How visible light curing came into dentistry.

The present paper details the history of the introduction of visible light curing into dentistry. This history provides an excellent example of 'out of the box', lateral thinking translation of innovative scientific technology into dentistry. Visible light curing is an important UK contribution to the recent history and current practice of dentistry, with several million visible light curing procedures being carried out globally on a daily basis.

Historical Perspectives IV: Creative Management of Fractured Teeth.

Various contemporary efforts have been advocated to strengthen root-treated teeth to prevent fracture; or to manage teeth that exhibit fractures. These efforts have favored the use of newer, adhesive materials, incorporating horizontally transfixed fiberglass posts to stabilize the fractured segments. Results have been encouraging, as teeth tested have exhibited fracture resistance similar to that found with onlays. However, this concept is not new and in spite of not having the advantages of adhesive dental materials, including the fiberglass posts, efforts that were made close to 100 years ago to stabilize and retain fractured teeth were reasonably successful.

[Study of remains and dental wastes of a First World War German rest camp]. / Etude des restes et déchets dentaires d'un camp de repos allemand de la première guerre mondiale.

INTRODUCTION: This article presents the analysis of dental remains and waste from the dental office of a German rest camp of the First World War in order to study the living conditions of the soldiers, the care policy and the prosthetic rehabilitation techniques used in this context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included both dental and prosthetic remains, revealed during the excavation. The criteria to determine dental and periodontal health were the presence or absence of caries, wear, tartar and periodontal lesion. Location, severity and frequency of each of these parameters were examined. Regarding the prosthetic remains, the type of prosthesis and the materials used were determined. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty seven (327) dental remains were analyzed. A high prevalence of large caries, especially in the molar areas, was highlighted. The incisal areas had however more wear and tartar. 183 casts of plaster dental arcade allowed to highlight a significant proportion of posterior edentulous. Prosthetic remains and laboratory waste revealed the use of vulcanite and porcelain for making dentures.

Longing for modern composite materials in the late 1800s.

Restoring teeth in the late 1800s required ingenuity and creativity, as the materials available were a far cry from is presently used. Likewise, restorative preparation designs had not yet been promulgated by GV Black. Concerns about both restorations that contracted due to the nature of the filling material and retention of sound tooth structure in favor of cutting away dentin and enamel in order to place "metal caps" were held by many dentists. While some dental professionals had a vision for the ideal restorative materials, they made do with what they had in an attempt to provide quality dentistry.

19th century denture base materials revisited.

Dentistry in the 19th century witnessed the development of a variety of denture base materials, the aim being to find a suitable substitute for the expensive and technique-sensitive noble metal denture bases. The century was marked by the introduction of natural and plastic materials for use as denture bases. Naturally-occurring materials, especially vulcanite, enjoyed great popularity for over 100 years. This article makes an attempt to summarize the historical 19th-century denture base materials.

[Commemoration. In honour of György Huszár (1911-2002) and Béla Berényi (1911-2005) -- on the centenary of their births]. / Megemlékezés Huszár György (1911-2002) és Berényi Béla (1911-2005) születésének századik évfordulóján.

100 years ago two outstanding teachers of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Semmelweis University (Budapest) were born. Dr. Huszár was a prosthodontist, an expert on metal and other dental materials, as well as a geroprosthodontist and medical historian. Professor Berényi was internationally recognized as an expert on salivary gland surgery and also orthognatic surgery. Both of them published several textbooks and many hundreds of scientific papers in Hungarian and in foreign languages. They were internationally recognized scientists, members of several national and international societies, as well as editors of national and international dental journals.

Biomaterials and biocompatibility: An historical overview.

This review focuses on the characteristics and applications of biomaterials through the ages, ranging from the prehistoric times to the beginning of the era of modern medicine, which has been arbitrarily set to the middle of the 19th century, when aseptic procedures, antiseptic substances and modern anesthetics were developed. After a brief discussion on the definition of "biomaterial" from an historical point of view and a short introduction on the general history of surgery and dentistry, each material or class of materials will be presented with references listed in chronological order and, where possible, with their real, scientifically demonstrated effects on biological tissues. Particular attention has been given to references that are nowadays considered spurious or affected by translation errors or other kinds of biases.

[Publications related to dental materials in all the volumes of the journal Fogorvosi Szemle]. / Az anyagtannal összefüggô közlemények a Fogorvosi Szemle eddig megjelent évfolyamaiban.

Among all the publications of the hundred-years-old Fogorvosi Szemle, there are only a few that deal with dental materials relative to other areas of dentistry. However, even this small number of articles reveals the change and advancement of dental materials and technologies.

Intraosseous anchorage of dental prostheses: an early 20th century contribution.

A thorough literature review of root form implants yielded a paucity of information regarding the true pioneers of this discipline. Numerous articles have been written on the history of endosseous implants, although little information is available describing the individuals to whom we attribute the major developments in implant dentistry. This article will present information regarding significant contributors to modern-day implant dentistry. Initially, articles and textbooks printed early in the 20th century were reviewed, and the relevance of implant-related information was ranked based on current concepts. This article highlights four major contributors in implant dentistry: E.J. Greenfield (1913), who developed many of the surgical techniques and principles used today; Alvin Edward Strock (1939), who introduced the first biocompatible material; Per-Ingvar Brånemark (1969), who proved the long-term success of titanium implants; and André Schroeder (1976), who introduced the roughened implant surface.

The science and application of IPS e.Max dental ceramic.

The aim of this paper is to report the state of current literature and recommendations for the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic IPS e.Max. The materials science, mechanical and optical properties were reviewed. Additionally an assessment was conducted of current implementation recommendations and clinical outcomes. This paper provides a brief historical overview, summary of the findings the findings of current literature, and clinical recommendation for the use of IPS e.Max CAD in dental applications.

A 100-year journey from GV Black to minimal surgical intervention.

Over the past 140 years, dentistry has matured from the original tenets of GV Black by moving from "extension for prevention" to a minimal intervention approach. This is part of an evolution that stresses a medical, rather than a surgical model for caries management. This transition has been facilitated by the introduction and advancement of adhesive dentistry, which encourages preservation of tooth structure. Even with these changes, some of the original writings of Black are still relevant today: "The day is surely coming...when we will be engaged in practicing preventive, rather than reparative, dentistry."

A Comparison of US and Japanese Dental Restorative Care Present on Service Members Recovered from the WWII Era.

The documentation of dental materials used in the USA during the WWII era is readily available, while references for the Japanese are minimal. It was therefore important to build a photographic database of Japanese restorative care which could be utilized as a comparison tool for the deployed odontologist. The dental restorative care of approximately 400 US and 100 Japanese sets of remains was evaluated. Both countries share many similar restorative techniques to include collared crowns, full-coverage restorations, cantilever bridge/pontics to close spaces; restorative materials such as amalgam, gold, and zinc phosphate (temporary) restorations; and removable prostheses. The dental restorative materials most commonly used by US dentists include the amalgam and silicate cement, while the full-coverage crown was the type of restoration most frequently seen on the Japanese remains. Silicates, porcelain and replaceable crowns, and partial-coverage prepared crowns were not observed on the recovered Japanese remains.

The evolution of the CEREC system.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: Early in 1980, the author anticipated the attraction of restoring posterior teeth with tooth-colored material. He conducted studies and developed the clinical concept of bonded ceramic inlays, at the same time raising the issue of the fast fabrication of the ceramic restorations. The author developed plans for in-office computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) fabrication of ceramic restorations specifically to enable the dentist to complete one or multiple ceramic restorations chairside, in a single appointment. The initial concept comprised a small mobile CAD/CAM unit integrating a computer, keyboard, trackball, foot pedal and optoelectronic mouth camera as input devices, a monitor and a machining compartment. CEREC 3 (Sirona Dental Systems GmbH, Bensheim, Germany) divided the system into an acquisition/design unit and a separate machining unit. Three-dimensional software makes the handling illustrative and easy both in the office and in the laboratory. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the CEREC CAD/CAM concept is becoming a significant part of dentistry. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Sound knowledge of adhesive bonding and diligent planning are essential for the successful integration of CAD/CAM into clinical dental offices.

Dental witness seminars: dentistry in the UK since 1948.

Witness seminars attempt to get behind the scenes of advances and developments to find out what really happened at certain times; they are not intended to provide a detailed history of events. This paper presents highlights from the five John McLean Archive witness seminars, providing an instructional collection of memories and insights into the world of dentistry in the UK since the late 1940s. It is concluded that future change will be seen as a welcome constant to be used for the benefit of the profession and the patients and communities it serves.

What is a stent and where can you get one.

The development of the word stent as we use it today refers to a material to hold tissues in position or to make tissues patent. Dr. Charles Thomas Stent, a 19th century London dentist, created a compound for dental impressions that was used to hold skin grafts in place by later plastic surgeons, presaging its present usage.

Michael Buonocore and the Eastman Dental Center: a historic perspective on sealants.

Dr. Michael Buonocore is known for his innovative research on the preparation of the enamel surface with a weak acid to enhance adhesion of an organic plastic chemical sealant and the polymerization in situ of a sealant with ultraviolet light. His co-workers at Eastman Dental Center aided and extended his research findings. The purpose of his original research was the development of a sealant to prevent occlusal caries on posterior teeth. However, the major impact of his work has been the development of adhesive restorative techniques. Although it has been demonstrated that (i) bacteria tend to die out and caries does not progress if early caries lesions are inadvertently sealed, (ii) sealant retention rates are favorable, and (iii) sealants are cost-effective, the use of sealants by the profession is still far short of early expectations.