The safety of nickel containing dental alloys.

Nickel is a constituent of many dental alloys. This paper reviews mainly papers published after 1985 with regards to biological reactions to nickel in dentistry. Nickel is an allergen, but there is no evidence that individual patients are at a significant risk of developing sensitivity solely due to contact with nickel-containing dental appliances and restorations.

Oral health in Israel--a review of surveys over several decades.

This review covers oral health surveys carried out in various communities in Israel over four decades. The general trends were for increasing caries prevalence from early surveys in the 1950s and 1960s up to the 1980s as evidenced by the rising DMFT. Treatment levels had increased since the 1980s, and there is a national decrease in caries experience.

Repair or replacement of amalgam restorations: decisions at a USA and a UK dental school.

Whereas replacement of failed restorations is the major treatment for adults in dental practice, repair is an important alternative with the potential to save tooth structure and increase the longevity of restorations at a lower cost. This in vitro study recorded the choices of treatment for the same set of teeth with defective Class II amalgam restorations by students and faculty at two dental schools (University of Manchester, UK and University of Florida, USA). Treatment options (monitor, refurbish, repair and replace) and reason(s) for the choice of treatment for 24 marked amalgam restorations were selected.

Effect of different application and polymerization techniques on the microleakage of proximal resin composite restorations in vitro.

This in vitro study investigated cervical microleakage of proximal resin composite restorations placed with three application and polymerization techniques. Uniform mesio-occlusal-distal (MOD) preparations featuring cervical margins above (mesial) and below (distal) the CEJ suitable for restoration with resin composite were copy milled into 33 recently extracted permanent molars. The teeth were divided randomly into three groups of 11 teeth and restored using a conventional incremental technique (Group A) and two novel curing devices (Groups B and C).

Bonded amalgam restorations: current research and clinical procedure.

This paper reviews the history of amalgam bonding; compares the results of recent clinical studies to laboratory results that report reduced microleakage, increased retention, inhibition of secondary caries, reinforcement of tooth structure, and reduced cuspal deflection; discusses conservative preparation guidelines; and presents a step-by-step clinical procedure.