Methods: The efficacy of desensitizing agents in reducing dentine permeability by occluding dentine tubules was evaluated using a fluid filtration device that conducts at 100 cmH2O (1.4 psi) pressure, and SEM/EDX analyses were evaluated and compared. Forty-two dentine discs (n = 42) of 1 ± 0.2 mm width were obtained from caries-free permanent human molars. Thirty dentine discs (n = 30) were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10): Group 1: 2.7% wt. monopotassium-monohydrogen oxalate (Mp-Mh oxalate), Group 2: RMGI XT VAR, and Group 3: LIQ SiO2. Dentine permeability was measured following treatment application after 10 minutes, storage in artificial saliva after 10 minutes and 7 days, and citric acid challenge for 3 minutes. Data were analysed with a repeated measures ANOVA test. Dentine discs (n = 12) were used for SEM/EDX analyses to acquire data on morphological changes on dentine surface and its mineral content after different stages of treatment.
Results: Desensitizing agents' application on the demineralized dentine discs exhibited significant reduction of permeability compared to its maximum acid permeability values. Mp-Mh oxalate showed a significant reduction in dentine permeability (p < 0.05) when compared to RMGI XT VAR and LIQ SiO2. On SEM/EDX analysis, all the agents formed mineral precipitates that occluded the dentine tubules.
Conclusions: 2.7% wt. monopotassium-monohydrogen oxalate was significantly effective in reducing dentine permeability compared to RMGI XT VAR and LIQ SiO2.
Materials and Methods: CBCT images which show MFPMs recorded in HUSM Dental Clinic between January 2015 and June 2016 was obtained and analyzed for their number of roots and canals. A total of 208 CBCT images of MFPMs were collected; 118 patients had unilateral molars and 90 patients had bilateral molars. The following observations were made: (1) root number; (2) number of canals per root; and (3) comparisons of number of roots and canals according to gender, ethnicity, and position.
Results: The majority of cases of bilateral MFPM had the same number of roots (95.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 89.01%, 98.78%) on both the right and left side and only 4 cases (4.4%, 95% CI: 1.22%, 10.99%) had 3 roots on the right and 2 roots on the left sides. The majority of cases had the same number of canals on both sides (66.7%, 95% CI: 55.95, 76.26%) and 33.3% (95% CI: 23.74%, 44.05%) with unequal number of canals. The occurrence of the number of canals was not independent of the sides of the arch (P < 0.001) and there was statistically significantly greater proportion of cases who had greater number of canals on the right side than the left (P = 0.03). The prevalence of right single-rooted MFPM was very small at 0.3% (n = 1) in a Malay male (95% CI: 0.00, 1.83) and the most prevalent was two roots first molar (88.4%). The number of roots was not associated with sex or ethnic group (P > 0.05). The MFPM with a single root was found to have only one mesial canal. For two rooted MFPM, the most prevalent occurrence was two canals at the mesial and one canal at the distal roots (59%); followed by single canals in each mesial and distal (21%) and double canals per root (18%). Three roots MFPM have either single or double canals in the mesial root and double canals in the distal root.
Conclusions: The majority of population in the East Coast region of Malaysia has two roots and three root canals in their MFPMs. There was no difference in the number of roots between gender and ethnic and canals between ethnic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of studies comparing the fracture resistance and/or endodontic outcomes between different AC designs was conducted in two electronic search databases (PubMed and Web of Science) following the PRISMA guidelines. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed. Meta-analyses were undertaken for fracture resistance and root canal detection, with the level of significance set at 0.05 (P = 0.05).
RESULTS: A total of 33 articles were included in this systematic review. The global evaluation of the risk of bias in the included studies was assessed as moderate, and the level of evidence was rated as low. Four types of AC designs were categorized: traditional (TradAC), conservative (ConsAC), ultraconservative (UltraAC), and truss (TrussAC). Their impact on fracture resistance, cleaning/disinfection, procedural errors, root canal detection, treatment time, apical debris extrusion, and root canal filling was discussed. Meta-analysis showed that compared to TradAC, (i) there is a significant higher fracture resistance of teeth with ConsAC, TrussAC, or ConsAC/TrussAC when all marginal ridges are preserved (P 0.05), and (iii) there is a significantly higher risk of undetected canals with ConsAC if not assisted by dental operating microscope and ultrasonic troughing (P
MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining consent from the parents and screening the children against the inclusion cum exclusion criteria, 90 school children whose mandibular first molars were caries free and with a well-defined pit and fissure system were recruited for this spilt mouth trial. The respective molars were allocated either to the ART sealant or the embrace group after the randomization process. The sealants were applied according to the manufacturer's instructions and followed up at the end of 3rd, 6th, and 12th month, respectively. The outcome measures assessed were the retention and the caries preventive effects of the materials.
RESULTS: At the end of the 6th month, about one-fourth of the sealants in either group remained totally intact, without evidence of caries. No significant differences were seen between the sealants either in terms of retention or caries preventive benefits at the end of 12 months.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The chi-squared test was used to check differences in proportions. The significance value was set at <0.05. Kappa test was performed to assess the intraexaminer reproducibility with respect to retention and caries status.
CONCLUSION: The moisture-tolerant resin sealant could not replicate the physical properties usually associated with conventional resin sealants. The usage of ART sealants was deemed to be less cumbersome in an outreach setting as observed in this trial.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 370 orthodontic records including their pre-treatment orthopantomographs (OPG) and study models of orthodontic patients in permanent dentition who attended dental clinic were assessed for impaction, hypodontia, supernumerary, supraocclusion, infraocclusion, and any other anomalies excluding the third molars. The association of anomalies with gender status and racial status was analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test. A P value of <0.05 is considered as significant. The confidence interval at 95% (CI) was set.
RESULTS: Among the 370 subjects, 105 (28.4%) presented with at least one anomaly. Eighty-five (23%) demonstrated a single anomaly and 20 (5.4%) with more than one anomaly. The most prevalent anomaly was impaction (14.32%), followed by hypodontia (7.03%). The less common anomalies were microdontia (1.08%), dilacerations (0.27%), and generalised enamel hypoplasia (0.27%). Maxillary right lateral incisors and canines were the most common affected teeth and these are located on the maxillary right quadrant. It was evident that dental anomalies were statistically dependant on race (P = 0.025), but independent of gender. The most common treatment planned for these patients was fixed appliance.
CONCLUSIONS: Impaction was predominant among 28.4% subjects observed with anomaly and most patients with anomaly are treated with fixed appliances (49%).
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These anomalies play a great role in occlusion and alignment in treatment planning and relapse for orthodontic treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This parallel, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) consisted of 22 periodontitis patients who had molar with advanced furcation involvement (FI). All patients followed the same inclusion criteria and were treated following the same protocol, except for radiographic evaluation (CBCT vs. periapical). This study proposed and evaluated five parameters that represent the extent and severity of furcation defects in molars teeth, including CEJ-BD (clinical attachment loss), BL-H (depth), BL-V (height), RT (root trunk), and FW (width).
RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between CBCT and intrasurgical linear measurements for any clinical parameter (p > 0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in BL-V measurements (p molars. Meanwhile, the sensitivity were 62.8% and 56.9% for CBCT and periapical, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, when compared to the intrasurgical measurements, CBCT provided better diagnostic, sensitivity, and quantitative information on CAL, height, depth, and width of the furcation defects than periapical radiograph.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: An accurate presurgical furcation diagnostic can guide the clinicians from the stage of diagnosis to definitive management so that unnecessary periodontal surgical interventions can be prevented.
Methods: A retrospective review of the dental records of patients seen by an endodontist in a private endodontic office from September 2013 to September 2016 was conducted by the same endodontist. Cases that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were assigned as the subjects of this study, and data were extracted from their clinical and radiographic records. Patient's demographic features, pre-operative signs and symptoms, details of rendered clinical procedures, follow-up visits, clinical and radiographic findings were recorded. Seventeen teeth for which non-surgical exploratory re-treatment was initiated were included in this study. Calcium hydroxide-based intracanal medication was placed for 2-4 weeks. Obturation of the root canals was performed if the tooth showed improvement of clinical signs and symptoms. If not, a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was proposed to the patient to rule out VRF.
Results: After the non-surgical re-treatment was initiated, 13 teeth showed improvement of clinical symptoms and the re-treatment was therefore completed. The remaining 4 teeth presented with unresolved clinical presentations (deep pocket, presence of sinus tract and/or tender to percussion and palpation). Four teeth showed partial disappearance of intracanal medication where VRF was confirmed using CBCT in 3 teeth and with a conventional periapical (PA) radiograph in 1 tooth.
Conclusion: The disappearance of intracanal medication during non-surgical intervention was often associated with VRF. Thus, this feature may serve as an aid in diagnosing VRF.
Case Report: A 25-year-old gentleman presented with recurrent upper right vestibular abscess three months following a bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. A bonded molar orthodontic tube had dislodged into the wound during the operation. The clinical presentation initially mimics an odontogenic infection until our investigations revealed that it originated from the dislodged appliance. The abscess was drained, the wound site was explored, and the molar tube and neighbouring rigid fixation plates and screws were removed. The patient recovered well following the procedure.
Conclusion: Dislodged metal orthodontic appliance in oral wound acts as a foreign body that may exert allergic reactions, infection, or inflammation. Pre- and postoperative intraoral examination of fixed orthodontic appliances including its count should be recorded in orthognathic surgery protocol.