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Background: Pulpectomy is used to treat primary teeth with irreversibly inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue. There is, however, a lack of consensus on clinical protocols for teaching pulpectomy at dental schools. Aim: To determine what faculty members at Brazilian dental schools are teaching about pulpectomy in primary teeth. Design: A cross‐sectional, observational study was conducted using a 39‐question survey available via the Google Forms® platform. A snowball sampling strategy was used for recruitment. Invitations to participate were sent via e‐mail, WhatsApp® and Instagram®. The data were analysed descriptively. Results: A total of 177 (58.4%) responses were obtained. Most faculty members recommended the use of Kerr hand files (66.1%), and 1% sodium hypochlorite was the most common choice for the irrigating solution (35.3%). Iodoform pastes were the first choice of faculty members (41.6%), and 60.5% of the faculty members recommended composite resin as the definitive restoration. Conclusion: Similarities were found in the teaching of pulpectomy for primary teeth among faculty members at dental schools in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the effectiveness of polymer-induced liquid precursors (PILP) on dentin remineralization and the assessment approaches used to evaluate remineralization. The analyses were done into six stages: (1) Identifying the research question; (2) Identifying the studies; (3) Selecting relevant studies; (4) Plotting the data; (5) Reporting results; and (6) Risk of bias. The searches were carried out in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. A total of 247 articles were identified in the electronic database search. After applying the eligibility criteria, only 12 articles were included for data extraction. The outcomes of dentin remineralization patterns were plotted in association to PILP agent type and application mode. The intrafibrillar mineralization occurred in 78% of studies where polyaspartic acid (pAsp) was used, and 50% when the polyacrylic acid (PAA) was used. All the studies where PILP was used in a restorative material (resin composite, glass ionomer, and adhesive system)—extra and intrafibrillar mineralization pattern was found. The association of PILP agents with other materials with potential for mineralization showed beneficial results in remineralization, since they provide a medium to high concentration of calcium and phosphate. The pAsp showed better results for interfibrillar remineralization when compared to PAA. The association with Ca/P release materials or solution Ca P are essentials for mineralization via PILP agent. Further studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of remineralization through PILP agents because the level of evidence of the studies was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the association of dental caries with behavioural, socioeconomic and cultural factors; and Streptococcus mutans (SM) levels in the saliva and oral hygiene index of children aged 4 and 6 years old placed in an oral health programme.Materials and Methods: This study was an analytic cross-sectional oral health survey conducted over a 9-month period. A total of 466 children aged 4 and 6 years old were included for evaluation of SM levels in saliva, simplified oral hygiene index and dental caries activity.Results: High SM levels were associated with dmft index, toothbrushing without parental assistance, deficient oral hygiene and ingestion of sweet foods. Deficient oral hygiene was found in children aged 4 years old and with three or more siblings. Dental caries was associated with low family income, deficient oral hygiene, sucrose ingestion by children younger than three years old, bottle-feeding habit and low parental compliance.Conclusions: High SM levels in saliva, deficient oral hygiene and high frequency of sucrose ingestion had association with dental caries in children. Cultural, socioeconomic and behaviour factors indirectly influenced the onset of dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of incorporating Biosilicate® on the physico-mechanical and biological properties of glass ionomer cement (GIC). This bioactive glass ceramic (23.75% Na2O, 23.75% CaO, 48.5% SiO2, and 4% P2O5) was incorporated by weight (5%, 10%, or 15%) into commercially available GICs (Maxxion R and Fuji IX GP). Surface characterization was made by SEM (n = 3), EDS (n = 3), and FTIR (n = 1). The setting and working (S/W time) times (n = 3) and compressive strength (CS) were analyzed (n = 10) according to ISO 9917-1:2007. The ion release (n = 6) was determined and quantified by ICP OES and by UV-Vis for Ca, Na, Al, Si, P, and F. To verify cell cytotoxicity, stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) were exposed to eluates (n = 3, at a ratio of 1.8 cm2/mL) and analyzed 24 h post-exposure. Antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175, NCTC 10449) was analyzed by direct contact for 2 h (n = 5). The data were submitted for normality and lognormality testing. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were applied for the working and setting time, compressive strength, and ion release data. Data from cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity were submitted for Kruskal–Wallis' testing and Dunn's post hoc test (α = 0.05). Among all experimental groups, only those with 5% (wt) of Biosilicate® showed better surface quality. Only M5% showed a comparable W/S time to the original material (p = 0.7254 and p = 0.5912). CS was maintained for all Maxxion R groups (p > 0.0001) and declined for Fuji IX experimental groups (p < 0.0001). The Na, Si, P, and F ions released were significantly increased for all Maxxion R and Fuji IX groups (p < 0.0001). Cytotoxicity was increased only for Maxxion R with 5% and 10% of Biosilicate®. A higher inhibition of S. mutans growth was observed for Maxxion R with 5% of Biosilicate® (less than 100 CFU/mL), followed by Maxxion R with 10% of Biosilicate® (p = 0.0053) and Maxxion R without the glass ceramic (p = 0.0093). Maxxion R and Fuji IX presented different behaviors regarding Biosilicate® incorporation. The impacts on physico-mechanical and biological properties were different depending on the GIC, but therapeutic ion release was increased for both materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]