ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This article presents the evaluation and outcome of improvements carried out at Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine (CWRU) based on feedback provided by students during implementation of electrical handpieces technology in the school. METHODOLOGY: Students were surveyed in February 2010 (first survey) regarding their satisfaction with the existing clinical set-up for electrical handpieces. Following a change in clinical setting and integration of the control box into the dental unit in November 2010, students were administered the same survey as in February 2010 (second survey). RESULTS: There was an increased level of satisfaction with electric handpieces in the new clinical setting; these levels were significant regarding the ergonomics of the handpiece and clinical setting, operation of the handpiece, and technical maintenance. There was a significant shift from those who were categorically against using electrical handpieces after graduation towards those were 'not sure' regarding the adoption of electric technology in their practice. CONCLUSIONS: Specifically improving the clinical setting of a control box for electrical handpieces can influence overall student perception regarding the quality of handpieces and their operation.
Subject(s)
Consumer Behavior , Dental High-Speed Equipment , Students, Dental/psychology , Education, Dental , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Denture biofilms represent a protective reservoir for oral microbes. The study of the biology of Candida in these biofilms requires a reliable model. A reproducible model of C. albicans denture biofilm was developed and used to determine the susceptibility of two clinically relevant C. albicans isolates against 4 antifungals. C. albicans, growing as a biofilm, exhibited resistance to amphotericin B, nystatin, chlorhexidine, and fluconazole, with 50% reduction in metabolic activity (50% RMA) at concentrations of 8, 16, 128, and > 64 microg/mL, respectively. In contrast, planktonically cultured C. albicans were susceptible (50% RMA for the same antifungals was obtained at 0.25, 1.0, 4.0, and 0.5 microg/mL, respectively). In conclusion, results obtained by means of our biofilm model show that biofilm-associated C. albicans cells, compared with cells grown in planktonic form, are resistant to antifungals used to treat denture stomatitis.
Subject(s)
Acrylic Resins , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Biofilms/drug effects , Candida albicans/drug effects , Denture Bases/microbiology , Amphotericin B/administration & dosage , Amphotericin B/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents, Local/administration & dosage , Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/administration & dosage , Candida albicans/classification , Candidiasis, Oral/drug therapy , Candidiasis, Oral/microbiology , Chlorhexidine/administration & dosage , Chlorhexidine/pharmacology , Colony Count, Microbial , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Fluconazole/administration & dosage , Fluconazole/pharmacology , Galactose/pharmacology , Glucose/pharmacology , Humans , Indicators and Reagents , Nystatin/administration & dosage , Nystatin/pharmacology , Polymethyl Methacrylate , Saliva/microbiology , Statistics as Topic , Stomatitis, Denture/drug therapy , Stomatitis, Denture/microbiology , Sucrose/pharmacology , Tetrazolium Salts , Time FactorsABSTRACT
An awareness of the various medications commonly prescribed for patients to self-administer will assist clinicians to anticipate the most commonly encountered medical diagnoses; will give clues to a patient's physical and emotional ability to undergo and respond to dental care; will alert clinicians to potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, and to the presence of drug-induced illness; and provide invaluable information that will help the clinician identify high-risk patients who may experience a life-threatening medical emergency while in the dental office.
