In vivo diagnostic assessment of dentinal caries utilizing acid red and povidone-iodine dyes.

In order to compare the clinical utilization of diagnostic dyes to identify carious dentin, the present in vivo study compared two caries-detector dyes, acid red (1% acid red in propylene glycol wt/wt) and povidone-iodine (8% povidone-iodine in water wt/vol). A total of 221 cavities prepared by 19 senior dental students under the supervision of two teachers at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Dental School were used. Dyes were applied double-blind under standardized conditions to at least two teeth of the same patient. Data were analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and a test of proportions. Results showed that molars or premolars did not appear to be positively stained more frequently by one dye or another. Also, 36.7% of teeth tested positive to either one of the two dyes. Prudent utilization of either acid red or povidone-iodine appeared to be equally useful in assisting clinical decisions concerning cavity size while restoring dentinal lesions. However, povidone-iodine may be preferred in clinical settings where acid red is expensive and/or difficult to obtain. Further research is necessary to establish accurately the mechanism of staining by povidone-iodine.

[Recommendations for basic emergency equipment in the dental office]. / Recomendaciones para un equipo básico de urgencias en el consultorio dental.

Medical emergencies in the dentist's office are a primary concern for dental surgeons. Since each individual therapist is personally responsible for the management of those eventualities, they must be properly trained to handle them. Prevention is still the most effective method for avoiding them, with clinical examination as the prime basis for their management. Some current factors that increase the possibility of office emergencies include: a raise in life expectancy rates, thus increasing the number of patients with chronic diseases; multiple and complex therapeutic regimes; patients under dialysis, immunosuppression, transplants, etc. Apart from proper training of the dental surgeon in managing medical emergencies, he must have adequate equipment for treating such events. This article aims to offer dentists a practical guide to emergency equipment, which must always be at his immediate disposal, as well as some practical guidelines for the use of drugs and some recommendations regarding the organization of such equipment.