Comparison of The Canary System and DIAGNOdent for the in vitro detection of caries under opaque dental sealants.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of operators using The Canary System and DIAGNOdent to detect natural pit and fissure caries under four commonly-used opaque dental sealants. METHODS: Mixed sound and carious pits/fissures (N = 105) selected from 40 human teeth were randomly assigned (10 teeth/group) to one of four opaque sealant groups (Delton, Embrace WetBond, Helioseal F, UltraSeal XT Plus). Selected pits/fissures sites on occlusal surfaces were scanned with The Canary System and DIAGNOdent, sealed, re-scanned, and subjected to polarized light microscopy to confirm whether the scanned regions were sound or carious. Sensitivities and specificities for each detection method before and after sealant placement were calculated. RESULTS: The Canary System and DIAGNOdent were able to distinguish between sound and carious tissue beneath opaque sealants with an accuracy of 76% and 59%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Canary System can serve as a clinical tool to aid dental professionals to detect and monitor the status of caries lesions and tooth structure underneath sealant. The increased likelihood of false-positive diagnoses with DIAGNOdent due to intrinsic auto-fluorescence of sealant filler and opacifying agents might limit its usefulness as an aid to detect caries underneath opaque sealants.

Proximal caries lesion detection using the Canary Caries Detection System: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the accuracy of the Canary System (CS) to detect proximal caries lesions in vitro, and compared it with conventional methods: International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II and bitewing radiography (BW). METHODS: Visible proximal surfaces of extracted human teeth were assessed by ICDAS-II before setting them in five manikin mouth models. Then contacting proximal surfaces in mouth models were assessed by BW and CS. Histological validation with polarized-light microscopy served as a gold standard. Pairwise comparisons were performed on area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of the three methods, and corrected using Bonferroni's method. Sensitivities and specificities were compared using a test of proportions and AUC values were compared using DeLong's method. RESULTS: The CS presented significantly higher sensitivity (0.933) than ICDAS-II (0.733, P = 0.01) and BW (0.267, P < 0.001), and ICDAS-II higher sensitivity than BW (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between their specificity values: 0.825 (CS), 0.65 (ICDAS-II), and 0.875 (BW). The AUC of CS (0.862) was significantly higher than of ICDAS-II (0.681, P < 0.001) and BW (0.577, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The CS demonstrated greater accuracy in detecting proximal lesions than ICDAS-II and BW, although without significantly higher specificity.

Evaluation of nanohydroxyapatite-containing toothpaste for occluding dentin tubules.

PURPOSE: To compare dentin tubule occlusion by dentifrices containing either nanohydroxyapatite (10%nHAP and 15%nHAP), sodium monofluorophosphate (Na-MFP) or NovaMin (NovaMin). METHODS: All 80 participants wore four intraoral appliances bearing dentin blocks while using one of the four test dentifrices (n = 20/dentifrice) twice daily for 14 days. The four appliances were removed in pairs after 7 and 14 days. One treated block from each of the test periods (7 and 14 days) and their untreated controls were examined with SEM to determine the level of tubule occlusion. The remaining two treated blocks and their controls were used to determine tubule permeability to dye solution. Effectiveness was compared statistically (ANOVA/Tukey's) based on % area covered by deposited precipitate layer (%DPL), % dye penetration inhibition (%DPI) and percentage of fully-open (%FOT), partially-occluded (%POT) and completely-occluded (%COT) tubules in each block calculated relative to the number of tubules in their control blocks. RESULTS: SEM showed increased %COT and %DPL overtime. After 7 and 14 days, %COT, %POT, %DPL and %DPI were significantly lower with Na-MFP when compared to 10%nHAP (P < 0.01), NovaMin (P < 0.05) and 15%nHAP (P < 0.001), the three of which were not significantly different from each other in those four variables. A reverse trend was observed with %FOT (P < 0.001). Within the same dentifrice, no difference in %COT, %POT, %FOT, %DPI and %DPL after 7 and 14 days, except with Na-MFP in which %DPL significantly (P< 0.05) increased with usage. In conclusion, nanohydroxyapatite-containing and NovaMin-containing toothpastes showed equal and more effectiveness in occluding dentin tubules than Na-MFP toothpaste.

Effect of theobromine-containing toothpaste on dentin tubule occlusion in situ.

OBJECTIVES: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is treated by either occlusion of dentin tubules or nerve desensitization. This in situ study compared dentin tubules occlusion by theobromine-containing dentifrices with (Theodent-classic-F®, TCF) and without (Theodent-classic®, TC) fluoride with 1,500 ppm fluoride toothpaste, Colgate®-Regular (Fluoride) and Novamin®-containing toothpaste, Sensodyne®-5000-Nupro (Novamin®). METHODS: Each subject wore four intraoral appliances bearing dentin blocks while using one of four test dentifrices (n = 20/dentifrice) twice daily for 7 days. The four appliances were removed successively after 1, 2, 3, and 7 days. Treated blocks and their control (untreated) blocks were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Effects were compared statistically (ANOVA/Tukey's) based on percentage of surface area covered by deposited precipitate layer (%DPL) and percentage of fully open (%FOT), partially occluded (%POT), and completely occluded (%COT) tubules in each block calculated relative to the number of tubules in their control blocks. RESULTS: SEM observation indicated an increased %COT and %DPL over time. After 1 and 2 days, %COT was comparable with TC and TCF, and significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared with Novamin® and Fluoride. Following 3 and 7 days, %COT was comparable among TC, TCF, and Novamin®, but remained significantly lower in Fluoride. At any time, %DPL was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in TC, TCF, and Novamin® compared with Fluoride. CONCLUSIONS: Theobromine-containing toothpastes with and without fluoride have equal potential in occluding dentin tubules within a shorter time period than Novamin®-containing toothpaste; however, the three demonstrated equal potential after 1 week, but not the fluoride toothpaste. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Theobromine-containing toothpaste promoted dentin tubule occlusion thus shows potential to relief DH.