Introduction: The interpretations of printed panoramic radiographs film frequently depend on personal judgements analysis by observers. The findings correlations between more than two observers must consider statistical tool which can determine that sometimes the observers will agree or disagree merely by chance. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) generally measures the degree of similarity among individuals within a cluster. Kappa statistic is the most frequently applied statistical analysis for this reason. This study aims to determine the validity of utilising printed panoramic radiographs for assessing dental anomalies and inter-examiner reliability in detecting dental anomalies observed within the panoramic radiographs. Methods: Twenty samples of printed versions of orthopantomogram (OPG) were arbitrarily selected from the AMDI Dental Clinic. Radiographic analyses were conducted twice, Trial 1 and Trial 2, with two-week intervals in between. Ten (10) printed OPG films were used in each session. During both assessments, incidence of dental anomalies was determined. All twenty OPGs were examined and analysed by the principal investigator and two independent examiners according to the inclusion and exclusion criterias. The data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 23. Results: The results of ICC for Trials 1 and 2 were 0.961 and 0.984, respectively. Conclusion: The outcomes demonstrated that the printed OPG films can be used to detect dental anomalies and inter-examiner dependability was in very good assertion for both trials, hence printed OPG films that satisfy the inclusion and exclusion criterias can be utilised for assessing dental anomalies as shown by the reliable ICC values in this study.
Discolouration of microhybrid composite resin is a common problem faced by both dental practitioners and patients. The accumulation of plaque, penetration of colourant particles from foods and beverages, dietary habits and the smoothness of restorations have been known to influence the quality of the aesthetic restoration. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of polishing systems on surface roughness that led to discolouration of the microhybrid composite resin. Methods: Forty five samples of microhybrid composite resin (Filtex Z100) restorations were polished with two different polishing systems; one-step polishing (OP) system on the distal surface and multiple-step polishing (MP) system on the mesial surface. All samples were then immersed in two common beverages: black coffee and cocoa, for 20 minutes daily throughout 28 days of the experimental period. Results: Data on visual colour measurement and spectrometer colour spectrum was subjected to one-way ANOVA test at a significance level of 0.05. Both solutions were found to cause a significant colour change (p=0.0195) on the microhybrid composite resin. Black coffee solution obtained the highest score (71.6) of visual colour change and the lowest reflectance value (62.818) on the distal surface. Surface roughness evaluation using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) had presented that both polishing systems used produced low level of surface roughness. Conclusion: Although MP system produced a smoother surface compared to OP system, a prolonged exposure to colourant particle found to cause an unacceptable discolouration of microhybrid composite resin.
Sterilisation is an essential step in the reprocessing of reusable dental instruments including burs that have become contaminated, or potentially contaminated. Transmission of disease or infection may happen as an effect of improper sterilisation of the reused instruments. Dental burs are one of the essential tools in any conservative dental procedures, which undergo multiple sterilisation cycles before being discarded. However, repeated sterilisation process is associated with the reduction in cutting efficiency of a bur that is potentially due to corrosion. Thus, this study aims to compare the effect of two sterilisation methods on cutting efficiency of a diamond bur that is commonly used in dental procedures. Methods: 30 fissure diamond burs were randomly divided into three sterilisation groups: Group A (dry heat), B (steam under pressure) and C (control). Each bur was used to cut teeth for 45 seconds for ten cycles. Between cuts, the burs underwent sterilisation based on their sterilisation groups. Amount of cutting weight was measured after each cut. Results: This study shows that no significant difference (p>0.05) in the cutting efficiency of the burs following sterilisation of Groups A and B. However, there is a significant mean difference (p
Introduction: Colour stability of the material is an essential factor that contributes to the selection of a flexible den- ture material. Staining effects on the denture may result in unattractive appearance, the dissatisfaction of the wearer, and limited usage period of the denture. This study aims to identify the colour stability of the Valplast flexible denture material using three types of beverages. Methods: A total of 32 disc-shaped flexible resin materials (20 +/- 0.1 mm in diameter and thickness 3 +/- 0.1 mm) were prepared based on the manufacturer instructions. The samples were randomly divided into 4 groups of immersion: distilled water (control), coffee solution, tea solution and red wine. The samples were left in the specified immersion solution for up to 60 days. Colour changes were measured after 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 45 and 60 days of immersion. Results: The samples immersed in coffee solution changed from S1 to S2, whereas samples in tea solution changed from S1 to S3. Additionally, samples in red wine changed from S1 to S4, as observed using the Valplast colour tone guide. The highest reflection measured using spectroscopy was 65.146 at 385.19 nm of the control samples, whereas the lowest reflection was 1.974 at the wavelength of 385.97 nm on the samples immersed in the red wine. Conclusion: The most significant difference can be observed in the red wine group, followed by samples in tea and coffee solutions. Moreover, increasing the immersion period causes increasing staining effect of the denture.