The results from this exploratory study suggest that there is no difference in EMG activity between subjects with and without attrition-type tooth wear. Further research is needed in order to substantiate these preliminary findings.

SummaryThe aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of individually adjusted custom‐made mandibular advancement device/oral appliance (OA) in treatment of patients with moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), who were non‐adherent to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. During 2007‐2013, 116 patients with moderate (n = 82) and severe (n = 34) OSA non‐adherent to CPAP treatment were referred for dental management with an individually adjusted OA at a specialist sleep clinic. Ten of the participants (8·6%) were lost to follow‐up, leaving the data set to consist of 106 patients (71 men/35 women, mean age 57 year, range 28‐90). Nocturnal respiratory polygraphic recordings were performed at baseline and follow‐up. Average time between baseline polygraphy and follow‐up was 12 months. A successful OA treatment outcome was based on polygraphy at the follow‐up and divided into three groups: 1 = AHI <5; 2 = 5 ≤ AHI <10 and >50% reduction in baseline AHI; and 3. >50% reduction in baseline AHI. If there was a ≤ 50% reduction in baseline AHI at the follow‐up, the treatment was considered as a failure. The overall treatment success rate was 75%. There was no significant difference in success rates between patients in the moderate and severe categories (69% and 77%, respectively). Low oxygen saturation (SpO2 nadir) had a high predictive value for OA treatment failure. OA treatment of patients non‐adherent to CPAP is efficient and especially promising for the severe OSA group who are at greatest risks for developing serious comorbidities, if left untreated.

The effect of increased sulfate concentration in the imbibing water during oil recovery by spontaneous imbibitions in different outcrop chalks at various wettability conditions at 130 °C has been determined. Core plugs from three chalk outcrops, Rørdal, Niobrara, and Stevns, were aged in crude oil and included in this study. Stevns chalk exhibited increased oil recovery during spontaneous imbibition with increased concentration of sulfate in the imbibing water phase. The effect was less than reported by others and was wettability dependent. Spontaneous imbibition tests showed that the added oil recovery was greatest at Amott water indices below 0.2, and tests at and above 0.25 showed only minor effects from sulfate. Niobrara and Rørdal chalk did not show increased oil recovery with increased sulfate concentration in the brine. These core plugs reflected more water-wet imbibition characteristics at elevated temperature, and the effect of sulfate could not be isolated. Measurements of Amott water indices before and after spontaneous imbibition at 130 °C exhibited increased water-wetness for Niobrara chalk at this elevated temperature. The wetting preference for Stevns and Rørdal chalk did not change after spontaneous imbibition at elevated temperature and maintained less water-wet spontaneous imbibition characteristics at ambient temperature, regardless if sulfate was present or not. The Rørdal core plugs exhibited increased oil recovery by imbibition at elevated temperature, but the measured Amott wettability preference was stable. The results demonstrate that the effect from sulfate on spontaneous imbibition in chalk is dependent on the chalk type (i.e., rock mineral composition) and the wettability of the rock.

The amounts of metals liberated from silver soldered stainless steel and cobalt-chromium orthodontic wires were measured. Measurements were taken after 3 days and 24 days immersion in 0.9% sodium chloride solution. High amounts of copper and zinc and some cadmium from the silver solder were found. The silver soldered stainless steel wire corroded more than the cobalt-chromium type, and liberated more nickel and chromium than did the cobalt-chromium wires.

Results of bending strength and deflection at fracture of intact and repaired denture base resin specimens were obtained. Both heat-cured and cold-cured resins of two different products were used. After storage in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 1 month, some of the intact heat-cured specimens were dried in air at 21 +/- 1 degree C for 24 h before testing. This induced a lowering of the bending strength. There was no difference in strength between the two products. However, the intact heat-cured specimens of SR 3/60 showed higher results of deflection at fracture than Vertex. Repaired specimens had a bending strength between 42.9% and 61.2% compared with the intact heat-cured specimens tested immediately after storage in water. The repair performed with the low-viscosity self-cured resin resulted in higher bending strength values than when using repair material with the higher initial viscosity. Drying the broken heat-cured specimens for 24 h at 21 +/- 1 degree C before the repair and painting with monomer liquid on the fractured surfaces of the heat-cured resin was without effect on the bending strength of the repaired specimens.

In August 23-25, 2007, the Scandinavian Society for Prosthetic Dentistry in collaboration with the Danish Society of Oral Implantology arranged a consensus conference on the topic 'Implants and/or teeth'. It was preceded by a workshop in which eight focused questions were raised and answered in eight review articles using a systematic approach. Twenty-eight academicians and clinicians discussed the eight review papers with the purpose to reach consensus on questions relevant for the topic. At the conference the consensus statements were presented as well as lectures based on the review articles. In this article the methods used at the consensus workshop are briefly described followed by the statements with comments.

The aim of this study was to test whether digitally registered use of a mandibular advancement device (MAD) by a built-in thermal sensor was reliable compared to a self-reported diary of MAD use. Eighty consecutive patients referred to a specialist outpatient sleep medicine clinic (HUS) were recruited. Patients of both genders, aged from 25 to 70 years with a diagnosis of mild, moderate or severe, were included. All participants signed a written informed consent when they received the MAD. For the purpose of this reliability study, we found it sufficient to include the first 30 nights of MAD use in the reliability analysis. At the 30th night follow-up visit, the self-reported diary with duration of MAD use was returned and data on the duration of MAD use with the built-in sensor were retrieved. From a total of 2400 nights, complete data from both methods were retrieved for 2108 nights (84.6%). Missing data were largely a result of missing self-reported diaries, whereas technical failure occurred in 6 nights (0.002%). The relative reliability was very high with ICC 0.847, and the absolute reliability for digitally registered MAD usage was calculated to -0.17 (95% CI: 1.47 to -1.81) hours in decimal conversion. Objectively collected data from built-in thermal sensors in MADs are as reliable as those of the self-report assessments. This opens new possibilities for more accurate measurements of MAD adherence.

The curriculum of the dental faculty at the University of Bergen was revised and a new curriculum was implemented in 2000. The first candidates graduated in 2003. In the new curriculum the theoretical teaching consists of an extended integrated lecture series in prosthodontics and biomaterials. The revised laboratory course includes an increased number of tooth preparations performed on phantom heads solely. Newer types of preparations based on bonding technique, such as ceramic crowns, veneers and inlays, have also been introduced. As a consequence of the reduced time allocated to the course, the amount of dental technical work has been considerably reduced. Demonstrations of practical procedures are video-based. Several theoretical and practical tests are carried out during the course. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of the alterations made, by comparing former students' opinions on different aspects of the two curricula. A questionnaire was mailed to the students graduated in 2003 with the new curriculum and graduates in 1997 and 2000 with the 'old' curriculum. The results indicate that the alterations tended to improve the students' evaluations of some aspects of the course. In addition, the new curriculum appeared to be more relevant for the succeeding work in the clinic.