Materials used in endodontics may stain teeth. Therefore, the choice of material should not rely solely on biological and functional criteria, but also take aesthetic considerations into account.

Basketball carries a medium risk of dental injuries. Swiss data are not available in this respect. Using a standardized questionnaire 302 basketball players from 29 Swiss teams and their 29 coaches were interviewed. The questions focused on the frequency of dental accidents, their prevention and subsequent procedure. The participating 302 players came from three divisions: semi-professional players of National League A and B (102), amateurs of Regional League 2 and 3 (100) and young people of up to the age of 18 (100). The data were evaluated in relation to division, sex and team function. Of the 331 interviewed persons 102 had already seen a dental trauma in basketball and 55 had already had a dental trauma. Only four of the interviewed persons wore mouthguards. The awareness of the procedure following a dental trauma was unsatisfactory. The results of the survey show that significantly more information and education is required in Swiss basketball not only through sports associations but also through coaches and dentists.

The status of the periodontal ligament (PDL) and of the pulp are decisive for the healing of avulsed and replanted teeth. A tooth rescue box was developed and distributed to offer optimal storage conditions for avulsed teeth. The therapy comprised extraoral endodontic treatment and applications of medicaments to enhance periodontal healing. In this long-term clinical study the healing results following avulsion and replantation were investigated. Twenty-eight permanent teeth in 24 patients were evaluated. The extraoral storage media and periods varied considerably. Soon after avulsion six teeth were stored in a cell culture medium (tooth rescue box Dentosafe) for 1-53 h; the PDL was defined as not compromised. Sixteen teeth were stored in a non-physiologic situation temporarily, the PDL was considered as compromised. Six teeth were stored in non-physiologic conditions for longer periods; the condition of the PDL was defined as hopeless. On 14 teeth antiresorptive-regenerative therapy (ART) with the local application of glucocorticoids and enamel matrix derivative and the systemic administration of doxycyclin was used. In all teeth extraoral endodontic treatment by retrograde insertion of posts was performed. The mean observation period was 31.2 months (+/-24.1; 5.1-100.2; median: 23.8). All six teeth rescued physiologically healed with a functional PDL (functional healing, FH) irrespective of the storage period. Of eight teeth with a compromised PDL on which ART was used, three teeth healed with a functional PDL. All other teeth showed replacement resorption, in three teeth additionally infection-related resorption was recorded. The predominant influence on the healing results was the immediate physiologic rescue of avulsed teeth (chi-square, P = 0.0001). The use of ART seemed to support FH (chi-square, P = 0.0547) in teeth with a compromised PDL. No other factors (maturity of roots, crown fractures, gender, age, antibiotics) were related to healing. In a linear regression analysis physiologic storage (P = 0.0013) and ART (P = 0.0421) were related to FH. For a good prognosis avulsed teeth should be stored immediately in a cell-compatible medium. Therefore the tooth rescue box should be distributed at places with higher risks of accidents, in families with children and in emergency facilities. The use of ART might have potential for enhancing the prognosis of teeth with a PDL that is compromised but not in a hopeless condition. Extraoral endodontic treatment reduces infection-related complications; this item was discussed in the first part of the publication.

The aim of this work was to conduct a comparative study between Switzerland and Germany about the frequency of dental injuries in handball, athletes' habits of wearing mouthguard, as well as the general level of information about first emergency measures after a dental trauma and the resulting consequences for athletes and their coaches alike. For this, using interviews, seven handball teams each in two countries (Switzerland/Germany) belonging to the amateur and semiprofessional leagues were surveyed. A total of 112 individuals, 28 females and 84 males, were interviewed. Thirty-two of the 112 interviewees have once observed a dental injury; 12 have experienced a dental injury themselves. Only 10 individuals wore a mouthguard. The results show that the area of handball still requires more information and education.

Clinical investigations on patients suffering from halitosis clearly reveal that in the vast majority of cases the source for an offensive breath odor can be found within the oral cavity (90%). Based on these studies, the main sources for intra-oral halitosis where tongue coating, gingivitis/periodontitis or a combination of the two. Thus, it is perfectly logical that general dental practitioners (GDPs) should be able to manage intra-oral halitosis under the conditions found in a normal dental practice. However, GDPs who are interested in diagnosing and treating halitosis are challenged to incorporate scientifically based strategies for use in their clinics. Therefore, the present paper summarizes the results of a consensus workshop of international authorities held with the aim to reach a consensus on general guidelines on how to assess and diagnose patients' breath odor concerns and general guidelines on regimens for the treatment of halitosis.