ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess the influence on the infrared laser fluorescence response of some storage methods commonly used in dental research. Forty extracted permanent teeth, selected from a pool of frozen teeth, were divided into four groups of 10. Three groups were stored at 4 degrees C in 1% chloramine, 10% formalin or 0.02% thymol solution. The fourth group was stored at -20 degrees C (no storage solution added). Fluorescence measurements were performed at 14, 77, 113, 168, 232, 486 and 737 days. After 2 years, significant decreases in fluorescence (p<0.01) for the samples in formalin (-60%), chloramine (-72%) and thymol (-54%) were observed. The frozen teeth showed a slight but non-significant increase in fluorescence of 5% (p>0.01). Storing solutions have a significant influence on the fluorescence yield. Samples used for in vitro purposes stored frozen do not significantly change their fluorescence response. Thus, cut-off values obtained under the latter conditions could be extrapolated to the in vivo situation.
Subject(s)
Freezing , Organ Preservation Solutions , Tooth , Chloramines , Fluorescence , Formaldehyde , Humans , Lasers , Pilot Projects , ThymolABSTRACT
This in vitro study aimed to assess the speed and caries removal effectiveness of four different new and conventional dentine excavation methods. Eighty deciduous molars were assigned to four groups. Teeth were sectioned longitudinally through the lesion centre. Images of one half per tooth were captured by light microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to assess the caries extension. The halves were then reassembled and caries removed using round carbide bur (group 1), Er:YAG laser (group 2), hand excavator (group 3) and a polymer bur (group 4). The time needed for the whole excavation in each tooth was registered. After excavation, the halves were photographed by light microscope. Caries extension obtained from CLSM images were superimposed on the post-excavation images, allowing comparison between caries extension and removal. The regions where caries and preparation limits coincided, as well as the areas of over- and underpreparation, were measured. Steel bur was the fastest method, followed by the polymer bur, hand excavator and laser. Steel bur exhibited also the largest overpreparation area, followed by laser, hand excavator and polymer bur. The largest underpreparation area was found using polymer bur, followed by laser, hand excavator and steel bur. Hand excavator presented the longest coincidence line, followed by polymer and steel burs and laser. Overall, hand excavator seemed to be the most suitable method for carious dentine excavation in deciduous teeth, combining good excavation time with effective caries removal.
Subject(s)
Dental Caries/therapy , Dental Cavity Preparation/instrumentation , Dental Cavity Preparation/methods , Dental Instruments , Chi-Square Distribution , Dentin , Fluorescence , Humans , Laser Therapy , Microscopy, Confocal , Molar , Polymers , Stainless Steel , Statistics, Nonparametric , Time Factors , Tooth, Deciduous , Tungsten CompoundsABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to compare, in vitro, the performance of different conventional diagnostic techniques with the laser-based device, DIAGNOdent, for diagnosis of occlusal caries in deciduous teeth. 95 deciduous teeth with macroscopically intact occlusal surfaces were selected. All teeth were assessed by the following techniques: visual inspection (VI), visual inspection with magnification (VIM), visual inspection combined with light pressure probing (VIP), bitewing radiography (BW) and the DIAGNOdent (DD). Caries extension was assessed by histology. DIAGNOdent showed, in comparison with the conventional clinical methods, a significantly improved ability (p < 0.05) to detect dentinal lesions (D(3) or D(4)) in deciduous teeth and an overall performance similar to that obtained in previous studies on permanent teeth. There was no statistically significant difference between VIM and DD in detecting caries confined to enamel (D(2)). DD performed better at D(2) level than the other methods. The intraexaminer kappa scores for DIAGNOdent were 0.76-0.86 (D(2)) and 0.77-0.85 (D(3)), respectively. It was concluded that DIAGNOdent could be used as an additional tool in the detection of occlusal caries in deciduous teeth and its good reproducibility should enable the laser device to monitor the caries process over time.
Subject(s)
Dental Caries/diagnosis , Lasers , Child, Preschool , Dental Caries Activity Tests , Diagnosis, Oral/instrumentation , Fluorescence , Humans , Lenses , Likelihood Functions , Observer Variation , Radiography, Bitewing , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Tooth, Deciduous/pathologyABSTRACT
Children and adolescents must be examined often for occlusal caries. Diagnosis of fissure caries is difficult especially when the tooth surface appears seemingly intact. It has been shown that using traditional clinical methods, as little as 20% of teeth with fissure caries under intact surfaces were correctly recognised as such. Therefore, new methods for increasing the accuracy of diagnosis have been sought for years. Recently, a new device, based on fluorescence measurements, was introduced. The purpose of this study was to test the device under in vivo conditions in order to provide recommendations for its use in the dental office. Seven general dental practitioners examined a total of 332 occlusal surfaces in 240 patients. Caries extent was determined for each site after operative intervention (='gold standard'). Clinical inspection and analysis of bitewing radiographs exhibited statistically significant lower sensitivities (31-63%) than did the DIAGNOdent device (sensitivity > or = 92%). It is recommended that the laser device is used in the decision-making process in relation to the diagnosis of occlusal caries as a second opinion in cases of doubt after visual inspection.
