What every dentist should know about artificial sweeteners and their effects.

Artificial sweeteners are a ubiquitous commodity on the market. The idea that people can consume a sweet food or beverage with "zero" calories seems too good to be true, and perhaps it is. The longevity and abundance of these products on the market necessitate the study of their mechanisms and their relationships to health and disease, including possible links to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

What every dentist should know about tea.

Tea is one of the most frequently consumed beverages in the world, second only to water. Repeated media coverage about the positive health benefits of tea has renewed interest in the beverage, particularly among Americans. This article reviews the general and specific benefits of drinking tea, as well as the potential negative aspects of tea consumption.

What every dentist needs to know about the human microbiome and probiotics.

Bacterial cells in the human body outnumber human cells by a ratio of 10:1. Apart from their well-known pathogenic potential, bacteria are proving to be integral to the overall health of the body. Residential microbes have critical roles in diverse processes, such as nutrient harvesting, internal environment regulation, immune system development, neurological modulation, and drug metabolism, as well as providing protection against pathogens. There is a growing body of research on the microbiome and probiotic therapies to restore or augment these functions throughout the body. In particular, increasing numbers of bacterial species and bacterial interactions have been discovered in the oral cavity, and probiotic interventions for common dental problems such as caries, periodontal diseases, and oral malodor are being developed and reviewed.

A comparison of fatigue crack growth in resin composite, dentin and the interface.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the fatigue crack growth properties of the dentin/resin adhesive interface. METHODS: Compact tension (CT) specimens were prepared from coronal dentin, resin composite, and dentin bonded to resin composite using Optibond Solo Plus adhesive. All specimens were then subjected to cyclic Mode I loading while fully hydrated at a stress ratio of R=0.1 and frequency of 5 Hz. Steady state fatigue crack growth was modeled using the Paris Law in terms of the exponent (m) and coefficient (C). RESULTS: The average fatigue crack growth rates in the resin composite ranged from 1.6E-06 to 3.8E-05 mm/cycle with growth occurring over a stress intensity range from 0.40 to 0.77 MPa m(1/2); the average growth exponent was 6.9+/-3.1. Average fatigue crack growth rates for the dentin/resin interface specimens ranged from 5.5E-07 to 6.4E-03 mm/cycle with growth occurring over a stress intensity range from 0.37 to 0.64 MPa m(1/2). The Paris Law exponent for these specimens ranged from 16

Success or failure of dental implants? A literature review with treatment considerations.

This study reviews the literature concerning the success or failure of dental implants and provides the general dentist with information to decide whether to recommend dental implant therapy to a patient. The authors conducted an extensive literature search for articles relating to dental implant failure. Metaanalyses and multi-center studies were predominant in the selection. Predictors of dental implant success or failure were gleaned from various articles and presented in the form of text and tables. The main predictors for implant success are the quantity and quality of bone, the patient's age, the dentist's experience, location of implant placement, length of the implant, axial loading, and oral hygiene maintenance. Primary predictors of implant failure are poor bone quality, chronic periodontitis, systemic diseases, smoking, unresolved caries or infection, advanced age, implant location, short implants, acentric loading, an inadequate number of implants, parafunctional habits and absence/loss of implant integration with hard and soft tissues. Inappropriate prosthesis design also may contribute to implant failure.