Elif Aybala Oktay

Root canal configurations of third molar teeth. A comparison with first and second molars in the Turkish population.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the similarities of maxillary and mandibular third molars with the other molar teeth. A total of 2016 extracted maxillary and mandibular permanent teeth were evaluated. The teeth were divided into six groups. The teeth were stored in 5% nitric acid solution for 7 days, then placed in increasing concentrations of ethyl alcohol. The teeth were rendered transparent by immersion in xylene solution for 4 days until complete transparency was achieved. Three roots were present in 93.0% of the maxillary molars, and 91.3% of the second molars. Among the maxillary third molars, 35.5% were single-rooted and 24.9% of the mandibular third molars had single roots. Double roots were present in 69.2% of the mandibular third molars, and 5.4% had three roots. Four new root canal configurations were encountered in this study. The root canal configurations of the mandibular and maxillary teeth showed similarities with the results of other studies performed in different populations.

The Efficacy of Laser Doppler Flowmetry, Electric Pulp Test and Cold Test in Diagnosing Revascularization of Extrusively Luxated Immature Maxillary Incisors

Objective: To evaluate the effect of extrusion on immature permanent tooth PBF values during a 6-month post-trauma period and to compare the accuracy of cold tests on pulp sensibility of traumatized teeth with that of electric pulp tests (EPT). Methods: The study group comprised of 26 extruded immature maxillary incisors in 25 trauma patients. The respective contralateral homologous teeth (n=25) were included as a positive control group. Teeth in the study group were treated by repositioning and splinting. Pulp vitality readings for traumatized and control teeth were taken with LDF, EPT and cold test on the day of splint-removal (2-3 weeks after trauma–T1) as well as 6 weeks (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) post-trauma. Student t and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to compare data among groups. Statistical significance was set at P< 0.05. Results: LDF gave positive vitality readings (>4.5 PU) in all patients from T1 to T4 (with the exception of 1 patient at T1). Conclusions: LDF was able to accurately identify vitality in traumatized immature teeth even during the first few weeks following trauma, whereas conventional sensibility tests were unable to accurately recognize vitality shortly after trauma.

The correlation between tooth brushing habit and familial education level in Turkish young population.

ÖZET Türk toplumundaki genç bireylerde diş fırçalama alışkanlığının aile eğitim düzeyi ile ilişkisi Bu çalışmanın amacı genç erişkin Türk popülasyonunda günlük diş fırçalama alışkanlığının çeşitli değişkenlere göre değerlendirmektir. Bu kesitsel çalışma 19-29 yaş aralığındaki 645 bireyde yürütüldü. Ailelerin eğitim durumu, sosyo ekonomik durumu, oral hijyen alışkanlıkları ve tutumları gibi bazı değişkenler anket ile toplandı. Diş fırçalama sıklığı sekiz gruba ayrıldı. İstatistiksel analiz için kikare test kullanıldı. Ortalama yaş 20,72 idi. Günde bir kere diş fırçalama alışkanlığı sıklığı %18.3 (n=118), günde birçok defalar diş fırçalama alışkanlığı %6.4(n=41) ve orduya katıldıktan sonra düzenli olarak diş fırçalama alışkanlığı 23.1(n=149) idi. Genç erişkinler arasında eğitimli olanlarda (p<0.05) diş fırçalama alışkanlığı daha fazlaydı. Genç erişkinler arasında diş fırçalama sıklığı ve ekonomik durumları arasında önemli derecede farklılık vardı. Ebeveynlerin ve kişilerin okur-yazarlık seviyesinin yüksek olması (sosyo-ekonomik durumun bir göstergesi olarak) diş fırçalama sıklığıyla örtüşmektedir. Diş fırçalama sıklığıyla kişinin ortalama geliri arasında korelasyon vardır. Ebeveynler çocuklarının ağız sağlığı konusunda model olarak rol alırlar.