Aim: The aim of this article was to identify factors that influence the retention and turnover of dental professionals and to provide a suggestion for Pacific nations. Materials and Methods: A literature survey was conducted for the full-text English articles which looked at factors that influence the retention and turnover of dental professionals, from January 1, 2000 to October 31, 2020. Results: In total, 328 papers were retrieved, which reduced to 282 following removal of duplicates. The abstracts were screened using the eligibility criteria; 36 were found to match the criteria. After screening the full-text articles, 24 were excluded, resulting in a total of 12 articles. The significant findings and conclusions were extracted and grouped under themes. Conclusion: Factors that have been found to motivate and retain staff in the workforce include good patient relationship and opportunities for further studies and career advancements. In contrast, work stress, musculoskeletal disease, and fragile patient–dentist relationship were found to demotivate dental professionals. Furthermore, the results of such a research could be used to implement workforce policies and strategies, which will aid in the retention of dental staff and prevent brain drain. Ultimately, this would ensure that oral health status of the Pacific is not compromised.

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Aim: To review the literature associated with porous tantalum and discuss their uses in health science. Materials and Methods: The main search engines used for literature review were PubMed and Scopus. Articles were limited to those published within the past five years in English and Portuguese. Observational studies, reviews, animal studies, in vitro studies, and clinical studies were included. Case reports and simulation studies were excluded. Results: The initial search retrieved 85 articles. Thirty articles were selected for full-text review. After a full-text review of all the manuscripts, only 15 were included, matching the exclusion criteria. Tantalum is considered in the rehabilitation medicine due to various mechanical and biological properties, such as a high degree of osseointegration, biocompatibility, bio-inertness, and noncorrosive material. Conclusion: In contrast, the high degree of elasticity and high manufacturing cost of tantalum limits its use in different fields. Hence, alloys are generated to improve their properties. Implants containing tantalum can modify bone structure, which leads to bone remodeling and induction of osteogenesis.

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Aim: To systematically review the in vivo clinical studies available in the literature evaluating the effect of interleukin (IL) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic periodontitis (CP). Materials and Methods: A search was initially performed using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases published from the year 2003 to 2020. Among the keywords used in the search were “periodontal diseases,” “interleukin,” “chronic kidney diseases,” and “inflammation.” After relevant articles were found, a critical assessment was made to select those that met the criteria for the systematic review. Among the inclusion criteria needed for the papers were randomized clinical trials, longitudinal clinical trials, clinical studies, no sample size limits, and only English language articles. Case reports, conference abstracts, and unpublished data were excluded for this study. Result: Based on the keywords, 16 of the relevant articles were listed and seven of them were selected for a systematic review. Conclusion: After reviewing the articles based on their results and conclusion, it can be concluded that serum IL level increased significantly in patients with CKD and CP and periodontal therapy can significantly reduce the level of serum IL. Moreover, the effect of modern periodontal therapy in CKD and CP is still unknown and inflammatory gene expression profile in patients with CKD will still need to be evaluated within different populations.

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Aims: The aim of this article was to evaluate the efficacy of casein phosphopeptide amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) with and without fluoride on white spot lesion (WSL) progression, salivary pH, and fluoride ion release compared with fluoridated toothpaste on high caries risk patients. Materials and Methods: A total number of 51 high caries risk participants with occlusal WSLs determined by VistaCam were randomly assessed into three equal groups (n = 17): group 1: CPP-ACP + Fluoridated toothpaste; group 2: CPP-ACFP + Fluoridated toothpaste; group 3: Fluoridated toothpaste only. WSL progression was assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. The pH values and fluoride ion release assessments were done at baseline, immediately after application, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. The pre-treatment and the post-intervention VistaCam scores, salivary pH, and fluoride ion release were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: No statistically significant difference in VistaCam scores was found between the tested periods with Tooth Mousse, MI Paste Plus, and Fluoridated tooth paste. There was no statistically significant difference in salivary pH between different evaluation times with Tooth Mousse and control group. MI Paste Plus showed a statistically significant increase in pH value. Regarding fluoride ion release, there was a statistically significant difference between different evaluation periods with MI Paste Plus only. Also, intergroup comparison showed a statistically significant difference in each assessment period. Conclusion: In high caries risk patients, CPP-ACP-containing pastes have a slight remineralization effect like fluoridated toothpaste. The application of CPP-ACFP was effective in raising both salivary pH and fluoride ion release in saliva.

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Aim: The aim of this article was to compare the marginal discrepancy of CoCr metal coping fabricated by three techniques, namely (A) direct CAD/CAM milling, (B) casted milled CAD/CAM wax, and (C) direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. Materials and Methods: A comparative study between additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques was made. The study involves three groups; 15 metal copings were made for each group. Standardization was done by using the same STL file for all groups. With group A, direct milling was done to the CoCr blank. Group B follows the conventional casting method for wax framework milled by a CAD/CAM machine. Group C metal coping was made by the DMLS technique. The measurement of marginal discrepancy was done to four aspects: buccal, palatal, mesial, and distal using a digital light traveling microscope with magnification power of 200×. Statistical analysis used was one-way analysis of variance test and Tukey’s test. Results: The mean vertical marginal discrepancies for groups A, B, and C were 19.070, 23.470, and 38.533 μm, respectively. Statistical analysis shows a very high significant difference among groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion: All the tested groups showed an acceptable marginal discrepancy. The direct CAD/CAM metal milling method results in minimum marginal gaps when compared with additive and subtractive techniques.

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Aim: To clarify the bond strength of Theracem in comparison to other types of adhesive material, in addition to testing the adhesive remnant index (ARI). Material and Methods: A hundred extracted human premolars were collected for orthodontic purposes. Teeth were stored in 1% Chloramine-T trihydrate as bacteriostatic/bactericidal solution for one week; then, they were transmitted into distilled water. The buccal surface of the studied teeth was kept under surveillance and mounted in acrylic block. Siamese metal pre-adjusted premolar brackets were fixed on the buccal surface using three adhesive cements: Bisco ORTHO, GC Fuji ORTHO LC (Light Cure) and Theracem. The teeth were randomly divided into five groups of 20 specimens each. Group 1 (G1) used 37% phosphoric acid gel, Bisco primer, and Bisco adhesive. Group 2 (G2) used GC Fuji ORTHO LC (Light Cure) without etching. Group 3 (G3) used GC Fuji ORTHO LC (Light Cure) with etching. Group 4 (G4) used Theracem without etching. Group 5 (G5) used Theracem with etching. All the tested specimens were kept at 370°C in a distilled water bath for 24 h. Shear bond strength (SBS) was conducted using a universal microcomputer-controlled electronic test machine. Then, specimens’ surfaces were assessed under a stereomicroscope with a 10× magnification to examine the orthodontics adhesive residue’s buccal surface and scored using ARI. Results: The G4 exhibited the lowest mean bond strength value (M = 11.24, SD = 3.52), whereas G3 yielded the highest bond strength value (M = 25.02, SD = 3.41). The variance analysis revealed F = 61.71, indicating a significant difference among the bond strength values (P < .001). Tukey HSD post hoc testing demonstrated a significant difference in bond strength among groups, except G2 with G1 and G3. Kruskal–Wallis test showed statistically significant differences among all groups (P < .001). On comparison, the least adhesives that remained on the tooth surface were in G4 and G5. Conclusion: Theracem bonding system provides many advantages, as there is no need for an acid-etching step, it is easy to manipulate, and it provides a very suitable S.B.S. with no enamel detachment during debonding. Also, scores 0 and 1 in the ARI test lead to a decrease in enamel damage.

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Aim: Staphylococcus aureus can be isolated from contaminated food. A toothbrush is used daily in both planktonic and biofilm cells. No drugs are proven to be effective against S. aureus infection; since Methicillin has become resistant in the form Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA), a search is necessarily made for active herbal compounds related to this infection. One of the herbal agents, capsaicin, has antibacterial effects as it has a composition of flavonoid, carotenoid, phenol, and efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) activity. Previous studies have shown that capsaicin could be used as anti-S. aureus, but it has restricted diffusion. The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of capsaicin as an alternative herbal substance to threat the antibiotic resistance of S. aureus. Materials and Methods: This research used a serial dilution method in isolating S. aureus both from the food sold from the side of road and ten days used toothbrush in the solid media called Blood Agar Plate (BAP). It was replicated to five times. Capsaicin was diluted from 100% to 0.78125%. These data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) to S. aureus planktonic formation was at 3.125%, whereas the MIC to biofilm formation was at 12.5% (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Capsaicin extract could inhibit the growth of S. aureus (planktonic and biofilm cell). Therefore, capsaicin is an alternative herbal candidate to prevent problems related to S. aureus.

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Aim and Objectives: Mobile towers are known to emit a radiofrequency (RF) radiation continuously, which increases the health concern of living beings. However, still the biological effect of exposure to RF remains controversial. The present study was performed to evaluate the presence of micronuclei (MN) in the exfoliated buccal cells due to the genotoxic effect of cell phone tower radiation. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study that was conducted with randomly selected n = 108 subjects between 5 and 50 years of age from three school-based localities in Chennai, which were located within the radius of 10–25 m around the mobile towers; exfoliated buccal cells were collected. A smear was made using the collected exfoliated buccal cells and analyzed for the presence of MN. The smear was stained using giemsa stain to evaluate the same. The collected data were statistically analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test and Student’s T-test. Results: The study results showed that 55.05% of the study population had the presence of MN in at least one field (a total of 10 fields examined), and 45.95% did not have MN in their exfoliated cells examined. The presence of MN was more seen in the 0–10 age groups, with preponderance of the female population (P > 0.05) being statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The presence of MN can be considered as a prerequisite for environmental genotoxicity and adverse health risks due to constant exposure to RF radiation.

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Aim: Flat ridge is a frequent problem with the retention of mandibular complete denture. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of three forms of denture adhesives on microbial colonization, retention of mandibular denture, and satisfaction for completely edentulous patients with mandibular flat ridge. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 21 completely edentulous patients with mandibular flat ridge. They were divided randomly into three equal groups; group I: patients used denture adhesive paste, group II: patients used denture adhesive powder, and group III: patients used denture adhesive cushion. For each patient, a cotton swab was taken from the buccal shelf area, and microbial colonization was evaluated by calculating colony forming unit on blood agar after 48 h of incubation. The retention of the denture was measured using a digital force gage in newton before using denture adhesive and at 1, 3, and 6 months after using it. Patient satisfaction was evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months after using denture adhesives. The values of microbial colonization, retention, and patient satisfaction were analyzed using analysis of variance and paired Student’s t-test followed by Tukey’s test. Results: No significant difference was found between the three groups in microbial colonization. The retention of mandibular denture was increased in the three groups with no significance difference between them. There was also no significant difference between the three groups with regard to patient satisfaction. Cushion form denture adhesive gave long time of retention, followed by paste form and then powder form denture adhesive. Conclusion: The number of microorganisms was not increased or decreased by using denture adhesives. Retention of mandibular denture was increased by using denture adhesive, whether paste or powder or cushion, with no significant difference between them.

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Aim: The aim of this article was to analyze the influence of Saudi Arabia climate on the mechanical characteristics of two room-temperature (RV)- and heat-temperature-vulcanized (HV) medical silicone materials. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 160 specimens of four different elastomeric materials, two RV (A-2000 and A-2186) and two HV (TechSil S-25 and Cosmesil M-511), were exposed to natural weather of Jouf Area in Saudi Arabia for 6 months. The mechanical tests, including tear resistance, tensile strength, and percentage of elongation, were performed using a universal testing machine. A t-test and analysis of variance followed by a post hoc test with α<0.05 were used to analyze the results. Results: The weather statistically influenced the mechanical properties of the silicone materials. A-2000 showed the highest tear resistance (37.34 ± 2.36, P < 0.05). TechSil S-25 showed the highest tensile strength (57.34 ± 1.92, P < 0.05) and percentage of elongation (888.20 ± 13.83, P < 0.05). The least tensile strength and percentage of elongation were found in Cosmesil M-511 among all test specimens (P < 0.05). Conclusion: After 6 months of natural weathering in hot and dry climates, A-2000 exhibited the highest tear strength values among all test specimens, whereas TechSil S-25 achieved the best results for tensile strength and percentage of elongation.

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Aim: The aim of this article was to evaluate the applicability of Kvaal et al.’s method using extracted single-rooted maxillary second premolars on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) sagittal and coronal sections and to develop and validate a new regression equation. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty extracted human maxillary second premolars were collected in the age range of 18–62 years, which were extracted on therapeutic ground. The extracted sample teeth were modeled on a customized cast, and CBCT images were acquired. The six variables proposed by Kvaal’s method were measured on CBCT sagittal and coronal sections of the teeth under study. A new regression equation model was formulated and validated on fresh 30 teeth. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 23.0. Results: The mean estimated age using Kvaal’s original formula was 34.38 years (± 12.47) for the overall sample (n = 160). The regression equation based on the data of the maxillary second premolars for CBCT sagittal section was Age (years) = 43.321–5.503 (M)–3.141 (W-L) with a standard error of estimate (SEE) = 12.49; r² = 0.009 and for CBCT coronal section was Age (years) = 46.482–3.264 (M) +2.639 (W-L) with an SEE = 12.521; r² = 0.005; P>0.005. The mean estimated age of the test sample (n = 30) was 35.85 ± 12.32 years (P>0.05) in the CBCT sagittal section and 37.87 ± 12.42 years (P>0.05) in the CBCT coronal section by applying the new premolar formula, respectively. Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between the actual age and the estimated age using Kvaal et al.’s method on extracted maxillary second premolar tooth by using CBCT sagittal and coronal sections with the newly developed formula.

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Aim: Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is frequently used for the sterilization of biomaterials in the field of dentistry. The aim of this narrative review is to present the role of CAP in the control of biofilms on titanium surfaces. Materials and Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, and WOS databases were searched to identify scientific articles published between 2010 and 2020, with the keywords “biofilm,” “cold atmospheric temperature,” and “titanium,” using the logical operators AND and OR. Results: We found 8 articles in PubMed, 11 in Scopus, and 10 in WOS, including review articles and original studies, among others. All the articles were selected by two independent reviewers according to the eligibility criteria. Conclusions: Despite the restrictions of this review, CAP seems to have an effect on titanium surfaces in the oral area. Studies have shown that bacterial biofilms become inactive after 3 min of plasma treatment.

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Aim: The aim of this article was to survey oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of elderly people and compared that of elderly people with cognitive decline with that of those with no cognitive decline. Materials and Methods: The cognitive function of community-dwelling elderly people (65 years old or more, n = 188) in Japan was measured by Mini-Mental State Examination, and subjects were divided into normal and impaired groups. Oral status was examined and for those wearing dentures, the dentures were assessed by the prosthodontic specialists with clinical techniques and by the subjects themselves with visual analog scale. Masticatory function was assessed by an objective method with a test food and a subjective method with a questionnaire. OHRQOL was measured by General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). The statistical analysis was carried out using the Mann–Whitney U-test and χ² test. Results: The number of remaining teeth and masticatory ability in the normal group were significantly higher than that in the impaired group. There are significant differences on the ratio of answers in Q2, Q7, Q9, Q10, and Q11 at GOHAI. The status of dentures by subjective and objective assessment was almost the same in both groups. Conclusion: Elderly people with cognitive decline decrease masticatory function with fewer remaining teeth, and it is revealed that they have trouble in chewing and psychological and oral discomfort caused by oral problems.

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Aim: To compare the surface microtopography and in vitro mechanodegradation characteristics of two different platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) preparation protocols, that is, leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) and advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF). Materials and Methods: For the present ex vivo study, blood samples were obtained from 20 healthy volunteers, who were divided into two groups: group I (L-PRF) and group II (A-PRF). For each experiment, five samples each were used for obtaining L-PRF and A-PRF membranes. Surface microtopography was demonstrated by using light microscopic studies and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Mechanical characteristics were evaluated by using Universal Testing Machine and nano Triboindentor. Membrane degradation properties were studied by using the Bradford method. The data were expressed in mean and standard deviation (SPSS 20.0 version, USA). Intergroup statistical significance was assessed by using an unpaired t-test and defined significant as P < 0.05. Results: Light microscopic examinations and SEM analysis have demonstrated that the L-PRF membrane contained thick densely arranged fibers than the A-PRF membrane. Mechanical characteristics have revealed that the tensile strength was higher, and the breaking strain was lower in the L-PRF membranes as compared with A-PRF membranes. The degradation profile demonstrated that the A-PRF membrane takes a prolonged time for degradation as compared with L-PRF. Conclusion: The present study justifies that differences in the centrifugation protocol have an influence on the surface microtopography and mechanodegradation characteristics of the PRF membrane.

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Aim: Attempting to remove implant fractured screw usually damage fixture’s internal threads, rendering osseo-integrated implant useless. The study aimed at testing a new technique, which salvages osseo-integrated implant with damaged internal threads, using post and core, thus retaining the prosthesis. Materials and Methods: Posts and cores are fabricated from Zirconia and Nickel Cromium (NiCr). Specimens were divided into seven groups (n = 10) depending on material and duration of function: Group 1: Zirconia immediate placement; Group 2: NiCr immediate placement; Group 3: Zirconia after five months of function; Group 4: NiCr after five months of function; Group 5: NiCr after one year of function; Group 6: NiCr after two years of function; and Group 7: NiCr after three years of function. Fatigue resistance test was applied followed by tensile bond strength test to the surviving specimens. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) test was applied to random bonded and de-bonded specimens. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey’s post hoc, and Chi-square test to detect significance at P ≤ 0.05. Results: All Zirconia specimens were fractured and were not dislodged in fatigue resistance testing; hence their results were excluded from statistical analysis. All NiCr specimens in the fatigue resistance test in the five-month, one-year, and two-year duration groups were successfully retained. However, 40% of the specimens in the three-year duration group were dislodged. The tensile bond strength test showed no significant results up to the first-year duration group, whereas the bond strength decreased by 16.32% in the two-year duration group and 54.32% in the three-year duration group. The SEM testing of a random bonded specimen showed a continuous cement layer. Further, the de-bonded specimen showed generalized adhesive/cohesive fractures in the cement layer. Conclusion: NiCr posts and cores succeeded in two-year function, but they may need a three-year follow-up for performing the re-cementation procedure.

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