Oral and Dental Health Status among Adolescents with Limited Access to Dental Care Services in Jeddah.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of dental caries and periodontal diseases among 14⁻19-year-old schoolchildren with limited access to dental care services. A cross sectional study design was conducted during field visits to seven governmental schools in Al-Khomrah district, South Jeddah, over the period from September 2015 to May 2016. Clinical examinations and administered questionnaires were carried out in mobile dental clinics. The dentists carried out oral examinations using the dental caries index (DMFT), the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), and the community periodontal index for treatment needs (CPITN). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20. A total of 734 schoolchildren were examined. The prevalence of decayed teeth was 79.7% and was significantly higher among boys (88.9%) than girls (69.0%). About 11% of students had missing teeth, with a significantly higher figure among females than males (15.9% versus 7.3%); 19.8% of students had filled teeth. Moreover, a DMFT of seven or more was significantly more prevalent among males (43.3%) than females (26.8%), while the percentage of females with sound teeth was significantly higher than for males (20.4% and 9.6% respectively). The CPITN revealed 0, 1 and 2 scores among 14.6%, 78.2%, and 41.6% respectively. Males had a significantly higher percentage of healthy periodontal condition (23.8%) than females (3.8%). Dental caries prevalence was moderate to high, calculus and gingival bleeding were widespread among schoolchildren, and were more prevalent among students with low socioeconomic status.

Shade matching quality among dental students using visual and instrumental methods.

OBJECTIVES: Study aims were to compare shade matching quality between visual and machine-aided shade selection among dental students and to evaluate the effect of experience and gender. METHODS: A total of 204 undergraduates and interns participated. They were briefed about colour matching using a visual method with a Vita-3D Master system and a spectrophotometer. Participants with colour vision deficiency were excluded. Six maxillary anterior teeth of a maxillary blue stone cast were replaced with six maxillary artificial teeth. Participants selected the best shade match using each method. A daylight illuminator with the GTI mini-matcher colour viewing system was used during the test. The results were statistically analysed with SPSS version 19 with 95% confidence intervals. Frequencies and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data, at α=0.05 and with P<0.05 indicating significance. RESULTS: Among the participants, 36.3% visually selected the correct shade, and 80.4% did so using the Easy Shade Compact machine. Experience (P=0.177) and gender (P=0.560) did not affect visual shade selection; in addition, with the Easy Shade Compact device, males and females equally mastered its use (P=1.0), and experience did not influence outcomes (P=0.552). CONCLUSIONS: The shade matching device was significantly better than the conventional visual method. With both techniques, neither experience nor gender influenced shade matching quality. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Visual tooth colour matching is unreliable and inconsistent because of various subjective and objective factors, and the use of a colour measuring device might improve the quality of shade matching among dental students.

Reinforcement of thin-walled root canal structures for placement of esthetic dowels: a clinical report.

Thin-walled root canals always present a challenge to dentists to select a restorative treatment that does not further weaken the thin tooth structure. The prognosis of dowel and core restorations can be unpredictable. This clinical report describes the treatment of a patient with extensive caries extending into the root canal of an endodontically treated maxillary central incisor. The use of a flowable composite resin in combination with a quartz fiber reinforced post is described, resulting in the rehabilitation of a structurally compromised root canal with satisfactory esthetic and functional outcomes.

Influence of irrigant, dowel type, and root-reinforcing material on fracture resistance of thin-walled endodontically treated teeth.

PURPOSE: Unresolved controversy exists concerning the optimum restorative material to reinforce the thin-walled roots of endodontically treated teeth to improve their fracture resistance under occlusal load. This study evaluated the effectiveness of irrigant, dowel type, and root-reinforcing material on the fracture resistance of thin-walled endodontically treated teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The root canals of 140 maxillary central incisors were enlarged and equally divided into seven groups according to the canal irrigant: no irrigant (control), 5% hydrogen peroxide, 5% sodium hypochlorite, a combination of 5% hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, 15% ethylenediaminotetraacetic acid (EDTA), 10% lactic acid, or 20% lactic acid. Within each group, root canals were lined with composite resin (PermaFlo) or glass ionomer cement (Fuji II LC). A light-transmitting plastic dowel (Luminex) was used to create space for a quartz fiber-reinforced dowel (Aestheti Post) or a titanium alloy dowel (ParaPost XH) and to cure the restorative materials. Following dowel cementation and restoration of the roots with composite core, the teeth were submitted to fracture resistance testing, and data were analyzed with 3-way ANOVA followed by Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsch Multiple Range Test (α= 0.05). RESULTS: Fracture resistance values were significantly different among irrigants, restorative materials, and their interaction (p < 0.001); however, the dowel type was not significantly different (p= 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: Thin-walled roots that had the smear layer removed with lactic acid and that were then lined with composite resin had a higher fracture resistance.

Morphological characteristics of the interface between resin composite and glass-ionomer cement to thin-walled roots: a microscopic investigation.

PURPOSE: To identify how different treatments of the root dentin surface affect the microscopic appearance of the resin composite/glass-ionomer cement-to-dentin interface. METHODS: The root canals of 70 extracted human single-rooted teeth were enlarged to reduce dentin wall thicknesses to 0.5 mm. The roots were randomly divided into seven test groups (n=10) according to the canal irrigant used: no irrigant (control), 5% hydrogen peroxide, 5% sodium hypochlorite, a combination of 5% hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, 15% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 10% lactic acid, or 20% lactic acid. To simulate thin-walled roots, within each group, crowns were sectioned and the entire surface of each root canal space was enlarged with Profile instrument. Half of treated root canals (n=5) were filled with resin composite (PermaFlo) and the other half were filled with glass-ionomer cement (Fuji II LC). A light-transmitting plastic post (Luminex) was used to create space for a fiber-reinforced post and to ensure polymerization of the restorative material. Specimens were critical-point dried and freeze fractured for scanning electron microscope analysis. Three sites along the root were evaluated (cervical, middle, and apical). RESULTS: Scanning electron micrographs showed no differences in the morphology of the resin tags at the cervical, middle or apical levels with any of the irrigants or the restorative materials used. Also, no difference in surface topography was found within individual groups. A resin-dentin interdiffusion zone and resin tags developed after application of resin composite with lactic acid solutions and EDTA but not with the glass-ionomer cement.

An in-vitro study of the effects of various disinfectants on prosthetic and surface materials.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effect of various disinfectants on several contaminated prosthetic and surface-covering materials. METHODS: The efficacy of 6 disinfectants used at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on prosthetic and surface-covering materials, irreversible hydrocolloid and elastomer impression materials, wax, acrylic resin, metal, bench-covering material, and floor carpet. These materials were contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Counts of viable bacteria on the materials was determined by incubated replica plating on blood agar plates at 5 minute intervals. A 3 way non parametric analysis of variance was used to evaluate the main effects and interactions of the disinfectants, bacteria, and materials. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that material, type of disinfectant, and interactions between material and bacteria were significant. Carpet has a significantly higher bacterial count than many other items (P < 0.0001) such as acrylic resin, irreversible hydrocolloid, chrome-cobalt casting, and laminated bench surfaces. CONCLUSION: Quaternary ammonia compound and the tertiary ammonia phenol were the most effective disinfectants. Efficacy of the disinfectant depends partly on the bacteria used for contamination. Carpets in dental clinics showed high potential to retain microorganisms.