Ectopic sulcular pain: detection and treatment.

Patients who present with acute or chronic posterior dental pain but cannot identify the tooth from which the pain originates may suffer from a common but often unrecognized condition. The present article introduces a new term for this disorder, ectopic sulcular pain (ESP), derived from its unusual presentation, location, and defining symptom. It is tempting to call ESP an infection, but this has not been confirmed. In ESP, oral examination reveals no visual abnormalities, and there are no evident fractures, caries, periodontitis, attachment loss, traumatic occlusion, or periapical abscesses. This confusing symptomatology often leads to incorrect diagnosis and, consequently, treatment that fails to relieve the patient's pain. This article discusses ESP and reports 13 cases in which the condition was identified via intraligamental or topical application of an anesthetic agent to numb the gingiva. In 12 patients, ESP was successfully treated with meticulous oral hygiene, chlorhexidine rinses, and, in some cases, oral antibiotics.

Effects of pretreating preparations with sodium hypochlorite on bonding composite resin restorations.

This study sought to determine whether using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a pretreatment in bonding composite resins has a detrimental effect on bond strength. Previous studies have addressed pretreating dentin with NaOCl after etching; however, little research is available concerning pretreatment before etching. This study examines pretreating dentin with NaOCl prior to acid etching when fourth generation bonding systems are used. Thirty noncarious teeth were selected and sectioned horizontally at the occlusal third of the clinical crown. The teeth were divided into 3 groups (n = 10). Group 1 was the control group, with composite resin bonded to the dentin surface per manufacturer's instructions. Group 2 was pretreated with 6% NaOCl for 10 seconds; then, composite resin was bonded to the dentin as in Group 1. Group 3 was pretreated with 6% NaOCl for 20 seconds; then composite resin was bonded to the dentin as in Group 1. The specimens were stored in water for 24 hours, then thermocycled for 1000 cycles at temperatures of 5°C and 60°C. The specimens were shear tested until failure. According to the 1-way ANOVA testing (α = 0.05), using NaOCl as a pretreatment prior to etching with a specific fourth generation bonding agent does not affect bond strength.

Fabricating a custom earpiece for hand-held radios.

This article describes the fabrication of a custom earpiece for use with hand-held radios. The technique can be used to fabricate custom earpieces, as a public service, for law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, and others, improving safety and providing a valuable benefit to the community.