Dental and oral complications of lip and tongue piercings.

Piercing of the tongue and perioral regions is an increasingly popular expression of body art, with more patients coming in for a routine check-up with tongue and/or lip piercings. Several complications of oral piercing have been reported, some of which are life-threatening. In the present clinical survey the prevalence of both tongue and lip piercing complications in oral health was assessed in a group of 50 patients. The most common dental problem registered was chipping of the teeth, especially in association with tongue piercing. Gingival recession was seen as a result of lip piercing with studs. Post-procedural complications included oedema, haemorrhage and infection. Therefore, dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be given more authority to advise patients with oral and facial piercings or those who plan to acquire this type of body art.

[Lasers: principles, characteristics and tissue interactions]. / Lasers: principes, caractéristiques et interaction tissulaire.

Since their appearance in 1960, lasers have been considered useful light sources for medical applications. Laser light is monochromatic, the bundle is parallel and can be directed and focussed, as a result of which very high energy densities can be achieved. Several applications in dentistry have been investigated over the past decades. This article describes the physics behind lasers, the characteristics of the laser beam and overviews the laser wavelengths currently used in dentistry. The different interactions between the laser beam and the target are explained.

[Cavity preparation using an Er:YAG laser in the adult dentition]. / La préparation de cavités à l'aide du laser Er:YAG dans la denture adulte.

Many lasers (i.e., different wavelengths) are available today for clinical applications. Not all lasers are to be used for cavity preparation and removal of carious tissues. Erbiumlasers (Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG) are suitable for these purposes (the wavelengths coincide with the highest absorption peaks of water and hydroxyapatite). The advantages during cavity preparation and caries removal are smear layer free cavity walls, selective and localised removal of tooth substance, a restricted need or the absence of anaesthesia, and cavity walls with a higher acid resistance resulting in a better protection against secondary decay. Possible side effects of erbium lasers with water cooling and used with respect for correct power setting are minimal and can be compared with those of rotary instruments. Erbium laser tooth preparation is now one of the options in the minimal invasive approach. The needs for acid etching has been debated for long. At present it has become clear that acid etching is mandatory to obtain a good adhesion and retention with resin composites.

Comparison of microleakages of photo-cured composites using three different light sources: halogen lamp, LED and argon laser: an in vitro study.

In this study, we compared the microleakage of composite fillings cured with halogen bulb, LED and argon ion laser (488 nm). Twenty-four extracted human molars were divided randomly in three groups. Six cavities were prepared on the coronal part of each tooth. Standard cavities (1.7 x 2 mm) were prepared. Cavities were acid etched, sealed with Scotch Bond 1 and filled by a hybrid composite. Cavities were exposed to one light source, thermocycled and immersed in a 2% methylene blue dye solution. Dye penetration in the leakage of cavities was recorded using a digital optical microscope. Mean values of percentage of dye penetrations in microleakages of cavities were 49.303 +/- 5.178% for cavities cured with LED, 44.486 +/- 6.075% with halogen bulb and 36.647 +/- 5.936% for those cured by argon laser. Statistically significant difference exists between cavities cured by halogen vs LED (P < 0.01), halogen vs laser (P < 0.001) and LED vs laser (P < 0.001). The lowest microleakage was observed in the cavities and composites cured with argon ion laser.

Microleakage of class V resin composite restorations after conventional and Er:YAG laser preparation.

This in vitro study compared the microleakage of Class V resin composite restorations at bevelled enamel/composite and dentin/composite interfaces following Er:YAG laser (pre-treatment modalities: laser-etching and/or acid-etching) or conventional preparation and acid-etch, in association with two resin composite formulations and their three-step adhesive system. Class V cavities with conventional bevel produced on the lingual and buccal surfaces of eighty extracted caries- and restoration-free human teeth, were assigned to eight groups: cavities were or Er:YAG-lased and acid-etched (groups 1 and 5); or Er:YAG-lased, laser-etched and acid-etched (groups 2 and 6); or Er:YAG-lased and only laser-etched (groups 3 and 7); or cut by dental drill at high-speed and acid-etched (groups 4 and 8). The specimens were restored with Optibond FL+Herculite XRV (groups 1, 2, 3 and 4) or with Scotchbond MP+Z 100 (groups 5, 6, 7 and 8), stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 24 h, thermocycled 1500 times between 5 and 55 degrees C, placed in a 2% aqueous solution of methylene blue for 24 h at 37 degrees C, embedded in resin and sectioned. Microleakage was assessed according to the depth of dye penetration along the restoration. There were statistically significant differences between occlusal and cervical regions for all groups (P<0.01) except for groups 3 and 7. Pair-wise comparison of groups showed that acid-etch is advocated when using resin composite in Er:YAG-lased Class V cavities; the seal at enamel margins in Er:YAG-lased and laser-etched cavities depended on the resin composite formulation and corresponding adhesive (P<0.05).

Periapical health related to the quality of root canal treatment in a Belgian population.

AIM: The aim of this study was to collect data on the prevalence and technical standard of root canal treatment as well as the prevalence of apical periodontitis in Belgium. METHODOLOGY: The panoramic radiographs of 206 Belgian adults attending the Dental School of the University Hospital of Gent were examined for endodontic treatment, periapical conditions and coronal restorations. RESULTS: Of the 4617 teeth examined, 6.8% were endodontically treated. Periapical radiolucencies were found in 6.6% of all teeth and in 40.4% of the endodontically treated teeth. More than half of the root-filled teeth (56.7%) were scored inadequate on the basis of a criterion evaluating the level of the root canal filling. CONCLUSION: The endodontic treatment need of this Belgian subpopulation was great and the technical standard of root canal treatment disappointing. The findings indicate that there is still a substantial need for postgraduate endodontic education in Belgium and a need for specialists in endodontology.