A View of Challenges to the Dental Education Process - Then & Now.

Dental education today tends to focus on what is provided online in the form of curriculums, handouts, circulated student notes. and mock tests, along with videos from various sources, some of which can be questionable. Often today's dental students choose not to attend lectures as information is supposedly gleaned from the above sources.

Historical Pathways Highlighting Misgivings and Misinterpretations in the Processes of Tooth Absorption & Resorption.

Historically the physiological or pathological loss of tooth structure in situ was deemed to be due to the 'absorption' of tooth structure due to the removal of the inorganic components of dentin and cementum by osteoclastic (dentinoclastic) cellular activity. This nomenclature and the activity that it represented was considered by almost all dental researchers and clinicians in the 1800s and early 1900s. The shift to the concept of 'resorption' occurred in the first half of the 20th century, with clarity emanating from significant research activity on the pathology of osseous structures, origin of osteoclastic cell types, and the function of periodontal ligament cells.

Micro-CT evaluation of a nanodiamond irrigant for hard-tissue debris removal during sonic agitation.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of nanodiamond irrigation solution with sonic agitation for removing of hard-tissue debris (HTD) within the isthmus-containing mesial roots of human mandibular molars using micro-CT analysis.

Methodology: Forty mesial roots of extracted human mandibular molars were selected based on micro-computed tomography scans (9-μm resolution). The mesial canals were mechanically prepared using ProTaper® Gold nickel-titanium rotary instruments and divided into four groups (n = 10 each) according to the final irrigation protocol: sonic agitation with nanodiamond irrigation solution for three 20-s cycles, sonic agitation with 17% EDTA for three 20-s cycles, sonic agitation with 3% NaOCl for three 20-s cycles and manual syringe irrigation with NaOCl using a 30-G needle syringe for 60 s.

Novel Approach for the Preparation of a Highly Hydrophobic Coating Material Exhibiting Self-Healing Properties.

A concept to prepare a highly hydrophobic composite with self-healing properties has been designed and verified. The new material is based on a composite of a crystalline hydrophobic fluoro wax, synthesized from montan waxes and perfluoroethylene alcohols, combined with spherical silica nanoparticles equipped with a hydrophobic shell. Highly repellent layers were prepared using this combination of a hydrophobic crystalline wax and silica nanoparticles.

Historical Perspectives and Comparisons on the Use Plastic-Based Cements in Endodontics and Prosthodontics: Part 2 - Oxyphosphates.

Oxyphosphate of zinc was used for years to treat teeth by different approaches and procedures. Like oxychloride of zinc, success of the material depended on how well the procedures were conducted and largely on the mix of the material. This article aims to review the evolutionary history of this material with a view to its clinical uses, properties, procedures, applications, and successes when used in the management of decayed tooth structure and rebuilding of teeth.