Dental Research Journal
Volume:14 Issue: 1, Feb 2017

Ginger has been used as an herbal drug for a long time for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.
This randomized, double‑blind clinical trial was conducted on 67 healthy adults with at least one impacted lower third molar. Participants were randomly allocated into three groups: Ibuprofen, GingerGinger, and placebo. Evaluation of inflammation was done by measuring cheek swelling, mouth opening ability, serum C‑reactive protein (CRP) levels, and visual analog scale (for pain scoring). The number and the time of using rescue medication were recorded too.
Sixty patients completed the study. In all three groups, there was a significant increase in the mean cheek swelling measures, compared with the baseline, until day 5. The reduction in mouth opening ability was significant in all three groups, compared with the baseline, until day 5. There was no significant difference between ibuprofenand ginger groups in pain scores in all follow‑up days. Number of required rescue medication on the day of surgery was significantly more in the placebo group. No significant or strong correlations were found between CRP levels and clinical findings.
Within the limitations of this study, it can ban be concluded that gingerpowder is as effective as ibuprofenin the management of postsurgical sequelae. Furthermore, CRP levels alone are not suggested for the assessment of anti‑inflammatory effects of drugs.

Tooth extraction causes an open wound in the soft and hard tissues. During the inflammatory phase of the healing process, a large amount of free radicals are produced and cause oxidative stress, which leads to tissue damage and delayed wound healing. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effect of tert‑butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), as an antioxidant, on the healing process of tooth sockets in rats.
To conduct this experimental study, male Wistar rats (n = 42) were divided into two groups. In each case, one upper second molar was extracted under general anesthesia. After the extraction, the tooth sockets of the experimental group were treated with a 0.02% TBHQ solution (0.1 ml) while the same volume of distilled water placed in the sockets of the control group. On days 3, 7, and 21 postoperatively, 7 rats from each group were euthanized, and histological slides were prepared from their tooth sockets. The prepared slides were examined histopathologically using a light microscope and compared using an independent two‑sample t‑test. The significance level was set at 0.05.
In the experimental group, a statistically significant (P = 0.003) increase in granulation tissue was observed on day 3, in comparison to the control group. The extent of bony trabeculation was also significantly higher in the TBHQ‑treated group than in the control group on day 21 (P Considering the limitations of an experimental study, it can be concluded that TBHQ may enhance the healing of the hard tissue in the tooth sockets.

The prevalence of chronic renal failure is increasing because of increase in chronic debilitating diseases and progressing age of population. These patients experience accumulation of metabolic byproducts and electrolyte imbalance, which has harmful effects on their health. Timely hemodialysis at regular intervals is a life-saving procedure for these patients. Salivary diagnostics is increasingly used as an alternative to the traditional methods. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the diagnostic effi cacy of saliva in chronic renal failure patients.
This case–control study included 82 individuals, of which 41 were chronic renal failure patients and 41 were age- and sex-matched controls. Blood and saliva were collected and centrifuged. Serum and supernatant saliva were used for biochemical analysis. Serum and salivary urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus were evaluated and correlated in chronic renal failure patients using unpaired t-test, Pearson’s correlation coeffi cient, diagnostic validity tests, and receiver operative curve.
When compared to serum; salivary urea, creatinine, sodium, and potassium showed diagnostic accuracy of 93%, 91%, 73%, and 89%, respectively, based on the fi ndings of study.
It can be concluded that salivary investigation is a dependable, noninvasive, noninfectious, simple, and quick method for screening the mineral and metabolite values of high-risk patients and monitoring the renal failure patients.

Radiotherapy is one of the oral and pharyngeal cancer treatment methods that can cause damage to the tissues in the radiation area; the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of radiotherapy on dental pulp tissue in rats.
In this interventional, experimental double-blind study, 30 rats were studied in three groups (n = 10 each). The fi rst group received 12 gray (Gy), the second group received 18 Gy in one session, and the third group was not exposed to radiation (control group). The 5 μm sections of mandibular molar tooth were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Samples were studied under optical microscope to evaluate and score infl ammation, necrosis, hyalinization, and vascular congestion. The data were coded and analyzed by statistical tests of χ² and Fisher’s exact tests. The signifi cant level of P = 0.05.
In Group 1, necrosis in two cases, infl ammation in one case, hyalinization in one case, and vascular congestion in four cases were observed. In Group 2, infl ammation in four cases, hyalinization in two cases, and vascular congestion in fi ve cases were observed. In Group 3, infl ammation was observed only in one case. In comparison between the groups, no signifi cant differences were observed in infl ammation (P > 0.05), necrosis (P > 0.05), and hyalinization (P > 0.05). However, the difference was signifi cant for vascular congestion (P Radiotherapy with doses of 12 and 18 Gy had no signifi cant effect on infl ammation, necrosis, and hyalinization in all groups; however, the difference was signifi cant for vascular congestion.

The aim of this study was to investigate the infl uence of sodium chloride (NaCl) content in electrolyte solution on electrochemical impedance measurements of human dentin by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Dentin samples were prepared from extracted molars. Electrochemical impedance measurements were carried out over a wide frequency range (0.01Hz-1 MHz). After measurements, samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy.
Electrochemical impedance measurements showed that the mean values of dentin electrical resistance were 4284, 2062, 1336, 53 and 48kΩ at different NaCl contents in electrolyte solution. One-way ANOVA test of mean values of dentin electrical resistance revealed a signifi cant difference (P This in vitro study indicated, through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, that electrical resistance of dentin was affected by the concentration of NaCl in electrolyte solution. It is clear from the current study that NaCl concentration in electrolyte solution has a marked infl uence on dentin electrical resistance. Therefore, this baseline data need to be considered in any future study on dental samples.

Assessment of alveolar bone level in periodontitis is very important in determining prognosis and treatment plan. Panoramic radiography is a diagnostic tool used to screen patients. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic value of digital panoramic radiography in angular bony defects with 5 mm or deeper pocket depth in mandibular molars.
In this cross‑sectional study, ninety angular bony defects in mandibular molars teeth with 5 mm or deeper pocket depth were selected in sixty patients with the diagnosis of chronic periodontitis. Before surgery, bone probing was performed. During the surgery, the vertical distance from cementoenamel junction to the most apical part of bony defect was measured using a Williams probe and this measurements were employed as gold standard. This distance was measured on the panoramic radiographs by a Digital Calliper and Digital Ruler. All data were compare dusing independent samples t‑test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
No significant difference was found between the results of bone probing and intra‑surgical measurements (P = 0.377). The mean defect depth determined by Digital Caliper and Digital Ruler on panoramic radiographs was significantly less than surgical measurements (P Based on this study, bone probing is a reliable method in vertical alveolar bone defect measurements. While the information obtained from digital panoramic radiographs should be used with caution and the ability of digital panoramic radiography in the determination of defect depth is limited.

To determine patient orthodontic treatment need, appropriate self-perceived indices are required. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specifi city of esthetic component (AC) of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN), oral esthetic subjective index scale (OASIS), and visual analog scale (VAS) through dental health component (DHC) IOTN as a normative index to determine the more appropriate self-perceived index among young adults.
In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 993 was randomly selected from freshman students of Isfahan University. Those with a history of orthodontic treatment or current treatment were excluded. DHC was evaluated by two inter- and intra-calibrated examiners. Data for AC, OASIS, and VAS were collected through a questionnaire completed by students. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Spearman correlation test, were used for data analyses. Sensitivity, specifi city, positive and negative predictive values of self-perceived indices were calculated through DHC.
Sensitivity of AC, OASIS, and VAS for evaluating defi nite orthodontic treatment need was calculated at 15.4%, 22.3%, and 44.6%, respectively. Specifi city of these indices for evaluating defi nite orthodontic treatment need was calculated at 92.7%, 90.5%, and 76.2% percent, respectively. All self-perceived indices had a signifi cant correlation with together and with DHC (P Due to the sensitivity and specifi city of the three self-perceived indices, these indices are not recommended for population screening and should be used as adjuncts to a normative index for decision-making in orthodontic treatment planning.

To assess the prevalence of dental diseases among 9–15‑year‑old visually impairedchildren and find out its impact on their daily activities using the Child‑Oral Impact on DailyPerformance (C‑OIDP) questionnaire in districts of Uttarakhand, India.
A total of 423 visually impaired institutionalized children between theage group of 9–15 years were included in the study. Stratified random sampling technique wasused to obtain the study population. Dental caries was recorded using dmft for primary dentitionand DMFT for permanent dentition, traumatic dental injuries were assessed using traumatic dentalinjury index, and dentofacial anomalies were recorded using Angle’s classification of malocclusion.The Hindi braille version of C‑OIDP questionnaire was used to gather information regarding oralhealth‑related quality of life (OHRQoL).
There was a high dental caries prevalence of 57.7% in visually impaired children. Theprevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 50.6%. Crowding (61.5%) was the most commonlyseen dentofacial anomaly and the most commonly perceived oral health problem was toothache.There was less favorable OHRQoL in males as compared to females.
There was a high prevalence of dental diseases in this group and higher C‑OIDPscores suggestive of unfavorable OHRQoL.

Toothbrushing is an important aspect of children’s oral health self care. This study aimed to explore toothbrushing frequency among 4–6-year-old Iranian children and associated maternal attitude and sociobehavioral factors.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 407 mother–child (aged 4–6 years) pairs through stratifi ed random sampling in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including demographic characteristic, maternal attitude, and toothbrushing frequency of both mothers and children. Logistic regression was used to determine the predicators of children’s toothbrushing. Statistical signifi cance was set at P The mean age of mothers was 32.6 years (standard deviation [SD] 4.8) and 5.3 years (SD = 1.1) for children. Twice-daily toothbrushing was observed at a relative frequency of 12.8% in children and 18.4% in mothers. About 43.7% of children brushed their teeth once daily. Nearly 38.7% of children started toothbrushing behavior regularly at 4 years of age, and 41% had dental visits. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that children’s toothbrushing (once daily or more) was associated with maternal brushing frequency (odds ratio [OR] =2.0, 95% confi dence interval [CI] =1.53–2.86), maternal attitude toward oral health (OR = 1.15, CI = 1.08 1.22), and children’s age (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02–1.77).
The descriptive results indicated that maternal and children toothbrushing behaviors are unfavorable. Furthermore, maternal toothbrushing behavior is a strong predicator of children’s brushing behavior. Health promotional activities seem necessary for mothers to enhance oral health behavior of their children.

It is shown that neuropeptides can be transported from pulp chamber to periodontal ligament through apical foramen and accessory canals. Therefore, clinical pulpal pain leads to expression of preinflammatory neuropeptides such as substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). This study aimed to evaluate levels of SP and NKA in GCF of carious and healthy permanent teeth, comparatively.
This cross‑sectional study was performed on twenty children referred to Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, who had a painful permanent first molar. Sampling was done by sterile paper cone from GCF of the mentioned teeth and the intact tooth of the other side of the jaw in the same patient. Values of SP and NKA were measured by ELISA test.
The mean concentration of SP in GCF of painful carious and healthy teeth was 2.65 ± 0.56 and 1.83 ± 0.65 pcgr/ml, respectively. This value was 2.29 ± 0.29 and 1.61 ± 0.35 pcgr/ml for NKA concentration in carious and healthy teeth as well.
Significant higher levels of both SP and NKA in GCF of painful carious teeth were observed, which is in line with previous studies’ findings.

Antibacterial activity is one of the important characteristics of an ideal root canal sealer. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of fi ve different sealers against Enterococcus faecalis using two different methods.
The mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Fillapex, Tg sealer, Endomethasone, AH-26, and RoekoSeal sealers were placed into the brain heart infusion (BHI) culture medium containing E. faecalis (PTCC1393). The diameter of the bacterial zone of inhibition was measured. In the direct contact test, a suspension containing grinded set sealers and E. faecalis bacteria was cultured in BHI after 6, 15, and 60 min. The number of colonies in milliliter was calculated. Data were subjected to one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (P In the agar diffusion test, Endomethasone had the highest antibacterial activity against E. faecalis compared to other sealers (P The technique and components of the tested sealers affect the antibacterial activity results. This study showed that all of sealers had antimicrobial effect.

Latex elastics are still in common use due to their low cost and high flexibility to improve sagittal discrepancies or interdigitation of teeth. Mechanical properties of elastics are influenced by several environmental factors such as pH changes. This study evaluated similar latex elastics to define the influence of synergic effect of intermittent low pH and various baselines pH of saliva.
Four groups of latex elastics (3‑M Unitek, 3/16 inch) were tested (n = 15 in each group). Two groups of elastics were immersed in two tanks of artificial saliva with different pH levels of 7 and 5, and two groups were immersed in two tanks of artificial saliva with intermittent drop of pH to 4. The force was measured when the elastics were stretched to 25 mm. These measurements were taken in 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h for each group. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) and post‑hoc Tukey’s test were used to assess the findings. The level of significance was 0.05%.
The interaction between pH and time analyzed with RMANOVA showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) except in 36 h (P = 0.014). The Tukey’s analysis showed that each comparison between any two groups did not indicate significant differences (P > 0.05) except between Groups 1 and 3 and between Groups 2 and 3 (P No significant correlation was seen between fluctuation of pH and force degradation in latex elastic band except in 36 h.