Lipid peroxidation (LPO) participates in the development of various diseases, including periodontitis, and malondialdehyde (MDA) is its terminal product. Therefore, in the present study, salivary and plasma MDA levels in 30 periodontitis patients were compared to those in 20 healthy controls, as well as in relation to periodontal therapy in order to assess its effectiveness. Periodontal status was assessed via plaque index, gingival index, papilla bleeding index, probing depth and clinical attachment level, while salivary and plasma MDA levels were determined by the ELISA method. The periodontitis group had a significantly greater salivary (2.99 pmol/µL) and plasma (0.50 pmol/µL) MDA levels relative to the healthy controls (1.33 pmol/µL and 0.40 pmol/µL, respectively). Three months after the periodontal therapy completion, although salivary MDA levels were significantly lower than those measured at the baseline (p < 0.001), the reduction in plasma MDA was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that, while inflammatory processes in periodontium may increase local and systemic lipid peroxidation, periodontal therapy can result in a significant decrease in salivary, but not plasma, MDA levels.

Summary Introduction Separation of instruments in the root canal is one of the challenges in endodontic treatment. More specifically, nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments usually separate without previous deformation. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effect of torsional stress on endodontic NiTi rotary instruments separation in simulated clinical conditions. Materials and methods Research was conducted on a sample of 20 human teeth in laboratory conditions. Experimental procedure consisted of determining canal curvatures for each root on digital radiographs and root canal treatment using endodontic NiTi rotary instruments. Out of 20 teeth (60 canals), two groups were formed with similar root canal curvatures (10 pairs of teeth) and instrumented using NiTi rotary instrument with or without torque control. Results Wilcoxon matched pair test showed no statistically significant difference in average number of instruments use with or without torque control (p>0.05). Conclusion Even though there is no statistical significance in instrument separation when instruments were used with or without torque, there is tendency to experience sudden fracture of instruments after work without torsional control even after only few uses in clinical work.

Dental floss is an oral hygiene product used to remove food and plaque in places where toothbrushes cannot reach. Even though over the years since its introduction some research in suitable materials has been performed, thread cracking and wear can still compromise efficiency. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological properties of four different commercially available dental floss types before and after use. For that purpose, scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy were used to assess the flosses before and after use, and tension testing was performed to determine any degradation in the floss performance after utilization. The analyzed floss samples verify the hypothesis that the properties of the floss need to be known in depth, before recommending a specific type to patients for daily use in all clinical indications.

For many years, poly-methyl methacrylate has been used as a material of choice for making the denture base, thanks to its good and desirable performances, such as: simplicity in work, possibility of reparation, aesthetics and affordable price. Considering to its insufficient hardness and fracture resistance, there is a tendency to improve the mechanical properties of the material, by changing its basic composition. The aim of the research was to determine the fracture resistance of the heat-curing denture base acrylic resin materials. Materials and methods: For the research ,20 samples of the 2 heat-curing acrylics had been prepared, standard ones and reinforced acrylic resin material. After the storage in the saline for 15 days, measurements of the fracture resistance were performed by using the universal testing device. The data were statistically processed using the Student’s t-test for independent samples. Results: By measuring the flexural strength and deflection at breakage, it has been proven that there was, statistically, a significant difference of the flexural strength between reinforced (179.91-248.72MPa) and standard heat-curing acrylics (183.25- 200.74MPa). The deflection at breakage showed approximately the same values for both materials (1,0-1,4mm; 1.0-1.5mm). Conclusion: By enhancing the polymer, the mechanical properties of the denture base acrylic resin materials will be improved, primarily, higher fracture resistance, that means that these technologies need to be improved.

Background While several tests can be used in the laboratory evaluation of composite resin-based cement materials, the push-out test remains the most prevalent. Due to difficulties in sample preparation, as well as a highly complex procedure, we attempted to develop an alternative method for testing the bond strength of dental resin cement materials. Material/Methods Ninety-six experimental samples of 2 dual-cure resin cements and 1 fiber post system were prepared for the 2 testing procedures: the push-out test and the modified Microbond test. The degree of monomer conversion was measured by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Results The push-out test results indicated that the bond strength of dual-cure resin cement differs depending on the tooth root region to which it is applied ( p <0.05), In addition, our findings show that Variolink II exhibits a much lower bond strength relative to RelyX ARC. These findings were confirmed by the modified Microbond test results. The monomer conversion rate results indicate average conversion rates of 85.81% and 61.35% for RelyX ARC and Variolnik II, respectively. Conclusions Our study confirms the practical utility of the modified Microbond test in the assessment of bond strength of dental cement resin-based materials. The proposed test method is particularly useful given that, relative to the push-out test, it requires a much smaller number of preparation and execution steps, thus reducing the potential for introducing errors, while increasing the reliability of the obtained findings.