Publications by authors named "Radu Chifor"

Background And Aims: "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2) is the name of the etiological agent of the pandemic Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) which was declared on March 11, 2020 by the WHO and which affected all countries of the world, including Romania. Our study aimed to evaluate the psycho-affective implications and economic consequences for dentists in Romania during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease) pandemic state of emergency and their opinion on the patients' oral health impact.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational and analytical study based on a questionnaire was conducted.

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The study aimed to assess self-reported symptoms of periodontal disease (gingival bleeding, tooth mobility and halitosis) among diabetic and non-diabetic patients from Transylvania, Romania. Using statistical analysis methods, correlation between the aforementioned symptoms and diet, oral hygiene habits, stress, physical activity, and BMI (body mass index) were researched. Another secondary objective was to assess the impact of self-reported oral health, aesthetics, and halitosis on their life.

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Background And Aims: On March 16, 2020, the state of emergency was established with drastic measures of isolation and quarantine. Among the measures taken in the context of the state of emergency was the closure of dental offices throughout the country. The aim of our questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was to identify the psycho-affective implications of the Romanian citizens induced by the COVID-19 pandemic period as well as their opinion related to the self-perceived oral health status during this period.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a noninvasive and low-operator-dependent imaging method for carotid-artery-stenosis diagnosis. A previously developed prototype for 3D ultrasound scans based on a standard ultrasound machine and a pose reading sensor was used for this study. Working in a 3D space and processing data using automatic segmentation lowers operator dependency.

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Brackets are metallic dental devices that are very often associated with acidic soft drinks such as cola and energy drinks. Acid erosion may affect the bonding between brackets and the enamel surface. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of brackets' adhesion, in the presence of two different commercially available drinks.

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The present research is focused on three different classes of orthodontic cements: resin composites (e.g., BracePaste); resin-modified glass ionomer RMGIC (e.

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Article Synopsis
  • The research evaluated Mask R-CNN and U-Net models for automatically segmenting ultrasound images of dental arches to assist in periodontal diagnosis.
  • It involved a 3D ultrasound investigation on 52 teeth, where initial image segmentation was performed by a less experienced operator and subsequently corrected using 3D reconstructions.
  • Results showed that while the original dataset contained 3417 images, the corrected dataset (2135 images) yielded better prediction accuracy, demonstrating the effectiveness of the quality correction method.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Poor oral hygiene can damage tooth enamel, leading to issues like cavities due to micro-abrasions and acid erosion, which are worsened by bacterial plaque.
  • - The study compared traditional fluorination treatment with laser photodynamic fluorination on enamel samples, revealing that while both methods helped, the laser treatment significantly enhanced re-mineralization and reduced roughness, making the enamel closer to a healthy state.
  • - Results showed that although traditional fluorination improved the enamel condition, it still left it damaged, while the laser treatment resulted in a notable restoration and a significant statistical improvement in enamel quality.
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The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a 3D ultrasound scanning method. The main requirements were the freehand architecture of the scanner and high accuracy of the reconstructions. A quantitative evaluation of a freehand 3D ultrasound scanner prototype was performed, comparing the ultrasonographic reconstructions with the CAD (computer-aided design) model of the scanned object, to determine the accuracy of the result.

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This study aims to investigate the effect of new natural photosensitizers (PS) (based on oregano essential oil, curcuma extract, and arnica oil) through in vitro cytotoxicity and biological tests in rat-induced periodontal disease, treated with photodynamic therapy (aPDT). The cytotoxicity of PS was performed on human dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (dMSCs) and human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell lines. Periodontal disease was induced by ligation of the first mandibular molar of 25 rats, which were divided into 5 groups: control group, periodontitis group, Curcuma and aPDT-treated group, oregano and aPDT-treated group, and aPDT group.

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The use of PDT in prosthodontics as a disinfection protocol can eradicate bacteria from tooth surfaces by causing the death of the microorganisms to which the photosensitizer binds, absorbing the energy of laser light during irradiation. The aim of the study was to investigate the capacity of PDT to increase the bond strength of full ceramic restorations. In this study, 45 extracted human teeth were prepared for veneers, crowns, and inlays and contaminated with .

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Aim: To demonstrate the feasibility of the 3D ultrasound periodontal tissue reconstruction of the lateral area of a porcine mandible using standard 2D ultrasound equipment and spatial positioning reading sensors.

Material And Method: Periodontal 3D reconstructions were performed using a free-hand prototype based on a 2D US scanner and a spatial positioning reading sensor. For automated data processing, deep learning algorithms were implemented and trained using semi-automatically seg-mented images by highly specialized imaging professionals.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study explores five experimental natural photosensitizers (PS) for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) to control microbial biofilm in the oral cavity, including gels with various essential oils and extracts.
  • The PS were analyzed using several scientific methods like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and cytotoxicity assays, with findings showing that the gels exhibited lower cytotoxic effects, particularly those with oregano oil and methylene blue.
  • Results indicated that essential oils added antibacterial properties to the gels, enhancing their effectiveness, while bacterial analysis revealed that single bacteria were present initially, but aggregates and microcolonies formed over time.
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Introduction: Carioreceptivity-based, individualized prevention protocols allow a minimally invasive approach in many patients, in all age groups. The long-term success of such protocols depends not only on the actual caries experience of the patients, but also on the possible responses based on natural defense mechanisms. Therefore the salivary flow, the buffer capacity of stimulated and non-stimulated saliva and mostly the Streptococcus Mutans and Lactobacilli number are highly important in deciding whether a long-term remineralization therapy can be successfully applied for early stage caries lesions.

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The periodontal disease and gingival bleeding are highly prevalent in the adult population worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) data shows that 90-100% of the 34-year-old adults present gingival inflammation. Therefore, an investigation method is required to allow the assessment of the periodontal disease as well as the monitoring of the evolution of the gingival inflammation after periodontal treatments.

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Unlabelled: The primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that periodontal ultrasonography is a reliable method with which to identify and evaluate the attachment level of the gingival junctional epithelium. A secondary aim was to devise an automated computer-assisted method that allows the examiner to more easily identify the gingival sulcus contour on ultrasound images.

Material And Methods: This in vitro study was carried out on 36 sites on the lingual surface of eight pig mandibles.

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Gingival inflammation is highly prevalent among adult populations in all regions of the world. High rates of chronic periodontitis have been reported worldwide. The methods for assessing the gingival inflammation and periodontal disease would need more precision and less user-dependence.

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Unlabelled: The AIM of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of 40 MHz periodontal ultrasonography in the assessment of gingival inflammation, following professional teeth cleaning.

Material And Methods: The study was performed on 18 teeth without restorations having subgingival calculus (upper and lower premolars and frontal teeth). After the clinical exam the Gingival Index and the Sulcus Bleeding Index were calculated.

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Based on some mathematical and statistical approaches, our study leads to some conclusions concerning the procedures related to the orodental prosthetics. Occlusal equilibration in orodental prosthetics is a major issue because besides motivating patients for a regular daily oral hygiene, it could significantly increase the longevity of FPR. More dental hygiene information should be given after prosthetic treatment and patients should be motivated to attend recalls on a regular basis for professional teeth-cleaning.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study assessed how aware dental students are about their saliva parameters (like pH and buffer capacity) and how this knowledge affects their diet choices aimed at preventing tooth decay.
  • - 52 dental students participated, with tests conducted on their oral health and saliva characteristics, alongside diet questionnaires; results showed most had a normal range pH but leaned towards the acidic side, indicating higher caries risk.
  • - After one week, students exhibited a significant reduction in their consumption of cariogenic foods following their awareness of their saliva’s acidity and buffering capacity, highlighting the potential for dietary change through education.
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Aim: To identify by ultrasonography (DermaScan C, Cortex Technology1) the reference points necessary to monitor the horizontal bone resorbtion and to assess the accuracy of the measurements by comparing with Cone Beam Computed Tomography images, having direct microscopic section measurements as a gold standard.

Material And Methods: We performed the examinations on the lingual side of the alveolar bone of 4 pig mandibles. We tried to identify the enamel-cementum junction, the root, the periodontal space at the appearance of the tooth from the alveolar bone, the edge of cortical bone at its coronary limit (in order to assess the horizontal bone resorption).

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Aims: The main objective of the study was the realisation of an experimental model and evaluation to establish whether the high frequency ultrasound method can supply credible information concerning the structure of the periodontal tissues.

Materials And Methods: We used a 20 MHz, 2D transducer of Dermascan C (CORTEX TECHNOLOGY l) device for examining 20 teeth on 4 healthy pig mandibles. The examination was made in the lateral area of alveolar bones at the lingual surface.

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