The Assessment of Sealants' Effectiveness in Arresting Non-Cavitated Caries Lesion-A 24-Month Follow-Up.

Dental sealants are excellent means to prevent pits and fissure caries. Nowadays, the application of sealants is extended to therapeutic use in arresting non-cavitated carious lesions. This relatively new concept still lacks evidence to support its routine use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a resin-based sealant applied on first permanent molars with carious lesions (ICDAS 1−3), in comparison with its effectiveness when applied on sound surfaces (ICDAS 0). Included in the study were 114 children aged between six and eight years old, with a high caries risk (according to the CAMBRA system), with all four permanent molars erupted and with deep pits and fissures. A total number of 407 molars were sealed and assessed. A total of 49 were excluded (they had caries, which according to the ICDAS II classification were classified with code 4−6 or had older sealants or fillings). Out of these 407 molars, 213 were sound (code 0) and 194 had caries lesions as follows: 56 teeth classified as code 1, 79 teeth classified as code 2, and 59 teeth classified as code 3 according to the ICDAS II classification. The retention of the sealant and carious lesions were assessed clinically at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Regarding sealant retention, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) among the two types of sealed teeth, sound (ICDAS 0) and decayed (ICDAS 3), showed at 18- and 24-month follow-up intervals. Regarding caries lesions, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) showed between sound (ICDAS 0) and decayed (ICDAS 3) molars at 24-month follow-up. Our study results supported the resin-based sealant effectiveness in arresting incipient carious lesions, which according to the ICDAS II classification have received codes 1 and 2 but did not support sealant effectiveness in arresting caries lesions classified according to the same classification with code 3.

Comparative Assessment of Retention and Caries Protective Effectiveness of a Hydrophilic and a Conventional Sealant-A Clinical Trial.

Sealants are highly efficient and the most secure method for the prevention of caries lesions from pits and fissures in recently erupted permanent teeth. The aim of this study is to clinically assess and compare the retention and evolution of caries of a moisture-tolerant resin-based sealant with a conventional hydrophobic resin-based sealant. Material and method: We have included in the study 28 children with between 6 and 8 years old. For each child we sealed 4 permanent molars (a total of 112 teeth). The study group was divided into two subgroups: the Embrace Group­consisting of 56 first permanent molars that underwent dental sealing with moisture-tolerant resin-based fissure sealant (Embrace™ WetBond™ Pulpdent, Watertown, MA, USA) and the Helioseal Group­represented by the same number of 56 first permanent molars that were sealed with conventional hydrophobic resin-based sealant (Helioseal F™, Ivoclar Vivadent Schaan, Liechtenstein). The retention and the incidence of new carious lesions of each sealant were assessed clinically at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results: The 12-month follow-up assessment showed perfect integrity in 50 molars (89.28%) sealed with moisture-tolerant resin-based material (Embrace Group), and in 51 molars (91.07%) with conventional resin-based sealant (Helioseal Group). At the 24-month recall, the retention was maintained in 44 molars (78.57%) in the Embrace Group and in 45 molars (80.35%) in the Helioseal Group, respectively. The follow-up assessments showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.5) between the two materials regarding sealant retention. First evidence of new carious lesions was present at 12 months on two molars sealed with Embrace WetBond and on one molar sealed with Helioseal. At the 24-month evaluation, the prevalence of caries in the Embrace Group was 7.14% (four caries) and 3.56% (two caries) in the Helioseal Group. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between the two materials regarding new caries development at any of the follow-up assessments. Conclusions: Moisture-tolerant resin-based sealant was effective in terms of retention and caries prevention.

Assessment of Periodontopathogens in Subgingival Biofilm of Banded and Bonded Molars in Early Phase of Fixed Orthodontic Treatment.

To assess the prevalence and occurrence of eleven periodontopathogens in subgingival biofilm of banded and bonded molars during the first period of fixed orthodontic treatment. Subjects were selected from patients referred to orthodontic treatment and were divided in two groups: group A comprised fifteen patients (14.4±2.45 years of age) who received orthodontic bands on first permanent molars and group B of ten patients (15.7±1.87 years of age) with directly bonded tubes on the labial surface of the same teeth. Subgingival sample collection was performed before bands and tubes application and 4-7 weeks after attachment placement. DNA-strip tehnique was used to assess the presence of eleven putative periodontopathogens at each time point. Fusobacterium nucleatum, Eikenella corrodens and Capnocytophaga spp. were found in a large number of samples, other periodontopathogens were present in a smaller rate. The 4-7 weeks after attachment placement a slight increase of putative species was observed in both groups. The presence of orthodontic tubes and bands influence the accumulation and composition of subgingival microbiota. Higher level of oral hygiene should be achieved before and during orthodontic treatment in order to prevent any side effects on periodontal tissues.

Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in children who attended two dental clinics in Targu Mures between 2003 and 2011.

AIMS: This retrospective study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental trauma in deciduous and permanent teeth among children and teenagers who attended two dental clinics in Targu Mures, Romania, between 2003 and 2011 and the correlation of their risk of dental trauma with factors, including gender, age, physical activities and extent of incisor overjet. METHODS: The study population consisted of patients aged between 1 and 18 years who attended the Clinic of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Targu Mures, in the period between January 2003 and August 2011. Their records were reviewed and the following factors, relevant to dental trauma, were recorded: gender, age, type of dentition, injury aetiology, lesion type and location, number of teeth affected, occlusion, and radiography. For patients who attended the orthodontics clinic, the degree of overjet was also determined. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of dental trauma was 24.5%. The frequency of traumatic injuries to deciduous teeth was approximately equal for boys and girls, and the most for those between 1 and 2 years. In the permanent dentition, a dental trauma was more frequently found boys, and the most affected age group was between 11 and 12 years, for both boys and girls. The most common causes were falls, in deciduous teeth especially during learning to walk, and in permanent teeth particularly during cycling or other sporting mishaps. The most frequent type of trauma found in the deciduous dentition was lateral luxation and in the permanent teeth it was fracture with the involvement of enamel and dentine, but without the exposure of the dental pulp. A positive relationship was noted between the presence of overjet associated with lip incompetence and the frequency of dental trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental trauma in children and adolescents who attended the Clinic of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Targu Mures, was broadly similar to that found in other studies. More epidemiologic studies are needed to gain a more comprehensive overview of the prevalence of dental trauma in Romania.