Journal of Dental School
Year:2010 | Volume:28 | Issue:2 (84)|Papers Count:11

Background and Aim: Background and aim: TGF-B1 is a growth factor known to control cell function in both healthy and diseased condition. There is little information on the correlation between smoking and the levels of this cytokine in gingival crevicular fluid. This study aimed to assess the correlation between tobacco use and TGF-B1 levels in gingival crevicular fluid in chronic moderate-severe periodontitis. Materials & Methods: Sixty patients with chronic moderate–sever periodontitis participated in this analytical case-control study. Samples of gingival crevicular fluid were obtained via a perio strip from thirty smokers (Case group) and thirty nonsmokers (control group). The TGF-B1 levels were measured using ELISA. Results: The results revealed that TGF-B1 levels were higher in both healthy and diseased sites of gingival among smokers, yet the difference was insignificant. Furthermore, in the nonsmoking group, the TGF-B1 level was significantly higher in diseased sites compared to healthy sites (P<0.0001), whereas in the smoking group, the difference was insignificant. Conclusion: It is concluded that TGF-B1 levels increase with the advent of periodontal disease regardless of tobacco use which is due to immune responses and initiation of repair in the affected sites.

Background and Aim: Radiography is considered as conventional method for caries diagnosis along with clinical examinations nowadays. Serious attempts have been made to increase diagnostic value of radiography and decrease x-ray radiation by developing different film types. The aim of present study was to assess diagnostic accuracy on detection of interproximal caries by three film types of D, E and F in in vitro conditions. Materials & Methods: In this diagnostic-invitro study, 75 human molars and premolars meeting study criteria were selected and assign in 25 blocks each having 3 teeth. The teeth were radiographed using three films of D, E and F in similar conditions using the same unit and processed similarly. Three blind and experienced radiologists assessed the radiographies and diagnosed caries. Then, the teeth were sectioned mesio-distally and examined by stereomicroscope by the magnification of ×10. The data were analyzed by diagnostic indices and analysis of variance. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive value of D film was 69.65%, 100%, 73.85%, 100% and 34.72% respectively. These criteria was respectively 71.30%, 94.44%, 74.43%, 98.14% and 33.94% in E film and 64.85%, 94.44%, 68.89%, 98.67% and 29.88% respectively. Analysis of variance test showed no significant differences to be found in caries depth considering film types and observers. The caries depth as determined by histopathological assessments did not show significant differences with the values determined by each observer in any film type as shown by paired t test. Conclusion: It seems that diagnostic criteria of three D, E and F films to be similar in the diagnosis of interproximal caries. Due to less radiation exposure, the use of F films are suggested for interproximal caries.

Background and Aim: Working length determination is one of the most important steps during root canal therapy. Many devices and various methods have been introduced for that purpose amongst them is electronic apex locators and various radiographic systems. This study was carried out to assess the accuracy of electronic apex locator (EAL) and compare radiographic film (RF) and digital radiography (DR) in order to determine working length. Materials and Method: In this study, 36 teeth from 3 cadavers’ jaws which had 38 root canals were used. At first, in each canal a k-type file was inserted into the canal until the Apex signal was emitted by EAL. Afterwards, the file was fixed into the pulp chamber, by cyanoacrylate glue. X-ray images were obtained by RF and DR methods. In order to compare the results of the radiographic methods and EAL as well as determination of apical opening (AO), stereomicroscopic observation was used as gold standard following selective grinding. Results: Results showed that the accuracy of EAL (in ±0.5 mm) was 100%. Agreement observation between (DR and RF), (DR and EAL) and (RF and EAL) were 73.6%, 55.2% and 52.6% respectively. The spearman correlation coefficient showed significant difference between (DR, RF), (DR, EAL) and (RF, EAL) (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that EAL has excellent accuracy (100%) and DR is a valuable method which can be substituted with RF.

Background and Aim: Dentists are more familiar with treatment and preventive dental needs of the society. When they begin dental services, so that, they can assess dental education system more efficiently. The present study was performed to assess the dental curriculum according to views of the graduates of dental schools of the country during the last 5 years. Methods & Materials: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 200 dentists – graduated during the last 5 years – were selected randomly and 160 of them were participated. The data were collected by means of questionnaire through a five – optional scale (very little, little, moderate, much, very much). The data were reported by descriptive indicators. Results: According to the results, dental anatomy (practice and theory) and biochemistry (practice and theory) were the most and least effective courses among basic courses respectively. The efficiency of fixed prosthesis pre Clinic course was reported to be the most while the pre clinics of endodontics, removable prosthodontics and operative dentistry achieved the next ranks. The diagnosis ward had the most patients to be visited by dentists and the wards of operative dentistry, pediatric dentistry, removable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, fixed prosthodontics, surgery, radiology and orthodontics presented them with higher patient number respectively. Practical and theoretical fixed prosthodontics courses showed the most efficiency and community oral health and orthodontics courses were the least efficiencies among clinical courses held by dental education system. Conclusion: According this study it seems that country dental curriculum is capable to prepare students with their needs to treat patients in different aspects; however, some reforms must be made in fields like internet education, research methodology, students' research activities and some courses of basic science term.

Background and Aim: Assessment of clinical skills has a central role in dental education. OSCE has been introduced as an effective method to provide a reliable assessment in this regard. This study aimed to describe postgraduate dental students' perceptions toward the annual OSCE carried out in an Iranian dental school.Materials & Methods: All postgraduate dental students were asked to participate in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Two questionnaires (pre-test and post-test) were designed and were distributed before and after the OSCE respectively. Data were retrieved and subjected to analysis via SPSS 16. Results: The overall attitude of dental residents towards OSCE was positive, however, there were significant differences between pre-test and post-test results among different departments (P<0.05). Nearly half of the examinees were in favor of written questions included in OSCE (44.4%). Substantial proportion of them found OSCE as a stressful method. Conclusion: A non standard and stressful mode of OSCE may affect the examinee's attitude toward this method, hence, it is strongly recommended that considering the importance and success of OSCE, examiners improve the standards and setting of this means of evaluation.

Background and Aim: The achievement of a stable, functional and esthetic archform has long been one of the prime objectives of orthodontics. A fundamental question is how the practitioner makes the correct design for the arch or how he selects the appropriate archwire. The goal of this study was to program a computer software for selecting the most appropriate shape and size of preformed archwires according to each patient dental arch. Methods & Materials: 100 Upper and lower dental casts were scanned by a conventional scanner. Then midbuccal tooth points were digitized on computer screen. By means of sixth degree polynomial function, archforms were generated for each sample by our software. Moreover, in order to select the best NiTi archware to fit the archform, we scanned five shapes of prefabricated 018 NiTi archwires. The software results were compared to the fitness of these shapes with each sample archform. The software results were compared to the consensus of seven orthodontists’ archwire selection by means of Kappa statistics. Intra and inter examiner reliability was assessed by means of one sample T-test, ICC and Dahlberg formula. Results: The mean measurement error was 0.1mm and in the form of magnification. Intra-examiner error was 0.1mm and inter-examiner error although significant was 0.05mm. Kappa was 0.413 between the gold and the first suggestion of software. (64% similar to gold in upper arch, 59% in lower arch). Agreement (Kappa score) between gold’s was 0.429 at best. Considering the first and second suggestion valid, Kappa was calculated to be 0.91 (94% similar to gold in upper and lower arches). Conclusion: The accuracy of measurement is acceptable clinically and the reliability and validity was also good. The first and second suggestions of the software seemed clinically similar to the orthodontists’ suggestion. Therefore our software is an appropriate tool for selection of best fit NiTi archwires to planned arch form for the patient.

Background and Aim: The main goal of endodontic treatments is eliminating the etiologic factors of pulpal and periapical diseases as well as maintaining this condition via providing a hermetic seal between periodontium and root canal system. If these were not possible through orthograde approach, periradicular surgery and root-end filling are indicated. Review of Literature: Different materials have been used as root-end fillings. Amalgam, in 1884, and some other materials were used thereafter for root-end filling. A search in medical data bank provides hundreds of articles related to endodontic surgeries and root-end filling materials; however, there are less than 10 review articles which compare these materials and also there is just one systematic review in this field. Additionally, there is no Meta-analysis with reference to this subject due to scarcity of Randomized Clinical Trials. In this article, we focus on favorable properties of root-end fillings as well as introducing different types of these materials and the ideal choice for endodontic surgeries.Conclusion: Dentists should be informed about different properties of an ideal root-end filling so that they can choose and utilize a favorable material in endodontic surgeries. Since the histological evidences declare successful treatment results for MTA and CEM cement, due to cementogenesis over their surfaces, these biomaterials are recommended for clinical use.

Background & Aim: "Strawberry gingivitis" is a rare manifestation of Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG), but it is nearly pathognomonic for this multisystem autoimmune vasculitis. The dentist may be the first health care provider to see patients with this condition. Early diagnosis and treatment is the most important factor in the management of this potentially fatal disease. Case Report: A 17 year old boy, under corticosteroid therapy due to a dermatologic lesion (pyoderma gangranozome) since 1 year ago. He was referred to oral medicine department of Shahid Beheshti Medical University, dental school from department of dermatology, Shohada hospital. Ha had classical gingival lesions of the disease from 1 week ago. Reaching a definitive diagnosis sometimes is challenging owing to the subtle onset of the disease and variable clinical and laboratory findings. Conclusion: Clinicians should be familiar with the broad variety of oral and systemic components of Wegner's Granulomatosis.