Methods: Eighteen male Dorper sheep were randomly distributed into three groups (n = 6 each group): group 1, RME with corticotomy on the buccal and palatal sides; group 2, conventional RME treatment; and group 3, no treatment. Post-RME, trabecular bone microstructure and new bone formation were evaluated by using microcomputed tomography (microCT) and histomorphometry after a 4- or 12-week retention period. Intergroup differences in bone quality and bone remodeling were analyzed by using two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post-hoc test.
Results: The bone volume fraction (bone volume [BV]/total volume [TV]) values relative to the control in groups 1 and 2 were 54.40% to 69.88% after the 4-week retention period and returned to approximately 80% after the 12-week retention period. The pooled BV/TV values of the banded teeth in groups 1 and 2 were significantly lower than those of the control after the 4-week retention period (p < 0.05). However, after the 12-week retention period, the pooled BV/TV values in group 2 were significantly lower than those in groups 1 and 3 (p < 0.05). Histomorphological analysis showed that the new bone formation area in group 1 was approximately two to three times of those in group 2 and control.
Conclusions: Corticotomy significantly enhanced the restoration of bone quality after the retention periods for banded teeth. This benefit might result from the increased new bone formation after corticotomy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen male New Zealand white rabbits (20 to 24 weeks old) were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups (n = 4): group 1, conventional rapid sutural expansion; group 2, accelerated sutural expansion; group 3, accelerated sutural expansion with continuous ostectomy; and group 4, accelerated sutural expansion with discontinuous ostectomy. All sutural ostectomies were performed using a piezoelectric instrument (Woodpecker DTE, DS-II, Guangxi, China) before expander application with the rabbits under anesthesia. Modified hyrax expanders were placed across the midsagittal sutures of the rabbits and secured with miniscrew implants located bilaterally in the frontal bone. The hyrax expanders were activated 0.5 mm/day for 12 days (group 1) or with a 2.5-mm initial expansion, followed by 0.5 mm/day for 7 days (groups 2 to 4). After 6 weeks of retention, the bone volume fraction, sutural separation, and new bone formation were evaluated using micro-computed tomography and histomorphometry. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman's rho correlation (P
METHODS: As a preliminary work, water droplets of 1.5 μL were placed on the surfaces of hydroxyapatite (HA) discs of different densities. The water droplet profile was dynamically recorded every second over a period of 10 s using a contact angle meter to determine the relationship between sorptivity and density. To measure and calculate sorptivity on enamel surfaces, varnish was painted on the labial surface of 96 extracted caries-free human teeth, leaving two 1.4 ± 0.1 mm diameter circular exposed test sites. The specimens were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 16) and subjected to 0(G0), 7(G7), 14(G14), 21(G21), 28(G28) and 35(G35) days of pH cycling, respectively. A 0.7 μL water droplet was placed on each exposed site and Optical Coherence Tomography was used to measure its height every 10 seconds for 2 min. Sorptivity was computed by considering sorption equations and Washburn's analysis of capillary kinetics and correction for evaporation was also performed. Micro-Computed Tomography scans of the specimens were obtained and delta Z (ΔZ) is the parameter used to measure mineral loss. ΔZ at 10 μm (ΔZ10) and 50 μm (ΔZ50) from the surface were calculated. One-way ANOVA and Post-hoc Tukey tests were used to compare sorptivity between groups and bivariate correlations were used to analyze the association between sorptivity and ΔZ.
RESULTS: Sorptivity was found to be inversely and linearly correlated with HA density with R2 value of 0.95. With enamel, there is a general trend of increase in mean sorptivity from G0 to G35, except for a decrease in G21. The same trends were observed for both ΔZ10 and ΔZ50. The decrease in sorptivity in G21 coincided with the presence of a surface hypermineralized layer in G21 samples. Post-hoc Tukey showed significant differences in mean sorptivity between G0 and G14, G0 and G21 as well as G14 and G21. Post-hoc Dunnett's T3 showed significant differences for ΔZ10 between G0 and G14 as well as G14 and G21. Significant correlation between mean sorptivity and ΔZ10 was detected with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.461. For ΔZ50, post-hoc Tukey showed significant differences between G0 and G14 but no significant difference was detected between G14 and G21. No correlations were detected between mean sorptivity and ΔZ50.
SIGNIFICANCE: Sorptivity was found to be inversely and linearly correlated with HA density with R2 value of 0.95. With enamel, there is a general trend of increase in mean sorptivity from G0 to G35, except for a decrease in G21. The same trends were observed for both ΔZ10 and ΔZ50. The decrease in sorptivity in G21 coincided with the presence of a surface hypermineralized layer in G21 samples.
METHODS: Extracted human primary maxillary second molars (n = 57) were scanned using micro-computed tomography and reconstructed to produce three-dimensional models. Each root canal system was analysed qualitatively according to Vertucci's classification.
RESULTS: 22.8% (n = 13) of the sample presented with the fusion of the disto-buccal and palatal roots; of these, Type V was the most prevalent classification. For teeth with three separate roots (n = 44), the most common root canal type was Type 1 for the palatal canal (100%) and disto-buccal canal (77.3%) and Type V for the mesio-buccal canal (36.4%). Overall, 7% (n = 4) of mesio-buccal canals were 'unclassifiable'.
CONCLUSION: The root canal systems of primary maxillary second molars were not only complex but had a range of configurations that may contribute to unfavourable clinical outcomes after endodontic treatment.
METHODS: Fifty-seven maxillary second primary molars were scanned using micro-CT. Teeth with three divergent roots were divided randomly (n = 15) according to instrument type (K file, MTwo®, and Reciproc® Blue). Teeth with root fusion were instrumented manually as a separate group (n = 12). Pre- and post-instrumentation micro-CT images were superimposed, and the instrumentation area (IA) and procedural complications were recorded.
RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in IA between file systems was observed in the non-fused teeth. The mean IA of fused roots was significantly lower than in the non-fused distobuccal (p = 0.003) and palatal (p 60%) occurred in both non-fused and fused primary teeth with fewer procedural complications observed after manual instrumentation.