importance of enamel deproteinization in clinical dentistry: a review

Acid-etching employs dental etchants and is used frequently when bonding dental restoration to teeth. By dissolving minerals in enamel, the etchants remove the outer 10 micrometers on the enamel surface and make a porous layer 5-50 micrometers deep. This roughens the enamel microscopically and results in a greater surface area on which to bond. Acid etching with H3PO4 is not achieved over the entire adhesion surface of the tooth. Sodium Hypochlorite solutions have been used as wound and endodontic irrigant as early as 1920 due to its bactericidal and proteolytic properties. Irrigation of the root canals with sodium hypochiorite solutions is now widely accepted. Removing the organic content from the enamel surface with 5.2% sodium hypochiorite [NaOCl] as a deproteinizing agent prior to phosphoric acid etching has shown promising effect in improving the enamel surface area. However no relevant work has been done in Pakistan, so study must be conducted locally to find out the effect of sodium hypochiorite as a deproteinizing agent before acid etching

Transmission of streptococcus mutans from mother to child

Dental caries is the most infectious and communicable dental disease of all age groups, which effects overall health of an individual. Childhood caries is a multifactorial dental disease and if left untreated it leads to discomfort, pain and lack of interest in routine activities and ultimately destroys tooth structure and early loss of tooth. Steptococcus mutans [S.mutans] is the main cariogenic microorganism. S.mutans breaks down sugar for energy and produces acidic environment, which causes demineralization of superficial structures of tooth i.e. enamel and dentin resulting in dental caries. It can be transmitted horizontally and vertically. According to the recent studies vertical mode of transmission is more common in preschool children than horizontal. Mainly the transferred genotypes are responsible for the transmission of caries from mothers to their children. There is genotypic diversity in population to population. No such relevant study has been conducted on local population so there is a need to know the main cariogenic genotypes ofS. mutans and its transmission from mothers to their children in local population