Preventive and restorative alternatives to caries by irradiation: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: This study is to conduct a comprehensive scoping review to map scientific evidence and clarify concepts regarding the commonly recommended preventive and restorative dental treatments for patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) and subjected to radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This systematic scoping review was performed under the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The study's experimental design was registered in the Open Science Framework. In vitro studies that evaluated preventive and restorative dental treatment over 50 Gy radiation doses were included. The search was conducted in November 2023 in five electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase) without language or date restriction. A search strategy was applied based on keywords, MeSh terms, or synonyms. A descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 49 studies, out of 3679 original articles identified, were included and reviewed. Of the included studies, three evaluated saliva stimulants and 35 evaluated fluoride-based preventive materials: gel (n = 18) toothpaste (n = 11) mouth rinse (n = 8) and varnish (n = 5) while 14 evaluated restorative materials: resin composite (n = 12) glass ionomer cement (n = 6) and amalgam (n = 1) Of those studies, 36 were clinical trials and 13 were in vitro studies. CONCLUSION: Fluoride gel was the most frequently recommended preventive material for preventing radiation caries with supportive clinical evidence. Resin composite and glass ionomer were the most frequently used restorative materials, respectively. However, there is not yet clinical evidence to support the use of resin composite in irradiated teeth.

Preheating of dental composite resins: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review was to analyze the available evidence on the preheating process and its effects on physicochemical properties of composite resins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search was performed in August 2021 using PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases and gray literature without language or date restriction. Inclusion criteria were in vitro studies that assessed the physicochemical properties and marginal adaptation of preheated composite. Exclusion criteria were studies with experimental composite, literature reviews, clinical studies. Data from selected studies were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 104 studies were found from which 39 were included. The most used composite resin was Filtek Z350 XT (3 M/ESPE), preheated at 68°C in a Calset device (AdDent Inc., Danbury, CT, USA) for 5 or 15 min. Most studies showed decreased viscosity, increased conversion degree and microhardness of composite resins, and better marginal adaptation of direct and indirect restorations. Also, flexural strength was not affected, and data about bond strength were inconclusive due to heterogeneity among studies. CONCLUSION: The parameters used for preheating composite resins are heterogeneous. Preheating decreased viscosity, increased the conversion degree and microhardness of composite resins, and improved the marginal adaptation of direct and indirect restorations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The analysis of evidence showed a high heterogeneity among preheating protocols. Preheating may benefit the handling and physicochemical properties of composite resins.

Mechanical properties of aged yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal after abrasion with different aluminum oxide particles.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: A consensus on the benefits of airborne-particle abrasion of zirconia with alumina particles of different sizes is still lacking. Larger particle size may improve micromechanical retention but may generate deep microcracks on the zirconia surface. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different size of Al2O3 particles used for surface abrasion on the mechanical properties of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty Y-TZP specimens were divided into 6 groups according to the treatment: control (without treatment) or airborne-particle abrasion with Al2O3 particles (45 µm or 150 µm). Half the specimens were stored for 24 hours in water while the other half was exposed to 1.5×106 mechanical cycles before flexural strength analysis at 1 mm/min crosshead speed. Specimens were also characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate the crystalline composition. The data were subjected to 2-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD test (α=.05). RESULTS: Airborne-particle abrasion with alumina (P=.030) and mechanical fatigue (P<.001) had a significant effect on flexural strength. Specimens abraded with 45-µm Al2O3 particles (847 ±204 MPa) presented higher flexural strength than those of the control group (670 ±210 MPa). The size of the alumina particles was not significant for flexural strength. Flexural resistance (664 MPa) significantly decreased after mechanical fatigue. All groups showed only the tetragonal phase on the micro-Raman spectra, which was confirmed by XRD. CONCLUSIONS: Airborne-particle abrasion with smaller Al2O3 particles increased the flexural strength on Y-TZP without causing phase transformation. However, flexural strength was decreased after mechanical fatigue.

Effect of light absence or attenuation on biaxial flexural strength of dual-polymerized resin cements after short- and long-term storage.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether biaxial flexural strength (BFS) of dual resin cements is affected by light absence or attenuation, storage time, or cements' chemical nature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty disk-shaped specimens were made from each cement (non-self-adhesive cement and self-adhesive cement) using Teflon molds on a controlled temperature surface (35°C). Specimens were polymerized as follows (N = 30): self-cured, directly light-cured, light-cured at a distance of 6 mm between the light tip and the specimen, and through a 6-mm thick composite resin barrier (indirectly light-cured). Each group was divided (N = 10) for storage purposes (15 minutes, 24 hours, and 6 months). Specimens were placed into a biaxial-flexure jig and a vertical load was applied until failure. The BFS values were subjected to generalized linear models statistical analysis and Weibull distributions (α = 0.05). RESULTS: After 15 minutes aging, neither material achieved enough polymerization to perform the BFS test when polymerized using the self-curing mode. The self-adhesive product demonstrated much lower variation in strength with storage time than did the non-self-curing cement. CONCLUSIONS: Attenuated/light-curing reduced BFS values only for 15-minutes storage period for both materials. Flexural strength of the self-adhesive cement was less affected by light absence/attenuation and storage time. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Biaxial flexural strength of a self-adhesive resin cement is less sensitive to variation in light application and storage time than is a non-self-adhesive cement.