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Background Extraction of the permanent first molars is sometimes necessitated in children and adolescents due to deep carious lesions or developmental defects. Objective To estimate the prevalence of spontaneous space closure after extraction of permanent first molars and identify factors associated with it. Search methods Unrestricted searches in five databases for human studies until February 2024. Selection criteria Longitudinal before-and-after (cohort) human studies assessing eruption of the permanent second molars and spontaneous space closure after extraction of the permanent first molar. Data collection and analysis Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed in duplicate. Random-effects meta-analyses of average spontaneous space closure prevalences and odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were performed, followed by meta-regression/sensitivity/reporting biases' analyses and evaluation of our confidence in effect estimates. Results Sixteen reports pertaining to 15 studies (1 prospective /14 retrospective) were included covering 1159 patients (ages 5.5–15.0 years [mean 10.0 years]; 45% male on average) and 2310 permanent second molars. The prevalence of spontaneous space closure was higher in the maxilla (nine studies; 85.3%; 95% CI = 73.7%–92.3%) than the mandible (11 studies; 48.1%; 95% CI = 34.5%–62.0%) to a significant extent (nine studies; OR = 7.77; 95% CI = 4.99–12.11; P  < 0.001). For both maxillary/mandibular second molars, Demirjian category E was associated with increased space closure odds than earlier/later stages (P  < 0.05). Spontaneous space closure in the mandible was seen more often for patients ages 8–10 years (compared with older patients; three studies; OR = 3.32; 95% CI = 1.73–6.36; P  < 0.001) and when the mandibular permanent third molar was present (four studies; OR = 2.28; 95% CI = 1.67–3.09; P  = 0.003). Additional analyses failed to find any significant modifying factors. Limitations The quality of evidence was very low in all instances due to the inclusion of retrospective studies with methodological issues. Conclusions Existing evidence indicates that spontaneous space closure in children and adolescents after extraction of the permanent first molar is seen more often in the maxilla than the mandible. Extraction of the permanent first molar at the Demirjian stage E of the second molar and presence of the lower permanent third molar is associated with increased odds of space closure, but uncertainty persists, due to methodological issues of existing studies. Registration PROSPERO (CRD42023395371). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the absolute wear caused by toothpastes with highly discrepant REA (Relative Enamel Abrasivity) and RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasivity) values on both enamel and dentin: Candida Peppermint (CP; REA: 1; RDA: 42), Colgate Total Original (CTO; REA: 4; RDA: 100), Signal White System (SWS; REA: 8; RDA: 143), and Candida White Diamond (CWD; REA 244; RDA: 12). Materials and Methods: Eighty (80) bovine enamel samples and 80 dentin samples were divided into four groups each (n = 20) and investigated after a 6-h brushing procedure (21,600 cycles, 60 cycles/min, load of 2.5 N) with the four toothpastes. The abrasive enamel and dentin wear were registered using a contact profilometer. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of the abrasive enamel and dentin wear were calculated for each group. Pairwise comparisons were conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank exact test, and the p-value was adjusted according to Holm (statistical significance set at 0.05). Results: CWD led to the highest abrasive enamel wear (9.86 μm [5.77]). CTO caused the highest abrasive dentin wear (166.70 μm [69.90]), being statistically significantly higher than the wear for CP (54.20 μm [24.00]) and CWD (17.00 μm [7.80]) (p = 0.00001). The abrasive dentin wear for CWD was statistically significantly lower in comparison to all other groups (p = 0.00001). Conclusion: Toothpastes with highly discrepant REA and RDA values presented statistically significantly different absolute wear on enamel and dentin. REA and RDA values should both be declared for every toothpaste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of toothbrush bristle stiffness and brushing force on the cleaning efficacy in vitro. Materials and Methods: Eighty bovine dentin samples were allocated to eight groups (n=10). Two custom-made toothbrushes of different bristle stiffness (soft and medium) were tested at four different brushing forces (1, 2, 3 and 4 N). Dentin samples were stained in black tea and brushed (60 strokes/min) for a total of 25 min in a brushing machine with an abrasive solution (RDA 67). Photographs were taken after 2 and 25 min of brushing time. Cleaning efficacy was measured planimetrically. Results: After 2 min of brushing, the soft-bristle toothbrush did not cause statistically significantly different cleaning efficacy at different brushing forces, while the medium-bristle toothbrush cleaned statistically significantly less efficaceously only at 1 N. Comparing the two different toothbrushes, higher cleaning efficacy was observed only at 1 N for the soft-bristle brush. At 25 min brushing time, the soft-bristle cleaned statistically significantly better at 4 N compared to 1 N and 2 N and at 3 N compared to 1 N. Using the medium-bristle, cleaning efficacy increased with increasing brushing force. After 25 min of brushing, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two different toothbrushes. Conclusion: Irrespective the brushing force, the use of a soft or medium toothbrush results in comparable cleaning efficacy. At 2 min brushing time, increasing the brushing force does not increase the cleaning efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the supplementation of energy drinks with green tea extract on abrasive and erosive dentin wear. Materials and Methods: Six groups, each comprising 15 bovine dentin samples, were prepared, yielding a total of 90 samples. Erosion was performed by immersing the samples in Red Bull and Red Bull light with and without green tea extract. Tap water with and without green tea extract was used as the control groups. The samples were subjected to abrasive/erosive cycling for five days. The following cycling was performed daily: toothbrush abrasion (20 brushstrokes; 2.5 N); eight erosive cycles (2 min storage in the respective solutions); in between the erosive cycles, storage in artificial saliva (60 min) and again toothbrush abrasion (20 brushstrokes; 2.5 N). During the night, samples were again stored in artificial saliva. Abrasive/erosive dentin wear was measured using a stylus profilometer (μm, accuracy = 40 nm). The measured dentin loss results from the vertical position shift on the y-axis from base to final profile after the wear process in 2D. Pairwise comparisons between the groups were carried out using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The following dentin wear (median [IQR]) was measured: Red Bull: 1.9 μm (0.5); Red Bull Light: 1.3 μm (0.3); Red Bull with green tea extract: 0.8 μm (0.3); Red Bull Light with green tea extract: 0.3 μm (0.5); Tap water with green tea extract: -0.2 μm (0.7); Tap water: -1.0 μm (1.2). The comparison of all tested groups to each other proved to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The supplementation of energy drinks with green tea extract provide a protective effect against erosive/ abrasive wear in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether toothpastes with diamond powder vs those with traditional abrasives abrade dentin and enamel differently and to determine the relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) and relative enamel abrasivity (REA) values of those toothpastes.Materials and Methods: Dentin and enamel samples of bovine permanent incisors were randomly allocated into groups of eight, brushed with 20 different toothpastes (three of which contained diamond powder) and analysed for their RDA and REA values.Results: Toothpastes with diamond powder exhibit low RDA values but high REA values. Some RDA values exceeded the ones declared by the manufacturer.Conclusion: Diamond powder as an abrasive might have a mild action on dentin, but it is highly abrasive on enamel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate dentin abrasivity and cleaning efficacy of novel/alternative toothpastes containing diamond particles, active carbon, sea salt or organic oils.Materials and Methods: Seventy-two bovine dentin samples (for measuring abrasivity) and 60 human dentin samples (for assessing cleaning efficacy) were used in this study. Samples were divided into six groups as follows: group 1: Elmex Kariesschutz (hydrated silica); group 2: Lavera Neutral Zahngel (sea salt); group 3: Curaprox Black is White (active carbon); group 4: Swiss Smile Diamond Glow (diamond powder); group 5: Ringana Fresh Tooth Oil (hydrated silica); and group 6: artificial saliva. Samples were brushed for a total of 26 min at 120 strokes/min, replacing slurries (1 part respective toothpaste and 2 parts artificial saliva) every 2 min. Finally, abrasive dentin wear was measured profilometrically and cleaning efficacy planimetrically.Results: The highest abrasivity values were observed for Lavera Neutral Zahngel (sea salt 9.2 µm) and Elmex Kariesschutz group (hydrated silica 6.0 µm). The lowest abrasivity value was observed for Ringana Fresh Tooth Oil group (hydrated silica 1.3 µm). The highest cleaning efficacy was observed for Elmex Kariesschutz group (86.7%) and the lowest cleaning efficacy was observed for Ringana Fresh Tooth Oil group (31.3%).Conclusion: The addition of diamond powder or active carbon to toothpastes could offer high cleaning efficacy with low dentin abrasivity. The addition of sea salt to traditional abrasives might cause high abrasive dentin wear without adding further cleaning benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dentists' knowledge and expertise, especially in their early career, are primarily shaped during undergraduate studies. This cross‐sectional study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception of Syrian under‐ and postgraduate students regarding diagnosing and managing molar‐incisor hypomineralisation (MIH)‐affected teeth. Materials and Methods: Final‐year dental students (FY‐students), postgraduates in paediatric dentistry (PD‐postgraduates) and postgraduates in other lines of specialty (OS‐postgraduates) in all Syrian dental schools were invited to participate in an established web‐based survey covering the knowledge and attitudes regarding the prevalence, aetiology, diagnosis and management of MIH. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact/chi‐squared tests at 5%. Results: In total, 1142 post‐ and undergraduate students from six public and five private dental schools in Syria participated in this study (867 FY‐students, 74 PD‐postgraduates and 201 OS‐postgraduates). PD‐postgraduates were found to present statistically significantly better knowledge regarding MIH compared with the two other groups. Only 19% of FY‐students and 54% of OS‐postgraduates reported themselves familiar with MIH (compared with 97% of PD‐postgraduates). Similarly, 18% of FY‐students and 27% of OS‐postgraduates were capable of diagnosing MIH (compared with 81% of PD‐postgraduates). Stainless‐steel crowns and direct composite fillings were chosen as most suitable for treating MIH‐affected molars from all responders. Conclusions: FY‐students and even OS‐postgraduates in Syria lack knowledge and confidence when confronted with MIH. The university curricula need to include more educational materials to equip the students with the necessary tools to manage MIH clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Very little data are known about charcoal toothpastes. The aim of this study was to counteract the missing data by determining the relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) and relative enamel abrasivity (REA) values of charcoal toothpastes. Methods: Radioactively charged dentin and enamel samples were randomly divided into groups of eight specimens. Each group was brushed with two of total 12 charcoal toothpaste slurries and with a standard abrasive with a known RDA and REA value. The measured radioactivity in counts per minute within the slurries corresponds to the amount of dentin or enamel abraded. RDA and REA values of the charcoal toothpastes were expressed relative to the known value of the standard slurry. Results: The RDA and REA values of the charcoal toothpastes have a broad range of 24–166 and 0–14, respectively. Conclusions: The RDA and REA values do not differ significantly from previously tested commercially available toothpastes. However, the lack of fluoride compounds in many of the investigated charcoal toothpastes can have a less beneficial effect for the consumers. It is very important to educate patients accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the resulting abrasive dentin wear using abrasive slurries with different RDA values and applying increasing brushing forces. Methods: Forty‐five bovine incisors were randomly allocated in three groups (A, B, C, n = 15). One hundred and eighty dentin samples were prepared from these incisors and allocated to twelve groups (A1‐A4, B1‐B4, C1‐C4; n = 15). The groups were subjected to a brushing cycle (120 strokes/min, 25 min) as follows: groups A1 to A4 with an abrasive slurry (RDA = 71) applying increasing brushing forces (1, 2, 3 and 4 N). Groups B1 to B4 were brushed using an abrasive slurry (RDA = 85) and C1 to C4 (RDA = 133) applying the same above‐mentioned brushing forces. Abrasive dentin wear was recorded using a stylus profilometer and compared amongst the groups using robust models. Pairwise comparisons in each model were tested and corrected after Tukey's method (α = 0.05). Results: Applying 1‐N brushing force resulted in the same amount of abrasive dentin wear in all groups regardless of the abrasivity of the used slurry. Increasing the brushing force to 2 N resulted in statistically significantly higher abrasive wear in all groups. This increase in abrasive wear was much higher when the slurry with high abrasivity was used (RDA = 133) compared with the lower abrasive slurry (RDA = 71). Conclusion: The abrasivity of the used slurry does not add to the resulting abrasive wear when the brushing force is kept at 1 N. It seems better to advise and help the patients (showing signs of non‐carious cervical lesions) calibrating their brushing force to 1 N, than only to advise them to use toothpastes with lower abrasivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of toothbrush bristles end configuration on the abrasive dentine wear at different brushing forces. One hundred and sixty bovine dentine samples were randomized into eight groups (n = 20). Groups (1 to 4) were brushed with tapered-end bristles at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-N brushing forces, respectively. Groups (5 to 8) were brushed with round-end bristles with the same brushing forces. The brushing sequence was carried out using an abrasive slurry (RDA = 121) for 25 min. Profiles were recorded using a contact profilometer. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for the abrasive dentine wear in each group. Two-way ANOVA was used to locate any significance. The significance values were corrected after Tukey (α = 0.05). Brushing with tapered-end bristles resulted in statistically significantly less abrasive dentine wear than round-end bristles regardless of the applied brushing force (1 N: 4.4 ± 1.5 vs. 7.7 ± 2.0 µm; 2 N: 7.7 ± 2.1 vs. 12.2 ± 2.7 µm; 3 N: 11.3 ± 2.6 vs. 19.4 ± 3.7 µm; 4 N: 11.2 ± 2.1 vs. 25.3 ± 4.8 µm). The interaction between bristle configuration and brushing force was statistically significantly (p < 0.001). Tapered-end toothbrushes might be a safer choice for patients, especially when showing signs of non-carious cervical lesion. However, other toothbrush properties should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This in vitro study aimed to investigate the effect of a sonic toothbrush on the resulting abrasive dentine wear using toothpastes with different abrasivities compared to the use of a manual toothbrush. Methods: Ninety‐six bovine dentine samples were divided into six groups and subjected to a brushing sequence (sonic: 20 min, 0.9 N, 10 strokes/min; manual: 20 min, 1.6 N, 60 strokes/min) as follows: group 1: Elmex Sensitive Plus (RDA = 28) + manual toothbrush; group 2: Elmex Sensitive + sonic toothbrush; group 3: Elmex Kariesschutz (RDA = 65) + manual toothbrush; group 4: Elmex Kariesschutz +sonic toothbrush; group 5: Colgate Total Original (RDA = 121) + manual toothbrush; and group 6: Colgate Total Original +sonic toothbrush. The abrasive dentine wear was measured profilometrically. Results: The median (IQR) abrasive dentine wear was as follows: Elmex Sensitive Plus (manual toothbrush: 2.7 µm (0.8), sonic toothbrush: 3.1 µm (1.9)); Elmex Kariesschutz (manual toothbrush: 4.9 µm (1.4), sonic toothbrush: 6.4 µm (2.1)); and Colgate Total Original (manual toothbrush: 5.2 µm (1.1), sonic toothbrush: 9.0 µm (3.1)). Differences in dentine wear between sonic and manual toothbrushes were statistically significant only in the groups brushed with Elmex Kariesschutz and Colgate Total Original (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Brushing with a sonic toothbrush could result in a higher abrasive dentine wear compared to manual toothbrush when combined with toothpastes with high abrasivity values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the influence of toothbrush bristle stiffness and applied brushing force on the resulting abrasive dentine wear in vitro. Methods: One hundred sixty bovine dentine samples were randomly allocated in eight groups (n = 20). Groups one to four were brushed with a soft‐bristle toothbrush with soft bristles applying 1, 2, 3 and 4 N brushing force, respectively. Groups five to eight were brushed with a medium‐bristle toothbrush applying the same aforementioned brushing forces (120 strokes/min, abrasive slurry (RDA = 121), 25 min). Profiles were recorded before and after the brushing sequence, and the median and interquartile range of abrasive dentine wear were calculated and compared using two‐way ANOVA and pairwise tests corrected after Tukey (α = 0.05). Results: At 1, 2 and 3 N brushing force, the tested toothbrushes caused no significantly different abrasive dentine wear. At 4 N brushing force, the medium‐bristle toothbrush caused statistically significantly higher abrasive force than the soft‐bristle toothbrush. Using the medium‐bristle toothbrush, abrasive dentine wear statistically significantly increased with increasing brushing force from 1 to 3 N. However, increasing the brushing force to 4 N did not result in statistically significantly higher wear. Using the soft‐bristle toothbrush, abrasive dentine wear statistically significantly increased with increasing brushing force from 1 to 2 N. However, increasing the brushing force to 3 or 4 N did not result in statistically significantly higher wear. Conclusion: The soft‐bristle toothbrush tends to cause less abrasive wear with increasing brushing force than the medium‐bristle toothbrush. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare surface roughness, gloss, and color change of dental enamel after being brushed with toothpastes containing diamond powder and traditional abrasives. Materials and Methods: Seventy enamel slabs were derived from 70 bovine incisors. The slabs were brushed with six different toothpastes and artificial saliva as a negative control. The specimens were then stained with black tea mixed with citric acid (3 days, pH = 4) and again brushed with the same toothpastes. Ra (contact profilometer), gloss (glossmeter), and color (CIE L* a* b* system) values were measured after each step. Results: Emoform‐F Diamond (contains diamond powder and traditional abrasives) offered significantly the best improvement of Ra and gloss values after the first brushing sequence and the best recovery of the brightness of enamel after staining and second brushing sequence (P <.05). AMC 2.5 (contains only diamond powder as abrasive) was not able to offer such improvement. Conclusion: Diamond powder as an additional abrasive in toothpastes could be able to offer a further improvement of Ra, gloss, and color values of enamel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine how differences in abrasiveness (RDA) influence cleaning capabilities of toothpastes., Methods: For this in vitro trial, 60 bovine dentin samples were prepared and divided into six groups (G1-G6; n = 10). Groups G1-G5 were arranged in order from low to high toothpaste abrasiveness (G1: RDA: 12, G2: RDA: 29, G3: RDA: 43, G4: RDA: 71, and G5: RDA: 143). Samples in group G6 were used as a negative control and later brushed with pure artificial saliva. In preparation for testing, the dentin samples were stained with a black tea mixture. The respective toothpastes were mixed with artificial saliva in a 1:2 ratio to produce a toothpaste slurry. The samples were brushed for a total of 25 min (with measurement intervals at 2-, 5-, 10-, and 25-min) using a manual toothbrush in an automated brushing machine. The cleaning efficacy of the toothpastes was determined using photographs connected to a planimeter computer program and statistically evaluated., Results: Analysis of the median cleaning efficacy values showed that the toothpastes with a higher abrasiveness achieved a greater cleaning effect at each time point. All toothpastes showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in their cleaning efficacy (taking into account the median, interquartile range (IQR), minimum and maximum values) after 25 min of brushing., Conclusions: With increasing RDA value, the cleaning efficiency of the toothpastes tested rises. However, a doubling of the RDA value does not necessarily elicit a twofold increase in cleaning effect., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: This in-vitro study aimed to investigate the cleaning efficacy of 18 different manual children's toothbrushes applying horizontal, vertical, and rotational movements, as well as to evaluate the rounding of their filament ends., Materials and Methods: Models equipped with artificial teeth (coated with titanium dioxide) were brushed using a brushing machine with clamped manual children's toothbrushes. The machine carried out horizontal, vertical, and rotational movements for 1 min with a constant contact pressure of 100 g. The percentage of the area of titanium dioxide removed from the buccal, mesial, distal and total surfaces of the artificial teeth corresponded to the cleaning efficacy. To assess the filament design, a scanning electron microscope was used to check the morphology of the filaments which was scored with Silverstone and Featherstone scale. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis., Results: The rotational and the vertical movements achieved the best cleaning efficacy with all tested toothbrushes. The vast majority of the tested toothbrushes had their poorest cleaning efficacy in the horizontal movement. Only a small part of the children's toothbrushes (3 out of 18) had a correct and acceptable proportion of rounded bristle ends., Conclusions: Based on the present results, it could be concluded that the cleaning efficacy of different manual children's toothbrushes varied considerably. The best cleaning efficacy was almost always observed for rotational and vertical movements.

Children and adolescents are vulnerable to dental trauma due to their active lifestyles, lack of coordination, and inexperience in recognizing potentially dangerous situations. Early recognition and proper management of dental trauma is crucial in order to minimize the risk of complications and ensure optimal outcomes. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of all dento-alveolar injuries in children and adolescents who were treated at the University Children's Hospital Zurich from 2018-2020 by the resident physicians of the Centre of Dental Medicine of the University of Zurich. All information concerning age and sex distribution, seasonal and weekly variations, as well as aetiology, types of trauma and co-affected structures in the head and neck area from 389 patients was analysed. For data extraction, a parameterised Excel list was created, enabling a continuous data collection. In the study, 65% of the patients were male and 35% female. The average patient age was 7 years and 4 months. The highest frequency of trauma occurred in mixed dentition (49%), followed by deciduous dentition (36%) and permanent dentition (15%). Most of the accidents occurred in the second quarter of the year, especially in the month of May slightly more injuries were reported. The most common injuries were increased tooth mobility (40%) and tooth fractures without pulp exposure (34%). Less frequent were tooth fractures with pulp exposure (12%), lateral dislocations (29%), avulsions (21%), intrusions (8%), extrusions (6%) and root fractures (4%). As in many studies the upper central incisors were most often affected. Main causes of dental trauma were falls, especially by bike (18%) or scooter (14%). Soft tissue injuries or fractures, in the area of the head and neck occurred in 59% and 10% of the cases simultaneously accompanied by dento-alveolar trauma.

Purpose: This in-vitro study deals with the question of whether the wear and tear of the manual toothbrush over a simulated timeframe up to 24 months has an effect on its cleaning performance. The purpose was to find indications as to whether and when a toothbrush needs to be replaced based on its cleaning performance., Materials and Methods: Models equipped with artificial teeth (coated with titanium dioxide) were brushed in-vitro using a brushing machine with clamped manual toothbrushes. The machine carried out even, horizontal brush strokes (120 brush strokes/min) for 1 min with a constant contact pressure of 2.5 N. The percentage of the area of titanium dioxide removed from the buccal, mesial and distal surfaces of the artificial teeth corresponded to the cleaning performance. The manual toothbrushes were used on bovine roots to simulate the wear and tear after 2, 4, 6, 12, 18, 24 months of use. The cleaning performance was re-evaluated after each simulated timepoint of wear. In addition, the brushes were photographed after each cycle., Results: An increase in the in-vitro cleaning performance of the toothbrush was observed up to 6 months of wear compared to the starting point. After that, the cleaning performance decreased somewhat, but always remained above the initial cleaning performance., Conclusion: Based on the in-vitro cleaning performance after 24 months, the toothbrush would not have to be replaced. However, this in-vitro study cannot determine when a toothbrush should be replaced, because in-vivo it is also dependent on a variety of other factors such as fraying and microbial colonisation. Direct transfer of results from this study to everyday clinical practice is therefore difficult.

Purpose: This in-situ-study investigated if rinsing the oral cavity with a calcium containing solution or a fluoride containing mouthwash immediately before an erosive attack leads to reduced enamel softening., Materials and Methods: Bovine enamel samples (n = 240) with measured baseline surface microhardness (KHN) were assigned to five series (S1-5). Twelve participants carried out each series as follows: Four enamel samples of the associated test series were placed in an intraoral appliance and carried in each participants' mouth. After 30 min, the participants either rinsed the oral cavity for 60 s with 30 ml of a solution prepared from a 1,000 mg calcium effervescent tablet dissolved in 100 ml water (S2), an 800 mg calcium containing mineral supplement powder (5 g) dissolved in 200 ml water (S3), a fluoride (500 ppm) mouthwash (S4), a fluoride (500 ppm) and stannous chloride (800 ppm) containing mouthwash (S5), or did not rinse with any test solution before the erosive attack (S1, negative control). The participants subsequently rinsed the oral cavity with 100 ml of a soft drink (Sprite Zero) for 60 s to simulate the erosive attack and immediately afterwards with water to stop the erosive process. As final step, surface microhardness was measured a second time and hardness loss (∆KHN) calculated. Differences of ∆KHN between the series were investigated by fitting a mixed effect model to the data set., Results: The highest loss of microhardness and thus softening of enamel (mean of ∆KHN; lower/upper confidence level) was observed in the negative control (S1: 60.2; 67.6/52.8). While no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) compared to S1 could be found in S2 (50.0; 57.4/42.5) and S3 (54.6; 62.1/47.2), statistically significantly less softening of enamel (P < 0.001) was discovered in S5 (33.8; 41.2/26.4) and S4 (41.8.2; 49.3/34.4). S5 showed the overall lowest values for ∆KHN and thus best protection from enamel softening., Conclusion: Rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash or a fluoride and stannous chloride containing mouthwash immediately before an erosive attack reduces the softening of enamel. None of the investigated calcium-containing solutions was able to reduce erosion induced softening of enamel.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of energy drinks supplementation with green tea extract on the erosive dentine wear., Materials and Methods: Six groups of bovine dentine samples (n = 15) were subjected to four cycles erosive attacks (10 min, 25 °C) and remineralisation (artificial saliva, 60 min, 37°C) using the following formulas: tap water; green tea extract; Red Bull; Red Bull supplemented with green tea extract; Red Bull Light; Red Bull Light supplemented with green tea extract. The erosive dentine wear - ie, the irreversible dentine loss - was measured using a stylus profilometer (µm, accuracy = 40 nm)., Results: Median and interquartile range (IQR) of erosive dentine wear for the tested energy drinks before and after the supplementation with green tea extract were calculated as follows: Red Bull (before: 3.3 µm (1.0)); after: 1.2 µm (0.6)); Red Bull Light (before: 3.3 µm (0.9)); after: 2.0 µm (0.4)). The difference between the groups before and after the supplementation was statistically significant (P ˂0.05). The erosive dentine wear for the tap water group was calculated at 0.4 µm (0.6) and for the green tea extract group at -1.0 µm (1.3)., Conclusions: Supplementation of energy drinks with green tea extract could reduce the erosive dentine wear caused by energy drink in vitro.

In addition to the tasks of pre-digestion, buffering of food acids, protection and remineralisation of tooth substance and moistening of the oral mucosa, saliva also plays an important role in wound healing, and a reduced flow rate represents a serious problem for patients. The saliva flow rate measurement (sialometry) on patients before radiation therapy should take place as a routine procedure, the costs are covered by the statutory health insurance. Due to the increased risk of caries in patients with reduced salivary flow, optimum oral hygiene and professional prophylactic care are crucial. In addition to nutritional guidance of the patient, saliva substitutes and medicinal salivary stimulants are available on the market. Saliva analysis has recently become more of public interest, especially in the field of personalized medicine as various drugs, viruses and DNA can be detected in saliva.

We compared the prevention of erosive and erosive/abrasive enamel loss by a medical minerals gel system (R.O.C.S.) to that by an anti-erosive toothpaste. Seventy-two bovine enamel samples were randomly allocated to six groups (E1–E3 and EA1–EA3; n=12). Per day, samples were eroded (2 min) 9 times using HCl (pH 2.6). Between erosive challenges and over night samples were stored in artificial saliva. Per day, samples were stored (100 s; groups E1–E3) or additionally brushed (20 brushing strokes; groups EA1–EA3) in/with slurries prepared from artificial saliva plus: no additional toothpaste (control groups E1 and EA1), elmex erosion protection toothpaste (groups E2 and EA2), or R.O.C.S. toothpaste (groups E3 and EA3). Once per day, samples of groups E3 and EA3 were additionally treated (40 min) with a slurry prepared from artificial saliva and R.O.C.S. medical minerals gel. After 7, 14 and 21 days enamel loss was measured by surface profilometry and analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis tests and Conover post-hoc tests. Under erosive conditions only (groups E1–E3), at each time point of measurement the significantly lowest enamel loss was observed in group E2. Substance loss in group E3 was significantly higher, but significantly lower compared to that of group E1. Under erosive/abrasive conditions (groups EA1–EA3), at each time point of measurement the significantly lowest enamel wear was observed in group EA2. Wear in group EA3 was significantly higher even compared to that of group EA1. The tested R.O.C.S. medical minerals gel system was able to reduce erosive enamel loss but not erosive/abrasive enamel wear, and it was less effective than the elmex erosion protection toothpaste.