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A sample of 414 patients, treated between 1985 and 1988 by an Italian periodontal practice for supportive periodontal therapy, was studied to determine compliance with recommended maintenance programmes. Patients included in the study had attended for supportive periodontal therapy for at least 1 year prior to the close of data collection in 1989. Based on their compliance with the suggested maintenance schedule, patients were classified as complete attending (100% of programmed visits), partial (at least 50% of programmed visits), or insufficient (less than 50% of programmed visits). Only 30% of the initial patient sample was found to be compliant at the end of 1989. Complete compliance decreased as the number of years after active therapy increased, from 38% at 1 year to 20% at 4 years. The % of patients with insufficient compliance increased from 37% to 46% from the 1st to the 2nd year, then remained stable over the following years, indicating that the 1st year represented the critical period when subjects decided whether to follow recommended maintenance therapy. No significant relationships were found between degree of compliance and patient gender, recall schedule or type of treatment procedure performed. However, complete compliant subjects were younger than the other groups (p < 0.03), and compliance increased with the number of surgeries (p < 0.002).

Calcium silicate/calcium phosphate cements appear to be attractive new materials for vital pulp therapy as they may provide odontogenic/dentinogenic chemical signals for pulp regeneration and healing, and dentin formation in regenerative endodontics.

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the prevalence of gingival recession at buccal tooth surfaces in a student population of Bologna University Dental School. A total of 55 subjects, attending the 1st and 5th year of the course were examined. The clinical examination involved assessment of plaque, calculus, width of keratinized gingiva, buccal probing depth and buccal gingival recession. Information about toothbrushing behavior was collected in an interview. The multiple regression analysis showed that level of education (p=0.002), toothbrushing technique (p=0.013) and toothbrushing frequency (p=0.016) are significant contributors to gingival recession. Notwithstanding the limits of a preliminary study, a higher prevalence of buccal recession is observed in the final year students, which have also a significantly lower % of buccal surfaces with calculus (p=0.014). In addition, it clearly appears that there is the necessity to investigate other factors connected with toothbrushing (pressure, time, toothpaste quantity) in order to provide an oral hygiene education without undesired effects.