Influence of minimally invasive access cavities on load capacity of root-canal-treated teeth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review (PROSPERO-CRD42020147333) aimed to compare the effects of conservative, ultraconservative and truss access cavities with traditional access cavities on the load capacity of root-canal-treated teeth. Online databases were searched until December 2021, and 25 ex vivo studies in which the effects of different access cavities on load capacity of permanent teeth had been investigated were included. Quality assessment was completed using a modified risk of bias tool for in vitro studies adapted from previous studies. Meta-analysis was performed using the maximum-likelihood-based random-effects model with similar groups. Conservative access cavities significantly improved the load capacity of maxillary premolars (p < 0.01 [-1.32, -0.028]) and molars (p < 0.05 [-0.89, -0.02]) compared to traditional access cavities. Additionally, truss access cavities significantly improved the load capacity of mandibular molars with (p < 0.05, [-1.18, -0.02]) mesio-occluso-distal cavity preparations. Higher levels of evidence are needed to determine the long-term implications of minimal preparations for treatment outcomes.

Can identical dental shade guides be used interchangeably?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if identical dental shade guides can be used interchangeably considering their precision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty Vita classical (VC) and Vita 3D-Master (VM) shade guides were subjected to spectrophotometric measurements and their CIELab values were measured in three shade tab regions: incisal, middle, and cervical and also in total. The mean L*, a*, and b* values for analogous shade tabs were calculated to identify CIELab values for typical shades. ∆E00 color differences between a typical shade and its analogous shade tabs were measured. ∆E00 values were compared with perceptibility (∆E00  = 0.8) and acceptability (∆E00  = 1.8) thresholds using one-sample t test (α = 0.05). An error was considered when the ∆E00 value was greater than the threshold. Subsequently, the shade guides' precision scores were calculated. RESULTS: Mean ∆E00 values ranged between 0.3 and 0.5 for VC tabs and between 0.3 and 0.6 for VM tabs. Precision scores for both shade guides ranged from 83.3% to 100%, considering the perceptibility threshold. Regarding the acceptability threshold, precision scores for VC ranged from 93.3% to 100%, while the precision scores for VM were 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Owing to high precision of VC and VM, identical dental shade guides can be used interchangeably. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Using identical dental shade guides interchangeably may affect the color results of restorative treatments. This study identified high levels of precision for identical shade tabs of Vita classical and Vita 3D-Master across different batches. Thus, similar dental shade guides can be used interchangeably.

Effect of Rotary and Reciprocating Instrumentation Motions on Postoperative Pain Incidence in Non-Surgical Endodontic Treatments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine whether there are postoperative pain differences resulting from rotary and reciprocation engine-driven instrumentation motions in non-surgical endodontic treatment or retreatment at 12, 24, and 48 hours. METHODS: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) were searched to identify randomised controlled trials that compared the effects of rotary and reciprocating instrumentation motions on postoperative pain. Two authors independently screened the search results, extracted the data, and assessed the quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to numerous variables across studies, the random effect inverse variance method for meta-analysis was applied. When significant heterogeneity among studies was present, the random effects multi-variable meta-regression analysis was performed to determine the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: At all time intervals, the incidence of postoperative pain was higher in the reciprocating instrumentation group, but was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the analgesic intake between groups. Meta-regression analysis determined study population sizes as a significant heterogeneous factor, while significance was not observed for preoperative pain or the pulpal diagnosis. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in postoperative pain at 12, 24, and 48 hours after non-surgical root canal treatment and retreatment, using reciprocating or rotary instrumentation motions.

Drug-related Halitosis: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Halitosis is an unpleasant breath odor which can be bothersome to individuals. Extra-oral halitosis is a type of halitosis caused by systemic conditions, bloodborne diseases, or pharmaceutical therapy. It is not related to local factors in the oral cavity. This systematic review aimed to identify the medications that can cause extra-oral halitosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). We searched online databases and also included hand searching to find relevant articles. Two authors independently performed the screening, data extraction and quality assessment of the included articles using the Cochrane Collaboration assessment tool. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies met the eligibility criteria. The medications which can cause extra-oral halitosis were categorised into 10 groups: acid reducers, aminothiols, anticholinergics, antidepressants, antifungals, antihistamines and steroids, antispasmodics, chemotherapeutic agents, dietary supplements, and organosulfur substances. CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical therapy is a potential source of extra-oral halitosis. This finding can help clinicians detect the probable causes of halitosis. Further studies are needed to definitely determine the role of various medications in causing extra-oral halitosis.