The Effectiveness of Triton Used With XP-3D Adaptive Files and Active Irrigation on Smear Layer Removal During Root Canal Preparation: A Qualitative Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Study.

Background: Standard irrigating protocols during root canal treatment call for the use of sodium hypochlorite during chemo-mechanical preparation, followed by final irrigation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). This study determined the effectiveness of a new irrigant, Triton (Brasseler, USA), on smear layer removal during root canal treatment compared to that of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and CanalPro EDTA 17% (Coltene).

Case Report: Case report: Rapidly progressing tooth wear dominated by intrinsic and extrinsic erosion.

Tooth wear is multi-factorial presenting as a combination of abrasion, attrition, and erosion. This case report represents a case of combined tooth wear in a 46-year-old Indo-Trinidadian male, with a predominant erosive component with both the clinical signs and features of intrinsic and extrinsic erosion. This patient case is unique since the wear predominated by dental erosion has occurred rapidly evidenced by the physical clinical appearance of a lack of compensation and the upper left premolars and molars relatively unaffected by the overall effects of tooth wear.

An evaluation of the relationship between clinical requirements and tests of competence in a competency-based curriculum in dentistry.

Background: The development of competencies in dentistry is a complicated process that calls for the development of not just cognitive and psychomotor abilities but also behaviors and attitudes that change as technical proficiency increases and meaningful patient encounters occur. This study examined the relationship between the number of clinical requirements completed by dental students and subsequent performance on tests of competence. The null hypothesis stated there would be no significant linear relationship different from zero between absolute clinical requirements and grades attained in various tests of clinical competence.

Educational Experiences and Personal Attitudes of Dental Students toward Patients with Special Needs in Trinidad and Tobago.

This study ascertained dental students' perceived educational experiences and attitudes toward patients with special needs at an English-speaking dental school in the Caribbean. A modified paper-based version of a previously validated survey instrument was used - Dental Students Attitudes' Towards the Handicapped Scale - on a convenience sample of all clinical students at the dental school. The instrument was composed of three parts.