Dr. Peress and the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

McCarthy came down to Camp Kilmer, and to the Army's distress He uncovered a pink-tinted dentist, by the name of Irving Peress. That was the start of the struggle, that was the start of the strife And look at the uproar resulting; O take to the hills for your life!--Anonymous around the Pentagon, 1954.

Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes: therapeutic implications.

Genetic instability is a hallmark of cancer. Alterations in DNA through mutations, deletions, and translocations affect genes that are fundamental to normal cell growth differentiation and programmed cell death. Here, we discuss these alterations as they relate to oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. In addition, we describe the implications the changes in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have on designing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer.

Clinical evaluation of restored maxillary incisors: veneers vs. PFM crowns.

This cross-sectional study compared the periodontal health and clinical acceptability of maxillary incisors restored with porcelain veneers vs. porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. The authors evaluated 60 patients, a total of 120 restorations, in groups according to the age of the restorations (zero to 60 months). Margins of veneers were generally more supragingival with less gingival inflammation. All veneers were clinically acceptable, while 5 percent of PFMs failed because of secondary caries.

A history of Dwight D. Eisenhower's oral health.

This paper reviews the oral health history of President Eisenhower from his early years as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Tank Corps to the last years of his life. It includes first hand accounts of his oral care when President, provides evidence that his periodontitis stabilized after he quit smoking, documents the destructive effects of his parafunctional grinding on his dentition and how he was plagued with fracturing teeth the last fifteen years of his life. Finally, it shows the special care Eisenhower was given both as a renowned leader and a medically compromised patient.

Surface morphology and chemical characterization of abrasion/erosion lesions.

PURPOSE: To describe the dentin surface morphology of abrasion/erosion lesions and to chemically characterize in vivo samples of sclerotic dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Baseline polyvinylsiloxane impressions of eight in vivo caries-free lesions were taken. Dentin was collected from retention grooves for FTIR photoacoustic spectroscopic analysis. The cavity preparation was etched for 30 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsed, and dried. Impressions were taken of the etched surfaces. Epoxy resin dies were made of baseline and etched impressions, sputter-coated and examined at x1000 with the SEM. RESULTS: Lateral dentin tubule orientation was observed at gingival margins and on occlusal walls. Open cross-sectional tubules were seen at the depth of the groove. The mineral/protein ratio in the FTIR/PAS spectra of in vivo unetched sclerotic dentin samples suggested an increased mineral content.

Effects of dentin age and bonding on microgap formation.

This study compared the effectiveness of dentin adhesives in extracted molars from younger (16-26) and older (58-87) human subjects. Extracted molars were selected to be restored with one of two dentin bonding agents (n = 22 per group). Opposite sides of each molar were ground flat and a 3 mm x 3 mm cylindrical preparation was milled into each surface. The opposing surfaces of each molar were then randomly restored with either a dentin bonding system that adhered to the dentin smear layer or one which bonded to the dentin after the smear layer was removed. All samples were examined at x150 to determine both the maximum gap in micrometers and extent of the gap in degrees. There were significantly shorter (P < 0.05) microgaps in older dentin with a bonding system that removed smear layer. This bonding system also produced shorter gaps in older dentin than in younger dentin. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of gap-free margins between age groups.

Effect of two dentin bonding agents on microleakage in two different cavity designs.

Studies have shown that cavity design and dentinal bonding agents can affect composite resin microleakage. This study compared the microleakage at cementum-dentin margins of box- and Vshaped preparations restored with two different bonding agents. Twenty freshly extracted, human third molars were prepared with one box-shaped and one V-shaped preparation on the mesial or distal surface. Occlusal margins were terminated in etched enamel and gingival margins were in cementum-dentin. There was no statistically significant difference (p greater than 0.05) between Dual Cure Scotchbond and Scotchbond 2 samples restored in the box-shaped preparations, but Scotchbond 2 had statistically significantly less microleakage (p less than 0.05) than Dual Cure adhesive in V-shaped preparations. The sealing of dentinal bonding agents varied in different cavity designs.

Comparison of two-surface and multiple-surface scoring methodologies for in vitro microleakage studies.

Investigators differ on the use of a two-surface or multiple-surface scoring methodology in sectional microleakage studies. This study compared microleakage scores using both two-surface and multiple-surface scoring methods for two preparation types and two different dentin bonding agents. Twenty freshly extracted molars each received one box-shaped and one V-shaped restoration on the mesial or distal surface. Each restoration was cut occlusogingivally into four sections, yielding eight surfaces for scoring. Surfaces were marked to identify central (I), lateral (II), and end (III) locations, then scored by two calibrated raters. The Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Rank Test showed a statistically significant difference (p less than or equal to 0.05) in median microleakage scores obtained by an end two- surface and multiple-surface evaluation for V-shaped preparations restored with Scotchbond 2, P-50. No other statistically significant comparisons were detected. Results suggest that microleakage may be more extreme at end surfaces and that these end surfaces should be scored so that an accurate microleakage value could be assigned to composite restorations.

Predicting esthetics of laminate veneers without tooth preparation.

High expectations may contribute to stress in the patient and dentist during dental treatment. Esthetic and restorative results can be predicted for laminate veneers by using a powder blower and a liquid dispenser preoperatively to form self-cured resin veneers. Trial veneers are formed in a precision "salt and pepper" technique that conserves materials and time. The trial veneers are placed, without tooth preparation, on the treatment site so that the patient can preview the planned treatment and so that the dentist can explain proposed treatment in a reversible procedure. This may circumvent misunderstandings between dentist and patient and allow the consideration of alternate treatment plans.

Oral health status of a federal prison population.

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth among federal male prisoners (aged 21-75) in the US Penitentiary. Leavenworth, Kansas, and to assess the impact of age, race, number of years incarcerated, and number of visits to the prison dentist on these parameters of oral health. Inmates (n = 191) were randomly selected and represented 16.4 percent of the prison population (N = 1,161). Two calibrated examiners collected caries and tooth loss data using NIDR criteria. No radiographs were taken. Results showed a mean DMFT of 12.9 for inmates aged 20-34, 16.4 for inmates aged 35- 44, and 22.1 for inmates aged 45 and older. Whites had significantly fewer decayed teeth (P less than .05) than black inmates for ages 20-34. The number of missing teeth increased significantly (P less than .01) with inmate age. Proportion edentulous (both arches) was 5.2 percent for ages 35 to 44, 17.3 percent for ages 45-54, and 45.5 percent for ages 55 to 75. Cross tabulations and chi-square analyses showed that inmates incarcerated less than two years had a significantly (P less than .001) lower utilization rate of dental services, and that inmates who made greater use of available dental services had fewer decayed teeth than those with lower utilization rates.

The effects of rinse volumes and air and water pressures on enamel-composite resin bond strength.

To assess the effect of different rinse volumes and air and water pressures on shear enamel-composite resin bond strength, the buccal surfaces of 384 maxillary molars were prepared through 600-grit silicon carbide, gel-etched, and rinsed with one of 24 randomly assigned test conditions: 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, or 25 ml volume wash with air and water syringe pressures of 20/10, 20/40, 40/10, or 40/40 psi. The rinsed enamel was dried, Scotchbond adhesive was applied, and a polysiloxane ring was secured to the flattened surface. Silux resin was incrementally added to a depth of 2 mm and each increment cured 40 seconds. Shear bond strengths were determined by using an Instron testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. A statistically significant (p less than 0.05) volume effect was found only between the 0 volume rinse groups and each other volume group. No statistically significant differences (p less than 0.05) were seen between air or water pressure groups. Mean bond strengths for greater than or equal to 2 ml rinsing ranged from 250 +/- 30 to 280 +/- 50 kg/cm2. Enamel-composite resin bond strengths were not significantly increased beyond 2 ml rinsing regardless of air and water syringe pressure used.