Influence of fluoride on the prevention of erosive lesions--a review

This review describes various forms of fluoride applications for reducing dental erosive lesions induced by acidic substances. Fluoride admixtures to acidic solutions in a concentration excluding toxicologically side-effects seem unable to arrest erosive lesions. By contrast, topical fluoride applications of toothpastes, oral rinses, gels or varnishes appear to be an effective agent for reducing demineralization by erosion. In particular, high-concentrated fluoride applications are able to increase abrasion resistance and decrease the development of erosions in enamel and dentin.     

Dental materials: 1981 literature review. Part 1

This review, which is presented in two parts, covers the work on dental materials published in 1981. Included in Part 1 are sections on dental biomechanics, composite filling materials, acrylic resins, microleakage, and dental cements. Part 2 will include sections on dental ceramics, endodontic materials, fissure sealants, dental amalgam, casting alloys, impression materials and model and die materials.     

Dental materials: 1982 literature review. Part 1

This report, which is to be presented in two parts, reviews published papers on dental materials, based on literature for 1982. In this part the following topics are considered: metals, including dental amalgam and casting and wrought alloys; ceramics, implants and aspects of dental biomechanics.     

Craniofacial distraction osteogenesis: a review of the literature: Part 1: clinical studies

A review of the literature dealing with distraction osteogenesis (DO) of the craniofacial skeleton, provided by a PUBMED search (National Library of Medicine, NCBI; revised 3 April 2000) from 1966 to December 1999 was conducted. Key words used in the search were distraction, lengthening, mandible, mandibular, maxilla, maxillary, midface, midfacial, monobloc, cranial, craniofacial and maxillofacial. This search revealed 285 articles. One hundred and nine articles were clinically orientated and were analysed in detail in this study. The type of distraction, indications, age, type of surgery, distraction rates and rhythms, latency and contention periods, amount of lengthening, follow-up period, relapse, complications and the nature of the distraction device were analysed. This review revealed that 828 patients underwent DO of the craniofacial skeleton; 579 underwent mandibular DO, 129 maxillary DO, 24 simultaneous mandibular and maxillary DO and 96 midfacial and/or cranial DO. Craniofacial DO has proven to be a major advance for the treatment of numerous congenital and acquired craniofacial deformities. Treatment protocols and success criteria for craniofacial DO are suggested on the basis of these results. There is still, however, a lack of sufficient data, especially on follow-up and relapse, so that treatment strategies have to be validated by long-term studies in the future.     

Dental materials: 1980 literature review Part 1

This review, which is presented in two parts, covers the work on dental materials published in 1980. Included in Part I are sections on composite filling materials, fissure sealants, microleakage, dental ceramics, acrylic resins, impression materials, dental cements, adhesion, endodontic materials, model, die, mould and investment materials. Part II will include sections on dental biomechanics, amalgam, corrosion, casting alloys, soldering, electroplating magnetic materials, metals and alloys for orthodontic use.     

Bruxism: A review of the literature. Part I

A review of the literature on bruxism--a condition which has been clinically recognized since the late nineteenth century--is presented. It will be seen that there is not complete agreement on the definition of this activity, and its aetiology and treatment remain controversial.     

Bruxism: A review of the literature. Part II

A review of the literature on bruxism--a condition which has been clinically recognized since the late nineteenth century--is presented. It will be seen that there is not complete agreement on the definition of this activity, and its aetiology and treatment remain controversial.     

Medicaments: Aids to success in endodontics. Part 1. A review of the literature

Bacteria play a major role in pulpal and periapical disease. They are capable of surviving in dentinal tubules and other canal ramifications that are inaccessible to mechanical instrumentation and irrigation. In order to predictably achieve bacteria-free root canal systems, especially in pulpless teeth, it is necessary to use intra-canal medicaments. These medicaments must be capable of destroying bacteria, reducing inflammation and stimulating hard tissue formation whilst not being toxic to the host tissues. Consideration of a material's therapeutic action must be made when selecting a medicament for any pathological condition. Many of the commercial preparations do not satisfy the requirements for the ideal root canal medicament.     

Dental materials: 1980 literature review. Part 2

This paper, which is presented in two parts, reviews the work on dental materials published in 1980 Included in Part 2 are sections on dental biomechanics, amalgam, corrosion, casting alloys, soldering, electroplating, magnetic materials, metals and alloys for orthodontic use. Part 1 included sections on composite filling materials, fissure sealants, microleakage, dental ceramics, acrylic resins, impression materials, dental cements, adhesion, endodontic materials, model, die, mould and investment materials.     

Dental materials: 1982 literature review. Part 2

This is the second part of the report on the 1982 literature on dental materials. Included are reviews on impression, cast, die and mould materials, polymeric prosthetic materials, aspects of adhesion, fissure sealants, composite resins, cements and endodontic materials.     

Evidence-based mucogingival therapy. Part 1: A critical review of the literature on root coverage procedures

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews of the literature are an increasingly important tool for providing evidence-based guidance to the practitioner. This review article and a companion paper deal with the surgical coverage of exposed root surfaces, but their aim is to promote a more up-to-date way of writing and publishing scientific articles in this field. This article presents the published data about surgical root coverage in table form and its aim is to identify updated minimum standards for data presentation. METHODS: Manual and computer-assisted searches were conducted to find the articles published on this topic during the 30-year period from 1970 to 2000. Articles that described the surgical procedure and reported at least the number of treated recessions and the duration of the follow-up, including case series, controlled studies, and randomized trials were selected and data were arranged in tables. RESULTS: Only 90 of the 290 articles that dealt with root coverage met the entry criteria; 25 of these were found only through manual searching. The overall clinical outcomes of different techniques appear to be satisfactory, but the published evidence is of little help in deciding which procedure is best suited for each clinical situation. Only a more homogeneous way of collecting and reporting clinical data and especially outcome measures will allow for an effective reanalysis which could help in everyday clinical decision making. Perhaps studies should be carried out and presented keeping in mind that the published results of sound clinical studies will, sooner or later, be reviewed and compared with other studies. CONCLUSION: A standard format with minimum requirements for data collection and presentation should be established and imposed by international journals in order to provide readers and researchers with more useful information.     

The development of the ITI DENTAL IMPLANT SYSTEM. Part 1: A review of the literature

In a short trip through more than twenty years, the development of the ITI DENTAL IMPLANT SYSTEM is described. The systematic unfolding and continuous advancement of the system, permanently supported and accompanied by scientific work in clinical and general practice, is outlined in short paragraphs. Some major milestones are emphasized and characterized.     

Outcome of primary root canal treatment: systematic review of the literature -- Part 2. Influence of clinical factors.

AIMS: (i) To carry out meta-analyses to quantify the influence of the clinical factors on the efficacy of primary root canal treatment and (ii) to identify the best treatment protocol based on the current evidence. METHODOLOGY: The evidence for the effect of each clinical factor on the success rate (SR) of primary root canal treatment was gathered in three different ways: (i) intuitive synthesis of reported findings from individual studies; (ii) weighted pooled SR by each factor under investigation was estimated using random-effect meta-analysis; (iii) weighted effect of the factor under investigation on SR were estimated and expressed as odds ratio for the dichotomous outcomes (success or failure) using fixed- and random-effects meta-analysis. Statistical heterogeneity amongst the studies was assessed by Cochran's (Q) test. Potential sources of statistical heterogeneity were investigated by exploring clinical heterogeneity using meta-regression models which included study characteristics in the regression models. RESULTS: Out of the clinical factors investigated, pre-operative pulpal and periapical status were most frequently investigated, whilst the intra-operative factors were poorly studied in the 63 studies. Four factors were found to have a significant effect on the primary root canal treatment outcome, although the data heterogeneity was substantial, some of which could be explained by some of the study characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Four conditions (pre-operative absence of periapical radiolucency, root filling with no voids, root filling extending to 2 mm within the radiographic apex and satisfactory coronal restoration) were found to improve the outcome of primary root canal treatment significantly. Root canal treatment should therefore aim at achieving and maintaining access to apical anatomy during chemo-mechanical debridement, obturating the canal with densely compacted material to the apical terminus without extrusion into the apical tissues and preventing re-infection with a good quality coronal restoration.