I’m not entirely sure that I talked about it these days; maybe in some post, or if I was just dreaming again (I usually mix things I’ve done with things I’ve dreamed about and I never know if it is real or a dream). The excess of information, excessively available and free, trivializes the information itself. What does that mean?

D r. Professor Richard Bengt Thomas Price is one of the greatest experts in the field of light sources used for light-curing of resin-based materials. He studied in different schools and countries, completing his DDS degree in Canada. He obtained a Master’s degree in the USA and a PhD’s degree in Sweden. His interest in the light sources research field is explained due to lack of importance this procedure given by manufacturers’ guidelines of restorative dental products. In many cases,...

Esthetic restorative treatment should begin with a final outlined goal. Mock-up can play a key role not only in guiding the clinician in restorative treatment or dental preparation, but also in the patient’s acceptance of future restorations, especially in cases where changes in shape and/or size are planned. In the case of esthetic restorative dentistry, the preservation of as much enamel as possible during dental preparation has allowed to obtain better results in the medium and long term,...

As an architect who comes from a family of dentists, I like to think I’ve got an eye for beautiful and creative dental practice design. In this feature, we visit 3 innovative practices across the globe to see what makes them tick and what separates them from the rest of the crowd.

Introduction: Bulk-fill resin composites reduce clinical time of a restoration because they can be cured at larger increments (4 to 5 mm) than conventional composites. This study determined the Knoop microhardness of bulk-fill and conventional composites at 24 hours and 180 days after storage in a solvent. Methods: Twenty- four specimens were divided into four groups: Z2 (control, conventional resin composite), AB (Aura bulk fill), TB (Tetric bulk fill) and FB (Filtek bulk fill). Knoop...

RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY As described in the last issue, this section aims to summarize a few important topics of debate that are published on the main dentistry journals indexed, touching the hot topics of modern restorative dentistry. For this issue, we selected studies that evaluate a few finishing/polishing systems for composite resins. The finishing stage of a composite-based restoration has a demanding need of well executed polishing and refining touches. This stage is essential for...

Introduction: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is the most well documented method of bone augmentation in localized bone defects. Split-ridge technique (SRT) is an alternative option to treat alveolar ridge deficiencies and provide condition for implant placement. Both procedures can be used for implant rehabilitation of partially edentulous patients. Thus, the aim of these case reports is to simplify the current indications and predictability of SRT or GBR in daily clinic. Case reports: Two...

Over the years, Dentistry has improved caries removal techniques to facilitate clinical routine, preserve healthy dental tissue, avoid pain and restore function and aesthetics. Among the recommended techniques are chemical-mechanical removal agents, a non-invasive technique that consists in the application of a proteolytic substance that smooths the infected tissue and preserves the affected one. Thus, the objective of this study was to conduct a review on the chemical and mechanical removal...

Astory involving the ul mate symbol of Den stry changed my life and the way I face the world: a simple toothbrush. In 2015, I was in search of volunteer work out of Brazil, more exactly while traveling in the African con nent. In my searches of the infi nite world of the Internet, I learned about an NGO called Mission Africa, where today I am the person in charge of Den stry. Well, let us go back to October 2015, my fi rst traveling day, and my fi rst moment with the children in...

The orthodontic movement does not induce pulp necrosis or calcium metamorphosis of the pulp, as revealed by clinical research in humans and laboratory animals. When pulp necrosis or calcium metamorphosis of the pulp is diagnosed during or shortly after orthodontic treatment, its etiology should be attributed to concussion- type dental trauma, and not to orthodontic treatment. The two pulp diseases that lead to coronary dimming in apparently healthy teeth are aseptic pulp necrosis and calcium...

Recently, we published a study in which we interviewed 800 dentists on the use of scientific evidence in their daily practice.1 The idea was trying to figure out if the dentists read scientific journals and used the information to review clinical procedures. The initial result was a positive surprise: 61% claimed to read articles with certain frequency, especially case reports and literature reviews. However, it was possible to observe that the information present in articles had little...

This study evaluated the protocols of light-curing used by dentists in the city of Aracaju/SE (Brazil) and the depth of polymerization of a bulk fill composite achieved with theirs light-curing devices. Thirty-three dentists were randomly included in the study, while 15 were in health public service. The profile and knowledge of these clinicians regarding composite light-curing in posterior teeth and bulk fill composites were assessed. The external diameter of light-curing unit tips was...

Writing is a way of thinking... I have always felt like that. However, today I’m doubtful: what am I going to write about? And then I realized that having doubts is healthy because it brings new ideas and a lot of learning. Being a daughter of a university professor who in 1967 left her little children in Brazil to take a post- graduation course in a foreign country, something which was very hard for women at that time, I grew up admiring teachers.

The main purpose of this review was to evaluate different strategies that have been developed to prevent bond interface degradation over time. Studies evaluating the degradation of dentin-bonding interfaces were identified. The search was restricted to articles written in English between January 1966 to May 2018. The source of the published studies used was the PubMed database with the search strategies: “(((((resin-dentin bonds) OR dentin bonding) OR adhesive systems)) AND ((hybrid layer...

In the previous section, we understood how to obtain a prosthetic emergence profile in cases of post-extraction immediate implantation. We have settled that the steps for implant placement in right position, preservation or alveolar reconstruction, and the making of a provisional crown with the right emergence profile design are key.1,2 Well, it is not time to relax during restoration and put everything we have done at risk! The moment to mold both implant and prosthetic emergence profile...

Introduction: Dental ceramics are materials with satisfactory physical and chemical properties, but they can also cause attenuation of the blue light coming from photopolymerizers due to factors such as thickness, opacity, porosity, color and surface glaze, which justify the present study. Objective: to evaluate the light intensity through different types of ceramics, with different thicknesses, from two LED light curing units in different activation modes. Methods: A portable radiometer...

Hello! Here is our second posting. We see that you understood the purpose of our column quite well, and your feedback has been very helpful. What we want here is simply to demonstrate that we can take truthful and authentic photos without using image manipulation, and that, if you want to manipulate your photos, you can do it sensibly and keep them as truthful as possible. Some aesthetic dentistry “artists” have recently emerged, who, besides doing “art”, have tendentiously...

Advances in conventional impression with dental materials or the use of a digital impression technique have enabled efficient and precision transfer of a tooth preparation. Clinically, it is important to obtain a highly accurate impression of a preparation. However, it is ESSENTIAL to obtain visible and clean margins with dried gingival sulcus to ensure marginal fit of a laboratory-fabricated restoration.