مجله دندانپزشکی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران
سال سی و هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 109، بهار 1403)

Using fissure sealant is one of the most effective methods of preventing pit and fissure decay. Fluoride has been added to various materials as a known anti-caries agent. Fluorinated graphene (FG) has gained attention due to its unique properties. The specific structural characteristics of graphene fillers, besides having antibacterial properties by increasing the rate of fluoride release and charge and neutralizing the acidic pH of the environment, is a suitable option in many treatments. This study investigated the effect of addition of fluorinated graphene nanoparticles on the fluoride release in Fissurit®, a commercial fissure sealant.

In this in vitro study, fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO) with bright white color was prepared. After synthesis, 0, 1, 2 and 4 by weight percent were added to the fissure sealant (Fissurit®). Then, the release of fluoride in this material was measured and compared with the commercial fissure sealant containing fluoride (Fissurit®).

According to the obtained results, the amount of fluoride released from groups with different percentages of FGO had a direct relationship with the percentage of FGO addition. Also, at different times, there was a significant difference between the groups with FGO and the control group without FGO (P<0.001).

Addition of FGO to the fluorinated fissure sealant caused the release of fluoride and the possibility of recharging it. The power of releasing fluoride and its recharging in fissure sealant with FGO was higher than the fluorinated fissure sealant, but its fluoride was discharged at a faster rate.

One of the most important consequences of the rapid growth of urbanization has been the unequal distribution of urban service specially health care services and escalation of social inequality of citizens. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of dental centers in Isfahan from the perspective of spatial equity.

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 in Isfahan city. The required data including the population of the fifteen districts of Isfahan city, the data of the geographic municipal areas and the dental centers of Isfahan city were put into Excell. The population data were gathered from the statistical yearbook of population and housing. The dentists’ data were gathered from the Medical Council. Addresses of the dental centers were fed into the Google earth and were found on the traffic map of Isfahan. Using the Arc GIS 10.8 software and based on the Geographic Information System concepts, the spatial justice was analyzed. Moran's autocorrelation index was used to determine the distribution pattern (cluster, scattered, random). Hot spot analysis and nearest neighbor distance (centers in this radius would have more access) were used. Access ratios were analyzed using the ratio of population to the distance of each parcel to the dental centers and then were categorized as privileged to, semi and unprivileged.

Z-score of Moran test was more than the expected score of 2.58 at 0.01 level of significant, indicating the cluster pattern of dental settings distribution in Isfahan. Moran's index (0.076) was much more than the expected equity coefficient (-0.000055), indicating again the cluster pattern of distribution which was not favorable in terms of spatial justice. The nearest neighbor distance analysis indicated that by moving from the center of the city to the outskirts of the city, access to dental centers decreased. Access analysis determined that privilege areas of the city were located mostly in central municipal areas and about 60% of these areas were limited to three municipal regions. Also, about 63% of the city area were categorized as unprivileged.

Distribution of dental centers in the city of Isfahan is not an equal distribution and the dental settings are mostly concentrated in the central areas of the city, not necessarily in high populated areas. There, this pattern necessitates the proper planning to establish dental settings in deprived and high-populated parts of the city.

Oral bacteria play an important role in oral diseases, due to their high adaptability to different environmental areas of the mouth. In this article, an attempt was made to describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the physiological relationships of oral and dental environment bacteria and their pathogenic significance with molecular approaches.

The present systematic review was written based on the advanced and standard search of keywords including Oral bacteria, Biofilm, and Dental diseases in PubMed, Springer, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases. For this purpose, an advanced and systematic search of articles published from 1993 to 2023 was conducted to compile the present article.

Bacteria in the oral cavity have nutritional adaptations that are important for living in pathogen-host relationships, including adapting to proteolytic living conditions, using the host's glycome as a nutritional interface. This includes the use of host-derived sialic acid and other glycosidases in oral bacteria. Some of these bacteria adhere to surfaces such as salivary, epithelial proteins, and glycans, which ultimately lead to biofilm formation. Bacteria living in the oral environment are constantly exposed to a wide range of stress-causing factors and oxidative stress in the biofilm.

Dental caries, pulp, periapical, and periodontitis diseases (including gingivitis) are among the most common bacterial diseases. Among them, tooth decay caused by the presence of Streptococcus mutans is the most common dental disease due to the production of acids from carbohydrate fermentation which is characterized by the demineralization of tooth structure.

 Anxiety is one of the most important issues in the dental environment for children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music on the level of anxiety and cooperation of children during dental treatment.

 In this study 58 children aged 6 to 8 years were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group (music played) and the control group (no music played). Children's anxiety was assessed using the Venham Picture Test and Frankel Behavior Rating Scale, and their heart rate was also measured.

 The results showed that in the intervention group, the level of anxiety based on the Venham Picture Test and Frankel Behavior Rating Scale was significantly lower. Additionally, the heart rate of children in this group was lower during the treatment (P<0.05).

 Based on the findings of this study, the use of music as a non-pharmacological method can be beneficial in reducing anxiety and improving the cooperation of children in the dental environment.

Temporomandibular disorders refer to a set of musculoskeletal problems that affect the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and surrounding anatomical structures. These disorders are associated with symptoms such as pain, click, asymmetry, or reduced maximum opening. The etiology of many temporomandibular disorders is complex, for this reason the initial treatments must be reversible and non-invasive. The use of occlusal splints is effective in reducing symptoms, and therefore, it is recommended in early and even long-term treatment of these disorders. These appliances play major role in developing conditions such as stabilizing joint position, creating favorable occlusal conditions that lead to normal muscle function, and protecting teeth and supporting structures against dental wear. The purpose of this article was to present a comprehensive review of occlusal splints in Persian language.

A search on Pubmed and Google scholar databases was done and the keywords "occlusal splints" and "temporomandibular disorders" were used. The inclusion criterion was articles published in English in the field of the types of occlusal splint between 1980 and 2020.

  In this review, the occlusal splints and their applications have been introduced.The success or failure of treatment with occlusal splints depends on various factors such as the correct selection of patients, the process of manufacturing, occlusal adjustment of splints, and the patients’ cooperation.

Nowadays, the requirement of any policy-making at the national and regional level is to know the level of knowledge of people about oral health and ways to prevent dental caries.  This study examined the habits, actions and economic level of elementary school students in Qazvin city in 2017-2018.  Also, the effects of peer group social network on behaviors related to oral health and obesity was investigated in order to find the way for interventions making it more effective in this social group.

In this descriptive-analytical study, 145 students participated. They were in the 3nd and 6th grades of elementary school in the academic year of 2017-2018. The questionnaire used in this study had 20 questions and 4 main sections. The main parts of this questionnaire included demographic characteristics, behavior and habits related to oral health, oral health knowledge of students and families, and socio-economic status. Data were collected through clinical examinations and through valid questionnaires and evaluated using SPSS and Excel software.

According to the results of Pearson's correlation analysis, a significant correlation was observed between the health knowledge scores of individuals and their friends between both groups of casual and close friends (P<0.01). The correlation between the knowledge of individuals and close friends was significantly stronger (P<0.01). Also, there was a significant relationship between socio-economic status and behaviors related to oral health (P<0.05). There was also a significant positive relationship between the number of times close friends brushing their teeth in a social network (P<0.001). This connection was not observed in the friends’ network.

This study determined that close friends can be effective in determining the oral hygiene behaviors of elementary school students.

To be successful in root canal therapy, the dentists must be aware of the possible variation in the root canal and should know not only the natural anatomy of the pulp, but also a variety of possible morphologies. Frst of all, the dentists should be familiar with the possible anatomy of the root canal and then with the extraction of organic tissue from pulp chamber and root canal, increasing the chances of treatment success. Therefore, in this study, we decided to investigate the internal anatomy of root canals in the maxillary permanent molar teeth in Khoy city.

In this in vitro study, 100 extracted human molars in Khoy city in West Azerbaijan province were collected. In all teeth, the access cavities were prepared, then they were decalcified and colored with India ink and evaluated by clearing technique. Data were collected based on Vertucci's classification which entered into SPSS23 software. The descriptive statistics in the form of numbers and percentages in tables and graphs were used to analyze the data.

The most common type observed in the mesiobuccal root of the first molars was type IV by 44%, in distobuccal root was type I by 92%, and in palatal root was type I by 94%. Also, in the mesiobuccal root of the second molars, the most common type was type I by 70%, in distobuccal root was type I by 94%, and in palatal root was type I by 96%.

The mesiobuccal root of the first molar had the most variation in the internal anatomy. Also, the most common type of Vertucci in the mesiobuccal root of first molar was type IV and in the other roots of the first and second molar teeth was type I.

Oral health literacy plays an important role in reducing oral health disparities. Evaluation of oral health literacy can be done at individual and population levels. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating oral health literacy among students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2023.

This study was descriptive, applied and cross-sectional. The research population included the students of different academic levels of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, except the final semester students. The sample size was calculated based on the total number of students studying at different levels at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in the second half of the academic year in 2023 using an appropriate statistical formula. Sampling was done in a stratified-random manner according to faculty, field, and level of education. The oral health literacy of the participants based on education level, age, and gender was measured by the oral health literacy adult questionnaire (OHL Adults Questionnaire: OHL-AQ). Data analysis was done using SPSS 27 software and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentage), independent t-test, Kruskal-Wallis, and Tukey test.

The findings indicated that the average oral health literacy score of students was 14.75±1.37. Also, there was a statistically significant relationship between the average oral health literacy score of students and the parameters of education level, gender, and age of students (P-value < 0.05). This indictaed that the oral health literacy of students increased in the doctoral level and also with increasing age. In addition, the female students had higher oral health literacy.

Based on the results, the oral health literacy among Shiraz medical students was high. People with higher education level and age had higher level of oral and dental health literacy than people with lower education level and age. Oral and dental health literacy level was higher in girls than boys. It can be suggested that a 1) suitable platform be provided in order to improve the level of education of the society, leading to the improvement of the oral health literacy of the people; 2) regular dental examinations in order to increase the oral health literacy of the society is encouraged and promoted, especially in lower year students; and 3) research in effective training in the field of oral health literacy to increase the oral health literacy of people in the society.