Surface characteristics and wettability of novel gingival col designed 3-D printed dental sectional matrices.

OBJECTIVE: The physical properties and wettability of 3-D printed Polyethylene terephthalate - glycol (PET-G) and Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) dental sectional matrices were investigated. METHODS: Experimental matrices was designed in a rectangular shape one-side depression corresponds to gingival col and without sharp edges and printed on FDM machine Ender Pro 3 (Creality®, Shenzhen, China). The physical textures, thicknesses, water contact angles were compared to conventional stainless steel (SS) matrix. RESULTS: PETG and PLA sample matrices were clinically single-side smooth compared to SS matrix. PETG specimens had uniformly 0.055 mm whereas PLAs were non-uniformly ∼0.065-0.075 mm in thickness. The mean ± standard deviation (SS) of contact angle for SS was 78.29 ± 0.18, for PETG was 72.09 ± 0.94, for PLA was 73.03 ± 1.17. CONCLUSION: PETG and PLA dental matrices might have desirable properties: being hydrophobic, non-charged, easy to manufacture and mimicking the gingival col depression in the dental interproximal contact area.

Quantification of Surface Relation Between Experimental Polylactic Acid Dental Matrix and Type II Glass Ionomers Using Peel Adhesion Test and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

AIM: Type II glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a posterior restorative material that is generally not recommended for interaction with stainless steel due to chemical ion exchange. The purpose of this study is to quantify the surface relation of experimental three-dimensional (3D)-printed polylactic acid (PLA) and type II GIC using the peel adhesion test and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experimental PLA dental matrix specimens were 3D printed in the form of an open circumferential dental matrix (75x6x0.0055 mm) using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) machine. The peel resistance test (ASTM D1876) was applied to determine the relative peel resistance of the adhesive bonds between the PLA dental matrix, traditional circumferential stainless steel (SS) matrix, and GIC. The PLA bands were characterized using an FT-IR spectrophotometer (Spectrum 100, PerkinElmer Inc., Waltham, MA, USA) for the simultaneous determination of the chemical relationships of the surfaces before and after the GIC was set in a simulated class II cavity model. RESULTS: The mean peel strengths (P/b) ± standard deviations of the PLA and SS dental matrix bands were 0.0017 ± 0.0003 N/mm and 0.3122 ± 0.0042 N/mm, respectively. The -C H stretching was observed at 3383 cm-1 after adhesion, which corresponded to vibrational movements on the surface. CONCLUSION:  It required ~184 times less force to separate the GIC from the PLA surface compared to the traditional SS matrix. Additionally, there was no evidence of a new chemical bond or strong chemical interaction occurring between the GIC and the experimental PLA dental matrix.

COVID-19 Reflections on Restorative Treatments of Permanent First Molars.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It is important to provide appropriate dental care for newly erupted permanent first molars (PFMs) since they are susceptible to caries. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant changes in the way dental services are provided to patients, the purpose of this study is to examine the procedure records assigned to PFMs of 6-15 year-olds during the pandemic and analyze the restorative material preferences of the residents of public dental hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Procedure records of patients aged between 6-15 years were extracted from the Public Oral and Dental Health Center, Bursa, Türkiye. All teeth groups except PFMs were excluded, while extracted, survived (restorative/endodontic/prosthetic procedures), and prevented (fissure sealant application) PFMs were analyzed retrospectively. Furthermore, restorative material preferences were analyzed by arch location, cavity surfaces, and dentition types. RESULTS: Strong positive correlation was seen between age and PFM extraction (r=0.973; p<0.001) and age and PFM restorative treatments (r= 0.966; p<0.001); a negative correlation was detected between age and fissure sealants (r= -0.984; p<0,001) performed on PFMs of 8-15-year-olds. Amalgam was most often preferred as the restorative material (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The distribution of treatments and dental restorations can vary based on many factors, and the pandemic conditions may have changed treatment preferences to favor preventive dentistry. The excess of multi-surface restorations may be related to the delay of treatment applications during COVID-19.

Caries-related and Preventive Dental Care of 5-, 12-, and 15-year-old Syrians in Bursa, Türkiye.

Objectives: Türkiye has implemented an open-door policy for Syrians since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011 and has been providing medical and dental services for Syrian asylum seekers. Bursa, being the 5th largest city in the Western region of the Turkish Republic, hosts 1,83,355 registered Syrians. The present study was designed to analyze the caries-related dental services and preventive applications among 5-, 12-, and 15-year-old Syrian patients admitted to a state-affiliated dental hospital in Bursa, Türkiye. Design: This study comprises retrospective data analysis. Place and duration of study: The data from 1st January 2016 to 1st September 2021 were derived from the Bursa Oral and Dental Health Training and Research Hospital. Materials and methods: The dental records of Syrian patients aged 5, 12, and 15 years were reviewed for caries-related (restorations, extractions, and root canal treatments) and preventive applications (fissure sealants and topical fluoridation); others were excluded. Results: A total of 3,388 dental records of 1,179 Syrian children aged 5 (N = 369), 12 (N = 498), and 15 (N = 312) years were analyzed. The highest percentages of dental services offered to 5-, 12-, and 15-year-old were "tooth extractions" (n = 369; 42.2%), "fissure sealants" (n = 555; 33.7%), and "restorative treatments" (n = 384; 44.4%), respectively (p < 0.001). Considering all years (2016-2021), male subjects [odds ratio (OR)-1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.85; p = 0.01] and 12-year-old (OR-1.87, 95% CI 1.31-2.66; p = 0.001) were more likely to visit a dentist more than once per year. Conclusion: Caries-related dental services, which are an indicator of poor oral health, are common in 5-, 12-, and 15-year-old Syrian patients. How to cite this article: Elbek Cubukcu C, Celik ZC, Dinc Ata G, et al. Caries-related and Preventive Dental Care of 5-, 12-, and 15-year-old Syrians in Bursa, Türkiye. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(1):64-67.

Metagenomic analysis of black-stained plaques in permanent dentition.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the aetiologic agent responsible for black staining of permanent dentition using next-generation sequencing and determine the relationship between caries and black stains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 systemically healthy patients with black-stained and caries-free (n = 13), black-stained and carious (n = 13), black stain-free and caries-free (n = 13), and black stain-free and carious (n = 13) teeth were enrolled in the study. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) was used for caries classification. Between 08:00 and 10:00, supragingival plaque samples were collected after a minimum of 8-12 h of accumulation and DNA samples were isolated. The samples were processed using the ZymoBIOMICS™ Service. Bioinformatics analysis was performed using mothur at usegalaxy.org. Data were analysed statistically using the Pearson chi-square and Fisher tests. RESULTS: The number of caries-free teeth (ICDAS 0, 1, and 2) was significantly higher in patients with black stains (p = 0.007).Capnocytophaga (4.8 %), Corynebacterium (3.9 %), and Neisseria (5.4 %) species were the most abundant among all black-stained plaques (carious and caries-free) (p < 0.05). Capnocytophaga (10.8 %), Cardiobacterium (3.6 %), and Rothia (1.72 %) species were detected in the black-stained plaques of caries-free patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first studies examining the microbial composition of dental plaques with black staining in carious and caries-free adult patients using next generation sequencing technology. In the presence of black staining, plaques have an ultimate complex microbial structure. A lower caries burden was noted in the presence of black staining.

Diagnostic Performance of ICDAS II, FluoreCam and Ultrasound for Flat Surface Caries with Different Depths.

The use of ultrasound for the diagnosis of natural caries lesions with different depths on flat surfaces of permanent molar teeth was studied. A total of 200 freshly extracted permanent molar teeth with natural caries lesions were included. After evaluation with International Caries and Detection Assessment System II (ICDAS II), mineral loss and lesions in the teeth were detected with a fluorescence device, FluoreCam and lesion depths were measured using ultrasound. The teeth were sectioned and examined histologically using a microscope. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97 for the ultrasound system, 0.65 for the ICDAS II classification and 0.59 for FluoreCam (p < 0.001 for all). With an increase in ICDAS II scores, mean ultrasound values, FluoreCam-Size and microscope measurements increased numerically, while FluoreCam-Intensity and FluoreCam-Impact measurements inversely decreased (p < 0.001). There was a high level of agreement between histologic diagnosis and ultrasound. Ultrasound and FluoreCam can be used to detect enamel caries on flat surfaces.