Digital Commons Network^™

Bacteremia Associated With Early Childhood Caries, Eddie Chang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous research has investigated the post-operative bacteria levels caused by a variety of clinical procedures such as anesthetic injections, standard dental procedures, endodontic treatment, periodontal surgery, root scaling, and oral surgical procedures in children. Other studies have suggested that bacteremias are often caused by oral infections. Although numerous studies have examined how oral infections lead to various medical conditions (i.e. brain abscess) none have studied the potential for preoperative bacteremia that may arise in conjunction with early childhood caries (ECC). The purpose of this study was to compare potential systemic facultative and anaerobic bacteria found in otherwise healthy children who …

Development Of A Model For Infective Endocarditis Via Intravenous Injection And Tooth Infection Of Rats Using Pathogenic Bacteria, Shahrokh Shabahang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Historically, focal areas of infection have been linked to a number of systemic ailments. During the early part of the 20th century, patients who were suffering from inexplicable diseases and who were suspected of having infected teeth were referred to the dentist for multiple extraction of their dentition. The discovery of antibiotics provided a false sense of security that the war against microorganisms is no longer a concern for mankind. However, more recently, it has become common belief that increasing numbers of systemic diseases are linked to chronic infections. Recovery of bacteria from representative tissues has led investigators to believe …

An Evaluation Of Progressively Loaded Root Form Dental Implants Placed Into Extraction Sites, Franco Audia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The conventional protocol for placement of endosseous root form implants requires up to twelve months of ossification of the extraction socket prior to implant placement. An alternative approach includes the immediate placement of dental implants into a prepared extraction socket following tooth removal. The purpose of this study was to compare conventionally placed non-loaded dental implants with those placed immediately into extraction sockets and progressively loaded in adult patients. A total of twenty implants were placed in eighteen patients and followed for a twelve-month period.

Clinically, no significant differences between conventional and immediately placed dental implants were observed. Radiographically, immediately …

Fracture Properties Of Different Orthodontic Bonding Materials, Daryl Lynden Proctor

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Spontaneous debonding has proven a constant problem since the introduction of bonded orthodontic brackets in the early 1960's by Newman¹.

Components in classic bond strength testing are the bracket, the adhesive, the adhesive curing method, the type of teeth used, and the test method. These tests lead to extensive and compounding variables that make it difficult to evaluate the performance of any of the components individually.

The purpose of this study was to compare several contemporary orthodontic bonding adhesives by testing the physical and mechanical characteristics of the adhesives alone. Material properties compared were sonic and tensile measurements …

Hard Tissue Forming Potential Of Mta Compared To Common Root-End Filling Materials, Nooshin Noghreian

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An ideal characteristic of root-end filling materials used in endodontics is the ability to enhance hard tissue formation. Studies have shown that MTA has the potential to enhance hard tissue formation when placed in contact with periradicular tissues. The mechanisms involved in hard tissue formation of MTA and other root-end filling materials have not been completely elucidated. The purpose of this investigation was to study the mechanism of hard tissue formation of commonly used root-end filling materials and MTA by evaluating alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell layer protein. Extracts of materials tested in this experiment were added to the …

Evaluating Pit And Fissure Sealant Materials When Used As Bonding Agents In Preventive Resin Restorations, Paul Shields Gerber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Preventive resin restorations (PRR) are an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional amalgam restoration for small occlusal caries in posterior teeth. The technique for placing the PRR was first suggested by Simonsen (1980) and involved a minimal removal of tooth structure. After preparation, the tooth is etched, followed by an application of a bonding agent, filled with composite, and then sealed with a pit and fissure sealant. In an attempt to simplify the protocol of the PRR this study was designed to determine if pit and fissure sealant material could serve a dual role and eliminate the need for a …

Optimum Bonding Time Of Four Different Curing Lights, Nathan Don Cotten

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the development of new high-intensity curing lights, the time required to bond orthodontic brackets is steadily decreasing. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum curing time for bonding orthodontic brackets using four different visible curing lights (Standard Optilux 501, High Intensity Optilux 501 with Turbo Tip, Virtuoso Plasma Arc, and ESPE LED light). This study also tested the new generation of light emitting diode (LED) lights to determine if they can be used for bonding orthodontic brackets. Three hundred freshly extracted bovine teeth were mounted in acrylic resin and divided into 20 groups of 15 teeth …

A Continued Investigation Of Craniofacial Growth In Infant Heart Transplant Recipients Receiving Cyclosporine, John Michael Cornali

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cyclosporine is an effective immunosuppressive drug that has found widespread application in organ transplantation. A couple of studies, however, have implicated cyclosporine as adversely affecting craniofacial growth in the pediatric population. The purpose of this follow-up study was to continue to evaluate the possible untoward effects of long-term use of cyclosporine on craniofacial growth in a group of infant heart transplantation recipients by re-evaluating as many subjects as possible from the original study and evaluating new subjects. A prospective group (N=29) of eighteen Caucasian subjects (7 female and 11 male, ages 6-15 years) and eleven Hispanic subjects (3 female and …

The Effect Of Thermocycling On Orthodontic Adhesives As Measured By Tensile Bond Strength, James Changwon Choi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of thermocycling only on the tensile bond strengths of four orthodontic adhesives. With the advent of bonded orthodontic brackets, spontaneous bond failures have been a constant confounding phenomenon. Consequently, numerous studies have been published dealing with the 'bond strength' issue. The focus of these studies is varied, and range from the mode of tooth surface preparation, the type of adhesive, and the type of bracket base design used.

Other studies investigated the effects of different testing methods, such as the traditional shear/peel-type to impact testing. This study was designed to …

Evaluation Of Alveolar And Soft Tissue Changes After Muscular Release Surgery In Patients Undergoing Fixed Orthodontic Therapy, Virginia Bernal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study compared pre-treatment to post-treatment changes in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy who have had muscular release surgery. The alveolar and soft tissue changes in the mandible of 128 subjects from a private practice in Northern Italy (74 females and 54 males) were analyzed. In addition, comparisons were made of changes related to age, gender, facial type, and movement of the lower incisor. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed before and after treatment for skeletal, esthetic, and dentoalveolar changes. Photographs were used to assess changes in the soft tissue of the lower anterior region at pretreatment (Tl) versus post-treatment (T2). The …

A Comparison Of The Semi-Adjustable Articulator And The Virtual Articulator By Centric Relation And Centric Occlusion Contacts, Donald Shane Witherow

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The articulator as we know it has evolved since the late 1700's, however, it has not changed much in function since the 1970's. Our methods of determining contact information i.e., centric stops and pre-maturities also has not changed much beyond that of "carbon paper". With the advent of new computer technologies, dental models are now being placed into the virtual world through variations of image slicing and laser scanning. The purpose of this paper is to determine if the Occlusogram developed by OrthoCad is as accurate as common methods currently used to determine occlusal contacts.

Twenty dental students volunteered to …

Probing Bone Level Measurements For Determination Of The Depths Of Class Ii Furcation Defects, Youngil Suh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Probing bone measurements as an alternative to open bone measurements to evaluate regenerative procedures in furcation defects do not seem to have been used as of yet. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the reliability of probing bone measurements in such defects.

Methods:15 patients scheduled for surgical treatment of a total of 30 mandibular 1st or 2nd molars with buccal or lingual class II furcation defects were studied. During treatment, duplicate vertical and horizontal recordings of probing attachment levels, probing bone levels and open bone levels were taken by independent examiners. Results: Deviations of both …