Antibiotic content of selective culture media for isolation of Capnocytophaga species from oral polymicrobial samples.

UNLABELLED: In oral microbiome, because of the abundance of commensal competitive flora, selective media with antibiotics are necessary for the recovery of fastidious Capnocytophaga species. The performances of six culture media (blood agar, chocolate blood agar, VCAT medium, CAPE medium, bacitracin chocolate blood agar and VK medium) were compared with literature data concerning five other media (FAA, LB, TSBV, CapR and TBBP media). To understand variable growth on selective media, the MICs of each antimicrobial agent contained in this different media (colistin, kanamycin, trimethoprim, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, aztreonam and bacitracin) were determined for all Capnocytophaga species. Overall, VCAT medium (Columbia, 10% cooked horse blood, polyvitaminic supplement, 3·75 mg l(-1) of colistin, 1·5 mg l(-1) of trimethoprim, 1 mg l(-1) of vancomycin and 0·5 mg l(-1) of amphotericin B, Oxoid, France) was the more efficient selective medium, with regard to the detection of Capnocytophaga species from oral samples (P < 0·001) and the elimination of commensal clinical species (P < 0·001). The demonstrated superiority of VCAT medium, related to its antibiotic content, made its use indispensable for the optimal isolation of Capnocytophaga species from polymicrobial samples. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Isolation of Capnocytophaga species is important for the proper diagnosis and treatment of the systemic infections they cause and for epidemiological studies of periodontal flora. We showed that in pure culture, a simple blood agar allowed the growth of all Capnocytophaga species. Nonetheless, in oral samples, because of the abundance of commensal competitive flora, selective media with antibiotics are necessary for the recovery of Capnocytophaga species. The demonstrated superiority of VCAT medium made its use essential for the optimal detection of this bacterial genus. This work showed that extreme caution should be exercised when reporting the isolation of Capnocytophaga species from oral polymicrobial samples, because the culture medium is a determining factor.

In-house tooth-supported guide for the injection of botulinum toxin into the lateral pterygoid muscle using Blue Sky Plan software: A technical note.

Hyperactivity of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) is one of the theories postulated to explain anterior disc displacement, which can result in difficulty in jaw opening, jaw protrusion, or jaw-deviation dystonias and interferes with mastication, speech, and swallowing. Injection of botulinum toxin of the LPM is considered a conservative therapeutic modality for this condition. The LPM is a deep facial structure and several techniques have been described that use magnetic resonance imaging, arthroscopic, or electromyographic guidance to perform intramuscular botulinum toxin injection safely this to prevent incorrect injection or complications, such arterial bleeding. This study provided a described step-by-step description of the computer-aided design and manufacturing procedure for the fabrication of an in-house guide to simplify the method of botulinum toxin injection in the LPM and ensure accuracy and safety in medical office.

Restoration of a fractured incisor with exposed pulp using original tooth fragment: report of case.

The incisal edge of a maxillary anterior tooth in an 11-year-old boy was fractured resulting in a pulpal exposure. Root development of the tooth was complete. The tooth was treated using a partial pulpotomy and the fractured piece was reattached using an acid-etch composite. A radiograph taken 35 months postoperatively showed a dentinal bridge and healthy periapical tissues.

Pulp testers and pulp testing with particular reference to the use of dry ice.

Pulp testing is mandatory before any operative procedures, invaluable in the diagnosis of pain and is an essential adjunct in the interpretation of radiolucent areas. Methods of pulp testing are reviewed and the use of dry ice for this purpose is discussed in detail. Limitations of pulp testing are considered. Vitality tests are of only limited use in traumatized teeth. The results are only qualitative and not quantitative.

Cracked tooth syndrome: diagnosis, treatment and correlation between symptoms and post-extraction findings.

Although the cracked tooth syndrome has been known for over twenty years, it frequently remains undiagnosed because the condition is not sufficiently well recognized. Cracked tooth syndrome has been defined as an incomplete fracture of the dentine in a vital posterior tooth, and must be distinguished from a split tooth. A diagnosis can often be made by means of the history, and must be confirmed by reproducing the patient's symptoms. The ideal treatment consists of applying a stainless steel band to the tooth, with cessation of symptoms confirming the diagnosis, followed by a full coverage restoration. Case histories illustrating the syndrome are presented, and a further case is reported where a diagnosis of cracked tooth syndrome was made, and the tooth extracted, sectioned and stained to show the nature of the cracks and their relationship to the pulp.

The sterilization of gutta-percha points.

The traditional methods employed for the sterilization of gutta-percha points are unsatisfactory. The use of propylene oxide for this purpose is described and experimental evidence is advanced to support this use.

The diagnosis of referred orofacial dental pain.

Every patient's description of the location of pain must be treated with caution. In order to arrive at a diagnosis of pain a logical method should be employed. This consists of the history and clinical examination including pulp tests and radiographs. Where the patient complains of pain on hot or cold, an attempt should be made to reproduce the patient's pain to check on the accuracy of its description and to aid in localisation. Patients frequently refer pain to previously endodontically-treated teeth. These may not be the cause of the problem. In order to facilitate the process of diagnosis the following hypothesis has been advanced. A tooth can only be the source of pain if there are objective signs associated with that tooth. Lack of response to pulp tests constitutes such a sign, provided the tooth has not previously been endodontically treated. If, however, such treatment has taken place, (regardless of whether this was well or poorly executed), a further objective sign other than lack of vitality is required before such a tooth can be implicated as the source of pain. The guidelines suggested are illustrated by means of clinical examples.

Specialist registration in Victoria--training of specialists in endodontics.

A historical review is presented of the growth and development of the MDSc programme in Endodontics at the University of Melbourne.

Endodontics or root canal therapy.

This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of pulp involved teeth. There are still some patients and some older physicians who associate certain systemic diseases with dead teeth. For this reason, the subject of focal infection is considered first. As many patients with facial pain or dental infection present first to their physician, it is important for the medical practitioner to understand the cause and its treatment. Finally, brief reference is made to the treatment of teeth injured as a result of trauma with special emphasis on first aid where permanent teeth have become dislodged.