EXAMINATION OF GUTTA-PERCHA CONES FOR MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION DURING CHEMICAL USE

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of microbial contamination in packaged gutta-percha cones before and during use in clinical conditions.

Material and Methods:

Sealed packages of #15-40 gutta-percha cones were opened under aseptic laboratory conditions. Two gutta-percha cones from each size were randomly drawn and added to tubes containing glass beads and 750 μL of saline. The tubes were vortexed, serially diluted and samples of 250 μL were cultured on agar plates. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 3 days and colonies were counted. The initially sampled packages were distributed to 12 final year dental students. The packages were collected at the end of the first and the third clinical practice days and sampled as described above.

Results:

Baseline microbial counts did not exceed 3 CFU. At the end of the first and the third day, additional contamination was found in five and three of the packages, respectively. The ratio of contaminated packages at the first day and the third day was not significantly different (z-test; p > 0.05). The numbers of microorganisms cultured at the first day (8 ± 9.9 CFU) and the third day (4.5 ± 8.3 CFU) were not significantly different (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p > 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the number of filled root canals and cultured microorganisms at either the first day (Spearman''s rho; r = 0.481, p = 0.113) or the third day (r = -0.034, p = 0.917).

Conclusions:

Gutta-percha cones taken directly from manufacturer''s sealed package harbored microorganisms. Clinical use of the packages has been found to be associated with additional contamination of the gutta-percha cones. The counts of cultured microorganisms did not correlate well with the number of filled root canals.     

Protective effects of acute lithium preconditioning against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat: role of nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase systems

Delayed graft function secondary to ischemia/reperfusion injury has been shown to be associated with increased rate of allograft failure following kidney transplantation. Previously, we have shown that chronic lithium pretreatment protects kidney against ischemia/reperfusion injury. In the present study we aimed to examine the effects of acute lithium administration on the renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat. Ischemia/reperfusion injury was induced by clamping left renal pedicle for 60 min, two weeks after right nephrectomy. The mechanism of lithium-mediated renoprotection was explored by combined use of lithium and nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) and/or indomethacin (non-selective cyclooxygenase pathway inhibitor). Lithium-treated animals were given 40 mg/kg lithium chloride intraperitoneally, 30 min before ischemia. To investigate the role of nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase pathways in renoprotective effect of lithium, L-NAME and/or indomethacin were administered before lithium injection. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and renal histology were assessed after 24h of reperfusion. Lithium preconditioning significantly reduced creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (P<0.001) and improved renal histology. Administration of L-NAME completely reversed renoprotective effect of lithium. In contrast indomethacin significantly potentiated the lithium renoprotection. Moreover, co-administration of L-NAME and indomethacin completely abolished the protective effects of lithium. The results show that a single dose of lithium significantly improves renal function following ischemia/reperfusion injury. In conclusion, the ability of lithium to enhance renal tissue tolerance against ischemia/reperfusion injury suggests a potential clinical application in the setting of kidney transplantation. However, more detailed investigations are required before any definite conclusion.     

Polymerization behavior and thermal characteristics of two new composites at five temperatures: refrigeration to preheating

PURPOSE

Heat of composite polymerization (HP) indicates setting efficacy and temperature increase of composite in clinical procedures. The purpose of this in vitro experimental study was to evaluate the effects of 5 temperatures on HP of two new composites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From each material (Core Max II [CM] and King Dental [KD]), 5 groups of 5 specimens each were prepared and their total HPs (J/gr) were measured and recorded, at one of the constant temperatures 0℃, 15℃, 23℃, 37℃ and 60℃ (2 × 5 × 5 specimens) using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyzer. The data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA, a Tukey''s test, an independent-samples t-test, and a linear regression analysis (α=0.05).

RESULTS

No polymerization reactions occurred at 0℃; then this temperature was excluded from statistical analyses. The mean HP of the remaining 20 KD specimens was 20.5 ± 14.9 J/gr, while it was 40.7 ± 12.9 J/gr for CM. The independent-samples t-test showed that there were significant differences between the HP of the two materials at the temperatures 15℃ (P=.0001), 23℃ (P=.0163), 37℃ (P=.0039), and 60℃ (P=.0106). Linear regression analysis showed statistically significant correlations between environment temperatures and HP of CM (R²=0.777).

CONCLUSION

Using CM is advantageous over conventional composite because of its better polymerization capacity. However due to its high HP, further studies should assess its temperature increase in vivo. Preheating KD is recommended. Refrigerating composites can negatively affect their polymerization potential.     

Basal cell adenocarcinoma of the minor salivary gland: a case report

Basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCA) is an uncommon salivary gland neoplasm. The majority of salivary gland tumors are located in the parotid gland, while only a few involves the minor salivary gland of the oral cavity. Pathological diagnosis is important to differentiate BCA from other neoplasms, as the prognosis of the diseases is significantly different. In this article, we present a 41-year-old-male with BCA involving the upper labial mucosa.