Weakened anterior roots--intraradicular rehabilitation.

This paper highlights the fact that many anterior teeth requiring restoration are severely weakened having wide, flared canal spaces, and thin dentinal walls that are prone to fracture. Traditionally these teeth have been restored using metal posts and are often unsuccessful because of lack of retention or root fracture. This paper describes how mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) can be used to form an immediate apical seal rather than waiting months for apexification.

Post and core systems, refinements to tooth preparation and cementation.

With a plethora of post systems available, it is often difficult to decide which one to use. This is made more difficult by the fact that new posts are introduced before existing ones are fully evaluated in laboratory and clinical studies. This paper therefore describes the different post types and the main advantages and disadvantages of each.

Restoration of the root-filled tooth: pre-operative assessment.

This is the first in a series of four papers related to the management of root canal treated teeth. When teeth compromised by extensive restorations become non-vital, suggestions have been given as to how root canal treatment can be carried out with the greatest chance of success. Once root canal treated, either by a previous dentist or by the current dentist, a review of the assessment process that should be carried out prior to placing costly indirect definitive restorations is given.

Tooth preparation for post-retained restorations.

Failure of root canal treatment and/or post crowns can be avoided in many cases if appropriate tooth preparation is carried out. This paper discusses the rationale for the timing of post placement following root canal treatment and appropriate methods for removal of gutta-percha prior to post space preparation. The basic principles of post space preparation are described, which should reduce the risk of weakening the root unnecessarily, causing damage to the periodontium and post perforation.

Parental craniofacial morphology in orofacial clefting.

The parental craniofacial morphology in orofacial clefting (OFC) has been shown to differ from that of the non-cleft population when evaluated using conventional cephalometric analyses comprising a variety of linear, angular, and area measurements. In spite of this, the shape of the parental craniofacial complex is of greater importance in the search for the morphogenes involved in OFC. This retrospective case-control study employed three morphometric techniques [discriminant analysis of the principal components of shape (PCS), Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA), and thin-plate spline analysis (TPS)] to localize the craniofacial skeletal shape differences between (a) the parents of children with OFC and a comparison group, (b) the parents of children with cleft lip and palate [CL(P)] and cleft palate (CP), and (c) the male and female parents of children with OFC.

The specification of learning outcomes in dentistry.

Increasing emphasis is being placed in dentistry, as in other areas, on outcome-based education and on the specification of learning outcomes. This paper describes the adaptation for dentistry of the medical three circle model as described by Harden to specify learning outcomes. The model offers an effective and user-friendly format based on the three dimensions of the work of a dentist.

Treatment planning in Class III malocclusion.

In Class III malocclusion, the overjet is reduced and may be reversed, with one or more incisor teeth in lingual crossbite. In the early mixed dentition, and in older patients with mild skeletal discrepancies, orthodontic treatment usually involves proclining the maxilliary anterior teeth into positive overjet. When the permanent dentition has established, orthodontic therapy is usually aimed at compensating for the underlying mild-moderate Class III skeletal discrepancy by proclining and retroclining the maxillary and mandibular incisors, respectively.

Interventions for treating oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

Background: Treatment of cancer is increasingly effective but is associated with short and long-term side effects. Oral side effects, including oral candidiasis, remain a major source of illness despite the use of a variety of agents to treat them.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and or radiotherapy.

Peer review amongst restorative specialists on the quality of their communication with referring dental practitioners.

Objective: A peer review study was carried out to assess the written communication between consultants and specialist registrars in restorative dentistry with the referring general dental practitioners.

Methods: Seven people took part in the study and each presented referral and reply letters for five patients whom they had seen for consultation. The referral letters were used for information only and were not used in the peer review process.

An ex vivo assessment of a bonding technique using a self-etching primer.

Objective: This study assessed a new self-etch/priming system for use in orthodontic bonding.

Setting: An ex vivo study.

Method: Three groups of 20 extracted premolar teeth were bonded with metal orthodontic brackets.

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

Background: Treatment of cancer is increasingly more effective but is associated with short and long term side effects. Oral side effects remain a major source of illness despite the use of a variety of agents to prevent them. One of these side effects is oral mucositis (mouth ulcers).

Fibre-based post systems: a review.

Objectives: This article presents a review of published literature examining fibre-based endodontic post systems.

Data Sources: A MEDLINE search was carried out for any articles in dental journals pertaining to fibre-based post systems. Wherever possible articles cited were obtained from the journals and where this was not possible abstracts were obtained.

So you want to be an academic?

Academic dentistry offers a rewarding and varied career in which the practice of dentistry can be combined with teaching and research. This article outlines the activities that academic staff undertake, discusses the routes by which entry into an academic post can be made, and the ways in which progression and development can take place.

The distal extension base denture.

The distal extension base denture may be indicated in situations in which the edentulous area to be restored is without a terminal abutment tooth. There may be significant challenges in providing a prosthesis with sufficient support and retention to make it comfortable without damaging the intra-oral tissues. This can be a greater problem in the mandible as the denture-bearing area is usually much smaller than in the maxilla.

The dental caries experience of 5-year-old children in England and Wales. Surveys co-ordinated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 2001/2002.

Objective: This paper reports the results of standardised clinical caries examinations of 170,731 5-year-old children from across England and Wales. These 2001/2002 co-ordinated surveys are the latest in a series which seek to monitor the dental health of children and to assess the delivery of dental services.

Method: The criteria and conventions of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry were used.

The assessment of an intra-oral video camera as an aid to occlusal caries detection.

Aims: To investigate the use of intra-oral video cameras (IOVCs) for occlusal caries detection.

Design: Eighty premolars and molars set-up to simulate clinical conditions were examined by six examiners using three techniques: visual examination (EX), an IOVC (CAM) and by watching a video that was recorded using an intra-oral video camera (VID). The teeth were then sectioned for histological validation.

An assessment of the educational needs of dental trainers, based on an outcome-based curriculum.

Objective: To develop a curriculum for dental trainers and use it as a basis for an assessment of their learning needs.

Methods: A selected group of dental trainers in Scotland using a nominal group technique produced a list of learning outcomes for trainers. Outcomes were categorised as essential for all trainers, desirable for intermediate trainer development or optional for experienced trainers.

A novel approach to promoting change in SHO training in a dental teaching hospital.

An action research study using a series of staged focus groups with senior house officers (SHOs) and educational supervisors (ES) was used to identify the perceptions of the strengths and challenges in the SHO training programme and to indicate areas for improvement. The basic findings were not entirely surprising, with SHOs wanting more detailed feedback from educational supervisors and educational supervisors challenged (by time constraints and competing clinical and research responsibilities) in meeting the expectations of the SHOs. However the novel approach of using staged focus groups enhanced the educational supervisors' perception of the SHOs' view of their training and the SHOs' perception'of the challenges faced by educational supervisors.

The use of magnification in a preventive approach to caries detection.

Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of low-powered magnification on the accuracy of caries detection and to compare it to the accuracy of unaided vision.

Method And Materials: Five dental models were prepared with extracted, unrestored, human permanent premolars, molars, and canines. Dental examinations were undertaken in simulated clinical conditions by seven dentists using both unaided and magnified vision.

Interventions for treating oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

Background: Treatment of cancer is increasingly effective but is associated with short and long-term side effects. Oral side effects, including oral candidiasis, remain a major source of illness despite the use of a variety of agents to treat them.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and or radiotherapy.

Use of a matrix to form directly applied resin composite to restore worn anterior teeth.

The technique of using directly applied resin composite is increasingly being chosen to restore worn anterior teeth. This paper describes the use of a vacuum-formed matrix ('suck-down') to shape the directly applied resin composite, avoiding demanding freehand build-ups.

Oral candidosis.

Oral candidoses are frequently encountered in the practice of dentistry. Although most oral candidoses are symptomless, the can indicate the presence of an underlying systemic disease, and the persistence of oral candidosis following appropriate conventional management may be one of the first signs of undiagnosed immunosuppression. The opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans is the most commonly isolated species from oral candidal lesions; however, the non-albicans Candida spp.

Magnification: what is available, and will it aid your clinical practice?

With the development of clinical techniques that require high levels of manual dexterity and involve fine detail, there is increasing interest in the use of magnification for dental procedures. This article considers the potential benefits of magnification, the different methods by which it can be obtained and, finally, presents some caveats to its use.