Dental plaque critically affects the etiology of caries, periodontitis and periimplantitis. The mechanical removal of plaque can only be performed partially due to limited accessibility. Therefore, plaque still represents one of the major... more
Dental plaque critically affects the etiology of caries, periodontitis and periimplantitis. The mechanical removal of plaque can only be performed partially due to limited accessibility. Therefore, plaque still represents one of the major therapeutic challenges. Even though antiseptic mouth rinses reduce the extent of biofilm temporarily, plaque removal remains incomplete and continuous usage can even result in side effects. Here we tested argon plasma produced by kinpen09 as one option to inactivate microorganisms and to eliminate plaque. S. sanguinis biofilms cultivated in either the European Biofilm Reactor (EUREBI) or in 24 well plates were treated with argon plasma. In both test systems a homogeneous, good analyzable and stable biofilm was produced on the surface of titan plates within 72 h (>6,9 log10 CFU/ml). Despite the significantly more powerful biofilm production in EUREBI, the difference of 0.4 log10 CFU/ml between EUREBI and the 24 well plates was practically not relevant. For that reason both test models were equally qualified for the analysis of efficacy of cold atmospheric pressure plasma. We demonstrate a significant reduction of the biofilm compared to the control in both test models. After plasma application of 180 s the biofilm produced in EUREBI or in 24 well plates was decreased by 0.6 log10 CFU/ml or 0.5 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. In comparison to recently published studies analyzing the efficacy of kinpen09, S. sanguinis produces a hardly removable biofilm. Future investigations using reduced distances between plasma source and biofilm, various compositions of plasma and alternative plasma sources will contribute to further optimization of the efficacy against S. sanguinis biofilms.
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Objective: Many dental diseases are attributable to biofilms. The screening of antimicrobial substances, in particular, requires a high sample throughput and a realistic model, the evaluation must be as quick and as simple as possible.... more
Objective: Many dental diseases are attributable to biofilms. The screening of antimicrobial substances, in particular, requires a high sample throughput and a realistic model, the evaluation must be as quick and as simple as possible. For this purpose, a colorimetric assay of the tetrazolium salt XTT (sodium 3'-[1-[(phenylamino)-carbony]-3,4-tetrazolium]-bis(4-methoxy-6-nitro)benzene-sulfonic acid hydrate) converted by saliva biofilms is recommended. Cleavage of XTT by dehydrogenase enzymes of metabolically active cells in biofilms yields a highly colored formazan product which is measured photometrically. Materials and method: The suitability of the XTT assay for detecting the vitality of ex vivo saliva biofilms was tested to determine the efficacy of chlorhexidine and ozone versus saliva biofilms grown on titanium discs. Results: The XTT method lends itself to testing the vitality of microorganisms in saliva biofilms. The sensitivity of the arrays requires a specific minimum number of pathogens, this number being different for planktonic bacteria and those occurring in biofilms. The antibacterial effect after treatment with chlorhexidine or ozone was measured by XTT conversion that was significantly reduced. The antimicrobial efficacy of 60 s 0.5% and 0.1% chlorhexidine treatment was equal and comparable with 60 s ozone treatment. Conclusion: The XTT assay is a suitable method to determine the vitality in saliva biofilms, permitting assessment of the efficacy of antimicrobial substances. Its quick and easy applicability renders it especially suitable for screening.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Chemistry, Colorimetry, Biofilm, Pubmed, and 10 moreArticle, Antimicrobial, Saliva, Ozone, DDC, Chlorhexidine, Ozon, Streptococcus mutans, XTT assay, and S. mutans
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In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP 0), temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were the strongest predictors for tinnitus beside headache. The aim of this study was to investigate whether signs and... more
In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP 0), temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were the strongest predictors for tinnitus beside headache. The aim of this study was to investigate whether signs and symptoms of TMD can be identified as risk factors for developing tinnitus. The SHIP 1 is a population-based 5-year longitudinal study intended to systematically describe the prevalence of and risk factors for diseases common in the population of Pomerania in northern Germany. A total of 3300 subjects (76% response) were reevaluated after 5 years for tinnitus and signs and symptoms of TMD using the same questionnaires and examination tools as baseline. To estimate the relative risk (RR) appropriately, a modified Poisson regression was used. After exclusion of prevalent cases with diagnosed tinnitus, 3134 subjects were analysed. Among the 191 exposed subjects with palpation pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), 24 subjects (12·6%) received diagnosed tinnitus after 5 years, whereas among the 2643 unexposed subjects 142 subjects (5·8%) received tinnitus yielding a risk difference of 7·7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3·0%-12·5%) and a risk ratio of 2·60 (95% CI: 1·7-3·9). The risk ratio was 2·4 (95% CI: 1·6-3·7) after adjustment for gender, age, school education and frequent headache. Pain on palpation of the TMJ, however, did not worsen the prognosis for tinnitus in prevalent tinnitus cases (RR = 0·8, P = 0·288). Signs of TMD are a risk factor for the development of tinnitus.
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Abstract Introduction DentSim is a web-based, interactive multimedia learning environment used for dental training and practice. The training program combines a virtual and clinical environment to ...
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Objective: To compare the effectiveness of polymer burs (SmartPrep, SS White) and conventional carbide burs in removing dentin caries. Method and materials: Thirty extracted permanent teeth were assigned to 2 groups according to the... more
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of polymer burs (SmartPrep, SS White) and conventional carbide burs in removing dentin caries. Method and materials: Thirty extracted permanent teeth were assigned to 2 groups according to the caries removal technique. One experienced clinician performed all excavation procedures, monitoring the caries removal by checking the hardness of the dentin with a dental explorer. The excavation working time was documented and stopped in each group when a leather-hard texture was reached. After the teeth were embedded and sectioned (400 Microm), the caries in the remaining dentin was assessed using a caries detector. On microscope images of the samples, the mean stain depth of the remaining carious tissue per tooth was measured by AnalySIS computer software. Results: Mean carious surface areas differed minimally but not statistically significantly after use of polymer burs (31.5 mm2 +/- 0.18) and carbide burs (38.1 mm2 +/- 0.15). Mean carious surface staining depth was slightly smaller with carbide burs (0.26 mm +/- 1.38) than with polymer burs (0.40 mm +/- 1.15). The mean-quartile test for the total carious surface (P = .363) and the carious margin (P = .681) showed no statistically significant differences. Of the carbide bur-treated samples, 84.5% were caries free as opposed to 93.0% in the polymer bur group. The results also showed no significant difference between the mean working time of the polymer burs (5.11 minutes) and the carbide burs (4.99 minutes). Conclusion: Under these experimental conditions, polymer burs and tungsten carbide burs were similarly effective for caries removal.
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Background Antimicrobial agents are considered valuable adjuncts to mechanical methods of plaque control. However, their long-term use can be limited because of side effects. Therefore, using physiological substances is promising due to... more
Background Antimicrobial agents are considered valuable adjuncts to mechanical methods of plaque control. However, their long-term use can be limited because of side effects. Therefore, using physiological substances is promising due to no risk of development, for example, of microbial resistances, allergies or DNA damaging. The lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide system (LPO-system) is a highly effective antimicrobial system. This study aimed to evaluate in a randomized study with a four-replicate cross-over design the effectiveness of two oral hygiene lozenges containing LPO-system in oral hygiene. Results After using the mouth rinse as positive control (A) and allocated test lozenges (B) (0.083% H2O2) & (C) (0.04% H2O2) for 4 days instead of the normal oral hygiene procedures (tooth brushing etc.), Listerine rinse (A) was statistically significantly more effective than the LPO-system-lozenge with 0.083% H2O2, the LPO-system-lozenge with 0.04% H2O2, and the placebo lozen...
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Research Interests: Art and Springer Ebooks
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Objective To compare the effectiveness and complications of intraligamentary anesthesia (ILA) with conventional inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) during injection and dental treatment of mandibular posterior teeth. Materials and... more
Objective To compare the effectiveness and complications of intraligamentary anesthesia (ILA) with conventional inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) during injection and dental treatment of mandibular posterior teeth. Materials and methods In this randomized, prospective clinical trial, 72 patients (39 males, 33 females), scheduled for dental treatment of mandibular posterior teeth, were randomly allocated to ILA group (n = 35) received ILA injection or IANB group (n = 37) received the conventional IANB. Our primary outcome was to assess pain and stress (discomfort) during the injection and dental treatment, using the numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10= the worst pain imaginable), whereas recording 24-h postoperative complications was our secondary outcomes. Results Patients in ILA group reported significantly less pain during injection when compared with IANB group (p = 0.03), while pain during dental treatment was similar in both groups (p = 0.2). Patients in...
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Compared with its potential, computer technology use is still lacking in medical/dental education. To investigate the primary advantages of computer-assisted learning (CAL) systems in German dental education, as well as the reasons for... more
Compared with its potential, computer technology use is still lacking in medical/dental education. To investigate the primary advantages of computer-assisted learning (CAL) systems in German dental education, as well as the reasons for their relatively low degree of use correlated with personal and professional profiles of respondents. A questionnaire was mailed to heads in the departments of conservative dentistry and prosthetic dentistry in all dental schools in Germany. Besides investigating the advantages and barriers to the use of computer technology, the questionnaire also contained questions regarding each respondent's gender, age, academic rank, experience in academia and computer skills. The response rate to the questionnaire was 90% (112 of 125). The results indicated a distinct discrepancy between the desire for and actual occurrence of lectures, seminars, etc. to instruct students in ways to search for and acquire knowledge, especially using computer technology. The highest-ranked advantages of CAL systems in order, as seen by respondents, were the possibilities for individual learning, increased motivation, and both objective theoretical tests and practical tests. The highest-ranked reasons for the low degree of usage of CAL systems in order were the inability to finance, followed equally by a lack of studies of CAL and poor cost-advantage ratio, and too much effort required to integrate CAL into the curriculum. Moreover, the higher the computer skills of the respondents, the more they noted insufficient quality of CAL systems (r = 0.200, P = 0.035) and content differences from their own dental faculty's expert opinions (r = 0.228, P = 0.016) as reasons for low use. The correlations of the attitudes towards CAL with the personal and professional profiles showed not only statistical significant reinforcements of, but also interesting deviations from, the average responses.
Research Interests: Psychology, Dentistry, Educational Technology, Medical Education, Computer Literacy, and 15 moreLanguage, Medicine, German, Dental Education, Germany, Humans, Computer Simulation, Computer Assisted Instruction, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Patient Simulation
Research Interests: Dentistry, Nonparametric Statistics, Incidence Geometry, Medicine, Humans, and 15 moreChild, Dental Caries, Confidence intervals, Patient Compliance, Fluorides, Incidence, Paint, Odds ratio, Cariostatic Agents, Community Dentistry, Chlorhexidine, Confidence Interval, Cohort Studies, DMF index, and High risk
To be able to generalize studies, it is important to know whether responders and nonresponders differ significantly. These data are usually not available. To assess whether responders and nonresponders differed significantly, 319 first... more
To be able to generalize studies, it is important to know whether responders and nonresponders differ significantly. These data are usually not available. To assess whether responders and nonresponders differed significantly, 319 first and second graders in Greifswald, Germany took part in a compulsory dental school examination. Their parents completed a questionnaire on oral health topics and were asked to decide about their children’s participation in a school-based caries prevention program plus anonymous scientific evaluation. The 91 children who were not allowed to participate (nonresponders) were older (mean 8.5 years) than the 228 responders (mean 8.1 years; p < 0.001), mostly because of a few older children having repeated a grade. In an age-adjusted analysis, nonresponders exhibited in 21 of 30 indices of higher caries and plaque values, less preventive measures and a lower rate of participation. The difference in caries in the permanent dentition and fluorosis reached s...
Research Interests: Dentistry, Medicine, Humans, Child, Oral health, and 15 moreDental Caries, Statistical Significance, Dentition, DENTAL FLUOROSIS, Oral Hygiene, Caries, Cariostatic Agents, Age Factors, Dental Plaque Index, Treatment Refusal, Preventive measures, Permanent dentition, attitude to health, parental consent, and DMF index
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Objectives During the corona pandemic, dental practices temporarily closed their doors to patients except for emergency treatments. Due to the daily occupational exposure, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among dentists and their team... more
Objectives During the corona pandemic, dental practices temporarily closed their doors to patients except for emergency treatments. Due to the daily occupational exposure, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among dentists and their team is presumed to be higher than that in the general population. This study examined this issue among dental teams across Germany. Materials and methods In total, 2784 participants provided usable questionnaires and dry blood samples. Dry blood samples were used to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The questionnaires were analyzed to investigate demographic data and working conditions during the pandemic. Multivariable logistic mixed-effects models were applied. Results We observed 146 participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies (5.2%) and 30 subjects with a borderline finding (1.1%). Seventy-four out of the 146 participants with SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies did not report a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test (50.7%), while 27 participants with...
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The objective of this study was to compare the step-down technique in simulated curved root canals using K hand files (VDW) and ProFiles 0.06/0.04 (Dentsply Maillefer). A total of 72 canals were blindly prepared by instructed students: 1... more
The objective of this study was to compare the step-down technique in simulated curved root canals using K hand files (VDW) and ProFiles 0.06/0.04 (Dentsply Maillefer). A total of 72 canals were blindly prepared by instructed students: 1 block with K files and a second one with ProFiles 0.06/0.04 in connection with the EndoStepper (SET). Postoperative images of the canals were taken, and an independent dentist assessed preparations for amount and position of material removed during preparation. Efficacy of the instruments is described in terms of canal shape, instrument failure, canal blockages, and preparation time. ProFile instrumentation provided well-centered and tapered preparations while maintaining the apical foramen; in contrast, the use of K files resulted in frequent alterations of the root canal. In the apical portion, both techniques showed unprepared areas. The coronal diameter in hand-instrumented canals was more irregular and wider than in those mechanically prepared....
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OBJECTIVE Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental... more
OBJECTIVE Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental training technique, established in sport science, on dentistry. METHOD AND MATERIALS In a randomized, controlled study, 2 groups of 20 and 21 dental students in their second semester (experimental group with mental training, and control group with conventional training, respectively), were evaluated at 2 time points (pre- and posttest) by measuring the effect of training by the criteria "knowledge," "process," and "quality" of a crown preparation on the computer-assisted Dental-Simulator (DenX). RESULTS The improvements of the experimental group and of the control group from pre- to posttest could be distinguished for all criteria in favor of the experimental group, in which improvements of knowledge (F1,39 = 72.674, P <.00...
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Background The aim of the study was to compare a 2D and 3D color system concerning a variety of statistical and graphical methods to assess validity and reliability of color measurements, and provide guidance on when to use which system... more
Background The aim of the study was to compare a 2D and 3D color system concerning a variety of statistical and graphical methods to assess validity and reliability of color measurements, and provide guidance on when to use which system and how to interpret color distance measures, including ΔE and d(0M1). Methods The color of teeth 14 to 24 of 35 patients undergoing regular bleaching treatment was visually assessed and electronically measured with the spectrophotometer Shade Inspector™. Tooth color was recorded before bleaching treatment, after 14 days, and again after 6 months. VITAPAN® Classical (2D) and VITA-3D-Master® (3D) served as reference systems. Results Concerning repeated measurements, the 2D system was superior to the 3D system, both visually and electronically in terms of ΔE and d(OM1), for statistics of agreement and reliability. All four methods showed strong patterns in Bland-Altman plots. In the 3D system, hue was less reliable than lightness and chroma, which was ...
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The enzymatic system in saliva, consisting of salivary peroxidase (SPO), hydrogen peroxide (HO), and thiocyanate (SCN), produces hypothiocyanite (OSCN) as a high effective antibacterial compound. OSCN is of great importance for the... more
The enzymatic system in saliva, consisting of salivary peroxidase (SPO), hydrogen peroxide (HO), and thiocyanate (SCN), produces hypothiocyanite (OSCN) as a high effective antibacterial compound. OSCN is of great importance for the natural non-specific antibacterial resistance in the oral cavity. However, no analytical method currently exists to selectively quantify OSCN in saliva samples. A robust and specific analytical method for the determination of OSCN was developed based on ion chromatography with combined UV and electrochemical detection. Calibration was achieved by calculating a derived calibration factor based on the known ratio of molar extinction coefficients of SCN and OSCN. Thus, the specific quantification of OSCN in saliva samples is possible, as demonstrated here. The median value of 200 saliva samples was determined to be 0.56 mg L (median), with a maximum of 3.9 mg L; the minimum value was below the detection limit (< 0.09 mg L). The recovery rate in individual...
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Whereas the relationship between myeloperoxidase and periodontitis has been widely examined that between salivary peroxidase and periodontitis has received little attention. We examined how periodontitis depends on both salivary... more
Whereas the relationship between myeloperoxidase and periodontitis has been widely examined that between salivary peroxidase and periodontitis has received little attention. We examined how periodontitis depends on both salivary peroxidase activity and concentration. A full mouth, clinical assessment of probing depth was performed in a sample of 46 participants aged 25-54 years. To minimise bias, these data were corrected by data from the general population (Study of Health in Pomerania). Using five repeated measurements of activity and concentration over 1 day, we assessed daily biological variability and increased the reliability of salivary peroxidase measurements. Salivary peroxidase activity was associated with probing depth (interquartile range effect = -0.48; robust estimates of 95% confidence interval: -0.90 to -0.31; p = .0052), and its effect was not confounded by salivary peroxidase concentration. In turn, the effect of salivary peroxidase concentration was confounded by salivary peroxidase activity, and it was smaller than that of activity. We found an inverse association between salivary peroxidase activity and probing depth. Thus, our results imply that salivary peroxidase activity could be a protective factor against periodontitis. However, large, well-designed studies are needed to explore the causal mechanisms of this association.
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ABSTRACT Background: The formation of biofilms is crucial to the pathogenesis of many dental microbial infections. Oral candidosis are common and often found under removable partial dentures. Nonthermal atmospheric plasma (tissue... more
ABSTRACT Background: The formation of biofilms is crucial to the pathogenesis of many dental microbial infections. Oral candidosis are common and often found under removable partial dentures. Nonthermal atmospheric plasma (tissue tolerable plasma, TTP) was tested for its antimicrobial activity against different matured Candida albicans biofilms.Methods: We assessed the efficacy of selected agents (chlorhexidine, sodium hypochlorite, fluconazol) and TTP against in vitro biofilms of C. albicans grown 12 h (young), 24 h and 48 h (mature) in microtiter plates.Results: One minute TTP-treatment was shown to have significant effects on biofilm formation during the whole measurement period of young and mature biofilms. Only the effects of fluconazol and TTP could reduce formation of young biofilms for a longer period.Conclusions: The maturity level of biofilms influences the antiseptic efficacy of different agents. Young biofilms are very sensitive to antimicrobial effects, but they recover from it very fast. Mature biofilms show lower but long-term effects. Single plasma treatment for 1 min reduces the formation of young as well as mature biofilms. For the future physical treatment by TTP may get an alternative to chemical antisepsis.
Apart from a requirement to acquire more and more academic knowledge, during their training, dental students need to acquire a full range of highly precise manual and technical skills, including excellent hand/eye coordination, to enable... more
Apart from a requirement to acquire more and more academic knowledge, during their training, dental students need to acquire a full range of highly precise manual and technical skills, including excellent hand/eye coordination, to enable them to visualize and understand how to prepare cavities, prior to placing restorations. Furthermore, unlike medical students, dental students are in the position of administering treatment to patients very early in their training. The increasing academic workload means that these skills have to be mastered in a short space of time. This you will gain in the future only through the use of effective methods of the educations - for example by the use of the computer-assisted dental simulators (DentSim/DenX), which serves the visual-, audio- and practical learning channel simultaneously. Unlike the conventional phantom heads, the DentSim-unit has the following advantages - the acquisition of knowledge takes place in a multimedia learning environment with a high audio-visual content and degree of interaction and complexity, - problem-oriented learning takes place through clinically relevant work, - individual students can work to personalized programs through the digital tutor function, - two-dimensional knowledge is transferred into three-dimensional spatial work, - three-dimensional preparations can be easily analysed by two-dimensional error analysis, - all preparation exercises are recorded for error and effectiveness analysis. Apart from student training, the computer-assisted simulators can also be used for the evaluation of the effectiveness or the quality control of various teaching methods in the context of Evidence Based Dental Education.
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The objective of this study was to compare the step-down technique in simulated curved root canals using K hand files (VDW) and ProFiles 0.06/0.04 (Dentsply Maillefer). A total of 72 canals were blindly prepared by instructed students: 1... more
The objective of this study was to compare the step-down technique in simulated curved root canals using K hand files (VDW) and ProFiles 0.06/0.04 (Dentsply Maillefer). A total of 72 canals were blindly prepared by instructed students: 1 block with K files and a second one with ProFiles 0.06/0.04 in connection with the EndoStepper (SET). Postoperative images of the canals were taken, and an independent dentist assessed preparations for amount and position of material removed during preparation. Efficacy of the instruments is described in terms of canal shape, instrument failure, canal blockages, and preparation time. ProFile instrumentation provided well-centered and tapered preparations while maintaining the apical foramen; in contrast, the use of K files resulted in frequent alterations of the root canal. In the apical portion, both techniques showed unprepared areas. The coronal diameter in hand-instrumented canals was more irregular and wider than in those mechanically prepared. There was no separation of a ProFile instrument. Hand instrumentation was faster than mechanical, but the difference was not statistically significant. Under the conditions of the study, the ProFile rotary system was simple and safe to use and created better preparations than hand instrumentation.
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Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental training... more
Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental training technique, established in sport science, on dentistry. In a randomized, controlled study, 2 groups of 20 and 21 dental students in their second semester (experimental group with mental training, and control group with conventional training, respectively), were evaluated at 2 time points (pre- and posttest) by measuring the effect of training by the criteria &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;knowledge,&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;process,&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;quality&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; of a crown preparation on the computer-assisted Dental-Simulator (DenX). The improvements of the experimental group and of the control group from pre- to posttest could be distinguished for all criteria in favor of the experimental group, in which improvements of knowledge (F1,39 = 72.674, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;.001) and process (F1,39 = 6.63, P = .01) were statistically significantly better. The significantly greater improvements of the experimental group regarding knowledge and process compared to the control group indicate that the improvement in learning and performance caused by mental training is detectable in dental education, especially with regard to cognitive aspects of dental procedures.
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The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the antibacterial and antiplaque efficacy of a recently introduced octenidine-containing mouthrinse (Octenidol®) in comparison with established antiseptic mouthrinses. In a 4-day... more
The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the antibacterial and antiplaque efficacy of a recently introduced octenidine-containing mouthrinse (Octenidol®) in comparison with established antiseptic mouthrinses. In a 4-day plaque-regrowth study employing a four-replicate cross-over design, a 0.1 % octenidine mouthrinse (Octenidol®/OCT-MR) was compared with a 0.12 % chlorhexidine mouthrinse (Paroex®/CHX-MR), an essential oil mouthrinse (Listerine®/EO-MR), and a placebo mouthrinse/P-MR. Plaque regrowth was assessed with a modified Quigley-Hein plaque index. The antibacterial effect was assessed by taking bacterial counts from the tooth surface and oral mucosa after professional tooth cleaning and after first rinsing with the allocated mouthrinse on days 1 and 5. Sixteen volunteers suspended tooth cleaning and rinsed twice daily with the allocated mouthrinse for 4 days. All tested antiseptic mouthrinses were significantly more effective than the placebo mouthrinse in inhibiting plaque, but no significant differences were observed between OCT-MR and CHX-MR, OCT-MR and EO-MR, and CHX-MR and EO-MR. After 4 days, comparable bacterial count levels were found on both the tooth surface and mucosa applying OCT-MR and CHX-MR, which were significantly lower than that of EO-MR and P-MR. Octenidol® and Paroex® showed comparable antibacterial and antiplaque efficacy in the human oral cavity. The recently introduced octenidine-containing mouthrinse Octenidol® may become a suitable alternative to 0.12 % chlorhexidine-containing mouthrinses such as Paroex®.
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Apart from a requirement to acquire more and more academic knowledge, during their training, dental students need to acquire a full range of highly precise manual and technical skills, including excellent hand/eye coordination, to enable... more
Apart from a requirement to acquire more and more academic knowledge, during their training, dental students need to acquire a full range of highly precise manual and technical skills, including excellent hand/eye coordination, to enable them to visualize and understand how to prepare cavities, prior to placing restorations. Furthermore, unlike medical students, dental students are in the position of administering treatment to patients very early in their training. The increasing academic workload means that these skills have to be mastered in a short space of time. This you will gain in the future only through the use of effective methods of the educations - for example by the use of the computer-assisted dental simulators (DentSim/DenX), which serves the visual-, audio- and practical learning channel simultaneously. Unlike the conventional phantom heads, the DentSim-unit has the following advantages - the acquisition of knowledge takes place in a multimedia learning environment wi...
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There are an increasing number of studies about the computer-assisted dental patient simulator DentSim (DenX, Israel), by which dental students can acquire cognitive motor skills in a multimedia environment. However, only a very few... more
There are an increasing number of studies about the computer-assisted dental patient simulator DentSim (DenX, Israel), by which dental students can acquire cognitive motor skills in a multimedia environment. However, only a very few studies have been published dealing with efficient ways to use and to manage a computer-assisted dental simulation lab with 40 DentSim units. The current approach and optimization steps of the College of Dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center were evaluated based on theoretical and practical tests and by questionnaires (partial 5-point Likert scale). Half of the D1 (first-year) students (2004/05) already had experience with computer-assisted learning at their undergraduate college and most of the students even expected to be taught via computer-assisted learning systems (83.5%) at the dental school. 87.3% of the students working with DentSim found the experience to be very interesting or interesting. Before the students carried ou...
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Background: The formation of biofilms is crucial to the pathogenesis of many dental microbial infections. Oral candidosis are common and often found under removable partial dentures. Nonthermal atmospheric plasma (tissue tolerable plasma,... more
Background: The formation of biofilms is crucial to the pathogenesis of many dental microbial infections. Oral candidosis are common and often found under removable partial dentures. Nonthermal atmospheric plasma (tissue tolerable plasma, TTP) was tested for its antimicrobial activity against different matured Candida albicans biofilms.Methods: We assessed the efficacy of selected agents (chlorhexidine, sodium hypochlorite, fluconazol) and TTP against in vitro biofilms of C. albicans grown 12 h (young), 24 h and 48 h (mature) in microtiter plates.Results: One minute TTP-treatment was shown to have significant effects on biofilm formation during the whole measurement period of young and mature biofilms. Only the effects of fluconazol and TTP could reduce formation of young biofilms for a longer period.Conclusions: The maturity level of biofilms influences the antiseptic efficacy of different agents. Young biofilms are very sensitive to antimicrobial effects, but they recover from it ...
In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP 0), temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were the strongest predictors for tinnitus beside headache. The aim of this study was to investigate whether signs and... more
In a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP 0), temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were the strongest predictors for tinnitus beside headache. The aim of this study was to investigate whether signs and symptoms of TMD can be identified as risk factors for developing tinnitus. The SHIP 1 is a population-based 5-year longitudinal study intended to systematically describe the prevalence of and risk factors for diseases common in the population of Pomerania in northern Germany. A total of 3300 subjects (76% response) were reevaluated after 5 years for tinnitus and signs and symptoms of TMD using the same questionnaires and examination tools as baseline. To estimate the relative risk (RR) appropriately, a modified Poisson regression was used. After exclusion of prevalent cases with diagnosed tinnitus, 3134 subjects were analysed. Among the 191 exposed subjects with palpation pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), 24 subjects (12·6%) received diagn...
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Objective: Octenidine has been used for many years as an antiseptic in medicine. Its use in the oral cavity is more frequently discussed. The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the efficacy of antibacterial activity and... more
Objective: Octenidine has been used for many years as an antiseptic in medicine. Its use in the oral cavity is more frequently discussed. The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the efficacy of antibacterial activity and ability to inhibit plaque formation of a commercial available octenidine-containing mouthrinse (Octenidol®) in comparison with common mouthrinses. Method: In this study, employing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, four-replicate cross-over design, a mouthrinse containing 0,1% octenidine (Octenidol®-A) was compared with a 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthrinse (Paroex®-B) as positive control, a commercial available essential oil mouthrinse (Listerine®-C) as benchmark control, and a placebo mouthrinse (D) as negative control. Plaque regrowth was assessed with the Turesky et al. modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index. The antibacterial effect was assessed by taking bacterial counts from tooth surface and oral mucosa after professional proph...
The present study aimed to examine the validity of the visual color assessment and an electronic tooth color measurement system by means of Shade Inspector™ in comparison with a gold standard. Additionally, reproducibility of electronic... more
The present study aimed to examine the validity of the visual color assessment and an electronic tooth color measurement system by means of Shade Inspector™ in comparison with a gold standard. Additionally, reproducibility of electronic measurements was demonstrated by means of two reference systems. Ceramic specimens of two thicknesses (h=1.6 mm, h=2.6 mm) were used. Three experienced dental technicians using the VITAPAN Classical(®) color scale carried out all visual tests. Validity of the visual assessment and the electronic measurements was confirmed separately for both thicknesses by means of lightness and hue of the VITAPAN Classical(®) color scale. Reproducibility of electronic measurements was confirmed by means of the VITAPAN Classical(®) and 3D-Master(®). The 3D-Master(®) data were calculated according to lightness, hue and chroma. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used in assessing validity/reproducibility for lightness and chroma, Kappa statistics were used fo...
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Objectives: The formation of biofilms on dental surfaces (plaque) is crucial in the pathogenesis of various microbial infections, including periodontitis, peri-implantits and caries. Disinfection with plasma is based on short-living... more
Objectives: The formation of biofilms on dental surfaces (plaque) is crucial in the pathogenesis of various microbial infections, including periodontitis, peri-implantits and caries. Disinfection with plasma is based on short-living active species, radicals (like OH, NO, O-2 and other electronically excited species, atomic oxygen, etc.) and UV radiation. The topic antimicrobial therapy with nonthermal plasma could be an interesting option for dental biofilm treatment. Methods: We assessed the efficacy of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma against C. albicans, S .mutans and a human saliva multispecies biofilm grown on titanium disks in vitro. For treatment three different plasma sources were used. As working gas we made use of argon, with and without admixture of 1% oxygen. A chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) rinse was used as a positive antimicrobial control. To investigate synergistic effects antiseptics were added. The efficacy of the plasma treatment was determined by the numbe...
The aim of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of various gel formulations on plaque formation; different tooth gels were compared to a toothpaste containing comparable antimicrobial ingredients with regard to its... more
The aim of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of various gel formulations on plaque formation; different tooth gels were compared to a toothpaste containing comparable antimicrobial ingredients with regard to its microbiocidal activity. The study was conducted under the assumption, that a chief requirement for the prevention of plaque formation is the combination of mechanical removal and antimicrobial activity, and not the sole capability of mechanical plaque removal. Ledermix(®) fluoride gel as commercially available with preservative, and without preservative and perfume oils, Elmex(®) gelée, and Meridol(®) toothpaste were tested in a standardized in-vitro test modification of the quantitative suspension test EN 1040. Instead of testing in a suspension, the respective product was directly placed on a standardized contaminated sterile stainless steel disk without adding any bio-burden. 50% egg yolk in Aqua dest. was used as a neutralizer. Within 1 min, Elm...
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To evaluate the in vivo potential of xylitol to reduce plaque acidogenicity in comparison to sorbitol. After completing a questionnaire on general health, smoking, diet, and oral hygiene habits, 61 dentate adults refrained from oral... more
To evaluate the in vivo potential of xylitol to reduce plaque acidogenicity in comparison to sorbitol. After completing a questionnaire on general health, smoking, diet, and oral hygiene habits, 61 dentate adults refrained from oral hygiene for 3 days before the clinical baseline examination, which included decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, mutans streptococci and lactobacilli counts, and plaque acidogenicity (cH) index after a sucrose rinse. Then the participants were randomly allocated to consume either sorbitol or xylitol lozenges (5 pieces/day, 2 g each) for 4 weeks and were asked to refrain from oral hygiene for the 3 days prior to the final examination (cH, area < pH 7, bacterial counts). The variation of acidogenicity in different individuals was considerable at baseline (range: 0.2 to 446.6 min micromol/L) with a mean value of 37.9 +/- 58.9 min micromol/L for the sorbitol group and 60.6 +/- 87.6 min micromol/L for the xylitol group. At the end of the study,...
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To compare the effectiveness of polymer burs (SmartPrep, SS White) and conventional carbide burs in removing dentin caries. Thirty extracted permanent teeth were assigned to 2 groups according to the caries removal technique. One... more
To compare the effectiveness of polymer burs (SmartPrep, SS White) and conventional carbide burs in removing dentin caries. Thirty extracted permanent teeth were assigned to 2 groups according to the caries removal technique. One experienced clinician performed all excavation procedures, monitoring the caries removal by checking the hardness of the dentin with a dental explorer. The excavation working time was documented and stopped in each group when a leather-hard texture was reached. After the teeth were embedded and sectioned (400 Microm), the caries in the remaining dentin was assessed using a caries detector. On microscope images of the samples, the mean stain depth of the remaining carious tissue per tooth was measured by AnalySIS computer software. Mean carious surface areas differed minimally but not statistically significantly after use of polymer burs (31.5 mm2 +/- 0.18) and carbide burs (38.1 mm2 +/- 0.15). Mean carious surface staining depth was slightly smaller with ca...
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Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental training... more
Since fine-motor movements and complex procedures, which are often necessary in dental practice, can be compared to those used by professional athletes, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the mental training technique, established in sport science, on dentistry. In a randomized, controlled study, 2 groups of 20 and 21 dental students in their second semester (experimental group with mental training, and control group with conventional training, respectively), were evaluated at 2 time points (pre- and posttest) by measuring the effect of training by the criteria "knowledge," "process," and "quality" of a crown preparation on the computer-assisted Dental-Simulator (DenX). The improvements of the experimental group and of the control group from pre- to posttest could be distinguished for all criteria in favor of the experimental group, in which improvements of knowledge (F1,39 = 72.674, P <.001) and process (F1,39 = 6.63, P = .01) ...