Enhancing Dental Student Learning and Skill with Dental Bonding Utilizing a Shear Bond Strength Test.

Teaching dental students the proper protocol and application of bonding agents for improved composite restorations in the preclinical setting can be challenging due to difficulty in translating their bonding technique to clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of utilizing a shear bond strength test and to evaluate if it improved student performance and confidence in adhesive dentistry. All 106 third-year and 106 fourth-year dental students (total N=212) at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry were invited to participate in a shear bond strength workshop in 2016.

The hemi-engaging fixed dental implant prosthesis: A technique for improved stability and handling.

Clinicians commonly contend that the screw-retained, implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) should be fabricated with all nonengaging abutments to allow for the inherent nonparallelism of the implants and the inability of the abutment connections to draw together during insertion and removal. The problem with a fully nonengaging FDP is difficulty in handling and more strain on the abutment screws, ultimately leading to increased rates of breakage and loosening. The hemi-engaging FDP design regains much of the advantage afforded by the internal connection and improves prosthetic handing both clinically and in the laboratory.

Screw Access Mark for Cemented Implant Crowns: A Universal Technique to Simplify Retrievability.

The use of cemented implant prostheses for partially edentulous patients continues to increase in clinical practice. One of the primary complications of the cemented implant crown is difficulty in retrieval, should the need arise. Drilling through most prosthetic materials is of little difficulty for most clinicians, but the complication lies in determining where exactly the access hole needs to be drilled.

Clinical and Molecular Perspectives of Reparative Dentin Formation: Lessons Learned from Pulp-Capping Materials and the Emerging Roles of Calcium.

The long-term use of calcium hydroxide and the recent increase in the use of hydraulic calcium-silicate cements as direct pulp-capping materials provide important clues in terms of how reparative dentin may be induced to form a "biological seal" to protect the underlying pulp tissues. In this review article, we discuss clinical and molecular perspectives of reparative dentin formation based on evidence learned from the use of these pulp-capping materials. We also discuss the emerging role of calcium as an odontoinductive component in these pulp-capping materials.

Systematic reviews in oral health: a quality imperative.

Systematic reviews must be conducted responsibly, eliminating any scope for error and bias. The reporting quality of a systematic review should follow and conform to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) is an assessment tool, which has been developed specifically to assess the quality of the process used in conducting the review.

Microleakage resistance of minimally invasive Class I flowable composite restorations.

Minimally invasive flowable composite Class I restorations are widely used. However, flowable composites are characterized by low filler contents, modified resin formulations, low moduli of elasticity, low viscosity, generally poor mechanical properties, and decreased long-term stability. The purpose of this study was to compare the microleakage resistance of a wide variety of flowable composites used with their manufacturers' recommended bonding systems to that of a long-used and widely studied microhybrid composite when placed as minimally invasive occlusal restorations.

Conservative and esthetic cast gold fixed partial dentures-inlay, onlay, and partial veneer retainers, custom composite pontics, and stress breakers: part II: utilization of additional retentive features and fabrication of custom pontic facings.

Although in today's dental world implant restorations are considered the standard of care in the replacement of missing teeth, clinical contraindications and patient nonacceptance of implant placement can be encountered. Several scenarios are discussed here in which a single missing tooth can be restored with conservative fixed partial dentures (FPD) that employ cast gold retainers; each with a customized design in order to preserve tooth structure, maintain esthetics, and provide a long-term prognosis. The abutment teeth are prepared for conservative partial coverage restorations by using Brasseler burs (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA, USA).

Conservative and esthetic cast gold fixed partial dentures-inlay, onlay, and partial veneer retainers, custom composite pontics, and stress-breakers: part I: fundamental design principles.

Although in today's dental world implant restorations are considered the standard of care in the replacement of missing teeth, clinical contraindications and patient nonacceptance of implant placement can be encountered. Several scenarios are discussed here in which a single missing tooth can be restored with conservative fixed partial dentures (FPD) that employ cast gold retainers; each with a customized design in order to preserve tooth structure, maintain esthetics, and provide a long-term prognosis. The abutment teeth are prepared for conservative partial coverage restorations by using Brasseler burs (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA, USA).

Histological evaluation of a self-priming etchant adhesive system.

Vital dentin is an extension of certain pulpal tissues, presenting the first line of defense against patient hypersensitivity and the long-term bacterial microleakage that can lead to recurrent caries and pulp inflammation. High-speed cavity preparation and forced air-drying of vital dentin causes the displacement of cells into vital dentinal tubules. However, after restoration, pulps recover and deposit reparative dentin deposition within 2 weeks.