Graphene-Based Coatings for Surface Modification and Their Applications in Fixed Orthodontics: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Surface coating technology can assist fixed appliances by reducing friction, improving antibacterial characteristics, and increasing corrosion resistance. The application of functional coatings composed of graphene onto the surfaces of orthodontic brackets and archwires has been shown to enhance their mechanical qualities. The objective of the current study was to carry out a scoping analysis of published recent evidence on the utilization of graphene as a covering material in metallic orthodontic accessories, such as brackets and archwires; Methods: A scoping review was undertaken following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Dentistry and Oral Science Source, and Google Scholar were searched between 2003 and 2023; Results: In total, 38 potential references were detected, from which 10 were selected for this review. These articles addressed the benefits of the application of graphene-oxide functional coatings onto the surface of archwires and brackets during fixed orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic graphene-oxide-based coatings provide improved surface characteristics (e.g., reduced friction and anticorrosive effects), antibacterial capabilities, and biocompatibility. These characteristics can increase the effectiveness of orthodontic therapy, improve patient comfort, and lower the likelihood of problems; Conclusion: Orthodontists should be aware of and comprehend the prerequisites for using graphene-oxide-coated archwires and brackets to fulfill needs throughout their clinical practice.

Assessment of Pediatricians' Knowledge, Practices, and Attitudes on Oral Health/Care in Children in the Last Decade: A Systematic Scoping Review and Critical Reflection.

Pediatricians are primary health care professionals who supervise the growth and development and treat infants and children during the first years of life. Thus, they should possess knowledge regarding oral health care, to provide anticipatory guidance, as well as dental education to parents in order to make appropriate clinical decisions. For many years, several surveys have been performed worldwide to assess the pediatricians' knowledge, awareness, and experience regarding oral health care and prevention. This work aimed to scope the existing literature and summarize the most relevant evidence about knowledge, practices, and attitudes on oral health/care among pediatricians worldwide. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source were explored. Under a structured PCC question and eligibility criteria, for relevant clinical trials and observational studies, published during the last decade. Titles and abstracts were screened. Full-text articles were critically reviewed for bias risk and a data charting table was constructed. A total of 44 references were initially identified, and 37 titles remained for abstract screening after removing duplicates; then, 27 potential full-text articles were carefully reviewed. Finally, 25 relevant and most informative studies were included. The selected studies were conducted in India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Paraguay, Europe, Australia, Qatar, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Taiwan, Canada, and the USA. Through included surveys, researchers have reported different levels of knowledge, practice involvement, and attitude on children's oral health among pediatricians. In general, unsatisfactory knowledge of oral health was reported. The main impediments for a better professional involvement or practice include inappropriate education, poor auto-confidence, and lack of time. So, it has been suggested that some oral health training or clinical guidelines should be included in the current medical curricula.

Synthesis of a PVA drug delivery system for controlled release of a Tramadol-Dexketoprofen combination.

The local administration of analgesic combinations by means of degradable polymeric drug delivery systems is an alternative for the management of postoperative pain. We formulated a Tramadol-Dexketoprofen combination (TDC) loaded in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film. Films were prepared by the solvent casting method using three different molecular weights of PVA and crosslinking those films with citric acid, with the objective of controlling the drug release rate, which was evaluated by UV-vis spectrometry. Non-crosslinked PVA films were also evaluated in the experiments. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of samples corroborated the crosslinking of PVA by the citric acid. Blank and loaded PVA films were tested in vitro for its impact on blood coagulation prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT). The swelling capacity was also evaluated. Crosslinked PVA films of higher-molecular weight showed a prolonged release rate compared with that of the lower-molecular-weight films tested. Non-crosslinked PVA films released 11-14% of TDC. Crosslinked PVA films released 80% of the TDC loaded (p < 0.05). This suggests that crosslinking films can modify the drug release rate. The blank and loaded PVA films induced PT and PTT in the normal range. The results showed that the polymeric films evaluated here have the appropriate properties to allow films to be placed directly on surgical wounds and have the capacity for controlled drug release to promote local analgesia for the control of postoperative pain.

Calcium hydroxide/iodoform nanoparticles as an intracanal filling medication: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro study using a bovine primary tooth model.

The aims of this in vitro study were to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the efficacy of a Calcium Hydroxide/Iodoform nanoparticles (CHIN) paste compared with Ultrapex as intracanal filling medication using an experimental model of bovine primary teeth. CH nanoparticle synthesis was performed via the simple hydrolysis technique of reacting calcium nitrate with sodium hydroxide. SEM-EDS and FT-IR analyses were used to characterize the obtained product. 30% of CH nanoparticles were combined with 40% of iodoform and 30% silicone oil to prepare an intracanal filling paste (CHIN). All endodontic procedures were performed on 34 uniradicular primary bovine teeth. Every root canal was instrumented with K files (up to #35) and obturated with the nanoparticle paste (experimental) or Ultrapex® (control). Three outcome variables were studied: penetration depth through the root dentinal tubules, Ca2+ ion release, and filling paste dissolution rate. The obtained data were analyzed by Student's t test. The X-ray diffraction pattern of CH nanoparticles showed characteristic peaks at CH, as confirmed by FT-IR analyses in which an intense signal was observed at 3643 cm-1, characteristic of CH. In the morphological characterization, CH particles could be detected at the nanosize scale. When applied as intracanal filling, the CHIN paste exhibited a higher level of penetration through the root dentin tubules. The global mean penetration measures were 500 µm for the experimental paste and 380 µm for the control paste (p < 0.05). The release of Ca2+ ions (up to the seventh day) and the dissolution rate were significantly higher in the experimental paste group than in the control group. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding pH levels. The findings of this study suggest the potential suitability of CHI nanoparticles as an alternative intracanal filling medication for infected or devitalized primary teeth.

Evaluation of the Bond Strength and Marginal Seal of Indirect Restorations of Composites Bonded with Preheating Resin.

OBJECTIVE: Preheated resins (PR) are considered a cementing agent option for indirect adhesive restorations of composite inlays and onlays. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the marginal sealing, adhesive interface, and microtensile bond strength of indirect adhesive restorations of composites in terms of dentin cemented with PR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standardized Class II preparations were performed on 30 extracted human premolars, impressions were taken, and indirect composite restorations were manufactured. In total, 15 restorations were cemented with PR (ENA HRi, SYNCA), and 15 restorations were cemented with self-adhesive resinous cement (RC) (Relyx U200, 3M ESPE), followed by a thermocycling regime. After that, these were segmented sagittally and longitudinally to evaluate the marginal sealing and the adhesive interface with scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Microtensile bond strength was assessed with a mechanical device (TA. XT Plus C, Stable Micro System). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was conducted using the two-sample Student's t-test. RESULTS: The results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the degree of microfiltration using PR or RC; however, microtensile bond strength is greater when the restoration is cemented with RC (278.75 N/cm3) than with PR (144.49 N/cm3), and better adjustment and sealing were observed for composite restorations with PR. CONCLUSION: PR comprise an alternative cementing agent for indirect composite restorations in Class II cavities in premolars.

Calcium sustained release, pH changes and cell viability induced by chitosan-based pastes for apexification.

We explored chitosan-based sustained release pastes for apexification. The study aimed to formulate chitosan-based pastes loaded with calcium hydroxide (CH) or with calcium chloride (CC), and to evaluate the sustained release of Ca2+ and pH changes in deionized water as well as the effect of the pastes on cell viability. The pastes were formulated by dissolution of the chitosan in 1% or 2% acetic acid (AAC) plus the addition of CH or CC, then were suspended in deionized water for 50 days; the released Ca(II) and pH were measured with an electrode probe. The effect of the pastes on viability of human dental pulp cells was evaluated with a MTS assay. The results showed that the pastes prepared with 1% and 2% AAC and loaded with CH released a 74.9% and a 76.1% of the Ca2+ content, respectively, while the pastes prepared with 1% and 2% AAC loaded with CC released a content of Ca2+ of 90.8% and 76.6%, respectively. A control paste (CH and polyethylene glycol) released a 95.4%; significant statistical differences were found between the percentage of the experimental pastes and the control. The CH-loaded pastes caused an alkaline pH at the starting of the study, but the pH became neutral at the ending. The pH of the CC-loaded pastes was neutral at the starting and was acid at the ending. The pastes no affected on the cell viability. The chitosan-based pastes showed a suitable sustained release profile and cytocompatibility.

Case Report in Clinical Pediatric Dentistry: How to Review, Organize and Prepare a Manuscript.

A case report is a useful type of publication to describe information on unusual clinical diseases or syndromes, new management techniques, potential risk factors/oral disease associations, and uncommon side effects or responses to traditional dental treatments. In the practice of Dentistry and Medicine, the publication of case reports has the purpose of sharing new clinical experiences and knowledge with interested colleagues. Case reports in the field of Evidence-Based Pediatric Dentistry convey unique contributions to the clinical practice and help improve the process of clinical decision making in the form of a brief written communication. Additionally, case reports are potential resources of new hypotheses for more complex methodological designs in clinical research studies and are one of the best ways to get started in scholarly writing. The purposes of the present report were to comment on the role, relevance, and main limitations of case reports in Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, to describe the reasons for writing a case report and some recommendations for critically reviewing a published case report, and finally, to provide the fundamentals of preparing a case report, and finally, to provide the fundamentals of preparing a case report manuscript in a structured manner.

Cell viability and hemocompatibility evaluation of a starch-based hydrogel loaded with hydroxyapatite or calcium carbonate for maxillofacial bone regeneration.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the cell viability and hemocompatibility of starch-based hydrogels for maxillofacial bone regeneration. Seven starch-based hydrogels were prepared: three loaded with 0.5, 1 and 2% calcium carbonate (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA); three loaded with 2, 3 and 4% hydroxyapatite (Sigma Aldrich); and one not loaded as a control. A 10 M NaOH was then added to induce hydrogel formation. Human osteoblasts were cultured on each hydrogel for 72 h. An MTS assay (Cell Titer96; PROMEGA, Madison, WI, USA) was used to assess cell viability. Hemocompatibility testing was conducted with normal human blood in the following conditions: 100 mg of each hydrogel in contact with 900 µL of whole blood for 15 min at 37 °C under lateral stirring. Higher percentages of cell viability were observed in starch-based hydrogels loaded with hydroxyapatite as compared with the control. The hemolysis test showed a hemolysis level lower than 2%. Activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time were unchanged, while platelet counting showed a slight decrease when compared with controls.