Endodontics-orthodontics interrelationship: a review.

The endodontic-orthodontic interface is not well understood due to the limited scientific literature on the topic. This article aims to provide an overview of the orthodontic treatment and the risk of root resorption, the effects of orthodontic tooth movement on dental pulp and endodontically treated teeth, the role of orthodontics in endodontic-restorative treatment planning, and interdisciplinary patient management. Articles published in English from 1982 to 2021 were searched manually from google scholar using keywords ‘endodontic-orthodontic interface’ and ‘endodontic-orthodontic interrelationship’. Another search engine was MEDLINE/PubMed database using keywords ‘endodontics AND orthodontics’, ‘orthodontic tooth movement AND dental pulp’, 'orthodontic tooth movement AND endodontic treatment' and ‘orthodontics AND dental trauma’. Other relevant articles were obtained from the references of the selected papers. Alterations to the dental pulp following orthodontic tooth movement can be histologic and/or cell biological reactions as well as the increased response threshold to pulp sensibility tests. However, the occurrence of root resorption is complex and multifactorial, and can be linked to individual variation, genetic predisposition and orthodontic treatment-related factors. Endodontically treated teeth can move as readily and respond similarly to orthodontic forces as vital teeth, however with inadequate endodontic treatment, the risk of apical inflammation and bone destruction following orthodontic tooth movement is increased. Dental treatment that involves endodontic and orthodontic specialities should be carefully planned according to the individual case, taking into consideration the skills and experience of the clinicians while applying interdisciplinary patient management and available scientific data.

The effect of locally delivered Tualang honey on healing of periodontal tissues during non-surgical periodontal therapy

Honey is a sweet, viscous natural substance made from flower nectar by bees. Honey has been used not only as a nutritional source but also for wound healing and to reduce tissue inflammation. Nevertheless, the use of honey in the treatment of periodontitis is not well established. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of locally delivered Tualang honey on periodontal tissue healing by a randomized controlled split-mouth clinical trial involving 20 chronic periodontitis patients with a periodontal pocket depth of ? 5 mm. Each site was randomly treated either by scaling and root debridement alone (Control Group) or scaling and root debridement with locally delivered Tualang honey (Test Group). Assessment of probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) was recorded at baseline and after 6 weeks interval. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from treated pockets at baseline and along with periodontal reassessment to evaluate the level of Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) and Osteoprotegerin (OPG). Data were analysed by using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Paired Sample t-Test. PPD and CAL were significantly improved after the 6 weeks review (P=0.001) in both groups. However, there was no significant difference in the changes of the PPD, CAL, MMP-8 and OPG levels after the 6 weeks review and in between the groups. In conclusion, within the limitations of this study, the effect of locally delivered Tualang honey on periodontal tissue healing is not evident. Nevertheless, all pockets achieved good periodontal healing.

Dental anxiety among Wisma Lincoln University College community

Dental anxiety is common among people of all ages, which results in delay and avoidance of dental visit and eventually deterioration of oral health. The aim of this study is to assess the dental anxiety level among the community in Wisma Lincoln University College. A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to December 2018. A total of 186 participants were included in this study. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to assess participants’ dental anxiety level. The prevalence of participants with severe anxiety level was 16.7% (n=31), with Indian female being the highest number (n=6, 20%). Participants felt most anxious if they were to receive a local anesthetic injection, with a mean score of 2.04 for male and 3.76 for female. With regards to the aspects of dental treatment that make participants anxious, 74.7% (n=139) of the participants would feel anxious about extraction, followed by pain arising from treatment (63.4%, n=118) and fear of injury caused by dental instrument (60.8%, n=113). In conclusion, 16.7% of the community in Wisma Lincoln University College were highly anxious, with Indian female being most anxious (20%).

Perceived stressors of undergraduate dental students at an Australasian dental school

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived stressors of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students at a prominent Australasian dental school using the Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire. All BDS students were emailed a modified version of the DES questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of forty questions: seven collecting demographic information, one free text question and thirty-two items related to various sources of stress, grouped into four subscales: 1) Academic 2) Clinical and patient related 3) Environmental and 4) Personal. Students were asked to rate the items on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from not at all stressful (1) to extremely stressful (5). Of the 314 students emailed, 165 responded to the survey (52.5% response rate). The academic subscale had the highest self-reported mean stress score (3.09 ± 0.68 (SD)); compared with the clinical (2.71 ± 0.77), environmental (2.40 ± 0.77) and personal (2.37 ± 0.68) subscales. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in self-perceived clinic related stress levels between male and female students, with female students reporting more stress. There was also a statistically significant difference in self-perceived environmental stress between second- and third-year students (p=0.037), and in perceived personal stress between students based on their English language status (p=0.034). These findings can enable identification of students who might be at higher risk of stress to ensure support is provided for them; specifically, female students and students in their third year. Results also indicate the need to develop interventions to help all students with academic stressors.

Resin Infiltration Technique as Minimal Invasive Approach Towards Mild to Moderate Dental Fluorosis in an Adolescent: a Case Report

Dental fluorosis can be defined as a developmental condition that affects dental hard tissue, mainly enamel characterised with white or yellowish lesions due to excessive fluoride exposure. Fluorosis can have a major impact on the appearance, structure and shape of the tooth which posed a significant aesthetic concern to individuals having this condition. There are several treatments recommended in treating dental fluorosis depending on the severity of the disease itself ranging from tooth bleaching to prosthetic crowns in severe cases. This case report describes the use of resin infiltration technique on a patient with mild to moderate severity of dental fluorosis of the upper anterior teeth which produce an acceptable improvement of the appearance of the affected tooth. Resin infiltration technique in this case provided a conservative and inexpensive approach in treating mild to moderate dental fluorosis for the patient, improving the aesthetic without significant loss of tooth structure.

Full mouth rehabilitation for severely worn dentition using fixed prostheses and tooth-supported partial overdenture: a case report.

Rehabilitation of severely worn dentition represents a significant clinical challenge, especially when the restorative space is not sufficient. Creating restorations that fulfil the aesthetic, occlusal and functional parameters are essential to long-term success. This case report describes a 48-year-old male, who had severely worn dentition, which resulted in collapsed vertical dimension. The initial treatment involved careful planning, stabilization of existing dental diseases and construction of provisional prostheses at increased vertical dimension. Once the compatibility of the new vertical dimension had been confirmed, permanent reconstruction was performed. As with all full mouth prosthetic rehabilitation cases, equal-intensity centric occlusal contacts on all teeth and an anterior guidance in harmony with functional jaw movements were critically taken into account in each treatment phases.

Restoration in primary molars placed by undergraduate dental students: reasons for failures

Dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases and highly prevalent in the world. The commonest treatment procedure for dental caries is a dental restoration which aims to retain the tooth. The survival of restoration depends on the factors associated with restorative materials, patients or operators. Thus, this study aimed to determine the reasons for the failure of restoration in posterior primary teeth performed by undergraduate dental students. A total number of 32 patients aged from 5 to 12 years old were included in this study. Overall, 115 primary molar restorations were assessed clinically using the modified United States Public Health Service Ryge criteria. The O’Leary plaque score was used to evaluate the oral hygiene status of all patients. Then, the data was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. 43 (37.4 %) restorations failed with 62.1 % for glass ionomer cement and 36.4 % for composite restorations. Marginal adaptation (62.8 %) is the commonest cause of failure. 76.7% of failure restoration was in patients with poor oral hygiene, and it showed a significant difference compared to patients with moderate and good oral hygiene (p = 0.014). Thus, it was concluded that the type of restorative material and oral hygiene status contributed to the failure of restoration placed in primary molar restorations with failure restoration may occur 2.6 times more in poor oral hygiene patients.

Anterior teeth rehabilitation with direct resin composite veneer using multiple layering technique: A case report

Cosmetic veneer has become a popular option for patients seeking to improve aesthetic in their smile. The procedure can be done through a direct or indirect technique which differs in term of material used and laboratory involvement. Despite producing a better aesthetic result than its direct technique counterpart, high-cost treatment, multiple visit requirement and invasive nature of tooth preparation are proven to be a stumbling block to the patient in some cases to choose indirect technique. Therefore, direct composite veneer technique can be offered due to its low costing and conservative concept which advocates more tooth structure preservation. This case report is about direct composite veneer for anterior teeth rehabilitation and its simple and conservative protocol.

Soft tissue lesion of the ear canal – Now you see it, now you don’t

Spontaneous herniation of the temporomandibular joint along a bony defect in the external auditory canal is an uncommon condition that may lead to otologic symptoms. A 43-year-old gentleman presented with otalgia and an external auditory canal soft tissue lesion, which flattens upon opening of the jaw. Computed tomography scan of the temporal region confirmed the presence of a soft tissue lesion that herniated through an external auditory canal wall defect. This condition should be included in the differential diagnoses of an external auditory canal mass, despite infrequently encountered. It is important to inspect the external auditory canal during movement of the jaw when a soft tissue lesion is noted, so as not to miss this diagnosis.