Objectives: The aims and objectives of this study were to compare the quality of root fillings in artificially created internal resorption cavities filled with warm vertical compaction, lateral condensation, Obtura II along with System B, E and Q plus along with System B, and Thermafil, and to calculate the percentage of gutta-percha, sealer, and voids using an ImageJ software.
Results: Results between the warm vertical compaction (group I), lateral condensation (group II), Obtura II with System B (group III), E and Q plus with System B (group IV), and Thermafil (group V), group III showed the highest percentage of gutta-percha plus sealer and gutta-percha, and least number of voids, which was statistically significant (P < 0.000).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that Obtura II along with System B was found to be the most suitable obturation technique for the management of teeth exhibiting internal resorption. Thermafil was found to give the poorest obturation quality when used to fill the teeth with internal resorption. Similarly, lateral condensation technique was observed to show maximum sealer and hence was not ideal for the management of internal resorptive cavities.
METHODS: 5- to 6-year-olds attending kindergartens were randomized to receive either 6-month dental home visits and education leaflets (Intervention group) or education leaflets alone (Control group) over 24 months. To detect a 15% difference in caries incidence with a significance level of 5% and power of 80%, 88 children were calculated to be needed in the Intervention group and 88 in the Control. Baseline clinical data included oral examinations at the kindergartens. Follow-up visits were made on the 6th, 12th and 18th month. At the end of the 24 months, both the Intervention and Control groups were visited for oral examinations. The primary outcome was caries incidence, measured by the number and proportion of children who developed new caries in the primary molars after 24 months. The secondary outcome was the number of primary molars that developed new caries (d-pms). Frequency distributions of participants by baseline socio-demographic characteristics and caries experience were calculated. The chi-square test was used to test differences between the caries experience in the Intervention and Control groups. The t test was used to compare the mean number of primary molars developing new caries between the Intervention Group and the Control Group. The number of children needed to treat (NNT) was also calculated.
RESULTS: At the 24-month follow-up, 19 (14.4%) developed new caries in the Intervention Group, compared to 60 (60.0%) in the Control Group (p = .001). On average, 0.2 (95% CI = 0.1-0.3) tooth per child in the Intervention Group was observed to have developed new caries compared to 1.1 (95% CI = 0.8-1.3) tooth per child in the Control Group (p = .001). The number of children needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one child from developing new caries was 2.2.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study has demonstrated that 6-month home visits to families of 5- to 6-year-olds are effective in caries prevention in 5- to 6-year-olds of low-income families in a middle-income country where access to health services, including oral health promotion services, is limited.
METHODS: Cross sectional data collected on school children in eight rural and urban schools through the national Incremental Dental Care Programme (IDCP) for one district in Malaysia were analysed to assess their annual caries increment and trend lines. The Restorative Index was calculated to assess the success of the IDCP in rendering children dentally fit.
RESULTS: The annual caries increments were low; the current caries levels were between 0.65 and 1.50 for 12 year-old children in Kota Tinggi District. Most of the caries experience was on pits and fissures. From 7 to 12 years old, the overall annual caries increment for the total study population was 0.19. The mean annual caries increment increased slightly between the ages of 12 to 14 years and 14 to 16 years and was 0.24 and 0.25 respectively. Two distinct caries incremental trend lines were observed for children aged 7 to 16 years. One group reached a mean DMFT of about 0.75 while the other group a mean DMFT of about 1.4 at 12 years. The trend lines continued over the next 4 years until the children were 16 years old. The Restorative Index was higher in urban schools that also had low DMFT levels.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the low annual caries increments of between 0.65 and 1.50, yearly dental examination intervals can safely be extended to 2-yearly intervals or even longer. Such a change of screening recall intervals would help improve resource allocation. Resources saved by extending recall intervals can be redirected to the small proportion of children with higher disease levels. This will help render more school children dentally fit and reduce inequalities in oral health.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental GIC (ex-GIC) was prepared by mixing CHX-D powder with the powder of type II GIC to obtain 1% (w/w) concentration of CHX-D in the GIC. Antibacterial activity of this ex-GIC was tested against L. casei and A. viscosus using the agar diffusion method. The ex-GIC specimens were tested in their unset and set forms for each bacterium. For the unset group, specimens were placed in each agar plate immediately after manipulation and for the set group, specimens were placed in each agar plate, 1 hour after manipulation. The inhibition zones on the agar plate were recorded in millimeters immediately on placement of the specimen in the agar plate and after 48 hours. The reading was recorded and statistically analyzed for significant difference.
RESULTS: Mann-Whitney U test showed statistically significant difference in the inhibition zones produced by ex-GIC against L. casei and A. viscosus when both were compared in unset (p-value = 0.002) and set (p-value = 0.031) groups. For both the groups, the zone of inhibition against L. casei was greater. Though the unset group recorded wider zone of inhibition, the difference was not significant when compared with the respective set group. This was true for both the bacterial groups.
CONCLUSION: The 1% CHX-D-modified type II GIC showed antibacterial property against L. casei and A. viscosus and significantly higher activity against L. casei.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Addition of 1% CHX-D to type II GIC showed evidence of antibacterial activity against organisms found in deep carious lesion and therefore may exhibit superior antimicrobial efficiency when used as an intermediate therapeutic restoration in deep cavities.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four online databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched using different MeSH terms and Boolean Operators to retrieve the articles (until June 2021), followed by a hand-search of the reference list of the included articles. All full-text, original studies in English that evaluated SDF staining and at least one SDF modification/alternative were included.
RESULTS: Among the assessed studies, nine studies explored the stain-minimization effect of potassium iodide (KI) post-application following SDF treatment. Among these, eight concluded that KI application after SDF treatment significantly reduced tooth staining, while one showed marginal staining following glass ionomer restoration of the SDF-treated dentine. Additionally, one study applied potassium fluoride (KF) and silver nitrate (AgNO3 ) concurrently to mitigate SDF-mediated staining. One study compared SDF staining with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated nanoparticles containing sodium fluoride (NaF), and another used nanosilver fluoride (NSF) for staining comparison with SDF.
CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, the addition of different materials to SDF has proven to be a beneficial strategy for overcoming tooth staining associated with SDF. Future studies are warranted, particularly clinical trials, to validate these findings.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: SDF-mediated tooth staining is a serious concern that limits its clinical use. A review of various strategies to overcome this problem will help clinicians enhance its clinical use and patient acceptance.
METHODS: A total of 26 pre-schools in Seremban, Malaysia were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size sampling. Dental examination was performed by a dentist to record the number of decayed teeth (dt). Weight and height of the pre-schoolers were measured. The mother-administered questionnaire was used to gather information pertaining to the sociodemographic characteristics and second-hand smoke exposure. Total sugar exposure was calculated from a 3-day food record.
RESULTS: Among the 396 participating pre-schoolers, 63.4% of them had at least one untreated caries, with a mean ± SD dt score of 3.56 ± 4.57. Negative binomial regression analysis revealed that being a boy (adjusted mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.005-0.698, p = 0.047), exposed to second-hand smoke (adjusted mean ratio = 1.67, 95% CI = 0.168-0.857, p = 0.004) and those who had more than 6 times of daily total sugar exposure (adjusted mean ratio = 1.93, 95% CI = 0.138-0.857, p = 0.013) were significantly associated with dental caries among pre-schoolers.
CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of dental caries was reported in this study. This study highlights the need to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and practice healthy eating behaviours in reducing the risk of dental caries among pre-schoolers.