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To compare the shear bond strengths and modes of failure of three orthodontic brackets: a polycrystalline ceramic bracket, a collapsible polycrystalline ceramic bracket and a metal bracket.

This study determined which molar base retentive designs produced the greatest shear bond strength (SBS) to human molars when using different adhesives.

Purpose: A lack of contemporary dental literature exists on evaluating dental residents in postgraduate education, with no standardized criteria or information on technology adoption. This study aims to understand current evaluation methods in dental residency programs and compare them to existing literature. Methods: A survey with 22 questions was sent to program directors of 749 ADA/CODA (American Dental Association/Commission on Dental Accreditation)‐accredited postgraduate dental residencies. The questions focused on evaluation frequency, faculty involvement, submission methods, and electronic software usage. Results: The survey response rate was 30.2% (226 responses). Results show that 98% of program directors are involved in evaluations, but require more support from auxiliary faculty. Evaluations are typically submitted twice or four times a year, with 12% of programs wanting increased frequency. Face‐to‐face delivery of feedback is considered crucial. While desktop computers are widely used for evaluation submission, 55% of programs utilize mobile devices, which correlates with higher program director satisfaction. The most popular evaluation software includes New Innovations, MEd Hub, and Qualtrics. Overall, 86.96% of program directors are satisfied with current evaluation practices. Areas needing improvement are non‐program director faculty involvement, resident response/feedback, and software navigation. Conclusion: This study found that a majority of program directors of the postgraduate dental education system are using electronic technology for their resident evaluation systems and are satisfied with their current mechanism of evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objectives: White spot lesions (WSLs) are opaque white lesions on smooth tooth surfaces as a result of demineralization. Proven methods of prevention and resolution of these lesions are available yet the incidence rate, especially in orthodontic patients, is still high. Perhaps the way dental schools are educating students on the topic is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how predoctoral dental students are taught about the prevention and resolution of WSLs. Methods: An electronic survey was developed and sent out to each of the 66 accredited dental schools in the United States and Puerto Rico. The survey consisted of 13 questions and inquired about whether the school includes instruction of WSLs in its predoctoral curriculum. If the school indicated instruction WSLs was in the predoctoral curriculum, further questions were asked pertaining to the content and method of the instruction. Demographic data was also gathered from each institution. Results: Twenty‐eight of the 66 schools responded for a 42% response rate. Eighty‐two percent of schools indicated they were teaching about prevention of WSLs, while 50% indicated they were teaching about resolution, or treatment, of WSLs. The most commonly taught methods were patient education, over‐the‐counter fluoride mouthrinse, toothpaste, or gel, and high fluoride content toothpaste. Conclusion: The majority of responding dental schools are at least including some instruction of WSLs in the predoctoral curriculum. Many of the known prevention and treatment measures available, however, are not routinely taught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental dental anomalies are a common finding in adolescent populations. The objective of this study was to utilize panoramic radiographs to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies and developmental disturbances in a heterogenous adolescent orthodontic patient population seeking care at a North American orthodontic residency program. A total of 1042 panoramic radiographs of 457 male and 585 female orthodontic patients aged 10 to 18 years were evaluated. Developmental and eruption anomalies were recorded and categorized, and chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used for statistical analysis. The evaluation revealed that 40.88% of patients had at least 1 anomalous finding. The most common finding overall was agenesis (12.00%), followed by deviations in eruption path (9.12%), delayed eruption (7.39%), and impaction (7.29%). There was no difference in the prevalence of having any anomalous finding or the prevalence of any specific category of anomalies based on the sex or Angle classification of the patients. Comparison of developmental dental anomalies in 3 age groups (10 to 12, 13 to 15, or 16 to 18 years) revealed no statistically significant difference in the overall prevalence of anomalous findings. Statistically significant differences for some specific categories of anomalies were explainable by correlating dental development with chronologic age, such as a greater frequency of blocked out teeth and eruption path deviation among patients aged 10 to 12 years. Black patients were found to have a significantly greater prevalence of impac-tions (P = 0.030), and Asian patients had a significantly greater prevalence of anomalies categorized as "other pathology," which could not be definitively diagnosed by panoramic radiograph alone (P = 0.007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To (1) determine if there are different preferences among general dentists, a combined group of dental specialists, and orthodontists concerning whether a patient with congenitally missing lateral incisors should have the teeth restored or if the canines should be orthodontically moved into the position of the missing teeth; (2)determine the role that esthetics and function of the final result has on the respondents' treatment preferences; and (3)compare the respondents' opinions about treatment preferences to their rankings of esthetics reported in part 1. Methods: The questionnaire accompanied the photographic evaluation in part 1. Percentages were computed and chi-squares were used to compare response patterns. Results: Compared to orthodontists, a significantly greater percentage of general dentists and combined dental specialists would restore the lateral incisors and would do so primarily for esthetic reasons. Interestingly, for those dental professionals who responded that the missing teeth should be restored, many did not rank any photograph of a restorative option as the best option. Conclusions: Dental professionals should attempt to eliminate their personal opinions when recommending treatment options for a congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisor because discrepancies exist between the treatment result judged as most esthetic and the one most likely to be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine how general dentists, orthodontists, combined dental specialists, and laypeople judged the relative attractiveness of a series of photographs of teeth that included cases with congenitally missing incisors to compare the esthetic appeal of various treatment options. Methods: The photographs included cases with Maryland bridges, dental implants, and orthodontic substitution of the lateral incisors with the canines. Cases with no missing teeth were included as controls. The subjects rated each photograph independently, assigning a number between 1 and 5 for each of a series of 7 bipolar adjectives. Each photograph was given an overall score from 7 (best) through 35 (worst) for use in statistical analysis (ANOVA). Results: Results indicated that general dentists, orthodontists, combined dental specialists, and laypeople differed in their evaluations of the photographs, which represented multiple treatment options for congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors. Conclusions: Including esthetics of the finished result as an advantage or disadvantage for either restoration or canine substitution of the lateral incisors could be misleading to the patient because the judgment of esthetics of a smile can vary from one person to another or from one dental professional to another, as indicated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncivil behavior by a faculty member or student can threaten a classroom environment and make it less conducive to learning. The aim of this study was to explore faculty behaviors that dental faculty and students perceive to be uncivil when exhibited in the classroom and clinic. In 2015, all faculty, administrators, and students at a single academic dental institution were invited to participate in an electronic survey that used a five-point Likert scale for respondents to indicate their agreement that 33 faculty behaviors were uncivil. Response rates were 49% for faculty and 59% for students. Significant differences were found between student and faculty responses on 22 of the 33 behavioral items. None of the three category composite scores differed significantly for students compared to faculty respondents. The category composite scores were not significantly associated with gender, ethnicity, or age for faculty or students. Overall, this study found significant differences between students and faculty about perceived uncivil faculty behaviors, though not for categories of behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated the surface roughness of enamel after debonding and instrumentation with commonly used methods. Methods: Part I: a survey was sent to active members of the American Association of Orthodontists to determine popular bonding, debonding, and polishing protocols. Part II: brackets were bonded to the buccal surface of 30 extracted human premolar teeth. After debonding, residual adhesive was removed with 12-, 16-, and 20-fluted titanium carbide burs as based upon the survey results. The teeth were scanned with a surface profilometer for surface roughness. Part III: the teeth were further polished using a Reliance Renew polishing point or a prophy cup with pumice and rescanned for surface roughness. Results: Part I: the majority of respondents used a generic bracket-removing plier to remove fixed appliances (53%) and a high-speed handpiece for adhesive removal (85%). The most popular bur was a 12-fluted carbide bur without water spray. The majority of respondents used pumice paste and/or Reliance Renew points after adhesive removal. Part II: there was a significant difference in enamel surface roughness when 12-, 16-, and 20-fluted carbide burs were compared via surface profilometry. Part III: further polishing with a Reliance Renew point or a prophy cup and pumice did not provide a significantly smoother surface. Conclusions: The results show large variation in debonding and polishing techniques. Creating a smooth enamel surface is equally possible with 12- or 20-fluted carbide burs. Further polishing with pumice and prophy cup or Renew point does not provide an enamel smoother surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The professional dental literature is lacking in information concerning the use of technology in evaluation procedures utilized in postgraduate dental education. The purpose of this study was to identify the methods of evaluation of U.S. postgraduate specialty residents currently in place. The study also sought to determine if there were any patterns among programs more likely to utilize electronic submission in the evaluation process. An electronic survey consisting of eighteen questions was sent to the program directors of all accredited U.S. dental specialty programs (n=416). The survey yielded 150 responses, for a 36 percent response rate. The results showed that the majority of responding program directors (68 percent) evaluate their residents using a hardcopy evaluation instrument, while a minority of directors (32 percent) reported using an electronic evaluation instrument. The majority of respondents (58 percent) said they require faculty members to formally evaluate residents semiannually. Fifty percent of responding program directors reported a need for improvement in their current evaluation system. Those reporting a need for improvement were less likely to be using an electronic format. There was no statistical significance between faculty responsiveness and the mode of evaluation used. With many program directors reporting room for improvement in their current evaluation system, innovation in the evaluation systems of postgraduate dental education is needed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Various alternatives to metal orthodontic archwires have produced varied successes over the years. This study sought to evaluate the bending properties of fiber-reinforced polymeric composite (FRC) archwires compared with similarly sized nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) archwires. Methods: Two different 0.018-inch translucent FRC orthodontic wires (Translucent Archwire I and Translucent Archwire II) were tested against 0.014-, 0.016-, and 0.018-inch nonsuperelastic nickel titanium orthodontic wires. The wires in each group (n = 10) were evaluated with threepoint bending using a universal testing machine. Wire segments were deflected at midspan to 3.1 mm at a rate of 2 mm/min. Loading and unloading slope and modulus were calculated, as were force values during activation and deactivation and elastic recovery. Results: It was found that the 0.018-inch Ni-Ti archwire demonstrated the highest force values at different deflection distances followed by Translucent Archwire II, 0.016-inch Ni-Ti, Translucent Archwire I, and finally 0.014-inch Ni-Ti. 0.016-inch Ni-Ti exhibited the highest modulus value, followed by 0.018-inch Ni-Ti, 0.014-inch Ni-Ti, Translucent Archwire II, and finally Translucent Archwire I. During deactivation, the elastic recovery of 0.014-inch Ni-Ti and 0.016-inch Ni-Ti was significantly greater than Translucent Archwire II. Conclusion: The bending properties of BioMer's FRC archwires were found to be comparable to Ni-Ti, as advertised by the manufacturer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devastated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the New Orleans campus of the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry was closed for two years. With help from the university's Systems Office, the school created a temporary campus in Baton Rouge, seventy-five miles from the New Orleans campus. The eight postdoctoral education programs, however, were forced to find clinic and seminar space in other facilities and cities. Of the seventy-nine students in these programs, only sixteen did not continue after the storm. This article describes how each program maintained its curriculum while the main campus was closed. By comparing numbers of student applications to these programs in each year since Hurricane Katrina with the average baseline for each in the ten years preceding the storm, this article illustrates the current viability of these residency programs. Total applications in 2005-07 were significantly lower than baseline measures, but applications in 2008 and 2009 have returned to pre-storm levels. A comparison of these application numbers with national trends also demonstrates that these programs have rebounded from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the percentage force decay of elastomeric chain products utilizing three different design mechanisms simulating canine retraction; and to evaluate the percentage force decay of elastomeric chain products from four different companies. Design: In vitro, laboratory study. Setting: LSUHSC Dental School, New Orleans, LA, USA. Methods: Closed (non-spaced), grey elastomeric chains from four companies were selected for the study. Three acrylic resin jigs were constructed to provide a framework for three simulated space closure mechanisms. The 6-5-3, the chain loop, and the 6-3 were the configuration mechanisms used in the study. Outcome measures: An electronic force gauge was used to measure the percentage force decay associated with each elastomeric chain over 28 days at preselected times. Results: There was a significant difference in the mean percentage force decay for the three different mechanisms (P<0.001). For all four companies, the 6-3 mechanical design had the smallest mean percentage force decay. There was a significant difference in the mean percentage force decay for the different companies (P<0.001). For all three mechanisms, Ormco had the smallest percentage force decay while Unitek had the highest percentage force decay. Conclusions: The significant difference in the mean percentage force decay for the different mechanisms suggests that the 6-3 design is a more efficient means of closing extraction spaces utilizing elastomeric chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The various reasons for the current and projected shortages of dental faculty members in the United States have received much attention. Dental school deans have reported that the top three factors impacting their ability to fill faculty positions are meeting the requirements of the position, lack of response to position announcement, and salary/budget limitations. An electronic survey sent to program directors of specialty programs at all accredited U.S. dental schools inquired about the number of vacant positions, advertised vacant positions, reasons for not advertising, selection of advertising medium, results of advertising, and assistance from professional dental organizations. A total of seventy-three permanently funded full-time faculty positions were reported vacant, with 89.0 percent of these positions having been advertised in nationally recognized professional journals and newsletters. Networking or word-of-mouth was reported as the most successful ipethod for advertising. The majority of those responding reported that professional dental organizations did not help with filling vacant faculty positions, but that they would utilize the American Dental Association's website or their specialty organization's website to post faculty positions if they were easy to use and update. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) by examining standard orthodontic intraoral photographs. Methods: A total of 690 patients were evaluated retrospectively for the presence or absence and extent of MIH using standardized assessment criteria. Results: Fourteen percent of all patients examined presented with MIH on at least one tooth. There was no significant difference in the presence of MIH when compared to age, race, or gender. MIH is most commonly presented on maxillary molars and maxillary central incisors as demarcated opacities with less than one-third of the tooth affected. More severe clinical status groups were associated with higher average age and were more commonly seen in molars than incisors. Conclusions: At 14 percent, the prevalence is reflective of the worldwide prevalence previously determined from other studies. MIH most commonly presents in its mildest form; however, older individuals tend to present with more severe forms, indicating that it continues to cause problems as patients age. Future studies should extend to further areas to continue to ascertain the extent and severity of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Various alternatives to metal orthodontic archwires have produced varied successes over the years. This study sought to evaluate the bending properties of fiber-reinforced polymeric composite (FRC) archwires compared with similarly sized nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) archwires., Methods: Two different 0.018-inch translucent FRC orthodontic wires (Translucent Archwire I and Translucent Archwire II) were tested against 0.014-, 0.016-, and 0.018-inch nonsuperelastic nickel titanium orthodontic wires. The wires in each group (n = 10) were evaluated with three-point bending using a universal testing machine. Wire segments were deflected at midspan to 3.1 mm at a rate of 2 mm/min. Loading and unloading slope and modulus were calculated, as were force values during activation and deactivation and elastic recovery., Results: It was found that the 0.018-inch Ni-Ti archwire demonstrated the highest force values at different deflection distances followed by Translucent Archwire II, 0.016-inch Ni-Ti, Translucent Archwire I, and finally 0.014-inch Ni-Ti. 0.016-inch Ni-Ti exhibited the highest modulus value, followed by 0.018-inch Ni-Ti, 0.014-inch Ni-Ti, Translucent Archwire II, and finally Translucent Archwire I. During deactivation, the elastic recovery of 0.014-inch Ni-Ti and 0.016-inch Ni-Ti was significantly greater than Translucent Archwire II., Conclusion: The bending properties of BioMer's FRC archwires were found to be comparable to Ni-Ti, as advertised by the manufacturer.