"Quackery, Claims and Cures - Elixers of the Past".

Dental amalgams were first documented in China in the 7th century and appeared in Germany in the early 16th century.1 In the 1800s, amalgam became the dental restorative material of choice due to its low cost, ease of application, strength, and durability. Below are two vessels containing amalgam.2,3 "Foils" refers to small flat sheets.

Oral and Physical Manifestations of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa.

Food avoidance and disordered eating behavior are hallmarks of the psychopathologic disorders known as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by severe restriction of food intake, which leads to weight loss and the medical consequences of starvation. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by attempts to curtail food intake, interspersed with binge eating, followed by self- induced vomiting to rid the body of food. Tooth erosion and heightened sensitivity, caused by tooth contact with gastric acid during vomiting, are among several intraoral signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Self-induced vomiting in bulimic patients may cause trauma to intraoral soft tissues in the form of epithelial ulceration. Dentists and dental hygienists are often the first health care providers to examine patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and are in a good position to recognize the physical and oral effects of eating disorders. Unfortunately, too few oral health practitioners consistently assess patients for oral manifestations of eating disorders, and equally few patients suffering with eating disorders regard their oral health practitioners as an important source of information about eating disorders. Lack of knowledge about the intra- and extraoral effects of eating disorders creates barriers that prevent patients from speaking frankly with oral health practitioners about their issues. It is incumbent upon oral health practitioners to recognize and diagnose the effects of these disorders and render appropriate treatment.

Effect of Instrument Design and Access Outlines on the Removal of Root Canal Obturation Materials in Oval-shaped Canals.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of TRUShape (TS) instruments with ProFile Vortex Blue (VB) instruments for the removal of obturation materials during retreatment of single-canal mandibular premolars performed through 2 access outlines. METHODS: Initial root canal treatment was completed through a contracted endodontic cavity (CEC) design. Canals were instrumented to an F2 ProTaper instrument, obturated with warm lateral condensation of gutta-percha with AH Plus sealer, and allowed to set for 30 days at 37°C and 100% humidity. For retreatment, specimens were divided into 2 groups (n = 24) on the basis of access outline, CEC or traditional endodontic cavity (TEC). Retreatment was initiated by using ProTaper Retreatment instruments (D1-D3). Specimens were then stratified, further divided (n = 12), and reinstrumented up to TS 40 .06v or 40 .06 VB. Irrigation was performed by using 8.25% NaOCl and QMix 2in1. Retreatment time was recorded. Teeth were sectioned and photographed, and the percentage of remaining obturation materials was measured. Data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance for two-factor tests (α < 0.05). RESULTS: The interaction between access design and instrument type showed that the combination of CEC-VB presented significantly higher amounts of remaining obturation materials on the canal surface when compared with TEC-VB, CEC-TS, and TEC-TS (P ≤ .05). None of these other combinations were different from each other (P > .05). Significantly more time was required for retreatment with CEC-TS (27.68 ± 1.4 minutes) than the other groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Neither retreatment protocol was able to completely eliminate all obturation materials from the root canal surface of mandibular premolars. However, in the presence of a CEC access design, using TS instruments removed more obturating material in single-rooted, oval-shaped canals.