No abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of alexidine (ALX), alone and combined with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), in eradicating two Enterococcus faecalis strain biofilms. The biofilms of E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and the clinical isolate E. faecalis D1 were grown in the MBEC-high-throughput device for 24 h and were exposed to five twofold dilutions of ALX (2%–0.007 8%) alone and combined with 100 mg⋅mL−1 NAC, for 1 and 5 min. Eradication was defined as 100% kill of biofilm bacteria. The Student's t-test was used to compare the efficacy of the associations of the two irrigants. After 1-min contact time, ALX eradicated the biofilms at all concentrations except for 0.007 8% and 0.015 6%–0.007 8% with E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and E. faecalis D1, respectively. Similar results for eradication and concentration were obtained when it was combined with 100 mg⋅mL−1 NAC. After 5 min of contact time, ALX alone and combined with NAC eradicated all enterococci biofilms. ALX showed antimicrobial properties against the two E. faecalis strain biofilms tested at very low concentrations, and its combined use with NAC was not seen to enhance its activity.

This article describes a technique for duplicating occlusal surface anatomy using the Biteperf device. Duplication requires an intact occlusal enamel surface and is only indicated when caries lesions are hidden. The occlusal matrix technique allows for preservation of all anatomic details. When the last layer of composite has been placed, the occlusal matrix is forced into the uncured composite to replicate the original occlusal surface, instead of performing manual curing and shaping as in the standard approach. It is technically possible to achieve this effect with any material that is able to copy anatomic details. The main benefits of the occlusal matrix technique, more precisely the Biteperf, are the technical ease of use due to its simplicity and its high accuracy in reconstructing occlusal morphology.

No abstract

Treatment of anterior dental fractures often requires an immediate procedure. Reattachment of the fragment to its original position is an optimal approach to aesthetic and functional rehabilitation. This paper reports the case of a permanent maxillary lateral incisor with crown fracture treated by adhesive fragment reattachment. Follow-up radiographs over 5 years demonstrated the satisfactory resolution of the clinical case.

The purpose was to determine the diameter of the main root canal and wall thickness in the apical dentin in mesial roots of maxillary and mandibular molars. Forty mesiobuccal and mesial root specimens were sectioned horizontally at 1, 2 and 3 mm from the apex, and measured at each top surface by using optical microscopy to an accuracy of ×20 magnification. The anatomical parameters were established as the following points of reference: AB, two points connected by a line from the outer edge of the mesial wall to the outer edge of the distal one through the center of the root canal to measure the thickness of the root and mesiodistal diameter of the root canal (CD). A second line (EF) was designed to evaluate the diameter of the root canal in the buccolingual direction. All data were summarized, and values were assessed statistically by ANOVA and Bonferroni multiple comparisons. The buccolingual (BL) root canal diameters at 1, 2 and 3 mm in the mandibular and maxillary molars were greater than in the mesiodistal (MD), showing statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). The MD root thicknesses at 1, 2 and 3 mm in mandibular and maxillary molars were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The lowest value to 1 mm from the apex in the mandibular molars was 1.219 mm and the highest at 3 mm from the root apex in maxillary molars was 1.741 mm. The BL diameters in maxillary and mandibular molars were higher than the MD diameter. The thickness (MD) of maxillary and mandibular molars decreased as a function of apical proximity.

This clinical case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of an external invasive cervical resorption. A 17-year-old female patient had a confirmed diagnosis of invasive cervical resorption class 4 by cone beam computerized tomography. Although, there was no communication with the root canal, the invasive resorption process was extending into the cervical and middle third of the root. The treatment of the cervical resorption of the lateral incisor interrupted the resorptive process and restored the damaged root surface and the dental functions without any esthetic sequelae. Both the radiographic examination and computed tomography are imperative to reveal the extent of the defect in the differential diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to analyse in vivo the accuracy of two apex locators, Root ZX and Novapex, to determine the position of the apical constriction. Twenty-three human single-rooted teeth to be extracted for periodontal reasons constituted the experiment. Endodontic access was obtained and the apical constriction was determined by one of the apex locators after initial crown-down preparation. When the electronic marker indicated that the tip of the endodontic file was at the apical constriction, the teeth were filled with composite and then surgically removed. The presence of the endodontic file tip at the apical constriction was evaluated stereomicroscopically (30×) and confirming radiographs were exposed. The accuracy of Root ZX and Novapex was 91.7% and 81.8% respectively. Within the limits of this study, the evaluated apex locators have a similar clinical performance for the apical constriction location.