Faculty Bibliography

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In response to the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) mandate of a competency in the "replacement of teeth including fixed, removable and implant" prostheses, a predoctoral implant curriculum was implemented at New York University College of Dentistry. The assessment of the success or failure of a program should include an assessment of patient satisfaction with the treatment received in the predoctoral clinics. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure patient satisfaction with the mandibular 2-implant-retained overdenture therapy received in the predoctoral program at New York University College of Dentistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A telephone survey of patients who received an implant-retained overdenture in the predoctoral clinics at New York University, College of Dentistry (n=101) was conducted. Two of the authors contacted patients for participation in the survey and, using a prepared script, asked about their satisfaction with items such as function, comfort, and esthetics in addition to their overall satisfaction with the treatment they received. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The study revealed that 79% of participants were satisfied with their masticatory ability, 84% were satisfied with the comfort of the prosthesis, and 89% were satisfied with the esthetics of their new prosthesis. Additionally, 85% of participants reported satisfaction with the overall treatment experience, and 90% would recommend that a friend receive the same treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the incorporation of treatment with an implant-retained mandibular overdenture as part of the routine care provided in the predoctoral education program to meet the mandates of CODA.

Treatment with fixed and removable partial dentures has been the traditional method of addressing the replacement of teeth competencies in dental education. However, by 2013 the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards will mandate a competency in "replacement of teeth including fixed, removable, and dental implants." In 2005, New York University College of Dentistry implemented a comprehensive implant program for predoctoral dental students. One of the outcome assessments of this program was to determine the level of patient satisfaction. Therefore, a patient satisfaction survey (n=103) assessed the use of implant treatment for the restoration of partially edentulous patients, measuring such dimensions of satisfaction as function, comfort, and esthetics. The results revealed that 96 percent of the patients surveyed were satisfied with their ability to chew, 91 percent were satisfied with the comfort of their restoration, and 86 percent were satisfied with the appearance of their restoration. Additionally, 90 percent of the surveyed patients who received implant-retained crowns as part of their routine care were satisfied with the overall treatment experience, and 97 percent of them would recommend this treatment to a friend. The survey results validate implant-supported crown treatment in predoctoral education. Although implant-supported restorations are a valid treatment option that must be presented to patients during treatment planning, creating a clinical competency in implant therapy requires greater consideration. Therefore, the benefits and challenges of such a clinical competency are discussed.

Microbiological factors in whole saliva, previously implicated in dental caries formation, were studied in four caries-positive adult ethnic groups: Asians, blacks, whites, and Hispanics. Whole saliva was collected from each patient and used for the enumeration of total cultivable microflora (T), streptococci, mutans streptococci (MS), and lactobacilli. In the female subgroup, statistically significant differences were found among the ethnic groups with regard to T in saliva. In the male subgroup, statistically significant differences were found among the ethnic groups with regard to MS in saliva. Statistically significant differences were also found among the ethnic groups in relation to caries score (DMFS), with the Hispanic group having the highest mean DMFS score; and among socioeconomic groups with regard to MS in saliva. Moreover, microbial composition (T and MS) of whole saliva and DMFS scores differed significantly (P < 0.05) among the ethnic groups studied.

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

This study compared three mechanical properties of two recently introduced core materials, a light-activated glass ionomer cement (VariGlass VLC) and a fluoride-release dual cure composite resin (FluoroCore), with those of a conventional silver-reinforced glass-ionomer cement (Miracle Mix). Seventy-two samples (eight per product for each property) were prepared for testing diametral tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength. The specimens were cured, stored for 24 hours at 37 degrees C in 100% humidity, and tested with the use of an Instron universal testing machine. The results of this study indicate that the diametral tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength of the FluoroCore and VariGlass VLC materials were significantly higher than those of the conventional Miracle Mix. The values obtained with FluoroCore material were consistently higher than those obtained with VariGlass VLC material