). However, pH reduced to 7.8 at the end of 30 days in this group. Group 2 showed the highest pH value (10.35), followed by Group 4 (10.32) after 30 days. Conclusion: Chitosan can be used as a promising vehicle for calcium hydroxide to maintain an alkaline pH and to allow sustained release of calcium ions in the root canal system

One-step apexification using platelet rich fibrin matrix and mineral trioxide aggregate apical barrier

The absence of a natural apical constriction in a nonvital young permanent tooth makes endodontic treatment a challenge. There is a need to induce or create an apical barrier against, which the obturating material can be condensed. Traditionally, calcium hydroxide is the material of choice to induce apexification. Due to certain drawbacks such as prolonged treatment duration and unpredictable apical barrier formation, it is being replaced by materials, which have a more predictable outcome like mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). One-step apexification with MTA reduces the treatment time when compared with traditional calcium hydroxide apexification, which requires an average time of 12-19 months. In one-step apexification using MTA, the technical problem encountered is controlling the overfill or underfill of MTA. The use of a matrix material helps to overcome this shortcoming. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is an immune platelet concentrate, which can be used as a matrix, it also promotes wound healing and repair. This case report presents a case of one step apexification using MTA as an apical barrier and autologous PRF as an internal matrix

Endo-surgical management of foreign bodies in the periapical region

Foreign objects present in root canals and surrounding areas are troublesome incidents in endodontics. Chances of these objects getting impacted are more when the chamber is open either due to caries or traumatic injury. Moreover, when pushed apically, retrieval becomes complicated and apical surgical procedures unavoidable. A young male patient presented with a chief complaint of discolored anterior teeth. During routine radiographic examination, a linear appearing radio-opaque foreign body (approximately 15 mm in length), extending apically through the apex into the periapical region, was identified. There was also large periapical radiolucency (approximately 10 mm × 15 mm in size) on an adjacent tooth. This case report describes the successful retrieval of two foreign objects from the periapical region, and the management of a cystic lesion, through periapical surgery

Proximity of the mandibular anterior root apices to the buccal bone surface: A cone-beam computed tomographic study

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the distance from the buccal cortical bone surface to the root apex in the anterior mandibular teeth using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to correlate it to various associated factors (tooth type, gender, and age). Materials and Methods: CBCT images of mandibular anterior teeth from 120 patient records with a sample size of 360 teeth were analyzed. The distance from the buccal bone surface to root apex and 3 mm above the root apex in the sagittal view was reconstructed using the Romexis software version 3.2.1. Results: Distances from the buccal cortical bone surface to the apices of the root and 3 mm from the apex of the root were greater at the mandibular canine region than the central and lateral incisor (P < 0.001). The buccal bone was significantly thicker corresponding to the apices of the teeth compared to the region 3 mm from the apex (P < 0.001) The mean distance value from the cortical buccal bone surface to the lateral incisor apex (4.03 mm) was significant more among females (P = 0.006). Furthermore, the measured distance at the root apex and 3 mm above the of the root apex of the mandibular anterior roots were significantly more in patients below the age of 40 years (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The distance from the buccal bone's surface to the apex and 3 mm from the apex in the mandibular anterior region is significantly affected by the tooth type and patients' age. CBCT is a reliable tool for presurgical evaluation for both these parameters during endodontic surgeries and implant placement

Association of level of education and utilization of restorative dental care among rural women in India: Cross-sectional study

Background: The utilization of restorative dental care is very scarce in rural India. Association between level of education and health of a person has been well-documented in many countries and time periods with a range of potential factors shaping the connection between both. Objectives: This cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate an association between the level of education (educational qualification) and utilization of restorative dental care among rural women associated with self-help groups. Materials and Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was administrated to 660 rural women associated with self-help group by trained research assistants. The 604 completed questionnaires were received and reviewed. The education levels were divided into three groups: Group 1 - illiterates (17.2%), Group 2 - school educated (69.4%), and Group 3 - college educated (13.4%). Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the utilization of dental services by rural women, and logistic regression was applied to evaluate the influence of their educational qualifications on utilization. Results: A total of 604 properly filled questionnaires out of 660 (91.51% response rate) were included in the analysis. Only 56.9% of the sampled rural women indicated that they have visited dentists earlier. The maximum number of individuals who have never visited the dentist belonged to illiterate group (55.7%), and the association was statistically significant (0.004) when compared with educated individuals. Conclusion: The results of this study concluded that the level of education has a significant influence on the utilization of dental care

Rehabilitation of gingival architecture by a conservative method: An innovative approach

Periodontal attachment loss in the maxillary anterior region can often lead to esthetic and functional clinical problems. Lifelong motivation is essential to the supportive therapy for these patients, and the maintenance of good esthetics, combined with conducive to maintaining long term dental and professional health. This paper aims to demonstrate an innovative treatment option for dealing with aesthetic challenges posed by a number of patients who have undergone initial cause related therapy for aggressive periodontitis