Comparison of antibacterial activity of alexidine alone or as a final irrigant with sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine.

AIMS: To compare the antibacterial activity of alexidine (ALX) alone or as a final irrigant in combination with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), with the most common canal irrigants, NaOCl and chlorhexidine (CHX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-four root fragments from extracted human teeth were infected with Enterococcus faecalis for 24 h and then distributed into 4 groups of 20 fragments each. The NaOCl, CHX and ALX groups were immersed in 1 ml of 2.5% NaOCl, 2% CHX, and 1% ALX for 10 min, respectively. The samples of the NaOCl+ALX group were immersed in 1 ml of 2.5% NaOCl for 10 min followed by 1% ALX for 10 min. Bacteriological samples were taken, cultured, and the colony-forming units were counted. RESULTS: There was no significant differences among the experimental groups (P>0.05) except for the comparisons CHX versus ALX and NaOCl+ALX versus ALX (P=0.004). ALX alone was the worst irrigant. CHX and NaOCl+ALX eradicated all bacteria. All experimental groups were significantly more effective than the control group immersed in saline (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The antibacterial effect of ALX alone was inferior to 2% CHX and 2.5% NaOCl. However, the combination of NaOCl with ALX as a final irrigant eradicated the biofilms.

Age of sexual initiation and depression in adolescents: Data from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that sexual initiation at earlier ages increases the risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, little is known about its association with major depressive episode (MDE). METHODS: The association between age of sexual initiation and MDE at 18 years was assessed in the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort using multiple logistic regression. Sexual initiation characteristics (age and type of partner) were assessed at the 15- and 18-years follow-up. The age of sexual initiation was evaluated in categories (11-14, 15-16, 17+ years). The type of partner was categorized into: boyfriend/ girlfriend, casual partner and other. MDE was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). RESULTS: From the 4027 adolescents assessed, the prevalence of MDE was higher in females (10.1%) than in males (3.4%), and 66.7% of the males and 58.6% of the females reported sexual initiation up to 16 years (p < 0.001). Female adolescents who had sexual initiation <17 years had higher odds of MDE (15-16 years: OR 2.29; 11-14 years: OR 2.23), however no association was found for males. The type of partner in the first sexual intercourse was not associated to depression. LIMITATIONS: Possibility of recall bias on the age of sexual initiation, and low statistical power for some analyses. CONCLUSIONS: A positive association between age of sexual initiation and MDE was observed only in females. More investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms through which age of sexual initiation can affect the risk of depression and whether the association persists in adulthood.

Ex vivo accuracy of Root ZX II, Root ZX Mini and RomiApex A-15 apex locators in extracted vital pulp teeth.

The objective of this study was to compare, ex vivo, the accuracy of three electronic apex locators (EALs), Root ZX II, Root ZX Mini and RomiApex A-15, in detecting the apical foramen (AF). Forty extracted single-Rooted human teeth with vital pulp were used in this study. After access preparation, the Root canal length of each tooth was measured by placing a #10 file until the tip was visible at the AF under a stereomicroscope. The teeth were subsequently embedded in an alginate model. In each Root canal, all three EALs were used to determine the working length, which was defined as the zero reading or equivalent. The distance between the file tip and AF was measured to an accuracy of 0.01 mm. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance and the Chi-squared test. Root ZX II, Root ZX Mini and RomiApex A-15 were accurate within 0.5 mm, 62.5, 56.2, 50% of the time. No significant differences were found between the three EALs (p > 0.05). Considering all EALs, the mean distance from the file tip to AF was 4.49 mm. The accuracy of the three EALs evaluated in this study was not statistically significantly different. The 'Apex' or '0.0' marks of the EALs do not indicate the AF itself, but just a position coronal 0.49 mm to the AF. Using a tolerance of ± 0.5 mm from the actual lengths, the ZX II yielded the most acceptable measurements.