Yukiteru Iwami

A new electrical method for detecting marginal leakage of in vitro resin restorations

OBJECTIVES Ingress of bacteria at sites of marginal leakage has been suggested to cause pulpal inflammation. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the validity of a new electrical method to detect marginal leakage of restoratives by comparing the results obtained with those of a dye penetration test. METHODS After cavities were prepared on the buccal coronal surfaces and root surfaces of 16 extracted non-carious human molar teeth, eight specimens were treated with a dentin bonding system (bonding group) and the other eight specimens were not treated (non-bonding group). Resin composites were filled in the cavities of all specimens, and physiological saline was applied to the margin of the restorative. Any excess saline was wiped off, leaving only the electrolyte, which had penetrated into the marginal gap. The change in conductance was measured continuously across the margin of each specimen during this process. The marginal leakage of specimens was confirmed using the dye penetration test, and the results were evaluated by the microleakage score. RESULTS In both coronal and root surface cavities, the changes in conductance in the non-bonding group after filling were significantly larger than those of the bonding group (p<0.05). The change in conductance of each specimen correlated with the microleakage score (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It was concluded that the relative electrical method could detect marginal leakage in both coronal and root surface cavities.

Relationship between the color of carious dentin with varying lesion activity, and bacterial detection.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between the color of carious dentin with varying lesion activity, and bacterial detection in the lesions. METHODS In 26 extracted human molars with coronal dentin caries and four extracted sound human molars, dentin was removed by a round bur every 150 microm from the dentin surface, in the direction of the pulp chamber. Before and after removal, images of nine-color samples and the dentin surface stained with a caries detector dye (1% acid red in propylene glycol) were taken simultaneously by a charge-coupled device (CCD), and dentinal tissue samples were taken with a new round bur. From the images, corrected L*, a* and b* values (CIE 1976 L*a*b* color system) of the dentin surfaces were calculated from the color changes of the nine-color samples. Bacterial DNA in the dentinal tissues was detected by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Before removal of dentin, the L* of sound molars (L*>50) was significantly larger than that of carious molars (L*<50) (ANOVA, Scheffes F-test, P<0.05). In addition, the carious molars were divided into type I (a*>20, characteristics of active caries) and type II (a*<20, characteristics of arrested caries), and there was a significant difference in the a* value (P<0.05). For both carious types, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of L* was significantly larger than that of a* or b* (univariate Z score test, P<0.05), and the rate of bacterial detection decreased as the L* of dentinal tissue increased, and bacterial DNA was not detected when L* was >60. CONCLUSIONS Sound and types I and II carious dentin were discriminated by the combination of L* and a* values of dentinal tissue stained with the caries detector dye before removal of dentin. In carious lesions, the a* values of carious dentin stained with the dye were related to the carious lesion activity before removal of carious tissue, and the L* values were related to the degree of caries progression.

Detection of Dentinal Microcracks Using Infrared Thermography

INTRODUCTION It is difficult to make a definite diagnosis of a cracked tooth solely based on an inspection within the root canal, especially in case of microcracks. At present, there seems to be no established method to detect dentinal microcracks in roots; therefore, the current detection techniques need to be improved. Vibrothermography (VibroIR) helps to detect microcracks by the friction heat generated from ultrasonic vibration. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel method using VibroIR to detect dentinal microcracks. METHODS The root canals of 20 roots with cracks and control roots were prepared after removing the tooth crowns. A tapered indenter was inserted into the root canal and pressed until a microcrack was created under an optical microscope. Using VibroIR, the detection trials for dentinal microcracks were performed with an ultrasonic vibration power ranging from 0.43 to 1.48 W at an angle of 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° between the ultrasonic vibration point and the microcrack line. After the detection test, the microcrack width was measured with an optical microscope. RESULTS Frictional heat was detected in the microcracks with thermography at 0.89 to 1.48 W and at an ultrasonic vibration point angle less than 60° from the crack line for 10 seconds. Microcracks with a width of 4 to 35.5 μm were detected with this method. CONCLUSIONS VibroIR may be an effective method for the diagnosis of root dentinal microcracks.

Relationship between laser fluorescence and bacterial invasion in arrested dentinal carious lesions

This study investigated the relationship between caries assessment using a laser fluorescence device (DIAGNOdent), and bacterial invasion in arrested carious dentin detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ten extracted human molars used in this study had black or dark brown, hard occlusal carious lesions, and were found to be only weakly stained or unstained with a caries detector dye of 1% acid red in propylene glycol. In those extracted human molars, dentin was removed in the direction of the pulp chamber at 150-μm intervals. During each removal (104 sections in total), the dentin surface was assessed with DIAGNOdent, and a dentinal tissue sample was taken with a round bur. Bacterial DNA of each tissue sample was examined using PCR and primers based on the nucleotide sequence of a conserved region of bacterial 16S rDNA. Rates of bacterial detection increased as the DIAGNOdent values increased. When the DIAGNOdent values were <10, the rate of bacterial detection was 0%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the DIAGNOdent values was 0.87. These results indicate that the DIAGNOdent values of arrested dentinal carious lesion were closely related to the rates of bacterial detection.

Effect of enamel and dentin surface wetness on shear bond strength of composites

PURPOSE This study investigated the effect of the wetness of human enamel and dentin surfaces on the shear bond strength of composites. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seven dentin bonding systems were used. Three methods of preparing the enamel or dentin surface before applying primer or bonding agent were adopted as test conditions: wet (blot dried), semidry (3-second air blast), and dry (15-second air drying). Shear bond strength was measured with a universal testing machine. Mean bond strengths were analyzed with analysis of variance and Scheffes F-test. Enamel and dentin surfaces were observed by a dissecting microscope after shear bond testing. RESULTS Enamel specimens tested by all systems and dentin tested by two systems did not reveal significant differences in shear bond strengths (p > 0.05). Among dentin specimens tested by two systems with water-based primers, the shear bond strength values of the dry technique group were higher than those of the other two groups (p < 0.05). However, among dentin specimens tested by systems having acetone-based primers or bonding agents, bond strength values of the wet or semidry technique groups were higher than those of the dry technique group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION It was concluded that some water might be needed by dentin surfaces or for primers to obtain high bond strength on the dentin surface, but that drying methods did not affect bonding strength to enamel surfaces either before priming or after conditioning.

Fluorine mapping of teeth treated with fluorine-releasing compound using PIGE

Abstract By using the PIGE technique at JAERI Takasaki, we have measured fluorine (F) distribution in a micro-area of a tooth. Class V cavities were bored at the cement–enamel junction in the buccal face of the teeth and were filled with F-releasing dental materials. Five kinds of F-releasing dental materials were applied. The 1.7 MeV proton beam accelerated by the TIARA single-ended accelerator was delivered to a micro-beam apparatus. The beam spot size was about 1 μm with a beam current of about 100 pA. A nuclear reaction 19F(p,αγ)16O was used for measuring the F concentration. Gamma rays of this reaction were detected with a 4″ NaI(Tl) detector. Proton induced X-rays were detected with a Ge detector for measuring the calcium concentration. The beam intensity was monitored with the X-ray yield from a copper foil for quantitative analysis. The obtained results were shown in the form of two dimensional mapping. The F moved slowly into the tooth from F-releasing materials by diffusion and/or other processes. It was affirmed that the PIGE technique is a very powerful non-destructive tool for characterizing F in a tooth.

DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING FLUORIDE DISTRIBUTION IN TEETH USING A NUCLEAR REACTION

Fluoride (F) distributions in a synthesized hydroxyl apatite (HAp) block of uniform structure and in teeth were measured using in-air micro-PIGE (particle induced gamma-ray emission) and micro-PIXE system, which was developed at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Takasaki. We used a nuclear reaction 19F(p,αγ)16O to measure F density. The characteristic important feature of this technique is that it can measure F quantitatively in a microscopic area of the specimen placed in air. A surface of the HAp, the enamel buccal surface of a human molar, and a class V cavity wall in dentin were applied a sodium fluoride solution (NaF) four times and immersed in a normal saline solution. After one month, specimens were cut longitudinally. The F distributions were measured from the surface toward the inner part of the cut surface. The F penetration into specimens following NaF application was quantitatively configured in a two-dimensional mapping form. This method is quite useful for characterizing F distribution in a microscopic area of a tooth.

FLUORIDE UPTAKE INTO HUMAN TEETH FROM A FLUORIDE-RELEASING THIN LAYER AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF FILLING

Fluoride (F) distribution in human teeth was measured using an in-air micro-PIGE and micro-PIXE system. Class V cavities in the extracted teeth were prepared with Fluoro-Bond Shake One to provide a thin layer of an F-releasing material (FRM). The cavities were then filled with Beautifil Flow F10 (FRM, Group I) or LITE FIL IIP (non-FRM, Group II). Following a four-year period, specimens were cut longitudinally perpendicular to the cavity floor. The F distribution was measured at the floor of the cut surface. The position including 90% of the intact Ca level was defined as the wall surface. Based on this demarcation, indices of F distribution (surface F concentration and F penetration depth) were determined. Thickness of FRM thin layers varied (≈339 μm) and did not affect F distribution. Both values of F distribution indices in Group I [821–8763 (mean 3797) ppm, 34–668 (mean 241) μm] were significantly larger than those in Group II [0–7064 (mean 1865) ppm, 0–143 (mean 21) μm]. The F distribution in Group I was affected more by the filling material than by the FRM thin layer during the four-year exposure. Methodologies using this system may give insightful information for the development of new dental materials.