The evaluation of the effectiveness of conventional and pulsating toothbrushes on the oral health of healthy and mentally disabled pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: Children, especially the mentally disabled, are generally incapable of obtaining adequate oral hygiene levels by manual brushing due to their lack of knowledge about oral hygiene and their limited motor skills. In order to handle those limited skills, different designs of manual and electric toothbrushes are developed and put on markets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pulsating toothbrushes with easy-to-use properties, against conventional toothbrushes and to analyze their benefits on mentally disabled pediatric patients. METHODS: Thirty-one healthy and 31 mentally disabled children (aged between 7 and 12) participated in this study. The effectiveness of three different toothbrushes (Oral-B Pulsar, Colgate 360° Micro Sonic Power, Oral-B Stages 3) was investigated with a cross-over study design. DMFT, dft, modified sulcus bleeding index (MOD-SBI), approximal plaque index (API) and Green and Vermillion simplified oral hygiene index (G&V OHI-S) measurements are performed to evaluate the oral hygiene status. RESULTS: In the mentally disabled group the manual toothbrush for MOD-SBI, and Colgate 360° Micro Sonic Power for API showed the best results respectively. CONCLUSION: The ability of tooth brushing was improved both in healthy and in disabled children during this 5 months study. Unfortunately, it was not obvious in disabled children. Persevering training for tooth brushing might be the most important regardless of the kind of toothbrush.

Success rates of mineral trioxide aggregate, ferric sulfate, and formocresol pulpotomies: a 24-month study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the total success rates of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), ferric sulfate (FS), and formocresol (FC) as pulpotomy agents in primary molars. METHODS: A randomized, split-mouth study design was used in 32 healthy 5- to 7-year-old children with 128 carious primary molars without clinical or radiographic evidence of pulp degeneration. The pulpotomy agents were assigned as follows: Group 1=MTA; Group 2=FS; Group 3=1:5 diluted Buckley's FC; and Group 4=zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) base. Clinical and radiographic follow-up at 6, 12, and 24 months used the following criteria: pain; swelling; sinus tract; mobility; internal root resorption; and furcation and/or periapical bone destruction. The data were analyzed using chi-square. RESULTS: No significant differences in success rates were found among the groups at 6 and 12 months. Success rates in groups 1 to 4 at 24 months were 96%, 88%, 88%, and 68% respectively. There was a significant difference (P<.001) between the MTA and ZOE groups at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: ZOE, as the only pulpotomy medicament, had a significantly lower success rate than MTA. No significant differences were observed, among the 3 experimental materials (MTA, FC, and FS) at 2 years follow-up.

Cytotoxic effects of calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate on 3T3 fibroblast cell line in vitro.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the cytotoxic effects of MTA and Ca(OH)2 on 3T3 fibroblasts at different time intervals. METHODS: Confluent cells were cultured with Ca(OH)2 and MTA in six-well plates. Wells with only fibroblasts served as controls. Cell number and viability were determined after 24 and 48 hours and 7 days of incubation. For cell viability, trypane blue exclusion assay was used. A Leitz inverted microscope was used to observe the morphological behavior of cells. The proliferation of cells was evaluated by BrdU assay. The results were analyzed with Dunn's multiple comparison, Friedman, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: No difference was seen in morphology of cells for either test material. Cells treated with MTA and Ca(OH)2 were reduced in number after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found in number of viable cells between test groups at 48 hours of incubation. The results of BrdU assay revealed low percentages of capable cells incorporating BrdU. CONCLUSIONS: The cytotoxic effects of the test materials-MTA and Ca(OH)2-on 3T3 cell line were evaluated as cytostatic for 24 and 48 hours, respectively. But this effect was reversible because the incubated cells showed normal cell proliferation at 48 hours and 7 days, respectively; MTA showed a significantly shorter cytotoxic effect on the cells.

Effect of pre- and postoperative bleaching on marginal leakage of amalgam and composite restorations.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre- and postoperative bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide on marginal leakage of amalgam and resin composite restorations. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Three groups were made using 30 extracted, caries-free third molars (n = 10). In the preoperative group, bleaching was performed with 10% carbamide peroxide, followed by the placement of resin composite and amalgam restorations on Class V cavity preparations. In the postoperative group, bleaching was performed after the resin composite and amalgam restorations were fabricated. The third group served as a control in which no bleaching was performed. Dye penetration was used for evaluation of marginal leakage. RESULTS: Chi-square test showed that marginal leakage of resin composite restorations increased in both pre- and postoperatively bleached groups, but marginal leakage of amalgam restorations showed no alterations. CONCLUSION: Bleaching with carbamide peroxide may alter the marginal leakage of resin composite restorations, but amalgam restorations are not affected adversely in vitro.