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Several manufacturers produce devices designed to warm composite resins used in restorative dentistry. Previous investigators have examined the effects of heating composite restorative resins prior to placement and polymerization. Heating has been reported to reduce viscosity, improve ease of placement, enhance monomer conversion, and reduce microleakage. The aim of the present study was to compare shear bond strengths of room temperature (22°C) and prewarmed (54°C) restorative composite resin. Extracted bovine mandibular incisors were sectioned sagittally and embedded in acrylic cylinders. Enamel was selectively etched with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsed, and dried. Self-etching primer was applied to both enamel and dentin. Self-etching adhesive was then applied and photopolymerized. Composite resin capsules were then divided into prewarmed and room temperature groups. Fourteen composite specimens prewarmed in an incubator were applied to the prepared enamel and dentin and photopolymerized. Fourteen room temperature composite specimens were likewise placed. After storage in water for 24 hours, all composite specimens were subjected to shear stress testing. The resulting data were analyzed with a t test (P = 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the shear bond strengths of the prewarmed and room temperature composite resin specimens. Warming does not appear to affect bond strength of composite resin bonded to both dentin and enamel., Competing Interests: Disclaimer: The authors report no conflicts of interest pertaining to any of the products or companies discussed in this article.

The aim of this study was to compare and provide an overview of state policies on occupational exposure, dosimetry, collimation, patient protection, and the use of portable handheld X-ray machines in dentistry. State government webpages containing radiation protection rules and regulations were scanned. The contents were compared against current federal regulations established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They were further evaluated in light of current recommendations from the National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements (NCRP) and the American Dental Association (ADA). Most states' regulations mirror the exposure limits set forth by the NRC and FDA. Nonregulatory recommendations regarding use of dental radiography are periodically put forth by the NCRP and the ADA. State and federal agencies often follow recommendations from these scientific organizations when creating regulations. Clinicians must be aware of their state's radiation protection rules, as variations among states exist. In addition, recommendations published by organizations such as the NCRP and the ADA, while not legally binding, contribute significantly to the reduction of radiation risks for operators and patients alike.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a grading software system, accessible from any platform, that engages today's generation of students and replaces paper grading. Set up at one U.S. dental school in an all-access, anytime (24/7) web-based program accessed through tablets, the software allows for a comparison between students' self-grading and instructor grading. This comparison facilitates student-faculty interaction, promoting discussion and student learning. The software can also be used for practical examination grading in which blinded grading between instructors is possible. The data gathered can produce descriptive reports students can draw upon to encourage self-learning and guided learning, propelling students to a better understanding of critical principles as they progress through multiple psychomotor skill sets. Other reports generated by the software allow for instructor calibration, exporting of grades directly into the university grading report system, and visual analysis of trends within each class. In a post-course survey, students (56 percent response rate) and faculty (79 percent response rate) agreed that the electronic grading was more efficient and allowed more time for faculty-student interaction than the previous grading system, thus creating an environment more conducive to learning. Overall, the software has improved students' perception of enhanced kinetic skills, while facilitating administration of preclinical projects and practical examinations.

Previous studies have found that variations in mixing technique can influence the porosity content of alginate impression material. The aim of this study was twofold: determine whether bubble formation in alginate is influenced by the sequence of water/powder addition prior to mixing, and to compare 4 different mixing techniques. Manual spatulation, an automated spinning bowl, a centrifugal mixer and a vacuum mixer were evaluated for the resulting porosity in the set alginate. It was found that adding powder first, versus water first, made no difference in the bubble content using the 3 automated mixing techniques (P = 0.714). However, porosity was significantly less for powder-first trials using manual spatulation (P < 0.05). It was also found that surface porosity in the resulting impressions was significantly less for centrifugal and vacuum mixing when compared to manual spatulation, while internal porosity was significantly less for centrifugal mixing compared to all other mixing techniques (P < 0.05). The centrifugal mixing and vacuum mixing techniques required the least amount of mixing time.

Dental clinicians have been wearing examination gloves routinely during clinical procedures since 1986, when the CDC advised using them as part of standard personal protective equipment recommendations. Initially, latex was virtually the only material available for examination glove construction; however, in recent years, numerous other materials have been utilized for glove construction in response to the increased recognition of latex allergies among patients and dental health care workers. Examination gloves are marketed as "non-sterile" according to the FDA, which sets specific standards governing the manufacturing and distribution of these products. This study examined the prevalence of bacterial organisms present in a variety of freshly opened glove boxes. The same glove boxes were put into clinical use for a period of time and re-tested for the presence of bacteria. The quantity of bacteria present on gloves in the new boxes differed in comparison to the gloves that remained in the used boxes.

The aim of this project was to assess the effects of sonic toothbrushes on commonly used permanent luting cements. While results showed differences between the tensile bond strengths of the three cements, the differences were similar between the two groups: sonic and nonsonic toohbrush exposure. These findings suggest that the sonic toothbrush had no significant effect on the tensile bond strengths of any of the three tested cements.

Previous investigators have shown that numerous environmental and genetic variables may contribute to the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This case report presents clinical and laboratory findings of a set of Caucasian female identical twins. One patient presented clinically with mild gingivitis and no clinical or radiographic signs of periodontitis. The other exhibited gingivitis with localized, moderate-to-severe periodontitis. Neither patient reported a history of systemic conditions that might influence their periodontal health, and neither presented other known risk factors, such as tobacco use. The only apparent variable was related to their oral hygiene. The periodontally involved patient exhibited higher plaque scores than her twin in all clinical visits. Subgingival plaque cultures revealed the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Bacteroides forsythus only in the diseased twin. Both patients had low colony counts of Prevotella intermedia and Eikenella corrodens, but only the healthy twin harbored small quantities of Fusobacterium nucleatum. This case report offers an opportunity to assess etiology of periodontitis in two genetically identical patients whose only obvious difference was their oral hygiene.

A single-blind, short-term cross-over clinical trial compared the plaque removal performance of three commercially available manual toothbrushes. A sample of 25 dental hygiene students, 19 to 42 years old, served as participants. On 3 separate occasions, participants were instructed to refrain from toothbrushing or flossing for 24 hours before clinical trials. A prebrushing plaque index using disclosing solution was performed on each participant. One of the 3 test brushes was then randomly dispensed to each participant, and they were allowed to brush for 90 seconds without the aid of a mirror. A postbrushing plaque index was then performed on each participant. This procedure was repeated 2 more times at 2-week intervals so that each participant was tested with all 3 toothbrushes. Previous studies of this kind using random participant samples have suggested that brush design does indeed affect the efficacy of plaque removal. This study used participants who were well versed on efficient toothbrushing technique to determine if improved brushing skills would overshadow advantages in toothbrush design. No significant differences in performance were detected between the test brushes for any of the three scored areas.

A survey was designed to determine how willingly patients reveal personal health information on dental health history forms. After giving informed consent, 107 patients at a university dental hygiene program completed a 10-item survey privately and anonymously. The results suggest that a significant number of patients provide inaccurate or incomplete information to questions routinely asked on the dental health history form.