Texas dental journal最新文献

Personality Types of Pediatric Dentistry Residents and Residency Applicants PURPOSE: Dentists may possess unique personality traits that distinguish them from the general population. Within the profession, there may be personality traits that are more prevalent in one specialty than another. This project was designed to determine if personality profiling could be a predictor for success in a specialty field, i.e. pediatric dentistry. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed to make the theory of psychological types, described by Carl Jung, understandable and useful to people's everyday lives. Jung's theory is that much of what seems like random human behavior is due to basic differences in the . way people use their perception and judgment. The purpose of this study was to determine if interviewees to a pediatric dentistry residency program possessed similar personality traits to pediatric dentistry faculty/residents by comparing the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results of the 2 groups. METHODS: Thirty-one pediatric dentistry faculty/residents were.compared with 46 pediatric dentistry residency interviewees. Each member of both groups anonymously completed the MBTI profile. RESULTS: This study indicates that there are no significant differences in MBTI personality types between pediatric dentistry faculty/residents versus interviewees to a pediatric dentistry residency (p=0.168), except that interviewees were more likely to exhibit the ESFJ type than were faculty/ residents (p=0.015). ESFJ represents E, extrovert, S, sensing, F, feeling and J, judging. All comparisons were conducted with the asymptotic chi-square test, except when expected cell counts were <5. For the latter comparisons, the Fisher's exact version of the chi-square test was used, p< .05 CONCLUSION: It is concluded that no common personality type, as determined by the MBTI, exists between pediatric dentistry faculty/residents and interviewees for residency, and that personality characteristics cannot be used as predictive factors in selection of pediatric dentistry residents.

The Soladey™ toothbrush has a moisture-permeable titanium dioxide (TiO2) resin core in the replacement brush end of a handle activated by light conversion power cells. Purported to have an antibacterial effect and remove more plaque than an ordinary toothbrush, this study was undertaken to establish output measurements of the dry and wet TiO₂ core of the toothbrush during typical illumination of the handle, then quantify lipid peroxidation in three distinct lipid-containing solutions, and bactericidal effects in a live bacterial suspension grown from suctioned oral secretions.

Methods: Within a range of illumination of the power cells in the handle, corresponding flow of electrons emitted from dry and wetted TiO2 cores was measured. The claim that an antibacterial effect can be attributed to generation of reactive oxygen-mediated lipid peroxidation of cell membranes was tested by exposing three lipid substrates to the light-activated ionic toothbrush tips for incremental periods of time. Products of lipid peroxidation were quantified using 3 commercially available assays, and bactericidal effects were assessed by scoring colony-forming units.

Results: Illumination of the handle generated quantifiable increases in electrons flowing from the wetted TiO₂ core. Immersion of the TiO₂ core end of illuminated toothbrush handles into lipid substrates showed linear effects of incremental exposure times on products of lipid peroxidation, but no evidence of a bactericidal effect occurring within 15 minutes.

Conclusions: This validates capacity of the wetted current- activated TiO₂ core to generate time-dependent lipid peroxides, particularly in the sonicated matrix containing disrupted cell membranes. Finding no time-dependent reduction in colony- forming units and less lipid peroxidation in a suspension of intact cells casts doubt that the ionic toothbrush has an immediate antibacterial effect while brushing teeth. If a toothbrush with a TiO₂ core is self-disinfecting between uses, bactericidal effects requiring longer periods of exposure might still confer a hygienic advantage.

Background: This retrospective case series describes the outcomes of anterior teeth with complicated fractures treated using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in pulpotomy procedures.

Methods: 33 teeth were treated with MTA pulpotomy procedures in an endodontic private practice. All patients had been referred to the practice for diagnosis and treatment of a pulpal exposure due to complicated crown fractures. The teeth were either recalled directly or "indirectly" by the referring dentist. Teeth recalled directly were categorized as healed, healing, non- surgical root canal treatment completed for either aesthetic or restorative reasons, or persistent disease. Teeth recalled indirectly were categorized as successful or failed.

Results: 27 teeth were available for recall; 20 teeth directly and 7 teeth indirectly. The mean recall for teeth recalled directly was 3.94 years and the mean recall for teeth recalled indirectly was 5.9 years. The recall range for teeth recalled directly was 0.51 to 10.49 years and for teeth recalled indirectly was 3.58 to 10.66 years. Of the cases available for direct recall, 13 of 20 teeth were healed positive to pulp tests, 4 of 20 teeth were healed negative to pulp tests and 3 of 20 teeth had non-surgical root canal treatment completed. 15 of the 20 teeth recalled directly where discolored. 7 of 7 teeth recalled indirect were successful as determined by the radiographs and a report from the restorative dentist.

Conclusions: MTA is a viable alternative to calcium hydroxide for pulpotomies.