Faculty Bibliography

Intensity output of curing lights affects cure depth and time needed for complete polymerization of resin composites. In this study, changes in intensity output of Max Curing Lights (L.D. Caulk Co., Milford, DE) were compared over time. With a Demetron Model 100 Curing Radiometer (Demetron Research Corp., Danbury, CT), 201 curing lights (from 1 to 3 years old) were tested. The 1- and 2-year-old lights had mean outputs of 423 mW/cm2; the 3-year-old lights had a mean output of 376 mW/cm2. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Scheffe test demonstrated a significant effect of use over time on intensity output of these lights

This study was undertaken after a joint symposium (in March 1993) of the operative section of the American Association for Dental Research and the cariology and diagnostic groups of the International Association for Dental Research called for investigation into new diagnostic modalities to determine and standardize criteria for reliable caries detection. As the incidence, prevalence, and progression rate of caries decline in Western countries, concern grows about the technical and clinical development involved in teaching dental students to diagnose the status and stage of carious lesions reliably. In this in vitro study, the disclosing agent Cari-D-Tech (Gresco Product Inc., Stafford, TX) was tested to validate its efficacy based on histologic specificity as its mode of detecting infected dentin. Extracted human teeth with clinical caries were sectioned into representative paired samples to create two groups. After dental excavation, with or without use of the disclosing agent, the teeth were coded to identify the method of removing caries. The coded samples were prepared to provide histologic specimens. Results showed that all infected dentin was removed, demonstrating the efficacy of this disclosing agent

The success of any anterior prosthodontic restoration depends on many factors. Considering those multiple influences during treatment planning can profoundly affect the long-term success of such cases. Comprehensive dental care involves evaluating all available restoration options for treating any given patient's condition. The dentist is obligated to present all of these options to the patient without bias. The following case reports provide a perspective from which decision-making occurs before treatment planning is accomplished

PURPOSE: To evaluate in vivo the feasibility of utilizing Amalgambond adhesive agent alone for the treatment of cervical sensitivity on teeth that did not require a restoration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen subjects were selected from a group of patients reporting sensitivity at the cervical region of anterior or posterior teeth. The degree of sensitivity was determined by tactile sense (scraping an explorer over the surface area) or 'fluid-shift' sensitivity determined by an air-blast from a syringe for 5 seconds. Patient reactions to stimuli were qualified as : (1) none; (2) slight; (3) moderate; and (4) severe. Only patients with at least two teeth experiencing moderate or severe sensitivity were used. Each of the patients had at least one sensitive tooth treated with Amalgambond and at least one untreated sensitive tooth to act as control. Results were recorded at 24 hours, 7 days, 1 and 6 months. RESULTS: At 6 months, 18 of 19 treated teeth recalled showed decreased sensitivity with 15 showing no sensitivity, and only one remained as sensitive as at baseline. All control teeth remained unchanged from original sensitivity ratings. The teeth with cervical sensitivity treated with Amalgambond adhesive alone had a high probability of decrease or complete loss of sensitivity immediately and the decrease was sustained for at least 6 months (P<0.001)