Clinical and CBCT-based diagnosis of furcation involvement in patients with severe periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the use of periodontal probing and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images in the diagnosis of furcation involvement (FI) in patients with chronic generalized severe periodontitis. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Fifteen patients with chronic generalized severe periodontitis were included in this study. In total, 174 furcation sites (all in molar teeth) were analyzed. FI was assessed at three sites (buccal, mesiopalatal, and distopalatal) of maxillary molars, and at two sites (buccal and oral) of mandibular molars. FI was assessed both clinically (periodontal probing) and on CBCT images, using a dichotomous scale (present/absent). The agreement between clinical and CBCT-based findings was calculated. RESULTS: FI were more often detected by means of CBCT than by means of clinical examination. Agreement between the evaluation methods was present in 46.9% of cases (63.3% in maxilla, 45.0% in mandible). FI detected clinically was confirmed by means of CBCT in 24% of the evaluated sites. The largest agreement (73.7%) in FI detection was found in the distopalatal maxillary sites between CBCT and clinical probing. The smallest agreement (36.6%) was found in the buccal sites of the mandibular molars, in which 63.3% of FI were detected using CBCT only, but not clinically. CONCLUSION: The number of FI detected by means of CBCT was larger than by means of periodontal probing. In those cases in which chronic generalized severe periodontitis is clinically diagnosed, and surgical treatment is necessary, CBCT may be suggested as an adjunct tool for FI assessment.

Remaining unreacted methacrylate groups in resin-based composite with respect to sample preparation and storing conditions using micro-Raman spectroscopy.

The aim of this study was to measure degree of conversion (DC) of resin-based composites (RBCs) using micro-Raman spectroscopy followed by different sample preparation procedures and storing conditions. Ninety samples of Tetric EvoCeram (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein) were prepared in standardized molds and cured with a high powered LED light-curing unit, bluephase (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein) for 20 s. Samples were allocated to eight groups. DC of groups 1 and 2 was recorded without or after polishing. DC in groups 3 and 4 was recorded from vertically sectioned samples versus "split" samples. DC in groups 5-8 was recorded after storing samples at room temperature and humidity, in 90 +/- 2% humidity at 37 +/- 1 degrees C, distilled water at 37 +/- 1 degrees C or buffered incubation medium (BIM) at 37 +/- 1 degrees C for 24 h. Mean values of DC in polished and unpolished samples were 63.6% (+/-3.2%) and 54.7% (+/-5.2%), respectively (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in DC after sample-sectioning (p > 0.05). Significantly higher DC values were obtained after storing samples in BIM (76.8% +/- 2.1%) than in distilled water (59.7% +/- 5.7%), extreme humidity (60.3% +/- 3.9%) or in room conditions (63.6% +/- 3.2%) (p < 0.001). DC of an RBC measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy may be affected by differences in sample preparation and storing conditions, making it difficult to extrapolate data from in vitro studies into clinically relevant information.