Sarode GS, Sarode SC, Patil S, Anand R. Junk DNA: Prospects for Oral Cancer Research. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):177-178.

Fixed orthodontic appliances (FOAs) may cause a temporary deterioration of oral hygiene with corresponding gingival inflammatory changes. Optimal oral hygiene and dietary changes are essential in order to avoid periodontal inflammation. The present study investigates to what extent the recommendations made by the orthodontist are followed by young patients.

A total of 67 adolescent patients with FOA were examined and interviewed. The control group consisted of 70 patients of the same age who had not undergone any orthodontic treatment. A specific questionnaire (assessing dietary habits, oral hygiene measures) was used and comprehensive oral findings along with oral hygiene status were evaluated.

The analysis of the data showed that despite intensive oral hygiene and dietary advice in the patients with FOA, there was no change in diet or oral hygiene habits. There were significantly higher signs of gingival inflammation and amount of dental plaque in FOA patients. Nutritional recommendations and oral hygiene measures for young people with FOA were not adequately enforced.

The findings indicate that frequent recalls should be scheduled with repeated reinforcement of oral hygiene and dietary modifications in FOA patients.

Azaripour A, Willershausen I, Hassan M, Ebenezer S, Willershausen B. Oral hygiene and dietary Habits in Adolescents with fixed orthodontic Appliances: A crosssectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):179-183.

This study investigated the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) over Streptococcus mutans biofilm.

Eighteen (n = 18) patients were selected and one palatine device with dental blocks was used. The biofilm was treated by curcumin and Photogem® with a LED and the effect was analyzed by CFU/ml.

Although, statistical analysis showed significant reductions for aPDT mainly with Photogem® (p = 0.02), these were low.

The results suggest a low antimicrobial effect of aPDT over S. mutans biofilm. Some parameters used need to be improved.

This technique can be a promising in Dentistry.

Panhóca VH, Florez FLE, Batista de Faria N Jr, Rastelli ANS, Tanomaru JMG, Kurachi C, Bagnato VS. Evaluation of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy against Streptococcus mutans Biofilm in situ. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):184-191.

The aim of this study was to use surface rugosity analysis (Ra) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) comparing effects of nano-hydroxyapatite (NANO), casein phosphopeptideamorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP), and NovaMin (NOVA) on enamel's human morphology bleached with 37.5% hydrogen peroxide.

Forty specimens (3 × 3 × 3 mm) were obtained from fully included third molars and four specimens were attached in the first molars of the volunteers. The POLApositive control has only been bleached. Three experimental groups were bleached and treated with respective bioactive: NANO, CPP-ACP, and NovaMin. The Ra analyses were performed before and after the treatment using a rugosimeter. The obtained photomicrographs were analyzed using SEM (n = 3) by three examiners, and the study was double blind.

The Ra results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05). All experimental groups showed significant differences of the others; however, the experimental groups were not significantly different from each other.

The enamel morphology of the bioactive-treated groups had more regular surfaces, than the others.

da Rosa Nogueira T, Alexandrino LD, de Lima Gomes YSB, de Melo Alencar C, Alves EB, Silva CM. An in situ evaluation of Bioactives on the morphology of bleached Enamel. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):192-197.

Dentists are probably contributing to the development of bacterial resistance to certain antibiotics. Campaigns to promote prudent use of antibiotics in dentistry are, thus, needed but require proper identification of dentists’ knowledge gaps. The objective here was to comprehensively evaluate antibiotic prescription knowledge of dentists in Saudi Arabia.

A link to an online, previously validated questionnaire was emailed to 5199 dentists registered with the Saudi Dental Society. The questionnaire comprised 42 scorable items measuring antibiotics prescription knowledge in five different domains in addition to nonscorable questions regarding first-choice antibiotics and previous attendance of a course/workshop about antibiotic prescription. Each correct answer was given one mark. Mean scores were calculated as percentages and categorized as good (> 80%), intermediate (60–80%), or poor (< 60%).

The response rate was 9.4%; however, only 373 (7.2%) fully completed the questionnaire. Around half of the participants (52%) reported prescribing amoxicillin/clavulanate as the firstchoice antibiotic; 62% reported attending a course/workshop in the last 5 years. The average knowledge score was 69%, being highest for nonclinical indications (79%) and lowest for prophylactic use (56%). The worst per-item scores were noted for rheumatic heart disease (19%), trismus (28%), surgical extraction (30%), apicectomy (31%), and periodontal abscess (33%). Female dentists, dentists in governmental sector, and those with higher qualifications had significantly better knowledge.

The level of knowledge was hardly intermediate and several deficits were identified, indicating an urgent need for educational campaigns and provision of guidelines promoting rational use of antibiotics by dentists.

Irrational use of antibiotics by dentists can contribute to the problem of antibacterial resistance.

Halboub E, Alzaili A, Quadri MFA, Al-Haroni M, Al-Obaida MI, Al-hebshi NN. Antibiotic Prescription Knowledge of Dentists in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Online, Country-wide Survey. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3): 198-204.

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the release of nickel and chromium ions in human saliva during fixed orthodontic therapy.

Ten patients with Angle's Class-I malocclusion with bimaxillary protrusion without any metal restorations or crowns and with all the permanent teeth were selected. Five male patients and five female patients in the age group range of 14 to 23 years were scheduled for orthodontic treatment with first premolar extraction. Saliva samples were collected in three stages: sample 1, before orthodontic treatment; sample 2, after 10 days of bonding sample; and sample 3, after 1 month of bonding. The samples were analyzed for the following metals nickel and chromium using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

The levels of nickel and chromium were statistically significant, while nickel showed a gradual increase in the first 10 days and a decline thereafter. Chromium showed a gradual increase and was statistically significant on the 30th day.

There was greatest release of ions during the first 10 days and a gradual decline thereafter. Control group had traces of nickel and chromium. While comparing levels of nickel in saliva, there was a significant rise from baseline to 10th and 30th-day sample, which was statistically significant. While comparing 10th day to that of 30th day, there was no statistical significance. The levels of chromium ion in the saliva were more in 30th day, and when comparing 10th-day sample with 30th day, there was statistical significance.

Nickel and chromium levels were well within the permissible levels. However, some hypersensitive individuals may be allergic to this minimal permissible level.

Kumar RV, Rajvikram N, Rajakumar P, Saravanan R, Deepak VA, Vijaykumar V. An Accurate Methodology to detect Leaching of Nickel and Chromium Ions in the Initial Phase of Orthodontic Treatment: An in vivo Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):205-210.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) represents a highly rare subgroup of skin diseases that affects skin and mucous membrane. The aim of the present study was to assess caries prevalence and its associated factors in EB subjects. Salivary status was also assessed.

Ten subjects with EB who were under supervision were selected (cases) and matched by age and gender with unaffected individuals (controls). Dental caries were recorded using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Oral hygiene and dietary habits were investigated by clinical examination and questionnaires. Both nonstimulated and stimulated saliva were collected and salivary pH, buffering capacity and mouth opening were evaluated.

The results showed that the median decay-missingfilled teeth was significantly higher (p = 0.0094) in EB cases 5 (3.9–20.3) than in controls 3 (2–3.25). The groups also differed when food consistency was analyzed. Individuals with EB have a higher intake of soft food. In addition, the median mouth-opening values from cases (0.84–2.84 cm) and controls (4.3–4.9 cm) have shown to be statistically different (p = 0.007). Considering the salivary parameters, none of them showed significant differences among groups.

Epidermolysis bullosa subjects present higher caries scores and might be related to their physical condition and dietary habits.

There is a lack of information about oral status in EB subjects. Hence, our findings add useful information regarding the relationship between caries prevalence and associated risk factors in EB subjects.

Leal SC, Lia EN, Amorim R, dos Santos MV, de Araújo MC, de Medeiros RA, da Fonseca CA. Higher Dental Caries Prevalence and its Association with Dietary Habits and Physical Limitation in Epidermolysis Bullosa Patients: A Case Control Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):211-216.

Dental materials are often made at room temperature, whereas clinically they are made in the mouth. This study evaluated the effects of temperature on the degree of conversion (DC) and Knoop microhardness (KHN).

Two types of resin-based composites (RBCs) were light-cured using a light-emitting diode (LED) lightcuring unit. The resin specimens were centered on an Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) plate heated to 23°C or 33°C. The DC of the resin was calculated after 120 seconds, the specimens were removed, and the KHN was tested at the bottom of the specimens both immediately, after 24 hours, and after 7 days storage in distilled water in complete darkness at 37°C. The effects of different temperatures on the DC and KHN with their storage time were compared by analysis of variance and Fisher's protected least significant difference post hoc multiple comparison tests (p < 0.05).

Increasing the temperature had a significant and positive effect on the DC and KHN for immediate values of the RBCs. Greater conversion and hardness occurred when the curing temperature was increased from 23°C to 33°C. The KHN increased significantly after 24 hours of storage. There was a linear relationship between DC and KHN (R² = 0.86) within the range of DC and KHN studied.

The physical properties of dental materials can be expected to be better when made in the mouth than when they are made in a laboratory at room temperature.

AlShaafi MM. Effects of Different Temperatures and Storage Time on the Degree of Conversion and Microhardness of Resin-based Composites. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):217-223.

Foreign body detection and determining whether it is adjacent to critical organs has a significant role in its removal. Various imaging techniques have been used to locate foreign bodies. This study aimed to compare cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital radiography for detecting foreign bodies in an in vitro model.

Foreign bodies composed of normal glass, barium glass, wood, and stone with two sizes were placed into three different locations of two sheep heads. Digital radiography [lateral cephalometric, submentovertex (SMV)] and CBCT were compared to investigate their sensitivity for detecting foreign bodies.

Diagnostic sensitivity of digital radiography in lateral cephalometric view, SMV view, and CBCT for detecting all types of foreign bodies was 67.2, 32.3, and 76.6% respectively. None of these techniques were successful in detecting wood satisfactory. Stone was detected relatively higher than other foreign bodies (82.6%). Diagnostic sensitivity of CBCT in detecting foreign bodies was 100%, except for wood. Accuracy of imaging techniques in detecting foreign bodies according to locations in descending order was lip, mandibular angle, and maxillary sinus.

It can be concluded that appropriate amount of radiopacity is enough for CBCT to exactly detect foreign body, regardless of its location or size.

In maxillofacial traumatic patients, CBCT seems to be a better and cost-effective technique for detecting hidden foreign bodies than other routine techniques.

Lari SS, Shokri A, Hosseinipanah SM, Rostami S, Sabounchi SS. Comparative Sensitivity Assessment of Cone Beam Computed Tomography and Digital Radiography for Detecting Foreign Bodies. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):224-229.

Combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone substitutes for the surgical treatment of periodontal intrabony defects is based on a sound biologic rationale; however, the clinical results indicative of the synergistic effect of PRP remain ambiguous. The objective of the present study was to clinically and radiographically evaluate the use of calcium phosphosilicate (CPS) putty alone and in combination with PRP in the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects.

The study was performed at an outpatient facility at a teaching dental institute in north India. A split-mouth design was employed to assess the clinical parameters and radiographic bone fill following the use of CPS putty with and without PRP in patients scheduled for surgical periodontal treatment of intrabony osseous defects. Each defect was randomized to receive treatment with open flap debridement, with CPS putty alone (Group PUT), or open flap debridement with CPS putty and PRP (Group PRP). Probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and clinical attachment levels (CALs) were recorded at the investigated sites utilizing custom-made reference guides for measurement reproducibility. Standardized periapical radiographs were also obtained to evaluate defect fill at the surgical sites.

Twenty patients each with at least two defects located in different quadrants were enrolled. The reduction in PPD from baseline to 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th month was found to be significant (p < 0.05). The percent reduction in PPD among PUT group was 57.18 ± 10.71% and among PRP group was 51.39 ± 12.60%. No statistically significant difference was observed in the percent reduction in PPD among two groups at 9 months (p = 0.48). Sites in both groups exhibited statistically significant reductions in PI and GI that were maintained throughout the study period. Similar results were seen while measuring CAL.

Calcium phosphosilicate Putty alone provides significant improvement in outcomes for the treatment of periodontal intraosseous defects. The addition of PRP to CPS putty does not seem to provide any additive benefit to treatment and the additional surgical time and trauma can be avoided.

Shukla S, Chug A, Mahesh L, Grover HS. Effect of Addition of Platelet-rich Plasma to Calcium Phosphosilicate Putty on Healing at 9 Months in Periodontal Intrabony Defects. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):230-234.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between tooth loss and the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).

One hundred fifty patients with an average age of 49.2 (±14.06) years were divided into three groups (n = 50/group) according to the degree of tooth loss: GI (dentate – control), GII (edentulous), GIII (partially dentate). After performing anamnesis and clinical examination, a questionnaire was used, so that the patients could fill in information on signs and symptoms of TMD. After analyzing this information, it was possible to classify the degree of severity of TMD. As age is a confounding variable to the level of TMD, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to check for differences in the degree of TMD between groups (covariate = age). A post hoc test (Bonferroni) was performed to compare the groups two by two (5% significance level).

The mean level of TMD according to the groups was GI – 1.95; GII – 2.15; GIII – 2.55. There were significant differences between the study groups (p > 0.05). A post hoc test (Bonferroni) confirmed the difference between edentulous patients and the other groups.

The tooth loss is directly related to the signs and symptoms of TMD. The degree of TMD was significantly higher in edentulous patients.

Malheiros AS, Carvalhal ST, Pereira TL, Filho EMM, Tonetto MR, Gonçalves LM, Bandeca MC, De Jesus Tavarez RR. Association between Tooth Loss and Degree of Temporomandibular Disorders: A Comparative Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):235-239.

This study investigated the effect of TiF4 solution pretreatment on microleakage of silorane and nanofilled methacrylatebased composites in class V cavities.

Forty-eight intact premolar teeth were randomly allocated to four groups of 12 teeth. Restorative techniques after standard class V tooth preparations were as follows: Group 1, Filtek P90 composite; group 2, Filtek Z350 XT; group 3, TiF4 solution pretreatment and Filtek P90 composite; group 4, TiF4 solution pretreatment and Filtek Z350 XT. After storing the specimens in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours and followed by immersion of the specimens in a 0.5% basic-fuchsin solution for 24 hours, they were sectioned buccolingually to obtain four surfaces for each specimen for analysis of microleakage using a stereomicroscope. Data analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the four groups and the Mann- Whitney test for paired comparisons with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 software.

At the enamel margins, microleakage score of the Filtek Z350 XT group was lower than those of the Filtek P90 with and without the application of the TiF4 (p = 0.009 and p = 0.031 respectively). At the dentin margins, groups 3 and 4 (TiF4+Filtek P90 and TiF4+Filtek z350 XT respectively) showed significantly lower microleakage than group 1 (Filtek P90). However, there was no significant difference between other groups (p > 0.05).

At the enamel margins, microleakage score of the silorane-based composite was more than that of the nanofilled composite. No significant differences were observed between the other groups. At the dentin margins, for the silorane-based composite restorations, TiF4 solution pretreatment resulted in significantly lower microleakage. However, the similar result was not observed for Filtek Z350 XT. Also, no significant difference was observed between microleakage scores of Filtek P90 and Filtek Z350 XT with or without TiF4 pretreatment.

In spite of better mechanical and physical properties of modern composites than earlier methacrylate-based composites, polymerization shrinkage has been remaining as one of the main shortcomings of them. Different methods, such as using new low shrinkage resin composites and different dentin pretreatments, have been suggested to overcome this problem. This study evaluated the effect of TiF4 as pretreatment on microleakage of class V tooth preparations restored with a nanocomposite and a silorane-based resin composite.

Koohpeima F, Sharafeddin F, Jowkar Z, Ahmadzadeh S, Mokhtari MJ, Azarian B. Role of TiF4 in Microleakage of Silorane and Methacrylate-based Composite Resins in Class V Cavities. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):240-247.

The present study was aimed to assess the fasting and postprandial gingival crevicular blood (GCB) glucose and finger stick blood glucose measurements using a glucometer.

A total of 30 subjects with periodontitis and positive bleeding on probing were considered. Subjects were instructed to report to the department after overnight fasting. Gingival crevicular blood samples were collected from anterior region showing bleeding on probing followed by finger stick blood sample collection. Then, the patients were instructed to take 75 gm of glucose and after 2 hours blood samples from two sites were collected similarly. Results were analyzed using unpaired t test and Pearson's correlation.

Mean glucose levels form GCB and finger stick blood did not differ either during fasting or postprandial (p > 0.05). Significant correlation was found between GCB glucose levels and capillary finger stick blood (CFB) glucose levels during fasting(r = 0.946, p < 0.001) and postprandial (r = 0.930, p < 0.001) blood estimation.

Periodontal probing can be considered as an alternate noninvasive method of blood glucose estimation for screening of diabetes mellitus (DM). The technique described is safe, easy to perform, and helps to increase the frequency of diabetes screening in dental office.

The GCB from probing can be a good source of blood for estimating blood glucose levels and screening for diabetes using portable glucose monitors. Also, it will be a simple and relatively inexpensive in office screening procedure for any patient suspected to have diabetes.

Shylaja MD, Punde PA, Sam G, Khan SN, Latheef AA, Thorat AJ. Noninvasive Technique for Estimating Blood Glucose Levels among diabetic Patients. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):248-252.

It has been since a long time that the use of basemetal alloys has significantly increased in the area of prosthetic science. One of the factors contributing for the increasing use of base-metal alloys is the increasing and high cost factor of noble metals. Although numerous materials have been tried since the recent past, Cobalt-Chromium (CoCr) alloys still form the most commonly used ones because of the numerous advantages they offer. Titanium alloys are also significantly being used in this field because of their high resistance strength and high corrosion resistance. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the flexure strength and fatigue resistance of clasps made up of CoCr alloys and Nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys.

We evaluated the retentive forces of CoCr and NiTi clasps two different sizes engaging retentive undercuts of different depths (0.25 and 0.50 mm). Mandibluar second premolar was prepared to frame the prosthesis for missing mandibular first and second molar. A total of 50 clasps were included in the study out of which 30 were NiTi clasps and 30 CoCr clasps. We evaluated the loading of the force at the rate of half Newton(N)/second at the central part of the specimen until fracturing of the specimen occurred and finally measurement of the modulus of elasticity was also done. Statistical analysis was carried out; unpaired “t” test was used for evaluating the level of significance.

The mean load needed for CoCr clasps was 0.7450 and for NiTi clasp was 0.6140 Kgf for producing a deflection of 0.25 mm. As far as flexibility is concerned, more value was seen in NiTi group than CoCr group. For deflecting the clasp up to 0.50 mm, the mean load needed for CoCr clasps was 1.4102 and for NiTi clasp was 0.8260 Kgf. The results were statistically significant. While measuring the flexibility, more value (p < 0.05) was seen in NiTi group than in CoCr group. NiTi alloy clasps had mean flexural strength of 1640 MPa and modulus of elasticity of 32 GPa.

For producing deflection of 0.25 and 0.50 mm, the mean loading force was higher for NiTi alloys. Although being increasingly used these days, NiTi alloys have limited use as compared with CoCr alloys due to high cost of titanium and certain other limitations.

Kola MZ, Raghav D, Kumar P, Alqahtani F, Murayshed MS, Bhagat TV. In vitro Assessment of Clasps of Cobalt-Chromium and Nickel-titanium Alloys in Removable Prosthesis. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):253-257.

Various agents are used these days for increasing the esthetics. One such procedure is bleaching that offers various advantages, as it is minimal invasive and cheap option to color the teeth and remove stain. The altered enamel after the bleaching process shows surface demineralization and porosities. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different bleaching agents on the microhardness of enamel.

A total of 100 freshly human extracted maxillary premolar teeth were selected for the study. Teeth with sound tooth structure were included for the study. All the specimens were randomly divided into four groups with 25 specimens in each group depending upon the type of bleaching agent used: Group A, artificial saliva (Control group); Group B, 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP); Group C, 25% HP; Group D, 10% carbamide peroxide (CP). Knoop Hardness Number (KHN) was calculated at 24, 48-hour, and 7-week interval.

Results showed no statistical significant differences between the microhardness of enamel of different groups (p < 0.005). A slight fall in the value of KHN was seen in all the groups, except for the control group, although the results were statistically nonsignificant (p > 0.005).

Although nonsignificantly, all the bleaching solutions produced some amount of alterations in the microstructure of enamel. More studies with higher study groups and more advanced estimation technologies are required to minimize microstructure alterations and promote for better outcome of bleaching procedures.

Dey S, Pandey V, Kumar A, Awasthi N, Sahu A, Pujari SC. In vitro comparison of impact of different bleaching Agents on the microhardness of Enamel. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):258-262.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) refers to sharp, lancinating pain in the areas supplied by trigeminal nerve. Both pharmacological and surgical lines of treatments are available for the treatment of TN. Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) is one such surgical technique that is usually advocated for the treatment of TN occurring in elderly patients. Hence, we aim to evaluate the follow-up results of the TN patients treated by the PBC technique.

A total of 400 patients were selected for the study who had undergone surgical treatment of TN by percutaneous balloon decompression technique. All the postoperative follow-up records of the patients, clinical history, and complication records of the patients were studied and evaluated.

Of all the patients included in the study, 353 patients showed improvement clinically after PBC therapy. Out 400, 180 were males and 220 were females. Postoperative complications of the patients during their follow-up were also recorded and it was observed that the most common complication arising after treatment with this technique included facial numbness, masseter muscle weakness, paresthesia, diplopia, and corneal anesthesia.

One of the most common neuralgic pains affecting the face is the pain of TN. Although numerous lines of treatment options are available for its treatment, all these have one or the other drawbacks. From our results, we can conclude that PBC technique offers more advantages than other surgical modalities and, therefore, should be preferred over other techniques of treatment.

Yadav S, Sonone RM, Jaiswara C, Bansal S, Singh D, Rathi VC. Long-term Follow-up of Trigeminal Neuralgia Patients treated with Percutaneous Balloon Compression Technique: A Retrospective Analysis. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(3):263-266.