Deepa G Kamath

Detection, removal and prevention of calculus: Literature Review

Dental plaque is considered to be a major etiological factor in the development of periodontal disease. Accordingly, the elimination of supra- and sub-gingival plaque and calculus is the cornerstone of periodontal therapy. Dental calculus is mineralized plaque; because it is porous, it can absorb various toxic products that can damage the periodontal tissues. Hence, calculus should be accurately detected and thoroughly removed for adequate periodontal therapy. Many techniques have been used to identify and remove calculus deposits present on the root surface. The purpose of this review was to compile the various methods and their advantages for the detection and removal of calculus.

Diode laser and fluoride varnish in the management of dentin hypersensitivity

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of diode laser in combination with commercially available fluoride varnish to the fluoride varnish alone. Settings and Design: Randomized control trial; split mouth. Subjects and Methods: A total of 50 teeth from 14 patients with visual analog scale (VAS) >2 from both sexes were randomly allocated into two groups: 26 teeth in bifluoride group and 24 in laser + bifluoride group. Dentine hypersensitivity is evaluated with the help of VAS at the start of study, at 15 min; 15, 30, and 60 days. Teeth were subjected to vitality testing to rule out any pulpal pathology. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 17.0. Unpaired t test. Results: After 15 min both the treatment modalities were effective. The effectiveness of fluoride varnish in reducing evaporative stimulus (ES) was maintained until 15 days. However, the laser + fluoride varnish was more effective in reducing thermal stimulus (TS) at 15 days. At any given point of time, the effectiveness of laser + fluoride varnish was more than the varnish group. The effectiveness of laser also reduced after 30 days for both ES and TS. Conclusions: The diode laser and fluoride varnish are effective in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity. The combined effect is more than fluoride varnish alone, but for a short period.