Quintessence International, 06/1992

The most durable and relaible method of retaining a primary molar in the mouth after a pulpotomy procedure is complete-coverage restoration with a preformed stainless steel crown. This paper describes a method for performing pulpotomy and stainless steel crown restoration of a primary molar. Neither formocresol, gluteraldehyde, nor calcium hydroxide is used during the pulpotomy phase of the treatment.

This paper describes a case in which an endodontically treated molar, which was restored with a post-retained cast restoration, was eventually lost following corrosion of the nonprecious metal post and fracture of the distal root.

Subgingivally fractured incisors are still a challenge to treat. A case report is used as a basis for reviewing the different treatment options, which involve either extraction or preservation of the root. A multidisciplinary approach, using orthodontic forced eruption, is presented in detail.

Tooth resection is an important procedure, frequently encountered in dental treatment. A surgical guide is essential to providing the direction for tooth resection. A used (dulled) endodontic reamer or file can be utilized as d irectional guide for tooth resection, because it is economical, autoclavable, and safe. The clinical use of this surgical guide is described.

Several periodontal factors are critical to the prognosis of overdenture abutment teeth. This literature review outlines these factors and discusses the documented effects of long-term overdenture use on periodontal health. The efficacy of a professional periodontal maintenance program, which is coordinated with a home oral hygiene program, is related to the success of overdenture therapy.

A new method for positioning the maxillary anterior arch, orienting the occlusal plane, and establishing the vertical dimension of occlusion in edentulous patients is described. The procedure uses a newly developed registration pin assembly that is fixed to the maxillary acrylic resin baseplate. The vertical dimension of occlusion is determined by having the patient swallow. This approach eliminates the tedious and time-consuming process of trimming the occlusion wax rims. The accuracy of the new method is currently being evaluated.

The properly fabricated provisional restoration must take into account the following interrelated factors: pulpal protection, periodontal health, occlusion, esthetics, and phonetics. The techniques advocated for construction of a provisional restoration include direct, indirect, and a combination of direct and indirect techniques. Two simple techniques that use light-curing acrylic resin for the fabrication of fixed provisional restorations are presented, and advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine if bonding gold inlays to tooth structure with an adhesive resin cement would increase the fracture resistance of restored teeth. Extracted paired maxillary premolars were prepared for mesio-occlusodistal inlays, and the inlays were cast in type II gold. In one tooth of each pair, the inlay was sandblasted with aluminum oxide, tin plated, and cemented with an adhesive resin into the etched preparation. For the other (control) tooth in each pair, the inlay was sandblasted and then cemented into the preparation with zinc phosphate cement. The teeth were thermocycled and loaded until fracture. The teeth in the bonded group had a statistically significantly higher fracture resistance than did the teeth in the control group. Scanning electron microscopic examination revealed that failure in the bonded group occurred predominantly within the resin.

Spectrophotometric analysis of calcium released by the acid-etching procedure was used to evaluate the effect of topi cal fluoride on the acid resistivity of enamel. The influence of superficial enamel surface reduction (chamfering) on the efficacy of the etching procedure was investigated.

The aim of this study was to obtain some data on the dynamic strength of premolar teeth. Experiments were performed on three groups of human premolars: intact teeth, teeth prepared for partial veneer crowns with flat occl usal surfaces, and teeth prepared for partial veneer crowns with rounded occlusal surfaces. The loading procedure was performed in a modified Amslers high-frequency pulsator. The greatest dynamic strength was exhibited by the intact specimens. The highest continual (unlimited number of loading cycles) dynamic stress withstood by all three groups of premolars was about 300 N. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between Fmax and the number of cycles in all three tested groups.

Inner carious dentin after cleansing and the dentin-resin interface were observed with scanning electron microscopy. Results suggested that, similar to 10% citric acid-3% ferric chloride solution, 10% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid may thoroughly remove the smear layer on the surface of inner carious dentin and make it possible for the dentinal bonding agent to penetrate the cleansed dentin to form an acid-proof layer and dense resin tags. These changes may improve the bond strength as well as tubule aperture seal.Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is not destructive to collagen, and may be of negligible toxicity to the pulp of intact dentin.