The article is aimed at analyzing the available research and comparing the properties of bio-inductive materials in direct and indirect pulp capping procedures. The properties and clinical performances of four calcium-silicate cements (ProRoot MTA, MTA Angelus, RetroMTA, Biodentine), a light-cured calcium silicate-based material (TheraCal LC) and an enhanced resin-modified glass-ionomer (ACTIVA BioACTIVE) are widely discussed. A correlation of in vitro and in vivo data revealed that, currently, the most validated material for pulp capping procedures is still MTA. Despite Biodentine's superiority in relatively easier manipulation, competitive pricing and predictable clinical outcome, more long-term clinical studies on Biodentine as a pulp capping agent are needed. According to available research, there is also insufficient evidence to support the use of TheraCal LC or ACTIVA BioACTIVE BASE/LINER in vital pulp therapy.

The contraction stress generated during the photopolymerization of resin dental composites is the major disadvantage. The water sorption in the oral environment should counteract the contraction stress. The purpose was to evaluate the influence of the water sorption of composite materials on polymerization shrinkage stress generated at the restoration-tooth interface. The following materials were tested: Filtek Ultimate, Gradia Direct LoFlo, Heliomolar Flow, Tetric EvoCeram, Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill, Tetric EvoFlow, Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill, X-tra Base, Venus BulkFil, and Ceram.X One. The shrinkage stress was measured immediately after curing and after: 0.5 h, 24 h, 72 h, 96 h, 168 h, 240 h, 336 h, 504 h, 672 h, and 1344 h by means of photoelastic study. Moreover, water sorption and solubility were evaluated. Material samples were weighted on scale in time intervals to measure the water absorbency and the dynamic of this process. The tested materials during polymerization generated shrinkage stresses ranging from 6.3 MPa to 12.5 MPa. Upon water conditioning (56 days), the decrease in shrinkage strain (not less than 48%) was observed. The decrease in value stress in time is material-dependent.

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the clinical effectiveness of bulk-fill and conventional resin in composite restorations. A bibliographic search was carried out until May 2020, in the biomedical databases Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL and Web of Science. The study selection criteria were: randomized clinical trials, in English, with no time limit, with a follow-up greater than or equal to 6 months and that reported the clinical effects (absence of fractures, absence of discoloration or marginal staining, adequate adaptation marginal, absence of post-operative sensitivity, absence of secondary caries, adequate color stability and translucency, proper surface texture, proper anatomical form, adequate tooth integrity without wear, adequate restoration integrity, proper occlusion, absence of inflammation and adequate point of contact) of restorations made with conventional and bulk resins. The risk of bias of the study was analyzed using the Cochrane Manual of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Sixteen articles were eligible and included in the study. The results indicated that there is no difference between restorations with conventional and bulk resins for the type of restoration, type of tooth restored and restoration technique used. However, further properly designed clinical studies are required in order to reach a better conclusion.

Resin matrix dental materials undergo contraction and expansion changes due to polymerization and water absorption. Both phenomena deform resin-dentin bonding and influence the stress state in restored tooth structure in two opposite directions. The study tested three composite resin cements (Cement-It, NX3, Variolink Esthetic DC), three adhesive resin cements (Estecem, Multilink Automix, Panavia 2.0), and seven self-adhesive resin cements (Breeze, Calibra Universal, MaxCem Elite Chroma, Panavia SA Cement Plus, RelyX U200, SmartCem 2, and SpeedCEM Plus). The stress generated at the restoration-tooth interface during water immersion was evaluated. The shrinkage stress was measured immediately after curing and after 0.5 h, 24 h, 72 h, 96 h, 168 h, 240 h, 336 h, 504 h, 672 h, and 1344 h by means of photoelastic study. Water sorption and solubility were also studied. All tested materials during polymerization generated shrinkage stress ranging from 4.8 MPa up to 15.1 MPa. The decrease in shrinkage strain (not less than 57%) was observed after water storage (56 days). Self-adhesive cements, i.e., MaxCem Elite Chroma, SpeedCem Plus, Panavia SA Plus, and Breeze exhibited high values of water expansion stress (from 0 up to almost 7 MPa). Among other tested materials only composite resin cement Cement It and adhesive resin cement Panavia 2.0 showed water expansion stress (1.6 and 4.8, respectively). The changes in stress value (decrease in contraction stress or built up of hydroscopic expansion) in time were material-dependent.

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the influence of surface treatment of glass fiber posts on bond strength to dentine. Laboratory studies were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science search engine. All authors interdependently screened all identified articles for eligibility. The included studies were assessed for bias. Because of the considerable heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis was not possible. Twelve articles were found eligible and included in the review. An assessment of the risk of bias in the included studies provided a result that classified the studies as low, medium, and high risk of bias. The available evidence indicated that the coronal region of the root canal bonded better to the glass fiber post than apical regions. Phosphoric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and silane application enhance post's retentiveness. In light of the current evidence, surface treatment strategies increase the bond strength of glass fiber post to dentine. However, recommendations for standardized testing methods and reporting of future clinical studies are required to maintain clinically relevant information and to understand the effects of various surface treatment of glass fiber post and their bond strength with dentine walls of the root canal.

The use of autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) in regenerative endodontic procedures is inconsistent and unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of autologous platelet concentrates compared to traditional blood-clot regeneration for the management of young, immature, necrotic, permanent teeth. The digital databases MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched to identify ten randomized clinical trials. The outcomes at postoperative follow-up, such as dentinal wall thickness (DWT), increase in root length (RL), calcific barrier formation (CB), apical closure (AC), vitality response (VR), and success rate (SR), were subjected to both qualitative synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that APCs significantly improved apical closure (risk ratio (RR) = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.37; p = 0.04) and response to vitality pulp tests (RR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.52; p = 0.04), whereas no significant effect was observed on root lengthening, dentin wall thickness, or success rate of immature, necrotic teeth treated with regenerative endodontics. APCs could be beneficial when treating young, immature, necrotic, permanent teeth regarding better apical closure and improved response to vitality tests.

Sleep bruxism (SB) is a common phenomenon defined as a masticatory muscle activity during sleep. Untreated severe SB can have significant dental and orofacial consequences. SB has often been linked with stress and maladaptive coping strategies. Therefore, in this study, a potential correlation between SB, perceived stress and coping strategies was evaluated. A total of 60 adults were enrolled into this study. Participants underwent a detailed intra- and extraoral exam focused on detecting bruxism symptoms. Additionally, the overnight Bruxism Index was recorded using the Bruxoff device. A total of 35 participants with symptoms of bruxism were assigned to the study group, whereas 25 asymptomatic participants were assigned to the control group. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used for stress assessment and Brief-COPE for coping strategies. Results showed that the higher the PSS-10 score, the higher the Bruxism Index was in the study group. Positive coping strategies were chosen most frequently in the control group, while maladaptive ones were chosen in the study group. It can be concluded that there is a relationship between perceived stress and sleep bruxism. Moreover, the type of coping strategies used by participants may have an impact on sleep bruxism, but the relationship should be further investigated.

There are a number of potential implications for the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) stemming from the global spread of “SARS-COV-2”. Many studies that were conducted by Cleveland Clinic researchers identified a link between COVID-19 infection and brain abnormalities seen in people with AD. This article explains the association between COVID-19 and AD and how people with AD are affected by COVID-19, whether directly or indirectly. First, this article begins by explaining AD and its types, then giving an overview about COVID-19, its symptoms and the associated complications. Then, direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 on people experiencing AD are discussed briefly. Some management strategies are recommended at the end of this article in addition to a future perspective on this topic. This article concludes by summarizing the main points mentioned about the association between COVID-19 and AD.