Description and evaluation of an intraoral cervical plexus anesthetic technique.

Unsuccessful anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) may be due to supplementary innervations of mandibular molars from other branches, namely the cervical plexus (CP). The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was to determine the effectiveness of an intraoral cervical plexus anesthetic technique (ICPAT) in mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIR) when the IAN and lingual nerve (LN) blocks failed, and to provide a description of the technique. Forty patients diagnosed with SIR received IAN and LN block anesthesia prior to treatment.

Correspondence of physical activity and fruit/vegetable consumption among prostate cancer survivors and their spouses.

A healthy diet and physical activity are recommended for prostate cancer survivors. Interdependence theory suggests that the spousal relationship influences those health behaviours and the degree of correspondence may be an indicator of this influence. This study evaluated the correspondence between prostate cancer survivors and spouses regarding physical activity and fruit/vegetable consumption.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws from once per year intravenous zoledronic acid (Reclast): report of 4 cases.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws is a commonly reported side effect with patients prescribed oral antiresorptive medications to treat osteoporosis and osteopenia. Oral antiresorptive agents are considered as the standard of care for the prevention and treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Because of patient's noncompliance of the antiresorptive medications, which may require once-weekly or once-monthly oral ingestion, a new once a year intravenous (IV) infusion of zoledronic acid was recently introduced in the management of osteoporosis.

Low dose x-ray sources and high quantum efficiency sensors: the next challenge in dental digital imaging?

Objective(s). The major challenge encountered to decrease the milliamperes (mA) level in X-ray imaging systems is the quantum noise phenomena. This investigation evaluated dose exposure and image resolution of a low dose X-ray imaging (LDXI) prototype comprising a low mA X-ray source and a novel microlens-based sensor relative to current imaging technologies.

Low-Dose Radiation Risks of Computerized Tomography and Cone Beam Computerized Tomography: Reducing the Fear and Controversy.

Regulations for protecting humans against stochastic biological effects from ionizing radiation are based on the linear no-threshold (LNT) risk assessment model, which states that any amount of radiation exposure may lead to cancer in a population. Based on the LNT model, risk from low-dose radiation increases linearly with increasing doses of radiation. Imaging procedures in medicine and dentistry are an important source of low-dose ionizing radiation.

College students practice dentistry in third-world countries.

Increasingly, applicants to dental schools are reporting experiences providing dental care on third-world mission trips. Perhaps they do not know that this behavior is unethical and illegal, but those directing and sponsoring these programs could not so easily claim to be unaware that what they are doing is wrong. Policy statements and informational campaigns by professional organizations may help curb this abuse.

Techniques to control or avoid cement around implant-retained restorations.

As implant dentistry has grown in popularity, many clinicians have attempted to simplify their protocols to more closely resemble conventional crown and bridge procedures. However, a thorough understanding of the biologic differences between natural teeth and dental implants, as well as the types of cements employed, is essential to achieving both short- and long-term success, as these biologic disparities between teeth and implants can lead to residual cement around implant-retained restorations, thus contributing to peri-implant disease. Four techniques are described that either reduce the flow of excessive cement or eliminate it altogether while maintaining proper occlusion without compromising the esthetics of implant-retained restorations.

Genetic modifications to temperate Enterococcus faecalis phage Ef11 that abolish the establishment of lysogeny and sensitivity to repressor, and increase host range and productivity of lytic infection.

Ef11 is a temperate bacteriophage originally isolated by induction from a lysogenic Enterococcus faecalis strain recovered from an infected root canal, and the Ef11 prophage is widely disseminated among strains of E. faecalis. Because E.

Brisk, pulsatile bleeding from the anterior mandibular incisive canal during implant surgery: a case report and use of an active hemostatic matrix to terminate acute bleeding.

Dental implant surgery in the anterior mandible is considered a relatively routine and safe procedure with minimal morbidity. A case of brisk, pulsatile bleeding from the anterior mandibular incisive canal and its management using an active hemostatic matrix is presented. In addition, a review of the literature regarding the anatomy of this region of the mandible and hemostatic strategy to achieve hemostasis will be discussed.

Drug abuse identification and pain management in dental patients: a case study and literature review.

Properly identifying patients with a history of drug abuse is the first step in providing effective dental care. Dental professionals need to be fully aware of the challenges associated with treating this population. In the current study, the authors analyzed the physical and oral manifestations of illicit drug abuse to aid in the identification of patients who abuse drugs and the pain management strategies needed to treat them.

The subgingival microbiota of Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome.

Background: There is little information about the microbiologic profiles of periodontal lesions in Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome (PLS) and the significance of bacteria in the pathogenesis of periodontitis in these patients. This comprehensive analysis of the subgingival microbiota in patients with PLS used 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) clonal analysis and the 16S rRNA-based Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM).

Methods: Thirteen patients with PLS from seven unrelated families volunteered for this microbiologic study.

The annotated complete DNA sequence of Enterococcus faecalis bacteriophage φEf11 and its comparison with all available phage and predicted prophage genomes.

φEf11 is a temperate Siphoviridae bacteriophage isolated by induction from a lysogenic Enterococcus faecalis strain. The φEf11 DNA was completely sequenced and found to be 42,822 bp in length, with a G+C mol% of 34.4%.

Clinical performance of a bioactive dental luting cement--a prospective clinical pilot study.

Objective: To conduct a pilot study determining the clinical efficacy ofa new bioactive dental cement (Ceramir Crown & Bridge) for permanent cementation in fixed prosthodontics. The composition is a hybrid comprised of a calcium aluminate and a glass ionomer.

Methods: This study examined the performance of Ceramir Crown & Bridge after cementation of high-gold alloy and porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) single crowns and bridges.

Bacteriophages induced from lysogenic root canal isolates of Enterococcus faecalis.

Introduction: Bacterial viruses play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of many systemic diseases. They are known to inhabit the oral cavity, both as free virions and as prophages in lysogenic bacterial strains; however, there has been no report of bacteriophages in endodontic infections. In this study, we sought to detect, isolate, and describe temperate bacteriophages harbored by Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from endodontic infections.

Magnification in dental practice and education: experience and attitudes of a dental school faculty.

The routine use of magnification and enhanced lighting by oral health care providers, educators, and students is growing, but there is little consensus regarding its implementation and use. Many students and faculty at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry elect to use some form of magnification in their real and simulated patient care activities, even though the school does not mandate or suggest standards for its utilization. A questionnaire was administered to the clinical faculty to assess two parameters: experience with magnification, and attitudes concerning the value of enhanced vision.