Background: Direct pulp capping (DPC) is a mandatory procedure to preserve pulp vitality. Resin modified pulp capping materials represent a category of materials that seal the pulp tissue and maintain its vitality in addition to the resin ability to copolymerize with resin composite restorations. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pulpal tissue reaction to resin containing calcium silicate base material (TheraCal LC Bisco Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA) and resin containing light cured calcium hydroxide (Urbical LC Promedica Dental Material GmbH, Germany) when used as direct pulp capping materials. This was achieved through histopathological examination and statistical analysis of the histomorphometric collected data.Materials and methods: 40 (six-week-old male albino rats) were used in this study. All rats undergone direct pulp capping procedure in their maxillary right first molars (20 rats per each capping material). The rats were further divided into two groups according to follow up periods of 7 and 14 days (n=10). For the left maxillary 1 st molars, half of them (n=5) acted as positive control group received pulp exposure procedure that was covered with sterile polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEF;Teflon tape) material. The other half on the left side acted as a negative control. At the end of each experimental period rats were sacrificed. The maxillae were dissected and processed to study the pulpal response to different DPC procedures -microscopically and statistically by the means of inflammatory cells count, calcific barrier area fraction and the mean area fraction of the remaining normal pulp tissue.Results: At 7 days, UrbiCal treated teeth showed active formation of calcific barrier with varying levels of organization in each tooth. The formed barrier is almost resembling a fibrodentin. However, TheraCal treated teeth showed less active formation of calcific barrier. At day 14, Urbical capped pulps showed a more organized and well defined calcific barrier, almost resembling the surrounding normal dentin tissue. TheraCal treated group presented with a well-defined heterogeneous calcific barrier which was closely resemble a fibrodentin. According to our statistical results, the percentage of remaining normal pulp tissue and degree of inflammatory cell infiltration showed superior desirable measurements in Urbical treated groups. Conclusion:Direct pulp capping prolonged the life span of pulpal tissue than if it was left untreated. Urbical pulp capping material provided the exposure site with a more organized calcific barriers, lesser inflammatory reaction with more preserved remaining pulpal tissue than TheraCal did.

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Structural variations in teeth are a part of dental anthropological system and should be addressed in different populations or races.Aim: This study aimed to assess buccolingual thickness, mesiodistal width, cusp height, and root canal configurations using measurement, CBCT, and statistical analysis in a sample of permanent maxillary and mandibular molars in Egyptian population.Materials and Methods: 42 extracted human permanent molars were collected from archives of Oral Biology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams university. Dimensions were measured using a digital caliper and root canal configuration was assessed using CBCT.Results: Maxillary first molars (M1), showed statistically significant higher mean value than the maxillary second molars (M2) as regards MD width, ML DB diameter and DB Cusp height. While the mandibular first molars showed statistically significant higher mean value compared to mandibular second molars as regards BL dimension and MD width. For maxillary molars: Regarding CBCT, MB roots 39.0% showed type I canal configuration, 26.8% showed type II & IV canal configuration and 7.3% showed type VI canal configuration. All DB and palatal roots showed type I canal configuration. For mandibular molars: The mesial roots showed 2.9% type I canal configuration, 65.7% type II, and 31.4% type IV. All distal roots showed type I canal configuration.Conclusions: Crowns of maxillary and mandibular first molars are significantly larger in all dimensions than maxillary and mandibular second molars respectively, CBCT is useful in determining variation in root canal configuration.

Background: Diabetes is usually associated with impaired function of salivary glands, by both histolological deterioration and altered salivary composition. Abnormal apoptosis has been recognized in salivary glands of diabetic rats. Amyloidosis constitutes a group of diseases in which proteins deposit in tissues as insoluble fibrils, causing progressive organ dysfunction. Insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents are the widely used in diabetes treatment, but they have undesirable sequelae and fail to completely alter the course of diabetic complications. Cod liver oil (CLO) as an important source of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid, has been documented to have a powerful antioxidant effect on several tissues. Objective: The present study was carried out to study the possible effect of CLO combined with insulin in regeneration of the exceretory duct of sublingual salivary glands in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Design: forty adult male albino rats (200-250 gm) were selected for this study. The animals were randomly divided into four groups (ten rats each): Group I (Control group), Group II (Diabetic untreated group), Group III (Insulin treated group) and Group IV (Cod liver oil-insulin treated group). At the end of the experimental period (four weeks), the rats were killed and the sublingual salivary glands were dissected out. The sections were examined histologically, immunohistochemically, histomorphometrically and by fluorescence staining technique. Statistical analysis: Data obtained from histomorphometric analysis were statistically described in terms of mean ± standard deviation (± SD). Results: Histopathologic examination of Group I showed the normal histological features of the gland΄s duct system. Group II revealed disturbed ductal outlines, ill-defined ductal cells boundaries, nuclear changes, ductal cells degeneration and stagnated salivary secretion in the lumina. Moreover apparent decrease, hyalinization and degeneration in the surrounding connective tissue (C.T) stroma; fibroblasts showed signs of degeneration and dilated blood vessels (BVs) with swollen endothelial cells. Group III showed better histological features than those (234)