Digital Commons Network^™

Aging An Ancient Maya Population From Actuncan, Belize Using Dental X-Rays, Kaitlyn Nicole Cash

Honors Theses

My goal is to determine an accurate age at death estimation of an ancient Maya population from the archaeological site of Actuncan, Belize. This was done by measuring the lengths of the coronal pulp cavities in the individuals’ teeth. I used X-Ray images to measure the coronal pulp cavities of the teeth and estimated age using multiple regression formulae for premolars, molars, and incisors to make age estimations. The formulae came from two studies, Ikeda et al. (1985) and Drusini (2008), that form the basis of my research. Ikeda et al. (1985) was the first to use this aging method, …

Dental Morphology In A Juvenile Mammal From The Late Cretaceous Of South America: Tooth Eruption And Development., Kayla E Newton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Meridiolestids are a diverse and distinct clade of Cretaceous–Miocene South American dryolestoid mammals ranging in size from small shrew-sized insectivores to large dog- sized omnivores. Cronopio dentiacutus from the Cenomanian La Buitrera locality, Rio Negro Province, Argentina (Candeleros Fm.) is the oldest and best known of them, represented by skull material and associated jaws. A juvenile skull as attributed to Cronopio dentiacutus, based on tooth size and morphology, was collected from the type locality. The specimen includes the skull and both articulated lower jaws. The fossil is poorly ossified and partially flattened; CT scanning reveals most of the dentition …

Development Of A Non-Invasive Dna Extraction Method From Teeth, Monalisa Heng

Honors Theses

Forensic dentistry has evolved from simple morphological investigations to genetic and molecular analysis. One of the most important techniques is DNA analysis which requires viable samples from an individual or crime site. The orofacial region can be a good source for DNA samples because the tissues can resist environmental, thermal, electrical, and mechanical challenges. Teeth are especially useful as a source of genetic material because the DNA located in the pulp is surrounded by protective mineral tissue. The DNA in the pulp tissue is currently accessed through destructive methods involving crushing, pulverization, and splitting the tooth. Unfortunately, destructive methods destroy …

Simulating Implant Procedures In Dentistry, Brandon Patterson

Frameless

The School of Dentistry in partnership with the health sciences library at the University of Utah developed VR simulations for dental implants. The benefits of using the technology included providing endless scenarios, evaluation measures, and experiential learning experiences for students [1]. The school administration found that the simulations kept pace with the requirements of regulatory authorities, helped reduce costs in dental education, and found that students who trained in VR scored significantly better than traditional methods largely due to their ability to repeat tasks and receive instant feedback [2, 3].

A Study Of Dental Pathology In River Otters (Lontra Canadensis) In Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, Jimmie Harper, Karson Grant

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

River otters (Lontra canadensis) consume a variety of foods, including mussels, fishes, and crayfishes. These foods have hard body parts that cause wear of the teeth as the predator ages and incurs more damaging feeding experiences. This can lead to exposure of the pulp cavity and possible abscess and resorption of bone around the alveolus. Further, strong bites against harder parts of prey sometimes results in mechanical breakage, which can lead to pulpitis and severe pathology leading to tooth loss. We investigated the frequency of different forms of dental issues in a sample of 178 skulls of river …

Leveraging Advancements In Tissue Engineering For Bioprinting Dental Tissues, Devin Grace Morrison, Ryan E. Tomlinson

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

3D bioprinting allows biocompatible materials and cells to be deposited in precise locations in three-dimensional space, enabling researchers to surpass the limitations of traditional 2D cell culture and to create innovative therapies. 3D bioprinting is one of the newest tools developed in the field of tissue engineering, which has traditionally utilized a paradigm revolving around scaffolds, cells, and signals. In this review, we discuss how new developments in each of these three research areas relates to bioprinting dental tissues – specifically teeth, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Important considerations include how scaffold materials and geometry affect regeneration of dental tissues, …

Enamel Histological Indicator: Growth In Incisors Vs. Canines, Nisha Zaver

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Total Salivary Protein Concentration And Its Correlation To Dental Caries, Emyli Peralta, Jonathan Joseph

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

According to the World Health Organization, dental cavities are the number one chronic disease in children. Saliva coats the teeth all day and serves many functions to maintain and protect teeth. Saliva has many proteins that can be both detrimental and essential to the preservation of tooth enamel. The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between the total protein concentration in saliva and the prevalence of cavities in the mouth. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between total salivary protein concentration and the prevalence of cavities in the participant.Saliva samples were collected …

A Nondestructive Procedure For The Extraction Of Dna From Human Teeth, Mark Reliquias, Ann-Elodie Black

Honors Theses

This research focuses on constructing a procedure that allows for the nondestructive extraction of mtDNA from teeth for forensic DNA analysis. Currently, only a destructive method for extracting DNA from teeth is used in the forensic laboratory to identify an individual. A disadvantage of extracting DNA through a destructive method is the complete or partial loss of the tooth. To extract DNA through a destructive method, the tooth must either be cut horizontally or vertically to access the pulp, or the root ground into a powder to extract DNA from the dentine-cementum. With the destruction of the tooth, additional forensic …

Manual Dexterity: New Perspectives On Dentistry, Andrew Hibinger

Honors Projects

Having good hand-dexterity and hand-eye coordination are essential skills found in dentistry. Through the exploration of jewelry and metal making processes, a vast number of similarities can be tied to the metal casting process and dental practices used daily in nearly all offices. With a focus on effort and time devoted to the repeated processes of creation and finishing tooth shaped metal rings, an understanding of this relationship can be further understood. First shaped from wax, then casted with silver metal, realistic tooth shaped rings can be created with a correlation to improved manual dexterity. Psychomotor skills are associated to …

Finite Element Analysis Of A One-Piece Zirconia Implant In Anterior Single Tooth Implant Applications, Georgi Talmazov, Nathan Veilleux, Aous Abdulmajeed, Sompop Bencharit

General Practice Publications

This study evaluated the von Mises stress (MPa) and equivalent strain occurring around monolithic yttria-zirconia (Zir) implant using three clinically simulated finite element analysis (FEA) models for a missing maxillary central incisor. Two unidentified patients’ cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) datasets with and without right maxillary central incisor were used to create the FEA models. Three different FEA models were made with bone structures that represent a healed socket (HS), reduced bone width edentulous site (RB), and immediate extraction socket with graft (EG). A one-piece abutment-implant fixture mimicking Straumann Standard Plus tissue level RN 4.1 X 11.8mm, for titanium alloy (Ti) …

Oral Health Screening For At-Risk Adults, Karla I. Brandao

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Oral health screening and prevention is common during well-child checks. However, this screening in adults is not as consistent. In addition, oral health has been implicated in a variety of medical conditions, making it a very important factor in systemic disease. The goal of this project is to create an oral health screening tool which can be distributed to adults, especially adults who are at high risk due to diabetes, substance use disorder, pregnancy, etc. Those with positive screening should receive a handout with some resources and information.

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis Of The Jaws After Tooth Extraction In Senescent Female Mice Treated With Zoledronic Acid: Microtomographic, Histological And Immunohistochemical Characterization, Cláudia Cristina Biguetti, André Hergesel De Oliva, Kent Healy, Ramez Hassan Mahmoud, Isabela Do Carmo Custódio, Dulce Helena Constantino, Edilson Ervolino, Marco Antonio Hungaro Duarte, Walid D. Fakhouri, Mariza Akemi Matsumoto

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications and Presentations

Treatment with cumulative dosages of zoledronic acid (ZA) in elderly patients is a risk factor for the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ), mainly related to surgical triggers such as tooth extraction. However, animal models for the investigation and understanding of MRONJ pathophysiology in senescent and postmenopausal stages remains to be developed and characterized. The aim of this study was to analyze MRONJ development in senescent female mice treated with cumulative dosages of ZA. For this purpose, twenty 129/Sv female mice, 64 weeks old, were treated with 0.9% saline solution as control group (n = 10), and with …

Creating Oral Health Awareness: Happy Teeth Make Healthy Teeth, Roseanna M. Torres, Dirien Santos, Tatyana Aksaeva, Hanna Jo, Nastassia Liaushun, Anty Lam

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Using Er:Yag Laser To Remove Lithium Disilicate Crowns From Zirconia Implant Abutments: An In Vitro Study, Janina Golob Deeb, Sompop Bencharit, Nishchal Dalal, Aous Abdulmajeed, Kinga Grzech-Leśniak

Periodontics Publications

Background
When implants are restored with cement-retained restorations, prosthetic retrievability can be difficult and often requires sectioning using rotary instruments. Sometimes repeated removals of a cement-retained implant crown are needed such as for treatment of peri-implantitis or immediate implant provisionalization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser as a non-invasive treatment modality to remove lithium disilicate crowns from zirconia implant abutments following long-term cementation, repetitive debonding and re-cementation, and short-term retrieval.

Material and methods
Twenty identical lithium disilicate crowns were cemented onto zirconia prefabricated abutments using composite resin cement. Ten …

Total Salivary Protein Concentration And Its Correlation To Dental Caries, Emyli Peralta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, dental cavities are the number one chronic disease in children. Saliva coats the teeth all day and can serve many functions to maintain and protect teeth. Saliva has many proteins that can be both detrimental and essential to the preservation of tooth enamel. The purpose of this study is to determine if a correlation exists between the total protein concentration in saliva and the prevalence of cavities in the mouth. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation with total salivary protein concentration and the prevalence of cavities in the participant. Methods: …

Adult Oral Health Access And Advocacy, James Duguay

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many adults lack adequate preventative oral healthcare due to multiple factors. Oral health is important due to its effects on systemic health as well as for quality of life issues.

Treatment Decisions Involving Teeth With Intrapulpal Cracks: A Survey Of Endodontists, Sheldon M. Sealey

Theses and Dissertations

There is no universal protocol for diagnosing, treating and managing cracked teeth. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the use of traditional methods of crack detection and to explore how treatment decisions were made using an intrapulpal crack classification. The electronic survey was sent to 1115 active members of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and The Digital Office (TDO^™) community. Comparisons were assessed using logistic or repeated-measures regression. The most often used diagnostic method was probing. When the crack involved one wall, 85% of respondents would complete root canal therapy > 50% of the time or …

A Justification For The Trend Towards Indirect Pulp Therapy, Marissa Kuhnen

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to determine how primary molars needing vital pulp therapy have been treated in the past four years at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and to determine which treatments: indirect pulp therapy (IPT), formocresol pulpotomy, and ferric sulfate pulpotomy have been successful. Methods: AxiUm records that contained the procedure codes D3120 (Pulp Cap – Indirect) or D3220 (Therapeutic Pulpotomy) were totaled by year. Visit records were queried again to identify treatment failures i.e. extractions or pulpectomy. Results: In 2010, 52% of vital pulp therapies were ferric sulfate pulpotomies and in …

Restorative Characteristics Of Intrapulpally Cracked Teeth, Charles M. Beavers

Theses and Dissertations

Cracked teeth have long presented a diagnostic challenge. Previous investigators have considered possible predictive factors, many of which revolve around the tooth’s restorative characteristics. Few have investigated the restorative status of teeth with cracks extending into the pulp chamber. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of the different types of restorations present in intrapulpally cracked teeth and determine any other restorative factors that may aid in predicting the presence or extent of an intrapulpal crack. Intrapulpally cracked molars requiring endodontic therapy at the VCU Graduate Endodontic Practice were included in this study. For each tooth, the …

Adult Scurvy In New France: Samuel De Champlain's "Mal De La Terre" At Saint Croix Island, 1604-1605, Thomas A. Crist, Marcella H. Sorg

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Lead Levels In Deciduous Teeth From Children In Clark County, Nevada., Kristin Murphy, Jennifer Berger-Ritchie, Shawn L. Gerstenberger, Amol B. Amin, Jason K. Nitta, Frederick G. More, Jeanne A. Hibler, Karl Kingsley

Nevada Journal of Public Health

Background: Elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) are declining in the United States, although some population subgroups continue to exhibit significant health disparities. A childhood lead poisoning prevention program was recently started in Nevada, and many efforts have been made to support this program and increase the screening rates.

Methods: To expand the potential pool of children screened for EBLLs, a pilot study was performed to evaluate lead concentrations in extracted deciduous teeth using Graphic Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis.

Results: Lead concentrations as determined by GFAAS and ICP-MS were …

Remarkable Resilience Of Teeth (How Are Teeth So Brittle Yet So Resilient), Paul J. Constantino

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Tooth enamel is inherently weak, with fracture toughness comparable with glass, yet it is remarkably resilient, surviving millions of functional contacts over a lifetime. We propose a microstructural mechanism of damage resistance, based on observations from ex situ loading of human and sea otter molars (teeth with strikingly similar structural features). Section views of the enamel implicate tufts, hypomineralized crack-like defects at the enamel–dentin junction, as primary fracture sources. We report a stabilization in the evolution of these defects, by ‘‘stress shielding’’ from neighbors, by inhibition of ensuing crack extension from prism interweaving (decussation), and by self-healing. These factors, coupled …

Fluoride And Your Teeth: How Fluoride In Dental Products Protects Your Teeth From Cavities, Jacob Dickey

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster examines the use and effectiveness of fluorine to prevent cavities.

Fracture In Teeth—A Diagnostic For Inferring Bite Force And Tooth Function, Paul J. Constantino, Brian R. Lawn, James J.-W. Lee, Peter W. Lucas

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Teeth are brittle and highly susceptible to cracking. We propose that observations of such cracking can be used as a diagnostic tool for predicting bite force and inferring tooth function in living and fossil mammals. Laboratory tests on model tooth structures and extracted human teeth in simulated biting identify the principal fracture modes in enamel. Examination of museum specimens reveals the presence of similar fractures in a wide range of vertebrates, suggesting that cracks extended during ingestion or mastication. The use of ‘fracture mechanics’ from materials engineering provides elegant relations for quantifying critical bite forces in terms of characteristic tooth …

Analysis Of Dental Management Of Those With Physical And Mental Disabilities, Ashley M. Fleck

Honors Theses

Those with physical and mental disabilities are at an increased risk of oral complications such as gingivitis and periodontal disease. In comparison with this risk, this population struggles to access appropriate dental care that accommodates those with disabilities. This thesis reviews the demographics of those with special needs, dental education barriers to working with this population and financial barriers that hinder access to care. An overview of the oral health problems of common disabilities is presented as well as behavioral management techniques that could be easily implemented in the dental office. A general review of good oral hygiene for those …

Tooth Loss, Apolipoprotein E, And Decline In Delayed Word Recall, P. S. Stein, R. J. Kryscio, M. Desrosiers, Sara J. Donegan, M. B. Gibbs

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Our previous research suggests an association between a low number of teeth and increased risk of dementia. The aim of the present study was to determine if a low number of teeth is specifically related to memory decline as evidenced by low Delayed Word Recall scores. In addition, we examined the combined effect of a low number of teeth and the apolipoprotein E ϵ4 allele on Delayed Word Recall scores. We hypothesized that the scores of those who had the allele and a low number of teeth (0-9) would decline more rapidly over time than those participants with a greater …

Moving Teeth Faster, Better And Painless. Is It Possible?, Jose A. Bosio, Dawei Liu

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Esthetic Posterior Stainless Steel Crowns And Their Relative Shear Strengths, Lonny Dale Carmichael

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate esthetic posterior stainless steel crowns (EP-SSC) and compare their relative shear strengths.Methods: Sixty EP-SSC were compared. 15 crowns from NuSmile® Primary Crowns, Kinder Krowns, and Dental Innovators 1UP and EC Crowns were studied. The crowns were cemented to a typodont tooth then thermally cycled in water baths to simulate oral conditions. Shear strengths were evaluated by subjecting these crowns to simulated forces of occlusion.Results: The force required to cause shearing of the esthetic facings was statistically significant. With the 1UP crown being significantly weaker than the other crowns tested. Conclusion: The …

Concurrent Whitening And Orthodontic Treatment, Jason Thomas Gladwell

Theses and Dissertations

The aim was to evaluate whether a whitening system, when used during the final stages of orthodontics, would yield results comparable to whitening alone. Patients were assigned to either the control (n=20) or experimental (n=26) groups. At T1, patients were given a ten day supply of Trèswhite™ by Opalescence®, instructions on use, and initial shade determination was made and photographs were taken. At T2 and T3, shade determination was accomplished and updated photographs were taken. Whitening of the teeth occurred in both groups on average, but significantly more whitening was experienced in the experimental group (p < 0.004). An average of 87% of teeth whitened during orthodontic treatment compared to 97% of control teeth (p < 0.01) were judged to be uniform in appearance. In conclusion, the data do not contraindicate the concurrent accomplishment of teeth whitening during orthodontic treatment.