Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera and to determine its effectiveness in decontaminating gutta percha cones.Materials and Methods:A concentrated extract of Aloe vera was used to check for the antimicrobial efficacy using the agar well diffusion method. Presence of zones’ of diffusion was identified against three common GP contaminants namely, E.coli, E.faecalis and Staph. aureus. New GP Cones, freshly taken out of the packet were then decontaminated for 1minute using Aloe vera gel and then placed in thioglycolate broth to check for the presence of turbidity.Results:The zones of inhibition on the agar plate were measured as 24mm,21mm and 24mm respectively. The broth remained clear even after 48 hours of incubation.Conclusion:We conclude that Aloe vera is indeed effective as a GP decontaminant and it holds a promising future as a medium for storage of GP cones.
Context and Aim Sufficient evidence exists in the literature which indicates that patients with ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) show higher degree of pulp calcifications. The present study was, therefore, planned to estimate the prevalence of pulp stones in patients diagnosed with/or undergoing treatment for IHDs.
Materials and Methods The present study, which consisted of 300 subjects within the age range of 25 to 65 years, was divided into two groups: study group comprising 150 patients (113 males and 37 females) and 150 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Pulp stones were imaged using bitewing radiographs and paralleling technique under standard conditions.
Statistical Analysis Used Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 21 (IBM Corp, Armonk, USA), while independent t-test and Chi-square test were done to check the prevalence of pulp stones in the study and control groups, based on gender-, arch-, region- and side-wise distribution. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results The patients with IHDs exhibited 100% prevalence of pulp stones and the difference was found to be statistically significant, although there was a significant difference in the mean number of pulp stones observed in the study and control groups, with the study group revealing 2217 pulp stones as against 639 pulp stones observed in the control group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, maxillary arch and posterior teeth were predominantly affected in both the groups, although the difference was not found to be statistically significant.
Conclusions The findings of the present study suggested a positive correlation between pulp stones and IHDs, highlighting the significance of dental radiographic examination, which may have a possibility for an early detection of IHDs.
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