Concordance Between Clinical Practice and Published Evidence: Findings From Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.

Objectives: To evaluate the concordance between clinical practice and published evidence by dental faculty and graduating students of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.

Methods: A questionnaire previously developed by the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network with 12 clinical scenarios was administered to VCU faculty and graduating students. Responses were scored as either consistent or inconsistent with published evidence and then analyzed for differences between dental faculty, graduating students, and the national results.

An automated dental caries detection and scoring system for optical images of tooth occlusal surface.

Dental caries are one of the most prevalent chronic diseases. The management of dental caries demands detection of carious lesions at early stages. This study aims to design an automated system to detect and score caries lesions based on optical images of the occlusal tooth surface according to the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) guidelines.

Prediction and diagnosis of clinical outcomes affecting restoration margins.

The longevity of dental restorations is largely dependent on the continuity at the interface between the restorative material and adjacent tooth structure (the restoration margin). Clinical decisions on restoration repair or replacement are usually based upon the weakest point along that margin interface. Physical properties of a restorative material, such as polymerisation shrinkage, water sorption, solubility, elastic modulus and shear strength, all have an effect on stress distribution and can significantly affect margin integrity.

Prediction of clinical outcomes of a restoration based on in vivo marginal quality evaluation.

The question "Does initial marginal quality of composite restorations have any affect on clinical longevity?" is posed and evidence presented to attempt to provide an answer. This paper examines the literature on what is known regarding the rates and causes of failure of restorations, clinical evaluation of restoration outcomes and marginal quality, the relationship between marginal quality and secondary caries, and the relationship of polymerization shrinkage and clinical failures. The most frequently reported cause for restoration replacement is secondary caries.

Clinical performance evaluation of a packable posterior composite in bulk-cured restorations.

Background: The authors evaluated the clinical performance of Prodigy Condensable (Kerr, Orange, Calif.) composite placed and cured in increments up to 5 millimeters thick.

Methods: The authors placed 57 Class II restorations in 32 patients in composite increments up to 5 mm thick.

Clinical challenges and the relevance of materials testing for posterior composite restorations.

Posterior composite restorations have been in use for approximately 30 years. The early experiences with this treatment indicated there were more clinical challenges and higher failure rates than amalgam restorations. Since the early days of posterior composites, many improvements in materials, techniques, and instruments for placing these restorations have occurred.

Tooth whitening today.

Background: Methods to improve the esthetics of the dentition by tooth whitening are of interest to dentists, their patients and the public. In the past 20 years, research on bleaching and other methods of removing tooth discolorations has dramatically increased. Dentist-supervised and over-the-counter products now are available to solve a variety of tooth discoloration problems without restorative intervention.

Clinical wear performance of eight experimental dental composites over three years determined by two measuring methods.

The effect of matrix selection, filler composition, filler silanization, operator variations, and test site (dental clinic) on the wear rate of eight composites were evaluated. The wear was measured on replicas using both a microscopic and a laser scanning measuring method. The average wear rate on contact-free surfaces was 9.

The effects of alcoholic beverages on composite wear.

Objectives: In vivo wear of composite restorative materials appears to be, in part, dependent on various patient factors. Specifically, consumption of alcoholic beverages has the potential for increasing the degradation rate. The hypothesis tested in this experiment was that composite wear is dependent on the type of alcohol-containing liquid the materials are exposed to during three-body abrasive wear.

Salivary mucin as related to oral Streptococcus mutans in elderly people.

MG1 (MUC5b and MUC4) and MG2 (MUC7), predominant mucins in human whole saliva, provide lubrication and antimicrobial protection for oral tissues. This study examines potential relationships between Streptococcus mutans titers in the oral cavity and the following: mucin concentrations; unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva flow rates; decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces; and age of 24 elderly patients. S.

Effect of home bleaching products on mercury release from an admixed amalgam.

Purpose: To test the effect of three carbamide peroxide bleaching products, Opalescence (O), Nite White (N), and Platinum (P) on mercury release from amalgam (Valiant PhD).

Materials And Methods: Sixty uniform amalgam specimens were prepared in Acrylite clear acrylic blocks. After aging for 1 week at 37 degrees C, the specimens were placed in individual polystyrene jars containing 20 mL of sterile saline, and divided into three groups A, B, and C.

Wear resistance of dual-cured resin luting agents.

Purpose: To evaluate the three-body wear resistance of five commercially available dual-cured resin-based composite luting agents compared both in a dry state and after water storage.

Materials And Methods: Six specimens of each material were prepared and tested for three-body wear resistance in the ACTA wear machine for 250,000 cycles and the loss of material was measured with a profilometer. Material wear was measured under three conditions: dry storage, 6-month water storage, and 12-month water storage.

System for the pH-dependent release of a dye in model dental restorations.

We are developing a system for detecting recurrent caries under dental restorations. The controlled release of dyes under conditions of likely demineralization will alert the dentist to potential secondary caries. Production of acidic species is a characteristic of caries activity; hence, the system uses pH-sensitive polymers to release markers when the pH at the cavity wall of the restored tooth is below 6.

Modeling the relationship between clinical, microbiologic, and immunologic parameters and alveolar bone levels in an elderly population.

A cross-sectional periodontal study of 74 subjects aged 65 to 75 years was performed. Clinical data were collected and related to microbiological and immunological data. A statistical model (step-wise multiple regression) of factors related to bone loss was created initially using clinical data only; then by adding either the microbiologic or immunologic data; and then by using clinical, microbiologic, and immunologic data together.

The effect of water on polymer matrix and composite wear.

Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated increased in vitro wear of composite after long-term water exposure. The increased wear effect was not clearly related to debonding of the filler from the matrix, resulting in accelerated loss of filler particles. The hypothesis tested in this experiment was that the changes in in vitro three-body wear of a composite following water storage are caused by changes in the wear resistance of the polymer matrix.

Visual and profilometric wear measurements.

Wear of composites can be estimated by the degree of marginal discrepancy between the prepared cavity wall and the occlusal margins of composites. Such evaluations are done on casts by comparing and rating the marginal discrepancy with those on standard casts. We analyzed the reliability of this technique on metal and stone specimens.

Water and abrasive effects on three-body wear of composites.

The degrees of in vitro three-body wear resistance of a hybrid, a small-particle, and a microfilled composite were determined after water storage for up to 24 months. The hybrid composite was the most wear-resistant, while the microfilled composite showed the most wear. The hybrid composite showed no loss of wear resistance as a result of water storage.