Awareness and Constraints towards the Implementation of Green Dentistry amongst Dental Students and Private Practitioners of West India.

Background: Dentistry is a resource-intensive discipline of healthcare that has a notable impact on the environment. Sustainability should be the major consideration for healthcare service providers to support climate change policies. Green dentistry is an efficient strategy for practicing eco-friendly dentistry. This study was conducted to assess the awareness, knowledge, and barriers to practicing green dentistry among dental practitioners and dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical online questionnaire survey with 22 questions was carried out. Results: 51.8% of participants were not aware of the concept of green dentistry. Practitioners of the age group 20-30 years are more willing to transform their dental practice into green practice to reduce the carbon footprint of their clinic (P < 0.05). Chi-square data analysis shows that dental practitioners treating more than 20 patients in a week have a better awareness of the concept of green dentistry (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, dental professionals in the younger age group are eager to transform their dental practices to green practices to lessen their clinics' carbon footprints. Financial constraints limit the implementation of green dentistry into clinical practice.

Real-time guided endodontics: A case report of maxillary central incisor with calcific metamorphosis.

Dental trauma results in various complications and poses an enigma to the practitioner. Calcific metamorphosis is one of the sequelae of trauma. A female patient of 35 years visited the specialty clinic of endodontics for the management of a discolored tooth. Clinically, discolored 21 was observed with no pain on palpation and percussion. The pulp sensibility test revealed a negative response. Radiographic examination revealed pulp canal obliteration with an apical radiolucency of Peri Apical Index (PAI 4). The tooth was diagnosed as necrotic pulp with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Attempt to negotiate the canal under a Dental Operating Microscope (LABOMED, Los Angeles, CA, USA) and ultrasonics (Satelec, Acteon, France) was futile. Cone-beam computed tomography image revealed a patent canal in the apical third. Using real-time guided endodontics with a dynamic navigation system (Navident, ClaroNav, Toronto, ON, Canada), the protocol of plan, trace, and place was followed, and successful canal negotiation was achieved. After radiographic confirmation, root canal treatment was completed.

Forensic Identification of Endodontically Treated Teeth after Heat-Induced Alterations: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to highlight the relationship between forensic science and endodontics by illustrating CBCT records can be used as legal evidence for forensic analysis and evaluate the effect of elevated temperature on the endodontically treated teeth. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 40 extracted permanent mandibular premolars, which were divided into two groups based on predetermined incineration temperature: Group I - 400°C & Group II - 800°C subjected for 15 minutes holding time in a digital burnout furnace. The root canal treatment was performed for both the groups and a Pre-incineration CBCT scan was taken for both the groups as an ante-mortem data. Following heating analysis, root canal treated teeth were examined using a stereomicroscope at 20x resolution to evaluate the morphological changes. The post-incineration CBCT scan was taken as the post-mortem record for each group. Both ante-mortem records and post-mortem records were compared for the forensic analysis. RESULTS: The endodontically treated teeth display a series of macroscopic and stereo-microscopic changes for each temperature scale. The CBCT records identify the thermal stress-induced 3D alterations in the gutta-percha filled teeth. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of changes in human dentition and traces of the endodontically treated teeth can help forensic experts for the identification of the fire victims.

Can active signals of cellphone interfere with electronic working length determination of a root canal in a dental clinic? An in vivo study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interference of active cellphones during electronic working length (EWL) determination of a root canal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients requiring root canal treatment in the anterior teeth or premolars having single canal and mature apices were selected for this study. Working length determination was done using no. 15 K-file. Electronic apex locators ProPex Pixi and Root ZX mini were used for working length determination. Cellphones iPhone 6s and Xolo Q3000 were evaluated for their interference. The experiment was conducted in a closed room (9 feet × 9 feet). Working length was measured with no cellphone in the room, iPhone 6s in a calling mode, Xolo Q3000 in a calling mode, and Xolo Q3000 and iPhone 6s simultaneously in a calling mode. Stability of the readings was also determined for every condition. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and paired t-test at 0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: Results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the present study, cellphones do not interfere with the EWL determination.