Joining the podcast revolution.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the latest generation of web-based tools such as podcasts. Podcasts are media files that can be distributed via the Internet and played on computers and handheld devices, including iPods or other digital audio players. The essence of podcasting is the creation of audio and/or video content for an audience that wants to listen to what they want, when they want, where they want, and how they want. With students now more mobile than ever, the idea of being able to access information without being linked to a certain physical location is very attractive. In the specific context of dental education, lectures and clinical procedures can be recorded by academic staff and distributed over the Internet to students as an audio or video podcast. The objective of this article is to review the most important concepts in podcasting, using simple and nontechnical terminology. In addition, this review aims to stimulate and encourage dental educators to employ this technology as a tool to enhance the learning experience of undergraduate and postgraduate dental students.

A clinical evaluation of a giomer restorative system containing surface prereacted glass ionomer filler: results from a 13-year recall examination.

BACKGROUND: The authors' objective was to evaluate the long-term performance of a resin-based composite restorative material (Beautifil, Shofu, Kyoto, Japan) in combination with a self-etching primer (FL-Bond, Shofu) for posterior restorations. METHODS: Two clinicians placed 61 restorations, 26 Class I and 35 Class II, in 31 patients. They placed restorations while using rubber dam isolation. Two other clinicians examined the restorations according to the modified U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria, observing color match, marginal adaptation, anatomy, surface roughness, marginal staining, interfacial staining, proximal and occlusal contacts, secondary caries, postoperative sensitivity and luster. Clinicians examined restorations at baseline as well as at one-, two-, four-, eight- and 13-year recall visits. RESULTS: All restorations were examined at one year, 58 (95 percent) at two years, 39 (64 percent) at four years and 41 (67 percent) at eight years; at the 13-year recall examination, 41 (67 percent) either were examined or had a known outcome. Of the 41 restorations seen at the 13-year examination, 25 restorations (14 Class I and 11 Class II) were intact and acceptable, two had secondary caries and 14 either were not present or had failed (two were missing, 10 had received crowns and two had been replaced). No changes were observed in the modified USPHS criteria for 12 of the 25 restorations that were intact (48 percent). Areas of change observed in 13 of the 25 intact restorations included color match (12 percent), marginal adaptation at the occlusal (20 percent) and proximal surfaces (4 percent), marginal staining on occlusal (24 percent) and proximal surfaces (8 percent), and interfacial staining on occlusal (4 percent) and proximal surfaces (12 percent). CONCLUSION: The study results showed that most of the restorations observed at the 13-year recall examination maintained acceptable clinical qualities. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Beautifil restorative material demonstrated long-term successful results for restoration of posterior teeth.