Catalase activity in healthy and inflamed pulp tissues of permanent teeth in young people.

AIM: To evaluate catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) activity in healthy and inflamed dental pulp of young patient's teeth and to investigate if an active defense system oxidizing agents is present as a response to bacterial invasion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty young patients between 15 and 25 ages, who were diagnosed to be healthy, were the source of the pulp tissue. The situation of the dental pulps was evaluated using clinical and radiographic assessments. The patients were divided two groups from healthy, and inflamed pulp tissues were obtained; each participant provided one pulp tissue specimens. The specimens were collected during endodontic treatment or by longitudinally grooving and splitting the teeth (if extracted). Catalase activity was determined through spectrophotometric methods and an independent sample t-test assessed the significance of differences between the groups. RESULTS: There was statistically a difference between healthy pulp tissue and inflamed pulp tissue (P < 0.005, independent sample t-test). The catalase activity of healthy group was significantly lower than inflamed pulp groups. CONCLUSION: The present study has shown that a significant increase in catalase activity is determined in inflamed dental pulps, which is due to pulpitis in comparison to healthy dental pulp.

Weight of apically extruded debris following use of two canal instrumentation techniques and two designs of irrigation needles.

AIM: To compare the weight of apically extruded debris associated with canal shaping using K-files, and the Revo-S system using two different needle tips, open-ended and side-vented. METHODOLOGY: Forty freshly extracted mandibular premolar teeth were divided into four groups as follows; Group 1a: Hand instrumentation of root canal with open-ended needle used to provide irrigation, Group 1b: Hand instrumentation with a two side-port needle, Group 2a: Revo-S preparation with open-ended needle, Group 2b: Revo-S preparation with a two side-port needle. One Eppendorf tube for each tooth was weighed with a 0.0001 electronic weighing machine before instrumentation procedures. During instrumentation, irrigation was performed after every instrument with 1 mL distilled water. On completion of the preparation, teeth were removed from the Eppendorf tubes. All of the tubes were incubated at 37 °C for 15 days, to evaporate the irrigant. After the incubation period, tubes were weighed again. The difference between pre-and post-debris weights was calculated, and statistical evaluation was performed using analysis of variance at 0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed between K-files and the RevoS system. A significant difference was observed between needles (P < 0.05). Open-ended needles were associated with significantly more debris than side-vented needles (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both hand and rotary canal instrumentation resulted in extrusion of debris beyond the apical foramen. No significant difference was observed between K-files and Revo-S system. Open-ended needles were associated with significantly more extruded debris than two side-port needles.