Comparison of Film Thickness of Two Commercial Brands of Glass lonomer Cement and One Dual-cured Composite: An in vitro Study.

AIM: The present study is undertaken to examine the film thickness of three most commonly used luting cements and to determine their usage as a luting agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out strictly according to the guidelines of American Dental Association (ADS) specification no. 8. Two glass slabs of 5 cm in length and 2 cm in width were used. One glass slab was kept over the other glass slab and the space between the two glass slabs was measured using metallurgical microscope at the power of 10*. Two brands of glass ionomer cement (GIC) and one dual-cured resin cement were used in this study. The test cement is sandwiched between two glass slabs. A static load of 15 kg was applied using universal testing machine on the glass slabs for 1 hour and the space present between the two glass slabs was measured using metallurgical microscope at the power of 10*. RESULTS: Greatest film thickness was found in group III (Paracore) followed by group II (micron) and lowest in group I (GC luting and lining cement). All the tested samples can be used for luting purposes. CONCLUSION: Greatest film thickness was observed in Paracore followed by micron and lowest in GC luting and lining cement. This suggests that the 25 to 27°C is ideal for mixing of the cement when used for luting consistency. The cement with film thickness more than 30 urn should never be used for luting purposes. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The dentist should choose the luting cement with utmost care noting the film thickness and bond strength of the cement. The cement with low exothermic heat production and good bond strength should be encouraged.

Partial Edentulism and its Association with Socio-Demographic Variables among Subjects Attending Dental Teaching Institutions, India.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in preventive dentistry, edentulism is a major public health issues worldwide. Edentulism is an enervating and unrepairable condition and is described as the "final marker of disease burden for oral health." The objectives of the present study are to determine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and partial edentulism, and to evaluate the prevalence of various classes of partial edentulism by using Kennedy's classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in an institution, on randomly selected individuals. The study group included adult patients who attended the outpatient Department of Prosthodontics during February-April 2015 formed the study participants. Data were collected by using a pre-formed pro-forma and Chi-square test was used to explore the relationship between two variables. RESULTS: A population comprised of 384 individuals between the age group of 18 and 35 years. Of these, 204 (53.12%) were males and 180 (46.88%) were females. Two hundred and eighty eight individuals were partially edentulous showing a prevalence rate of 75%. 51.04% of the study subjects were lost their teeth because of periodontol disease. 73.4% belonged to the upper middle class and 75.4% were in lower middle class in partially edentulous subjects. 45.8% had a fair oral hygiene status. Kennedy's class III was the most common type of partial edentulism in upper jaw and lower. CONCLUSION: The present study concluded that prevalence of partial edentulism among the study population was high. They need community-based oral health programs to increase the awareness and reduce the risk of tooth loss.