Sodium fluoride and chlorhexidine effect in the inhibition of mutans streptococci in children with dental caries: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the effect of sodium fluoride and chlorhexidine on salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS), in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Thirty-five healthy volunteers, aged 4-8 years, with at least one active carious lesion and no previous history of allergies were selected to participate in the study. A gel formulation containing either 1.23% sodium fluoride or 1% chlorhexidine was topically administered to the dentition every 24 h for 6 consecutive days. Salivary MS levels were measured at baseline (D1) and on the 6th (D6), 15th (D15), and 30th (D30) days. For microbiological analysis, Mitis Salivarius-Bacitracin agar medium was used. RESULTS: Difference between treatments was only verified on D6. On the last day of treatment 1% chlorhexidine gel was significantly more effective than fluoride (P = 0.0000). The use of sodium fluoride did not cause a statistically significant variation in salivary MS levels throughout the duration of the study. Following treatment, a subsequent increase in MS counts between D6 and D15 (P = 0.0001) was observed with chlorhexidine. CONCLUSION: A 6-day treatment with a 1% chlorhexidine gel was effective in reducing salivary MS; there was a significant MS increase once treatment was suspended. The use of 1.23% sodium fluoride under the same regimen was not able to reduce salivary MS levels. Our results suggest repeated treatment with 1% chlorhexidine as a means for maintaining low salivary MS levels in children with dental caries.

Effect of pre-emptive analgesia on clinical parameters and tissue levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in third molar surgery: a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

This study aimed to evaluate whether pre-emptive analgesia modifies the tissue expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), and whether there is an association with postoperative surgical outcomes. A triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of patients undergoing mandibular third molar removal was performed. Volunteers were allocated randomly to receive etoricoxib 120 mg, ibuprofen 400 mg, or placebo 1h before surgery. Twenty-four surgical sites per group were required (95% confidence level and 80% statistical power). Pain scores differed significantly between groups (P<0.001). Etoricoxib and ibuprofen reduced pain scores compared to placebo (P<0.05). Pain scores peaked at 4h postoperative in the experimental groups, but at 2h postoperative in the placebo group (P<0.05). A significant reduction in TNF-α concentration from time 0' to time 30' was seen for ibuprofen (P=0.001) and etoricoxib (P=0.016). The ibuprofen group showed a significant reduction in IL-1ß levels from time 0' to time 30' (P=0.038). In conclusion, TNF-α and IL-1ß levels and the inflammatory events in third molar surgery were inversely associated with the degree of cyclooxygenase 2 selectivity of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used pre-emptively. Patients given pre-emptive analgesia showed significant reductions in the clinical parameters pain, trismus, and oedema when compared to the placebo group.

Biological restorations as an alternative to reconstructing posterior teeth: a case report.

This article reports on a three-year follow-up of two biological restorations performed on a 15-year-old female patient. After clinical evaluation, tooth fragments from extracted permanent molars were obtained from a Human Teeth Bank and were autoclaved, adjusted to the prepared cavity, and bonded to the remaining tooth structure with dual resin cement. The technical aspects are described and the benefits and disadvantages of biological restorations as an alternative treatment for rehabilitation of severely destroyed permanent molars are discussed.

Enamel and dentin mineralization in familial hypophosphatemic rickets: a micro-CT study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to analyse the mineralization pattern of enamel and dentin in patients affected by X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) using micro-CT (µCT), and to associate enamel and dentin mineralization in primary and permanent teeth with tooth position, gender and the presence/absence of this disease. METHODS: 19 teeth were collected from 5 individuals from the same family, 1 non-affected by XLHR and 4 affected by XLHR. Gender, age, tooth position (anterior/posterior) and tooth type (deciduous/permanent) were recorded for each patient. Following collection, teeth were placed in 0.1% thymol solution until µCT scan. Projection images were reconstructed and analysed. A plot profile describing the greyscale distance relationship in µCT images was achieved through a line bisecting each tooth in a region with the presence of enamel and dentin. The enamel and dentin mineralization densities were measured and compared. Univariate ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests were used for all comparisons. RESULTS: Teeth of all affected patients presented dentin with a different mineralization pattern compared with the teeth of healthy patients with dentin defects observed next to the pulp chambers. Highly significant differences were found for gray values between anterior and posterior teeth (p < 0.05), affected and non-affected (p < 0.05), as well as when position and disease status were considered (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the mineralization patterns of dentin differed when comparing teeth from patients with and without FHR, mainly next to pulp chambers where areas with porosity and consequently lower mineral density and dentin defects were found.

A split-mouth, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study to analyze the pre-emptive effect of etoricoxib 120 mg on inflammatory events following removal of unerupted mandibular third molars.

Pain after third molar extraction has been considered the most suitable pharmaceutical model to evaluate acute pain. This study aimed to evaluate the pre-emptive analgesic/anti-inflammatory efficacy of etoricoxib 120 mg following mandibular third molar surgery. A split-mouth, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with patients undergoing the surgical removal of mandibular third molars. All volunteers were allocated randomly to receive either etoricoxib 120 mg or placebo 1h preoperatively, and inflammatory events were evaluated. An estimated sample of 18 surgical units per group was required based on a pilot study (95% confidence level and 80% statistical power). Rescue medication was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method through log-rank Mantel-Cox test and Pearson linear correlation (P<0.05). Pre-emptive etoricoxib reduced postoperative pain scores significantly in comparison to placebo (P<0.001), with a pain score peak at 6h after surgery (P<0.001). The mean rescue medication consumption was lower in the etoricoxib group compared to the placebo group over the study period (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups related to swelling and trismus. The pre-emptive administration of etoricoxib 120 mg significantly reduced the postoperative pain intensity and the need for rescue medication, but did not reduce swelling or trismus.

Caries experience, mutans streptococci and total protein concentrations in children with protein-energy undernutrition.

BACKGROUND: The highest prevalence of protein-energy undernutrition is observed during early childhood, being also a time in which the presence of dental caries can be unusually aggressive. The present study aimed to verify if different levels of undernutrition could influence the risk of early childhood caries (ECC), in the presence of other predisposing factors. METHODS: One hundred and twenty undernourished 12-70 month old children, with or without ECC, were selected. Undernourished children were classified as being mildly, moderately or severely undernourished. All children were examined for determination of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (dmfs). Total protein concentration in saliva was analysed by the Bradford method. For microbiological analysis, mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar medium was used. A binary logistic regression model was applied to test the simultaneous influence of different variables over caries experience. RESULTS: The risk of ECC was significantly higher with an increase in age (p = 0.000) and mutans streptococci counts (p = 0.032). Comparisons with the normal-weight group showed that mildly (p = 0.004) and severely undernourished children (p = 0.037) had a higher risk of experiencing ECC, but this risk was not significantly elevated among moderately undernourished children (p = 0.158). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that mildly and severely undernourished children have an increased risk of experiencing dental caries. Age is highly associated with the disease in this population.