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Abstract Aims: To investigate the incidence of handpiece asepsis in general dental practice in Mosul City and to evaluate the problems associated with routine handpiece sterilization which are commonly needed by those practitioners. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was designed to collect the information about handpiece asepsis techniques performed by dentists. One hundred twenty dentists in Mosul City were randomly selected and the data were analyzed. Results: About 55.8% of the respondents know about the importance of handpiece sterilization, but no one do ideal sterilization between each patient due to absence of sufficient number of handpiece and lack of autoclave system in clinics. No one disinfect the handpiece scientifically; 59.38% smear the handpiece between each patient by one of the antiseptic solutions. Conclusion: Handpiece asepsis in Mosul dental clinics is poor. Most of dentists depend on disinfection by disinfectant solution to prevent cross infection by handpieces. Most dentists, because of their poor equipment in both private and national clinics, cannot sterilize handpieces after each patient

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of 10% water extraction of Salvadora persica (Miswak) when used clinically as an endodontic irrigant. Twenty four uniradicular teeth with necrotic pulps were chosen. The patients were divided randomly into 2 groups: Experimental group, in which water extract of Salvadora persica (10%) was used as a root canal irrigant; and control group, in which distilled water was used as a root canal irrigant. Bacteriological samples were obtained from the canal at the step of working length determination (before the canal was subjected to instrumentation and irrigation procedures), and at the end of the biomechanical instrumentation procedures by using a sterile K–file. The file was separated from the handle using a sterile wire cutter, and the severed portion was placed in a sterile screw–capped vial containing 5 ml of thioglycollate broth as a transport media. A 0.1 ml of thioglycollate broth was inoculated on each of two brain–heart infusion agar plates: One plate was incubated under aerobic conditions, and the other was incubated under anaerobic conditions using anaerobic jar and gas pack anaerobic system. Both plates were incubated at 37 ºC for 24 hours; then, the number of bacterial colonies was counted. The results revealed that 10% water extraction of Salvadora persica is an effective antimicrobial agent when utilized clinically as an irrigant in the endodontic treatment of teeth with necrotic pulps.

Abstract The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of type of the tooth and the placement site of electrode on electrical pulp testing of the anterior teeth. Twenty persons were participated in this study. The six maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth were checked to evaluate the response threshold to electrical pulp testing; each tooth was examined at four placement sites on its labial surface, which are the incisal edge, incisal third, middle third and the cervical third. The results showed that the response threshold of the mandibular anterior teeth was lower than that of the maxillary anteriors. The canines may respond to the electrical stimulus in a highest threshold than the lateral incisors and the central incisors which had the lowest response threshold. Also, this study showed that the best placement site of electrode was in the incisal edge of the tooth and the pulp tester reading was increased as the electrode moved toward the cervical region of the tooth.

Aims :evaluate the effect of abutment angulation on fracture strength of pre-fabricated zircon implant abutment supported CADCAM zircon crown. Material and methods: Ten analog with 3.75×14mm were placed into resin blocks divided in to 2 groups: group A (n=5) parallel to long axis and group B (n= 5) fixed at angulation (17°) to long axis. Then ten abutments were tightened to 25 N/cm2. Ten full anatomic zircon (CAD/CAM) crowns constructed as upper right central incisor: 5 on each group. After luting all crowns with dual cure resin-based luting, all samples passed to artificial aging using thermocycling machine, 500 cycles at (5 to 55 C°±2) degree. Then the load was applied by universal testing machine at 30 degree to the long axis until fracture occurred. Results: Statistical analysis showed that the implant abutment angulations significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the fracture resistance of zircon implant abutment. Conclusions: Within the limitation of this in vitro study it may be concluded that: the fracture strength of zircon implant abutment supported CADCAM zircon crown is significantly reduced in respect to the angulation fromstraight to angulated (17°) zircon abutment.