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The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), originating in Wuhan, China, has become a major public health challenge for not only China but also countries around the world. The World Health Organization announced that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus have constituted a public health emergency of International concern. Infection control measures are necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the epidemic situation. Due to the characteristics of dental settings, the risk of cross infection can be high between patients and dental practitioners. For dental practices and hospitals in areas that are (potentially) affected with COVID-19, strict and effective infection control protocols are urgently needed. This article, based on our experience and relevant guidelines and research, introduces essential knowledge about COVID-19 and nosocomial infection in dental settings and provides recommended management protocols for dental practitioners and students in (potentially) affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Displacement of gingiva is essential for obtaining accurate impressions for the fabrication of fixed prostheses, particularly when the finish line is at or within the gingival sulcus. Various newer impression materials have been introduced to achieve gingival displacement while recording the impressions. A comparative evaluation of these new gingival displacement materials was deemed necessary for efficacy in tissue management and dimensional accuracy. Materials and Methods: Ten individuals were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria for gingival displacement using retraction cord impregnated with aluminum chloride and two polyvinyl siloxane impression materials (Aquasil and NoCord VPS impression system) according to Latin block design. Intraoral scanner and Vernier caliper were used to study and compare the dimensional accuracy of each die obtained following which the dies were sectioned and evaluated under optical microscope with image analyzer to measure the amount of gingival retraction. Results and Conclusion: Statistical analysis showed that the amount of gingival retraction obtained by using retraction cord impregnated with aluminum chloride as gingival retraction agent was maximum as compared to NoCord followed by Aquasil. All three gingival displacement techniques could produce gingival displacement >0.2 mm which is the optimum amount of retraction required for impression making. All the three materials are found to be dimensionally accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Success of complete denture treatment lies in the ability to make it indiscernible from the natural. The selection of the six maxillary anterior teeth is of utmost importance as it contributes most to denture esthetics. Although various techniques and methods to determine the width of maxillary anterior teeth and its relation to various body measurements were done, the simple technique of using circumference of head has been less documented, specifically for Indian population. Aims and Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the widths of the upper six anterior teeth to head circumference and the objective was to decide whether head circumference can be used as a deciding criterion to select size of maxillary anterior teeth for Central Indian population. Materials and Methods: This study was done on 300 people who included 135 males and 165 females. The circumference of head (A) and the combined width of the six anterior maxillary teeth (B) were measured and the ratio of A: B was determined. Results: EPO Info software version 6 was used to derive the statistical analysis with unpaired Student's t-tests. In male students, the mean of the ratio between the head circumferences to the combined widths of the anterior maxillary teeth was 10.14:1. In female students, the mean of the ratio between the head circumferences to the widths of the anterior maxillary teeth was 10.09:1. The average circumference of head to mesiodistal width of six anterior teeth ratio was concluded to be 10. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that head circumference divided by 10 can be used to select a teeth set with the resulting value as the combined mesiodistal width of six anterior teeth. This can be used as a starting point for determining the width of the anterior maxillary teeth for edentulous patients, which can be further confirmed with the esthetic appearance and with other facial measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fixed partial denture is a common solution to restore missing teeth. A connector is that part of the fixed partial denture which connects the pontic to the retainer. A conventional rigid connector is the most commonly used type. However in situations like the presence of midline diastema, use of a loop connector might be a better option as compared to a conventional connector.Esthetics is a major concern when an anterior tooth is to be replaced and if the patient had a midline diastema which has to be maintained in the restoration use of the loop connector is the best option. The loop connector is a type of a connector where the connection between the pontic and the retainer is from the lingual side where the spacing is to be maintained. The placement of the connector is critical in maintaining hygiene,comfort as well as for uninterrupted phonetics and speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]