[Paradigm shift in conservative dentistry: the end of the amalgam era].

Dental amalgam has been used for more than 150 years due to its beneficial mechanical properties and durability in dentistry. In the past and to date, many questions about amalgam restorations have arisen, especially regarding the mercury content, which has been the subject of global disputes. By presenting the past and present of the 'amalgam issue', the aim of our paper is to display the current position of international literature.

Alteration of consciousness via diverse photo-acoustic stimulatory patterns. Phenomenology and effect on salivary flow rate, alpha-amylase and total protein levels.

Long-term photo-acoustic stimulation is used for the induction of altered states of consciousness for both therapeutic and experimental purposes. Long-term photo-acoustic stimulation also leads to changes in the composition of saliva which have a key contribution to the efficiency of this technique in easing mucosal symptoms of oral psychosomatic patients. The aim of this study is to find out whether there is any cumulative effect of repeated stimulation and whether there are any detectable differences between diverse stimulatory patterns of long lasting photo-acoustic stimulation on the phenomenology of the appearing trance state and on salivary secretion.

[Frequency of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders, vertical orthodontic anomalies and their relationships based on screening of a large population].

Altogether 4606 volunteers (2923 vomen, 1683 men) participated in the representative national epidemiological study to screen the alterations of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The characteristic clinical signs and subjective complaints according to TMJ were evaluated by medical history taking and physical examination. Regarding the orthodontic anomalies, the vertical abnormalities (deep bite and open bite) were specifically noted.

Molecular mechanisms of taste recognition: considerations about the role of saliva.

The gustatory system plays a critical role in determining food preferences and food intake, in addition to nutritive, energy and electrolyte balance. Fine tuning of the gustatory system is also crucial in this respect. The exact mechanisms that fine tune taste sensitivity are as of yet poorly defined, but it is clear that various effects of saliva on taste recognition are also involved.

Salivary defense proteins: their network and role in innate and acquired oral immunity.

There are numerous defense proteins present in the saliva. Although some of these molecules are present in rather low concentrations, their effects are additive and/or synergistic, resulting in an efficient molecular defense network of the oral cavity. Moreover, local concentrations of these proteins near the mucosal surfaces (mucosal transudate), periodontal sulcus (gingival crevicular fluid) and oral wounds and ulcers (transudate) may be much greater, and in many cases reinforced by immune and/or inflammatory reactions of the oral mucosa.

[Dental fear and anxiety scores of a Hungarian population living in the Hungarian-Slovakian border region. A pilot study].

The aim of the authors was to investigate whether living as a minority has an influence on the dental fear and anxiety values. In this study 201 volunteers (n = 201, inside border Hungarians 144, outside border Hungarians 57, male 90, female 111; age 8 to 83 years, mean 44 +/- 16 yrs.) were investigated.

Comparative evaluation of cone-beam CT equipment with micro-CT in the visualization of root canal system.

The aim of this study was to compare three different cone-beam CT (CBCT) instruments used in dental clinical practice with micro-CT as gold standard. Three female monkeys' (Macaca fascicularis) skulls were selected and scanned by the tested CBCT-s. The most apical visible root canal level on the CBCT images was used as reference level (RL).

Qualitative assessment of microstructure and Hertzian indentation failure in biocompatible glass ionomer cements.

Discs of biocompatible glass ionomer cements were prepared for Hertzian indentation and subsequent fracture analyses. Specifically, 2 × 10 mm samples for reproducing bottom-initiated radial fracture, complemented by 0.2 × 1 mm samples for optimal resolution with X-ray micro tomography (μCT), maintaining dimensional ratio.

[Risk assessment of periodontal disease in Hungary].

In this study, risk determinants were assessed for periodontal disease in the oral health survey of a representative Hungarian adult population sample. 4153 individuals participated in the study after formal consent. Participants were questionned on level of education, dental office attendance, smoking habits, oral hygiene habits and general health conditions.

[Oral health assessment of Hungarian adult population based on epidemiologic examination].

A representative national survey by the dentists of the Department of Prosthodontics, Semmelweis University was performed to assess oral health conditions of Hungarian adult population before joining the European Union. The aim of this study was to evaluate periodontal conditions of the population from data collected in the survey and to investigate the associations between gender, age and demographic regions and the prevalence of periodontal problems. The 2 years long nationwide investigation followed the WHO criteria (World Health Organization, 1997) and assessed 4606 person throughout all regions of the country.

Five-year follow-up of oral health and seizure condition of patients with epilepsy: a prospective observational study.

Objective: A five-year follow up of patients with epilepsy to examine the change in their oral health and seizure condition.

Basic Research Design: A prospective observational controlled epidemiologic study under natural treatment settings.

Participants: The epilepsy group consisted wholly of patients participating in an epidemiologic survey performed five years previously.

[Effect of being disabled, dental fear and anxiety on drawings].

Aim: To investigate if there is an influence of being a disabled people (with disturbed body-image), dental fear and anxiety on several form/shape parameters of drawings.

Subjects: Disabled (46) and healthy (33) volunteers (n = 79; male 39, female 40; age: 18.16 +/- 3.

Toothguide Trainer tests with color vision deficiency simulation monitor.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether simulated severe red and green color vision deficiency (CVD) influenced color matching results and to investigate whether training with Toothguide Trainer (TT) computer program enabled better color matching results.

Methods: A total of 31 color normal dental students participated in the study. Every participant had to pass the Ishihara Test.

Distortional effect of beam-hardening artefacts on microCT: a simulation study based on an in vitro caries model.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively the degrading effect of artefacts caused by beam hardening on the microscopic computerized tomography (microCT) measurements of an in vitro caries model.

Study Design: A simulation-based method was described, with which the degrading effect of microCT artefacts on certain parameters of the observed structure could be determined. Simulations were carried out with polychromatic and monochromatic X-ray source, and a linearization method with a second-order polynomial fit algorithm was used in specific cases to correct the beam hardening artefact.

Periodontal health of an adult population in Hungary: findings of a national survey.

Objectives: To estimate the levels of periodontal health conditions of Hungarian adults.

Material And Methods: Periodontal data on 4153 adults in 304 survey locations from all Hungarian regions were analysed. The Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was used to report the occurrence of probing pocket depth, calculus, and gingival inflammation.

Spondyloarthropathies and bone resorption: a possible role of heat shock protein (Hsp70).

Spondyloarthropathies consist of chronic inflammatory disorders genetically linked with each other through HLA-B27 molecules, and are connected with the destruction of periarticular bone and also with systemic bone loss in many cases. Expected molecular mechanisms behind these conditions overlap the functions of Hsp70s, a group of major molecular chaperones and cytokines. Hsp70s may control disease progression via inhibition of unfolded HLA-B27 protein accumulation and alteration of ER stress signaling.

Aminobisphosphonate stimulates bone regeneration and enforces consolidation of titanium implant into a new rat caudal vertebrae model.

Bisphosphonates are widely used as therapeutic agents in bone disorders including cancer metastasis due to their osteoclast inhibitory effect. Recent data shows that bisphosphonates may also induce bone-building by stimulating osteoblast activity. Clinical observations, however, have revealed that bisphosphonates may cause necrosis in the oral cavity which questions their usefulness in bone regeneration during the consolidation of inorganic implants.

[Metal artefact on head and neck cone-beam CT images].

There are only a few factors, where the properties of the CBCT is inferior compared to conventional CT. One of these properties is the low contrast resolution, which has an importance in the discrimination of different soft tissues. Another difference is the image quality degrading effect by metal objects.

Caries prevalence and tooth loss in Hungarian adult population: results of a national survey.

Background: Oral health is basically important for the well-being of people. Thus, it is strongly suggested to organize epidemiological surveys in order to gain representative data on oral condition of the given population. The purpose of the cross-sectional study was to determine the results on tooth loss and caries prevalence of Hungarian adults in different age groups.

Unstimulated whole saliva flow rate in relation to sicca symptoms in Hungary.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of xerostomia and the related oral and extraoral dryness symptoms in Hungary, to evaluate the association of those symptoms with the unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) flow rate, and to find correlation between the level of UWS flow rate and the oral health status of the questioned patients.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 600 patients between the age of 18 and 92 years, 265 male, 335 female, were selected in accordance with the current regional age and residence distribution scheme of the Hungarian Statistical Office. A questionnaire was designed to determine the subjective presence or absence of the sicca symptoms.

Complex care by multiple medical and dental specialists of a patient with aggressive Gorlin-Goltz syndrome.

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is a genetically predisposed disease characterised by multiple basal cell carcinomas, odontogenic keratocysts and ectopic calcifications. The aim of this study was to show successful treatment of a 37-year-old male patient by cooperation between different dental and medical specialists. Because of the recurrence of a large basal cell carcinoma after multiple operations and a total dose telecobalt irradiation of 66 Gy, the patient's nose was ablated, with resection of the upper lip and part of the maxilla.

[Some characteristics of distal cantilever bridges on the basis of two representative studies (in Hungary)].

In Hungary a dental epidemiological study was performed by a team of calibrated dentists of the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry (Semmelweis University, Budapest) in 1985-89 for the first and in 2003-2004 for the second time. Probands were selected randomly from the population attending the compulsory lung screening examinations. Oral inspection was done under artificial light.

[Removable partial denture design and its effect on remaining teeth, based on Hungarian national survey].

Removable partial dentures (RPD) are used to restore Class 2A, 2B, 2A/1, and Class 3 type partially edentulous arches. Calibrated dentists of the Department of Prosthodontics performed oral health survey first in 1985-1989 and a second survey in 2003-2004. The oral surveys were carried out at the lung cancer screening stations, after obtaining formal consent of those individuals who were originally referred to perform x-ray lung screening examination.

[Monitoring trends in fixed partial denture design based on national surveys].

To restore partially edentulous arches reasonable number of fixed partial dentures (FPD) are used in Hungary. This paper describes statistic parameters of these restorations based on analysis of a large sample size. Dentists of the Department of Prosthodontics performed oral health surveys according to WHO criteria, first survey in 1985-1989 and second in 2003-2004.

Salivary Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics: The Emerging Concept of the Oral Ecosystem and their Use in the Early Diagnosis of Cancer and other Diseases.

There is an increasingly growing interest world-wide for the genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics of saliva and the oral cavity, since they provide a non-invasive source of unprecedently rich genetic information. The complexity of oral systems biology goes much beyond the human genome, transcriptome and proteome revealed by oral mucosal cells, gingival crevicular fluid, and saliva, and includes the complexity of the oral microbiota, the symbiotic assembly of bacterial, fungal and other microbial flora in the oral cavity. In our review we summarize the recent information on oral genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, of both human and microbial origin.