Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to examine the presence of noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs) among a convenience sample of non-toothbrushing subjects with Hansen's disease (leprosy). METHOD AND MATERIALS/METHODS:A cross-sectional sample of 102 non-toothbrushing subjects (20 to 77 years of age) was examined. The clinical parameter of interest for this study was the presence or absence of NCCLs and their probable etiology as it relates to the subjects' diet, occlusion, and use of medication. Subjects were examined clinically and interviewed according to study protocol. RESULTS:NCCLs were found in 48 subjects (47% of the studied sample). Widespread consumption of acidic foods and beverages acting as corrodents, signs of parafunction, and use of medication that causes xerostomia were also noted. Thus, all may be contributing factors in the etiology of NCCLs in this population. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:This preliminary report suggests that toothbrush/dentifrice abrasion was not a factor in the etiology of NCCLs in the population studied. The authors intend to expand their study among these non-toothbrushing

This pilot study evaluated the effect of removing acid-etch-exposed dentin collagen on the clinical performance of composite restorations of noncarious cervical lesions placed using 2 different adhesive systems. Fifty-six restorations were placed in 14 subjects, each subject receiving at least 4 restorations. No cavity preparation or mechanical retention form was used. The variables tested were: 1) dentin treatment prior to application of the adhesive (acid-etch only vs acid-etch and collagen removal) and 2) type of adhesive (acetone- vs ethanol-based). For the acid-etch only groups, enamel and dentin were etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 15 seconds, rinsed and blot dried. Prime & Bond 2.1 (Dentsply Caulk) or Single Bond (3M ESPE) was applied and light-cured according to the manufacturer's instructions. For the acid-etch and collagen removal groups, the enamel and dentin were etched and rinsed in the same manner and a 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution was applied for 60 seconds and rinsed before adhesive application. Filtek Z-250 (3M ESPE) was applied to all specimens and light-cured according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the restorations were finished and polished immediately. The restorations were evaluated for pre- and post-operative sensitivity, retention, marginal staining and secondary caries at baseline, 12 and 24 months after placement, using modified USPHS criteria. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon statistical tests (p=0.05). At 24 months, the retention rates for Prime & Bond 2.1 with and without NaOCl pretreatment were 80% and 63%, respectively. The corresponding retention rates for Single Bond were 70% and 90%. Marginal staining was minimal. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences at any time interval between groups for retention or marginal staining. No post-operative sensitivity or secondary caries was detected during the study.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different light-curing methods on microleakage, marginal adaptation, and microhardness of composite restorations. Slot-type preparations were made in bovine teeth, with gingival margins on dentin. Specimens were divided into 12 groups (n = 12) according to composite-light-curing unit (LCU) combinations. Three composites were used: Filtek Supreme, Herculite XRV, and Heliomolar. All restorations were placed using the same adhesive. Four LCUs were used: a quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) LCU (Optilux 501), a first-generation light-emitting diode (LED) LCU (FreeLight 1), and two second-generation LED LCUs (FreeLight 2 and Translux Power Blue). After finishing and polishing, specimens were subjected to mechanical load cycling (100,000 cycles). Gingival margin adaptation was determined as a function of gap formation using epoxy replicas. Microleakage was evaluated by measuring dye penetration across the gingival wall in cross-sectioned specimens. Microhardness was measured as Knoop Hardness number (KHN) at different occluso-gingival locations in cross-sectioned specimens. Data were analyzed for statistical significance (p = 0.05) using appropriate statistical tests. Marginal adaptation was affected by load-cycling in most specimens, but no significant differences were observed among composites and LCUs. Microleakage was not affected by LCU, except for Heliomolar specimens which when cured with Optilux 501 resulted in higher microleakage scores than those obtained with the other LCUs. For microhardness, Translux Power Blue generally produced the highest values and the FreeLight 1 produced the lowest. The performance of the second-generation LED LCUs generally was similar to that of the QTH control, and better than that of the first-generation LED unit.

BACKGROUND:This subject-blind randomized clinical trial tested the efficacy of a new 5 percent sodium fluoride varnish (AllSolutions Fluoride Varnish, Dentsply Professional, York, Pa.) for treatment of cervical dentin hypersensitivity. The authors also compared the test varnish with a control fluoride varnish (Duraphat, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, New York City). METHODS:The study involved application of the test or control varnish to 19 subjects (59 teeth) with tooth sensitivity. The authors applied each product once to each tooth, following manufacturers' instructions. They used a visual analog scale (VAS) to assess subjects' responses to compressed air and ice stimuli at six weeks before baseline, at baseline and at two, eight and 24 weeks after treatment. RESULTS:Mean VAS scores for teeth receiving the test varnish dropped from 34.9 (air) and 68.0 (ice) at baseline to 26.3 (air) and 54.7 (ice) at two weeks after treatment. Mean scores at 24 weeks were 20.6 (air) and 34.8 (ice), representing statistically significant differences from baseline values. For the control varnish, mean VAS scores dropped from 36.9 (air) and 64.2 (ice) at baseline to 32.9 (air) and 47.2 (ice) at two weeks, and to 20.8 (air) and 40.3 (ice) at 24 weeks. The authors analyzed the data for statistical significance, accounting for clustering of teeth within subjects. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS:The test varnish was effective in reducing cervical dentin hypersensitivity. However, the efficacy was not significantly different from that of the control varnish.