Faculty Bibliography

This clinical study evaluated a Class V flowable composite resin restoration system and its ability to reduce dentin sensitivity. Twenty-one patients required Class V restorations because of erosion, abrasion, or decay at the cervical area. Each patient exhibited moderate or severe sensitivity and required replacement of tooth structure. The degree of sensitivity was determined by either tactile scraping of the tip of an explorer over the surface of the tooth or by an air blast from a syringe for 5 seconds. A total of 52 restorations were performed. According to phone conversations and questionnaires, 1 patient experienced continued sensitivity on 1 treated tooth for a duration of 1 week, but this sensitivity was gone at 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year recalls. None of the other patients exhibited sensitivity at any phone checks or during recall visits

This study compared the marginal microleakage of Class V cavities restored with Dyract-AP and F2000. Forty Class V cavity preparations were performed on extracted human teeth. As a negative control, twenty teeth were used without Class V preparations. The apical foramina of the teeth were sealed with a layer of varnish and amalgam restorations. Class V cavity preparations with occlusal margins in enamel, and gingival margins in cementum or dentin that measured approximately three millimeters in width (gingival-occlusal) and length (mesial-distal), were prepared on the buccal surface of the teeth. Samples were divided randomly into 2 groups of 15, and restored per manufacturer's instructions using experimental primer/conditioner (PCC, D/C) and Single Bond Adhesive (3M). All restorations were polished with an abrasive finishing kit. After storage in 37 degrees C water for 24 hours, all specimens were thermocycled between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C for 500 cycles with a 30-second dwell time, followed by immersion in 0.2% basic fucsine for 24 hours. Teeth were then embedded in cold cure acrylic resin, sectioned longitudinally, and the dye penetration at the enamel and cementum margins were scored at 30x magnification. Evaluations were rated from 0 to 3 (0 = no leakage; 1 = dye penetration up to one-half of the preparation depth; 2 = dye penetration more than one-half preparation depth, but less than the axial wall; 3 = dye penetration along the axial wall). Both F-2000 and Dyract-AP indicated no leakage in the enamel margins. Dyract-AP showed no leakage at either the enamel or dentin margins. Fisher's Exact Test revealed that this difference in dentin margins was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Under the given conditions, Dyract-AP and F-2000 demonstrated resistance to microleakage in enamel, and showed Dyract-AP to be more resistant to microleakage in dentin than F-2000

Although needle-administered local anesthesia has been an essential tool of modern dentistry, it has also been responsible for many patients' fears of dental visits. Several new techniques have recently evolved that may offer viable alternatives. Two of these operate via electronic mechanisms that interfere with pain signals, two others involve transmucosal modes of administration, and a fifth technique involves an intraosseous pathway for anesthesia administration. Each of these techniques has different indications for dental procedures, but none is intended to replace needle administration in dentistry. This overview highlights the salient features of these alternative dental anesthesia techniques