The use of silane-coated industrial glass fibers in splinting periodontally mobile teeth.

In the past, direct stabilization and splinting of teeth using an adhesive technique required the use of wires, pins, or mesh grids. Problems with the current fiber reinforcement materials are their inherent thickness when embedded within composite resin, their availability in fixed widths and their high cost. This paper discusses the use of silane-coated industrial grade glass fibers, which can be bundled in the form of ribbon according to the required thickness and length. Of the three patients discussed in this paper, none has exhibited debonding or recurrent caries over 1-year period. By reinforcing composite splints with these industrial grade glass fibers, dentists can provide patients with restorations and splints that are economical, fracture resistant, and more durable than most alternative splinting materials of the past.

A randomized clinical study to assess the reliability and reproducibility of "Sign Grading System".

Background: Signs such as +, ++ and +++ for mild, moderate and severe stains/calculus are being used in India effectively for more than four decades. However, there are no standardized criteria for grading, and no data regarding how and when this system was introduced, but it became very popular throughout India and is being used since then. Aims and Objectives: An attempt was made here to standardize the criteria on which the grades would be given and designate it as "Sign Grading System". Along with this, the objective of this paper was to evaluate whether this index/system satisfies all the requirements of an ideal index, particularly reliability and reproducibility. Settings and Design: Inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability and reproducibility of this index was assessed through a randomized clinical study. Patients were recruited from an institutional setting by random selection from the outpatient department. Materials and Methods: One month of training was conducted before the actual start of study. The clinical aspect of the study involved 3 investigators and 50 patients of whom 45 patients were reassessed. All the data were kept blind by a research assistant to reduce bias. Necessary measures were taken to reduce/eliminate the confounding variables, which could have affected the outcome of this study. Cohen's kappa and Fleiss' kappa statistics were employed for statistical analysis. Results and Conclusion: The index fulfills most of the ideal requirements of an index along with a high degree of reliability and reproducibility.