In vivo acid etching effect on bacteria within caries-affected dentin.

Acid etching procedures may disrupt residual bacteria and contribute to the success of incomplete caries removal followed by adhesive restoration. This study evaluated the in vivo effect of acid etching on cariogenic bacterial activity within affected dentin after minimally invasive treatment of caries lesions. Twenty-eight carious permanent teeth received standardized selective caries removal and random acid etch treatment (E) or not (NE) prior to adhesive restoration. Baseline and 3-month dentin biopsies were collected. The number of bacteria and activity of total bacterial cells and Streptococcus mutans were determined by quantitative PCR and RT-PCR. No statistically significant differences were observed in total bacterial number and activity between E and NE treatments (p > 0.3008). For NE, however, the residual S. mutans bacterial cells were reduced (p = 0.0027), while the activity per cell was significantly increased (p = 0.0010) after reentry at 3 months after restoration. This effect was not observed in group E. Although no significant differences were found between groups, this study suggests that acid etching of affected dentin prior to adhesive restoration may directly or indirectly have an inhibitive effect on the activity of residual cariogenic bacteria. Further research is required to investigate this potential effect.

In vivo dentin microhardness beneath a calcium-phosphate cement.

A minimally invasive caries-removal technique preserves potentially repairable, caries-affected dentin. Mineral-releasing cements may promote remineralization of soft residual dentin. This study evaluated the in vivo remineralization capacity of resin-based calcium-phosphate cement (Ca-PO(4)) used for indirect pulp-capping. Permanent carious and sound teeth indicated for extraction were excavated and restored either with or without the Ca-PO(4) base (control), followed by adhesive restoration. Study teeth were extracted after 3 months, followed by sectioning and in vitro microhardness analysis of the cavity floor to 115-microm depth. Caries-affected dentin that received acid conditioning prior to Ca-PO(4) basing showed significantly increased Knoop hardness near the cavity floor. The non-etched group presented results similar to those of the non-treated group. Acid etching prior to cement application increased microhardness of residual dentin near the interface after 3 months in situ.

In vivo dentin remineralization by calcium-phosphate cement.

Minimally invasive caries-removal procedures remove only caries-infected dentin and preserve caries-affected dentin that becomes remineralized. Dental cements containing calcium phosphate promote remineralization. This study evaluated the in vivo remineralization capacity of resin-based calcium-phosphate cement (Ca-P) used for indirect pulp-capping. Carious and sound teeth indicated for extraction were randomly restored with the Ca-P base or without base (control), followed by adhesive restoration. Study teeth were extracted after three months, followed by elemental analysis of the cavity floor. Mineral content of affected or sound dentin at the cavity floor was quantified by electron probe micro-analysis to 100-mum depth. After three months, caries-affected dentin underneath the Ca-P base showed significantly increased calcium and phosphorus content to a depth of 30 mum. Mineral content of treated caries-affected dentin was in the range of healthy dentin, revealing the capacity of Ca-P base to promote remineralization of caries-affected dentin.

Probing the origins and control of shrinkage stress in dental resin-composites: I. Shrinkage stress characterization technique.

The accurate and reliable characterization of the polymerization shrinkage stress is becoming increasingly important, as the shrinkage stress still is a major drawback of current dimethacrylate-based dental materials and restricts its range of applications. The purpose of this research is to develop a novel shrinkage stress measurement device to elucidate the shrinkage stress evolution of dental restorative composites while allowing for controlled sample deformation during the polymerization. Furthermore, the device is designed to mimic the clinically relevant cusp-to-cusp displacement by systematically adjusting the instrument compliance, the bonded surface area/unbonded area by sample geometry, and the total bonded area by sample diameter. The stress measurement device based on the cantilever beam deflection theory has been successfully developed and characterized using a commercial dental composite. It was shown that this device is a highly effective, practical and reliable shrinkage stress measurement tool, which enables its facile applications to the investigation of shrinkage stress kinetics of both commercial and experimental composites, as well as for probing various aspects that dictate shrinkage stress development.

Determination of double bond conversion in dental resins by near infrared spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVES: This study determined the validity and practicality of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic techniques for measurement of conversion in dental resins. METHODS: Conversion measurements by NIR and mid-IR were compared using two techniques: (1) The conversion of 3mm thick photopolymerized Bis-GMA/TEGDMA resin specimens was determined by transmission NIR. Specimens were then ground and reanalyzed in KBr pellet form by mid-IR. (2) As further verification, thin resin films were photocured and analyzed by mid-IR. Multiple thin films were then compressed into a thick pellet for examination by NIR. RESULTS: Conversion values obtained by NIR and mid-IR techniques did not differ significantly. A correction for changing specimen thickness due to polymerization shrinkage was applied to NIR conversion measurements since an internal standard reference peak was not employed. Sensitivity of the NIR technique was superior to those based on the mid-IR. SIGNIFICANCE: The nondestructive analysis of conversion in dental resins by NIR offers advantages of convenience, practical specimen dimensions and precision compared with standard mid-IR analytical procedures. Because glass is virtually transparent in the NIR spectrum, this technique has excellent potential for use with filled dental resins as well.

[The studies on microtensile bond strength measurements of two dentin adhesives].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a modified microtensile method used to test bond strengths of two current one-bottle dentin bond systems (Prime & Bond NT, PBNT; Prime one Mirage, P-One) with a parallel match design. METHODS: 15 extracted, caries-free human molars were cut to expose occlusal dentin. A 5 mm deep slot was prepared in each crown to divide the crown into nearly equal halves for accepting treatment of the two dentin bond systems, respectively. After 24 h storage in distilled water at 37 degrees C, the bonded teeth were subjected to two treatments: 5 teeth were tested without further treatment and 10 teeth were thermocycled (2400 cycles, between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C) prior to bond strength testing. Hour-glass shaped specimens with a distance of approximately 1.0 mm at the narrowest portion were cut from each tooth and tested in tensile mode. RESULTS: Bond strengths (mean MPa) were: for PBNT: 42 & 31, and for P-One 64 & 38 without and with thermocycling, respectively. Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in bond strengths(P < 0.001) between the two systems and when thermocycled. However, a pairwise multiple comparison (Tukey test) showed that after thermocycling the difference between the two systems was not significant (P > 0.05). Regression analysis showed that a correlation existed between the two systems' tensile bond strength values grouped by tooth (correlation coefficient r = 0.575, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The modified microtensile method with a parallel match design is feasible and suitable for evaluating two different bonding systems or dentin treatments.

MALDI-TOF MS analysis of a library of polymerizable cyclodextrin derivatives.

Polymerizable cyclodextrin derivatives (PCDs) have been proposed as candidates for use in dental therapeutics (Bowen, 1996; Bowen and Reed, 1997). Here, PCD "libraries" were synthesized by quasi-random reactions of 6 moles of methacrylic anhydride plus 6 moles of cyclic glutaric anhydride per mole of beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) in solution. BCD has 21 reactive sites on each of its molecules. These proportions were based on probability calculations, which predicted that the products should have a minimum of 2 polymerizable substituents and acidic ligand groups on practically every one of the diverse product molecules. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) gave valuable information regarding the masses of molecular ions representing the molecules that made up the PCD libraries. For the MALDI-TOF MS analyses, small samples were analyzed by the successive application of 3 solutions to the sample holder: the matrix in acetone, the products in water, and sodium trifluoroacetate in water. The resulting spectra had > 40 envelopes of mass peaks above background. The ionic-abundance peak heights had quasi-Gaussian configurations, with central peaks having masses in the neighborhood of 2000 g/mol (Daltons). Regardless of structural permutations within each peak, the range of these peaks was between about 1500 g/mol and 2900 g/mol. This range of masses was in accord with, but perhaps somewhat more narrow than, that predicted by the statistical method, which was based on equal reactivity of all hydroxyl groups. Analysis by MALDI-TOF MS gave valuable data regarding the masses, structures, and characteristics of the products formed and provided unanticipated information to facilitate improvements in future PCD syntheses.