Frequency and distribution of root filled teeth and apical periodontitis in a Jordanian subpopulation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of apical periodontitis and endodontic treatment in a Jordanian subpopulation. STUDY DESIGN: Digital panoramic radiographs of 294 patients who were assessed at Caritas Association between January and September 2008 were evaluated. The coronal and periapical status of all visible teeth were evaluated according to the criteria proposed by de Moor et al. RESULTS: Of the 294 subjects assessed, 83.7% had apical periodontitis and 63.3% had endodontically treated teeth. Of the 7,390 teeth assessed, 11.6% had apical periodontitis and 5.7% were endodontically treated. A correlation was found between apical periodontal lesions and endodontically treated teeth. Endodontic treatment was inadequate in 72.4% of the endodontically treated teeth, of which 87.0% had apical periodontitis. No difference in the number of endodontically treated teeth or the presence of apical periodontitis was found between male and female subjects (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that there is a relatively higher prevalence of apical periodontitis compared with those of many other countries. High percentage of endodontically treated teeth was inadequate and associated with periapical pathosis, indicating a poor quality of endodontic treatment.

The radiographic outcomes of direct pulp-capping procedures performed by dental students: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The decision between pulp capping and root canal therapy after pulp exposure is a clinical issue. The aim of the authors' study was to evaluate the outcome of direct pulp-capping procedures performed by dental students. METHODS: The authors followed the treatment outcomes of 193 patients with 204 pulp exposures with direct pulp capping. They determined the outcome of pulp capping radiographically using periapical radiographs taken at least three years after pulp exposure. The outcome was considered as successful if the tooth was present and not associated with periapical radiolucency or root canal treatment; otherwise, the outcome was considered as being a failure. RESULTS: Overall, the success rate of pulp capping was 59.3 percent. The success was associated more with mechanical exposure than with carious exposure (92.2 versus 33.3 percent) (P < .001), more with permanent restoration than with temporary restoration (80.8 versus 47.3 percent) (P < .001) and more with class I occlusal restoration (83.8 percent) than with proximal multiple surface restorations (Class II, 56.1 percent; Class III, 58.8 percent; mesial-occlusal-distal, 28.6 percent) (P = .009). Patients' age, sex, and tooth location and position had no significant effect on the outcome (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The success rate of direct pulp capping was 92.2 percent with mechanical exposure and 33.3 percent with carious exposure. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Direct pulp capping is recommended after mechanical exposure with immediate placement of permanent restoration, while root canal therapy would be the choice of treatment if the exposure was due to caries.

Uvulo-glosso-pharyngeal dimensions in subjects with beta-thalassaemia major.

The purpose of this study was to investigate cephalometrically the uvulo-glosso-pharyngeal dimensions in subjects with beta-thalassaemia major. The subjects were 15 thalassaemic patients (eight males, seven females) with a mean age of 14.13 +/- 1.06 years. The variables measured on the lateral cephalograms were tongue height and length, soft palate length and thickness, superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal airway space, and hyoid bone position. The thalassaemic group was compared with a normal control group matched for sex and age using a t-test. The results showed that thalassaemic patients had a smaller tongue size (length P < 0.05, height P < 0.001), shorter soft palate (P < 0.001), smaller upper (P < 0.001) and middle (P < 0.05) pharyngeal airway spaces, and a shorter vertical pharyngeal length (P < 0.05). The hyoid bone in thalassaemic patients was closer to the mandibular plane (P < 0.001).