A conservative approach to restoration assists in preserving the remaining tooth structure of extensively destroyed vital teeth. This case report describes a single-appointment chairside technique for placement of ceramic restorations in posterior teeth. A patient presented for treatment of her mandibular right first molar, which had a fractured resin-based composite restoration. Due to the presence of vital pulp, extent of the restoration, and presence of caries in the tooth, the following treatment plan was proposed: placement of a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic onlay fabricated with a computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing workflow. After the dentist removed the restoration and performed selective caries removal, structural analysis guided the reduction of the buccal cusps. Immediate dentin sealing was performed with a 2-step self-etching adhesive system, and a 1-mm-thick layer of flowable resin-based composite was placed as a resin coating. A digital impression was obtained, the onlay restoration was designed, and a lithium disilicate block was milled and subsequently crystallized. When the onlay was completed, the tooth preparation was sandblasted, selectively etched, and coated with a universal adhesive. The intaglio surface of the onlay was cleaned and primed, the onlay was bonded with dual-cure resin cement, and occlusal adjustments were completed. Follow-up examinations at 1 and 4 months revealed the clinical success of the case. From start to finish, it takes approximately 2.5 hours to produce a single-appointment chairside restoration. The technique used in this case offers a fast-paced workflow that is comfortable and practical for the patient and provides a predictable clinical outcome without the need for a temporary restoration.

The objective of this article is to report the clinical case and 4-year follow-up of a 5-year-old child with multiple dental anomalies, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and use of combined pediatric surgery and orthodontic approaches. A 5-year-old boy, accompanied by his mother, sought dental care for dental caries and tooth pain. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed active caries, a supernumerary primary tooth in the region of the mandibular right second premolar, and severe ankylosis of the primary mandibular right second molar. The treatment plan involved extraction of the supernumerary tooth as well as sectioning and extraction of the ankylosed molar. When the patient was 6 years old, the permanent mandibular right first molar showed signs of an altered eruptive process, and orthodontic treatment was initiated. A unilateral band-and-loop space maintainer with coil springs designed to move the permanent first molar was placed on the primary first molar. A new panoramic radiograph, obtained when the patient was aged 7 years, suggested the presence of an odontoma in the apical region of the primary maxillary right canine. Surgical removal and histopathologic examination of the lesion confirmed that it was a developing odontoma. After surgery, due to occlusal anomalies that included transverse maxillary deficiency, deep overbite, and midline deviation, the patient underwent rapid maxillary expansion therapy with a Haas-type appliance. When the patient was 8 years old, orthodontic treatment continued with a removable palatal Hawley expander and a orthodontic mandibular lingual arch. Currently, at the age of 9 years, the child is still undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment after surgical exposure of the impacted permanent maxillary right canine and bonding of an orthodontic attachment to enable traction. A multidisciplinary approach to the management of dental anomalies promotes a favorable prognosis and ensures comprehensive treatment of young patients.

This case report describes the use of the modified laterally positioned flap (LPF) technique associated with a subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) for root coverage of homologous mandibular molars with deep gingival recession (GR). A 25-year-old woman with deep GR affecting the mandibular right and left second molars (teeth 31 and 18, respectively) reported bilateral dentinal hypersensitivity. The defect in tooth 31 was 5 mm deep and 4 mm wide. In tooth 18, the defect was 6 mm deep and 5 mm wide. There was 1 mm of keratinized tissue at tooth 31, and no keratinized tissue was present at tooth 18. The modified LPF-SCTG technique with mesial to distal positioning of the flap was selected to treat the defects. The flap was modified by a submarginal incision in the tooth farthest from the GR to preserve the integrity of the donor site. One year postsurgery, tooth 31 had 80.0% coverage, a 66.6% gain in clinical attachment, and a 5-mm increase in keratinized tissue width. Tooth 18 had 83.3% root coverage, a 71.4% gain in clinical attachment, and a 5-mm increase in keratinized tissue width. The patient\'s complaints of hypersensitivity were resolved, and the tissue gain provided better access and more comfort during cleaning of the teeth. The flap donor sites demonstrated no clinical signs of GR. Based on the 1-year follow-up assessments, the modified LPF-SCTG technique was effective for the treatment of deep single-tooth GR in mandibular molars without causing adverse affects on the flap donor sites.

BACKGROUND: Self-adhering flowable composites are an innovative step in reducing the chair time of pit and fissure sealant treatment. This study aimed to compare the clinical performance of self-adhering flowable composite (SELF-ADH) and resin-based pit and fissure sealant (RBs).
METHODS: This is a double-blinded, randomized, split-mouth clinical trial conducted on 80 fully erupted permanent mandibular first molars from 40 children aged 6 to 12 years. For each participant, two permanent molars were randomly treated with SELF-ADH or RB. All sealants were assessed at 3, 6, and 12-month follow-ups considering retention, marginal integrity, marginal discolouration, colour matching, surface texture, and caries recurrence. To analyse the data, logistic regression and Fisher\'s exact tests were used (significance level P < 0.05).
RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, the number of fully retained sealants in the SELF-ADH group was significantly higher than that in the RB group (P < 0.001). Also, The success rate of marginal integrity in the SELF-ADH group was significantly greater than the the RB group (P = 0.031), while the rate of sealant marginal discolouration was higher in the RB group (P < 0.001). The incidence of recurrent caries in teeth with partial loss of sealant in both groups (P = 0.004, P < 0.001) increased significantly over time.
CONCLUSIONS: The retention and marginal integrity of the self-adhering flowable composite were significantly greater than those of the resin-based sealant. Therefore, due to the small number of work steps, flowable self-adhering composites can be used as alternatives to resin-based pit and fissure sealants.
BACKGROUND: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences with the code IR.KMU.REC.1399.556 and Iraninan Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) code IRCT20180521039763N4, as well as full compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Rehabilitation of pulpotomized primary molars with an appropriate restoration is essential for recovering function and safeguarding the durability of the treatment. This study aimed to assess and compare the surface roughness of stainless steel (ST) crowns, zirconia (ZR) crowns, fiberglass (FG) crowns, and lithium disilicate (LD) endo-crowns as a restoration for pulpotomized primary molars also, evaluating the surface roughness of their antagonists. Sixty pulpotomized primary mandibular first molars were used for qualitative surface roughness evaluation and divided into four groups (n = 15/group) according to the crown type (group-ST, group-ZR, group-FG, group-LD). While the other sixty sound, unprepared primary maxillary first molars were used for evaluation of their surface roughness against the tested crowns. Specimens\' preparation and cementation were carried out according to each crown type and manufacturer\'s instructions. The surface roughness was done using a two-body wear test. The data were statistically analyzed. All tested crowns showed an increased change in surface roughness, except group-ZR, which had the least change in surface roughness after mechanical wear with no statistically significant difference(P = 0.681). All crown types significantly increased the surface roughness of their antagonists after mechanical wear, except group-ST which showed insignificant affection (p ≥ 0.05). Zirconia crowns and lithium disilicate endo-crowns had the least change in surface roughness compared to other groups while SSCs showed the least tooth loss in the antagonist enamel.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) best practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of deep carious lesions in primary teeth. Methods: Primary molars from four to eight-year-old children were selected for diagnosis and treatment planning independently by a pediatric dental resident using the AAPD recommendations and a pediatric dentist using his clinical expertise and experience. The analysis of the two evaluators was performed for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values, and agreement scores. Results: A total of 365 primary molars from 185 children were used. Diagnosis and treatment planning by the resident demonstrated a higher sensitivity score of 92.7 percent (95 percent confidence interval [95% CI]=80.1 to 98.5) and specificity score of 96.6 percent (95% CI=94 to 98.3) for treatment planning compared to a diagnosis having sensitivity and specificity scores of 74 percent (95% CI=59.7 to 85.4) and 89.8 percent (95% CI=86 to 92.9), respectively. Lower agreement scores between the resident and the pediatric dentist were found for the diagnosis of asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis and the use of lesion sterilization and tissue repair as a treatment modality. Conclusions: The AAPD best practice recommendations showed a better consistency for treatment planning than the diagnosis of carious primary molars.

Purpose: Although gingival thickness has been extensively studied in permanent dentition, the literature regarding marginal gingival thickness in primary dentition is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to assess the variations in marginal gingival thickness in preschool-age children. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 4,109 primary teeth was conducted. Using a reamer, the transgingival probing method was employed to assess marginal gingival thickness in healthy preschoolers. Inter-examiner and intra-examiner reproducibility were assessed via the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: Descriptive statistics revealed that primary maxillary left second molars had the highest mean marginal gingival thickness (1.06 mm), whereas primary mandibular right central incisors had the lowest mean marginal gingival thickness (0.74 mm). Gender-based independent sample t-tests revealed significant differences in the values of primary maxillary right canines (females had greater values than males; P=0.03) and primary mandibular right first molars (males had greater values than females; P=0.01). An inter-arch comparison revealed significant differences between the primary second molars (maxillary more than mandibular; P=0.001). Conclusions: This study reports the first documented marginal gingival thicknesses of primary dentition. It reveals substantial variations in the values of primary maxillary right canines and primary mandibular right first molars and between primary maxillary and mandibular second molars.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of different attachment configurations with and without buccal root torque on expansion movements achieved with aligners through finite element analysis (FEA).
METHODS: FEA modelling was done with 0.25 mm buccal expansion force application to the maxillary molars with different attachment configurations: Eight models were tested (1) no attachment (NA), (2) horizontal attachment (HA), (3) gingivally beveled horizontal attachment (GHA), and (4) occlusally beveled horizontal attachment (OHA), as well as models with 6obuccal root torque, (5) no attachment (TNA), (6) horizontal attachment (THA), (7) gingivally beveled horizontal attachment (TGHA), and (8) occlusally beveled horizontal attachment (TOHA).
RESULTS: The first and second molars exhibited buccal tipping in all models. The highest amount of buccal tipping for the molars was observed in the NA (6CMB, 0.232 mm; 6CMP, 0.246 mm; 7CMB, 0.281 mm; 7CMP, 0.312 mm) and GHA (6CMB, 0.230; 6CMP, 0.245; 7CMB, 0.279 mm; 7CMP, 0.311 mm) models, respectively, while the least tipping was observed in the TOHA model (6CMB, 0.155 mm; 6CMP, 0.168 mm; 7CMB, 0.216 mm; 7CMP, 0.240 mm). In all groups, the buccal tipping of the second molars was higher than that of the first molars.
CONCLUSIONS: This FEA study showed that expansion with aligners tip maxillary molars buccally and the use of occlusally beveled attachments and addition of buccal root torque reduces uncontrolled buccal tipping.

BACKGROUND: Pit and fissure sealants are the most commonly used preventive measure against caries in permanent molars. Advancements in dental materials have led to the development of hydrophilic sealants. However, their clinical efficacy must be evaluated and compared with that of conventional hydrophobic sealants.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clinically evaluate and compare the retention, marginal adaptation and marginal discoloration of hydrophilic and hydrophobic pit and fissure sealants over a 12-month follow-up period.
METHODS: The study was a split-mouth, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. A sample size calculation was performed, and 120 first permanent molars (60 in each group) were selected for inclusion in the study. According to the split-mouth design, the sample was randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A was treated with a hydrophilic sealant (UltraSeal® XT Hydro), while Group B was treated with a hydrophobic sealant (Conseal F). The sealants in both groups were applied in accordance with the manufacturer\'s instructions by a single operator. The sealants were evaluated clinically using visual and tactile methods by 2 independent examiners who were blinded to the procedure in accordance with the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) clinical rating system at placement and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.
RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, the Conseal F sealant showed significantly better retention (p = 0.001), marginal adaptation (p = 0.023) and reduced marginal discoloration (p = 0.004) in comparison to the UltraSeal XT Hydro sealant.
CONCLUSIONS: The Conseal F (hydrophobic) sealant demonstrated superior retention, marginal adaptation and marginal discoloration compared to the UltraSeal XT Hydro (hydrophilic) sealant.

BACKGROUND The goal of conventional endodontic therapy is to clean the root canal system thoroughly, restore tooth function, and prevent re-infection. Success depends on understanding root canal morphology, resolving apical periodontitis, and using proper techniques. Studies highlight variations in root canal anatomy, with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) being crucial for accurate diagnosis despite its high cost and limited availability. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study reviewed CBCT images of 1820 (907 male, 913 female) patients aged 18 to 78 years. Analysis included 2081 mandibular first molars for variations in root and canal morphology and right- and left-side symmetry. Inter-orifice distance was measured, along with distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the level of canal bifurcation. RESULTS In this study, 96.01% of teeth had 2 roots and 3.89% had 3 roots. The percentages of canal configuration were 77.70% for 3 canals, 21.58% for 4 canals, 0.67% for 2 canals, and 0.05% for 1 canal. The inter-orifice distance was 2.07 mm for 2 canals in 1 root and 2.86 mm for 2 canals in separate distal roots. Distance from the CEJ to canal bifurcation varied significantly between 2 canals within 1 distal root (3.35 mm), 2 canals in separate distal roots (1.60 mm), as well as between distal (3.35 mm) and mesial roots (1.10 mm). CONCLUSIONS In mandibular first molars, only 3.89% have additional distolingual roots. Sex and ethnicity showed no influence on number of roots and canals. Distal canals showed a deeper bifurcation and greater inter-orifice distance than did mesial canals.