Purpose: Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is the most commonly used material in the production of dental prostheses, and its application is often accompanied by the formation of biofilm. The aim of this work was the preparation of a PMMA/gold nanoparticles (AuNps) composite to improve the antimicrobial properties of heat-polymerised PMMA. The AuNPs were synthesised from gold (III) acetate by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP). In the present study, flexural strength and elastic modulus were investigated, as well as thermal conductivity, density and hardness of the PMMA/ AuNps` nanocomposite, with different concentrations of AuNps. Flexural strength and elastic modulus were measured using a three-point bending test, and surface hardness was evaluated using the Vickers hardness test. The thermal conductivity of the samples was measured using the Transient Plane Source (TPS) technique. Density was determined by the pycnometry procedure. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data obtained from the experiments. Results: The flexural strength and elastic modulus of AuNps/PMMA nanocomposites decreased for all groups containing AuNps. Thermal conductivity and density increased in all groups containing AuNps compared to the control group, but it was not significant in all groups. Vickers hardness values increased significantly with an increase in AuNps` content, with the highest value 21.45 HV obtained at 0.74 wt% of AuNps. Statistical analysis was performed by means of the SPSS 19 software package. Conclusions: Incorporation of AuNps into heat-polymerised PMMA resin led to decrease of the flexural strength and elastic modulus. At the same time, the density, thermal conductivity and hardness increased.

Background: Hyaluronic acid is widely used in the medical field. However, there is a lack of research about its effect on patients with certain risks, such as compromised wound healing commonly found in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of hyaluronic acid on the post-extraction wound healing and pain in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Material and Methods: The randomized controlled split-mouth study was designed, which included 30 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes with a bilaterally same teeth in the lower jaw for extraction. The sockets treated with 0.8% hyaluronic acid represented the study group, while the sockets where hyaluronic acid was not applied represented the control group. Wound closure rate (WCR), clinical scores in wound healing scale (WHS) and pain intensity in Visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded. Patients were followed up on 5 th , 10 th , 15 th , 20 th , 25 th day after tooth extraction.

Introduction. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by pathologic microorganisms/periopathogens from oral biofilm. Standard periodontal therapy consists of scaling and root planing (SRP). Probiotics can be used as an adjunctive to standard periodontal therapy, since it is known that probiotics can modify pathogenic potential of biofilm by suppressing the colonization of periopathogens. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effect of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotic lozenges, probiotic mouthwash, as an adjuvant to SRP in the treatment of initial to moderate chronic periodontitis. Material and methods. Thirty patients with initial to moderate chronic periodontitis were recruited and monitored clinically at baseline (before SRP) and 60 days following SRP. All patients were randomly assigned to experimental group: SRP + probiotic (n = 15) and control group: SRP only (n = 15). The probiotic mouthwash was used twice a day for 60 days. Clinical parameters: the probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured at baseline and 60th day following SRP. Data were statistically analyzed using the one-way Anova test and SPSS 19 software (IMB Company, New York, U.S.). The Friedman and Mann Whitney tests were used as a post hoc test for intergroup analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. After 60 days of treatment, the clinical parameters PPD, CAL and BOP were significantly lower in both groups compared to the baseline. In the experimental group, the clinical parameters PPD, CAL and BOP were significantly reduced after 60 days of treatment compared to the initial measurements (p < 0.05). In the control group, statistically significant decrease after 60 days of treatment was recorded only for BOP parameter, while there was no statistically significant decrease of PPD and CAL values (p > 0.05). Conclusion. The results of the present study demonstrated clinical benefits of adjunctive use of probiotics to SRP in terms of pocket depth reduction in initial to moderate periodontal disease.

Background: Cariogram ® , an algorithm-based software model, for predicting caries risk has been used to assess the caries risk profile of many different groups. The aims of the study were to evaluate Cariogram caries risk assessment during pregnancy with DMFT/dmft incidence in mothers and their children 4 years after pregnancy and to check if there is an association between children's caries risk profiles using Cariogram and caries risk profiles (by Cariogram) of their mothers during pregnancy. Methods: The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women (average age 27.4±7.2 years at baseline) who completed clinical baseline examination and salivary tests. The follow-up study was initiated 4 years later and the 80 pairs of mother and children (from that pregnancy) were reexamined using the same procedure at baseline. An individual caries risk profile and DMFT/dmft incidence were made for each woman and child. The prediction of the Cariogram was compared to the actual dental experience in 4 years. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for two cutoffs were calculated to express the outcome. Results: The results showed a strong association between the risk categories of pregnant women and their offspring as well as between caries development in offspring and the Cariogram risk categories of pregnant women. Sensitivity and PPV for new DMFT (ΔDMFT>0) 4 years after for women were high (>80%) for those participants assessed with 0-60% "chance to avoid caries", as well as diagnostic accuracy (74.00%). High specificity (91.00%), very high PPV (95.00%) and clinically useful values according to Youden's index (0.53) were obtained for moderate-risk and two lowest-risk groups for dmft in children. Conclusion: Cariogram was valid in the authors' sample only and highly predictive in caries risk assessment in investigated children based on caries risk assessment of their mothers in pregnancy.

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