ABSTRACT
Introduction The electric pulp tester (EPT) is an extensively used diagnostic tool in endodontics. However, several factors, especially the location and thickness of the tooth structures, such as enamel and dentine, can affect the result of an electric pulp test. Further, these factors also alter the pain threshold, which may lead to an inaccurate diagnosis. Hence, it is crucial to ascertain the optimal tooth surface that requires minimal time to elicit a response and pain threshold to enhance the effectiveness of the electric pulp tester for diagnosing the status of the pulp. Methods Fifty volunteers (36 males and 14 females) aged 18 to 32 years without any prior experience with the EPT were recruited. The EPT was placed on the seven premolar sites, and molar teeth with an appropriate electrolyte as a conducting medium were tested. The pain threshold values were recorded using the stopwatch, whereas pain assessment was carried out using the Memojis pain scale. An independent sample t-test and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data statistically. Results The buccal occlusal third in males (27.3±8.6 seconds) and the buccal middle third in females (28.5±8.2 seconds) showed lower response times than other sites in premolar teeth. The mesiobuccal cusp showed a lower response time for males (21.3±6.6 seconds) and females (21.5±6.2 seconds) in molar teeth. Of all the various sites tested, the majority of the individuals chose pain scores of 0 (36 in premolars, 84 in molars), two (138 in premolars, 180 in molars), and four (96 in premolars, 42 in molars) in both the premolars and molars. Conclusion The ideal sites for placing the EPT in premolars for males and females are the buccal occlusal third and the buccal middle third. At the same time, the mesiobuccal cusp is the ideal site for molars in both males and females, as it is responded to the quickest by the electric current. Most individuals have experienced a score of two (hurts a little bit) for the perceived pain using EPT for both the molars and premolars.
ABSTRACT
Traumatic dental injuries otherwise referred to as dental trauma is common in dental practice. The etiology of dental trauma is mostly falls and accidents in case of children and young adults. The treatment provided should be quick and effective which depends on the extent of the dental trauma, the injury might expose enamel, dentine and pulp of the affected teeth. Ellis class 3 involves all the 3 layers mentioned, so there should be quick measures taken. A survey was conducted among dental practitioners to assess their knowledge and practice experience about Ellis class 2 fracture. Detailed questionnaire was created with questions about Ellis class 3 tooth fracture and was circulated to 100 dental practitioners in Chennai, Tamilnadu through google forms. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software. The knowledge and practice of Ellis class 3 trauma was 85%, the dental practitioners have adequate knowledge about the various clinical, diagnostic aids used and are aware to provide the correct treatment for each case. Based on the responses from the dental practitioners there is not much practice of Ellis class 3 dental trauma in their dental practice. Thus the present study concludes that the knowledge and practice of Ellis class 3 teeth fracture is good among dental practitioners and the various aspects are well known by dentists.
ABSTRACT
Composite is usually a mixture of two phases. The composites used in dentistry have high durability. The individual properties of each phase are important to increase the mechanical property of the composite. This study aimed to determine the surface roughness changes of two composite resin restorative materials after thermocycling. Two of the commercially available composites were chosen (RestoFill and SwissTEC). The composite disks of dimension 10 mm diameter and 3 mm height were prepared using silicone molds, and every increment was light cured for 30 s. A stylus profilometer was used to assess the surface roughness prethermocycling, and then, the disks were subjected to an integrated thermocycler (T.S-4.4) for 1000 cycles. The postsurface roughness was obtained after the thermocycling process using the same stylus profilometer. The surface parameter values before and after thermocycling of the SwissTEC sample is less than that of RestoFill. There was a significant difference between the Rz and Rq values of the two different commercially available composite materials. Thus, the present study concludes that thermocycling influenced the surface roughness of composite resin and increased the surface roughness of both the RestoFill and SwissTEC composites.
