Knowledge of risk factors and the periodontal disease-systemic link in dental students' clinical decisions.

This study evaluated second-, third-, and fourth-year dental students' ability to identify systemic conditions associated with periodontal disease, risk factors most important for referral, and medications with an effect on the periodontium and their ability to apply this knowledge to make clinical decisions regarding treatment and referral of periodontal patients. A twenty-one question survey was administered at one U.S.

The role of insurance and training in dental decision making.

Introduction: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate (1) the differences in treatment planning decisions between dental general practitioners and specialists and (2) the role of patients' insurance and/or type of treatment in decision making.

Methods: One hundred eighty subject charts were selected from 1,740 dental charts. Two specialists examined radiographs and reviewed the charts and then independently generated treatment plans.

Addition of Grape Seed Extract Renders Phosphoric Acid a Collagen-stabilizing Etchant.

Previous studies found that grape seed extract (GSE), which is rich in proanthocyanidins, could protect demineralized dentin collagen from collagenolytic activities following clinically relevant treatment. Because of proanthocyanidin's adverse interference to resin polymerization, it was believed that GSE should be applied and then rinsed off in a separate step, which in effect increases the complexity of the bonding procedure. The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of combining GSE treatment with phosphoric acid etching to address the issue.

Technology is a critical game changer to the practice of dental hygiene.

Unlabelled: Dental hygienists will need to embrace 21st century technology to adapt to workplace settings.

Background And Purpose: To stay relevant in the workforce, dental hygienists need mastery of new skills and technologies. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the vast array of technological advances impacting dental practice and the consequent implications for oral health care providers.

Non-thermal atmospheric plasmas in dental restoration: improved resin adhesive penetration.

Objective: To investigate the influence of non-thermal plasma treatment on the penetration of a model dental adhesive into the demineralized dentine.

Methods: Prepared dentine surfaces were conditioned with Scotchbond Universal etchant for 15s and sectioned equally perpendicular to the etched surfaces. The separated halves were randomly selected for treatment with an argon plasma brush (input current 6mA, treatment time 30s) or gentle argon air blowing (treatment time 30s, as control).

Development and implementation of online National Board Dental Examination Review Courses.

Failure on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Parts I and II has troubling consequences for dental students, faculty members, and school administrators. Since the NBDE is a high-stakes exam for all involved, it is important to determine effective strategies to help students prepare. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of online NBDE Parts I and II Review Courses by the faculty and administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.

Comparison of warm vertical compaction protocols to obturate artificially created defects in the apical one-third.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of 4 different warm vertical compaction protocols to obturate artificially created defects in the apical one-third of a root canal system by using a split-tooth model.

Methods: Four warm vertical protocols used (A) continuous down-pack and continuous backfill, (B) continuous down-pack and incremental backfill, (C) incremental down-pack and continuous backfill, and (D) incremental down-pack and incremental backfill. Three artificially created defects were placed 2, 3, and 4 mm from the apex of the split-tooth model.

Posterior composite restoration update: focus on factors influencing form and function.

Restoring posterior teeth with resin-based composite materials continues to gain popularity among clinicians, and the demand for such aesthetic restorations is increasing. Indeed, the most common aesthetic alternative to dental amalgam is resin composite. Moderate to large posterior composite restorations, however, have higher failure rates, more recurrent caries, and increased frequency of replacement.

Surface characteristics and cell adhesion: a comparative study of four commercial dental implants.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to compare surface properties of four commercial dental implants and to compare those implant systems' cell adhesion, which may be affected by the surface properties, and to provide scientific information on the selection of implants for clinicians.

Materials And Methods: The surface properties of four commonly used dental implants (3i Nanotite™, Astra OsseoSpeed™, Nobel Biocare TiUnite®, and Straumann SLActive®) were studied using MicroSpy profiler, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Raman microspectroscopy. Primary mouse alveolar bone cells were cultured on the surface of implants from the four companies.

Proanthocyanidins rapidly stabilize the demineralized dentin layer.

While proanthocyanidins (PA) are effective in improving collagen's resistance to collagenolytic degradation, the direct incorporation of PA into an adhesive system is detrimental to the light-curing thereof. Conversely, the use of PA as a primer could circumvent this issue, but little is known about the efficacy of PA in stabilizing collagen when applied in a clinically relevant manner. This study investigated the pre- and post-digestion morphology of an acid-etched dentin collagen layer that underwent PA treatment for time periods on a scale of seconds.

Effect of reactive and un-reactive substrates on photopolymerization of self-etching adhesives with different aggressiveness.

The study investigated the influence of reactive (enamel) and un-reactive (glass) substrates on photo-polymerization of self-etching adhesives. Two commercial adhesives Adper Prompt L-Pop (APLP, pH~0.8) and Adper Easy Bond (AEB, pH~2.

Proanthocyanidins' efficacy in stabilizing dentin collagen against enzymatic degradation: MALDI-TOF and FTIR analyses.

Objectives: To investigate grape seed extract proanthocyanidins' (PA) capability in improving dentin collagen's sustainability in an enzymatic environment, given that the size and shape of the collagen samples, and the manner to apply PA are both clinically relevant.

Methods: Human dentin was sectioned into 6-μm-thick films. After demineralisation in 35wt% phosphoric acid for 15s, the films were subject to 30s of treatment at PA concentrations of 0% (control), 0.

Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus.

Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus is a normal anatomic variant which may be mistaken for pathology. Suspected cases of arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus on cone beam CT and multidetector CT scans are presented. Pertinent imaging findings and differential diagnosis are discussed.

Preliminary findings on the correlation of saliva pH, buffering capacity, flow, Consistency and Streptococcus mutans in relation to cigarette smoking.

Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the relationship of caries risk, salivary buffering capacity, salivary pH, salivary quality (flow, consistency) and levels of Streptococcus mutans in relation to cigarette smoking.

Methods: This clinical trial consisted of 53 volunteer patients receiving care in a university based dental hygiene clinic. Participants completed a questionnaire specific to their social history in regards to tobacco use, oral health and dietary history.

Measuring the short-term effects of incorporating academic service learning throughout a dental hygiene curriculum.

Objectives: Academic service learning (ASL) provides the venue for dental hygiene education to take oral healthcare services directly into communities while at the same time promoting professional responsibility within the student bodies. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the change in pre-existing attitudes and behaviours of dental hygiene students following the incorporation of ASL activities throughout a five-semester dental hygiene curriculum.

Methods: Seventy-seven first-year dental hygiene students who participated in ASL from the graduating classes of 2008-2010 participated in the study.

Photopolymerization of phosphoric acid ester-based self-etch dental adhesives.

The objective of the study was to gain more understanding on the photopolymerization mechanism and the role of individual monomers in the polymerization behavior of a PAE-based self-etch adhesive system with the presence of HAp and water. The photo-polymerization process of the model adhesive system (2MP/HEMA) was monitored by using real-time attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) technique. The effect of monomer ratio, HAp incorporation, and water content were investigated.

Impact of single-session motivational interviewing on clinical outcomes following periodontal maintenance therapy.

Objectives: Patient engagement in effective oral hygiene following periodontal therapy is essential to long-term success. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a behavioural counselling approach documented to positively influence behaviour change related to smoking, diabetes control and medication adherence. Emerging evidence suggests utility of MI to improve oral health.

Proanthocyanidins alter adhesive/dentin bonding strengths when included in a bonding system.

Purpose: To determine the effect of proanthocyanidins (PA) incorporation into a bonding system on dentin/adhesive bond stability following long-term storage in buffer and collagenase.

Methods: Human dentin surfaces were bonded with no PA (0-PA), PA incorporated in the primer (PA-primer), or PA incorporated in the adhesive (PA-adhesive), and composite build-ups were created. Following sectioning into beams, bonded specimens were stored in buffer or collagenase for 0, 1, 4, 26, or 52 weeks before being tested for microtensile bond strength (muTBS).

The Distribution of Carbonate in Enamel and its Correlation with Structure and Mechanical Properties.

The correlation of carbonate content with enamel microstructure (chemical and crystal structure) and mechanical properties was evaluated via linear mapping analyses using Raman microspectroscopy and nanoindentation. Mappings started at the outer enamel surface and ended in the inner enamel near the dentin-enamel junction (DEJ) in lingual and buccal cervical and cuspal regions. The carbonate peak intensity at 1070 cm gradually increased from outer to inner enamel.

Effect of application mode on interfacial morphology and chemistry between dentine and self-etch adhesives.

Objective: To investigate the influence of application mode on the interfacial morphology and chemistry between dentine and self-etch adhesives with different aggressiveness.

Methods: The occlusal one-third of the crown was removed from un-erupted human third molars, followed by abrading with 600 grit SiC under water. Rectangular dentine slabs were prepared by sectioning the tooth specimens perpendicular to the abraded surfaces.

Distinct photopolymerization efficacy on dentin of self-etch adhesives.

The effect of application mode on polymerization effectiveness of self-etch adhesives with different pHs has rarely been studied. We applied 2 self-etch adhesives-Adper Prompt L-Pop (APLP, pH ~ 0.8) and Adper Easy-Bond (AEB, pH ~ 2.

Chemical characterization of etched dentin in non-carious cervical lesions.

Purpose: Bonding to non-carious cervical lesion (NCCL) sclerotic dentin that involves acid etching continues to be a challenging problem due to its altered chemical structure. In the present study, the objective was to investigate the chemical response of NCCL sclerotic dentin to the different acid etching times.

Materials And Methods: Extracted human premolars affected with NCCLs were selected, and a cavity matching the natural lesion with respect to size and location was prepared on the lingual surface of each tooth to serve as the control.

Durable bonds at the adhesive/dentin interface: an impossible mission or simply a moving target?

Composite restorations have higher failure rates, more recurrent caries and increased frequency of replacement as compared to dental amalgam. Penetration of bacterial enzymes, oral fluids, and bacteria into the crevices between the tooth and composite undermines the restoration and leads to recurrent decay and failure. The gingival margin of composite restora tions is particularly vulnerable to decay and at this margin, the adhesive and its seal to dentin provides the primary barrier between the prepared tooth and the environment.

The effect of hydroxyapatite presence on the degree of conversion and polymerization rate in a model self-etching adhesive.

Objective: The effect of hydroxyapatite (HAp) content on photopolymerization of a model self-etching adhesive was studied by using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy.

Materials And Methods: The model adhesive contained two monomers: bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate (2MP) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using a 1:1 mass ratio, representing an acidic formulation. Camphorquinone and ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate were added to enable visible light photopolymerization in a constant concentration of 0.

Extending oral health care services to underserved children through a school-based collaboration: part 2: the student experience.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of dental hygiene students providing services to unserved and underserved children in a school-based collaboration between a dental school, school district and Extended Care Permit I (ECP-I) dental hygienist in Kansas.

Methods: Following comprehensive preventive oral health care services to children in 4 schools supervised by an ECP-I dental hygienist, 26 senior dental hygiene students enrolled in the dental hygiene program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City submitted rotation data records and self-reflection journals describing the experience. Using the constant comparative method, 3 faculty researchers unitized the data by identifying key themes.