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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of human blood contamination, before and after hardening of the materials, on microhardness of high-viscosity Fuji IX GP Extra (Fuji IX) and resin-modified Fuji II LC (Fuji II) glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and glass-hybrid material EQUIA Forte HT (EQUIA), with and without protective coating EQUIA Forte Coat (Coat), before and after thermocycling. Four groups (n = 40): 1. Fuji IX; 2. Fuji II; 3. EQUIA and 4. EQUIA + Coat were further subdivided into 3 subgroups: (1) Control; (2) blood contamination before hardening; (3) blood contamination after hardening, resulting in a total of 12 groups of 10 samples each. Samples were prepared using teflon molds (5 mm × 2 mm). Microhardness was measured using a Vickers microhardness tester before and after thermocycling (10,000 cycles), and data were statistically analyzed (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, ANOVA, Scheffe’s test). In the control groups, the highest microhardness was measured for EQUIA+Coat before thermocycling (70.71 ± 8.79) and after thermocycling (68.6 ± 7.65). Within the groups exposed to blood after hardening, the highest microhardness was recorded in the thermocycled EQUIA+Coat group (73.07 ± 8.85). Blood contamination before hardening negatively affected the microhardness of Fuji II, Fuji IX, and EQUIA+Coat. Exposure to blood after hardening increased the microhardness of Fuji IX and EQUIA, thermocycled Fuji IX and thermocycled EQUIA + Coat samples.

Advances in additive manufacturing have accelerated the development of 3D-printed dental resin composites. These materials contain a higher proportion of organic matrix and less filler than light-cured representatives, which may affect their behavior in the oral environment. This study aimed to evaluate the biological and chemical properties of 3D-printed dental resin composites before and after artificial aging, and to compare them with the light-cured representative. Specimens from a light-cured composite (Omnichroma—OMCR) and two 3D-printed composites (GT Temp PRINT—GTPR; SprintRay CROWN—SPRY) were subjected to aging treatments: unaged (T0) or thermocycled for 5000 (T1) and 10,000 cycles (T2). Biological evaluation was performed using MTT assay and Live/Dead cell fluorescence microscopy using human gingival fibroblasts, whereas Raman spectroscopy analysed materials’ structural changes. Materials exhibited good biocompatibility (>70% cell viability), with OMCR displaying greater variability. OMCR was more susceptible to chemical degradation under thermal stresses than both 3D-printed materials. Tested 3D-printed composites can provide comparable or even superior biological and chemical properties compared to light-cured representative, likely due to optimized resin formulations and post-curing protocols that improve polymer network organization and reduce residual monomer release. These findings support the potential of tested 3D-printed composites for manufacturing dental restorations.

The aim of this study was to investigate the root canal morphology of lower second molars in the Croatian subpopulation of the Zagreb region using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). We analyzed 3212 CBCT scans from the two radiology centers in Zagreb. The number of roots and root canals, the occurrence of C-shaped canals and additional roots were recorded. “C”-shaped roots were classified according to Melton classification. Canals in the mesial root were classified according to Vertucci. Lower second molars were found on 608 CBCT scans from a total number of 859. Among them, 78 (9.1%) had a “C”-shaped form. In the mesial roots, the frequencies of Vertucci types were: Type I in ninety-four cases (12.0%), Type II in three hundred and twenty cases (41.0%), Type III in six cases (0.8%), Type IV in three hundred and fifty-two cases (45.1%), Type V in three cases (0.4%), Type VI was found in four cases (0.5%) and Type VIII was found in one case (0.1%). Radix entomolaris and paramolaris were found in 29 (3.4%) lower second molars. The lower second molars in the Zagreb population show significant diversity in internal anatomy with a relatively high prevalence of “C”-shaped root canals and merged root canals in the mesial root.

The purposes of the study were to evaluate the bond strength of bioceramic TotalFill root repair material (RRM) in retrograde cavities prepared using Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG laser and steel bur, and to analyze failure modes. The root canals of 30 single-rooted teeth were endodontically treated, their root-ends were resected using a diamond bur, and the teeth were randomly divided into three groups ( N  = 10) according to the retrograde cavity preparation technique: (1) Er:YAG laser, (2) Er,Cr:YSGG laser, and (3) steel bur. All retrograde cavities were filled with the TotalFill RRM which was prepared according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Push-out test was performed using universal testing machine, and failure mode was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, post hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction, and Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test ( p  < 0.05). In the Er:YAG-, Er,Cr:YSGG-, and steel bur–prepared cavities, mean bond strengths (MPa) were 12.76, 8.44, and 6.01, respectively. The bond strength of the TotalFill RRM to dentin was significantly higher in the Er:YAG laser compared with the steel bur–prepared cavities ( p  = 0.004). The bond strength was not significantly different between the Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG cavities ( p  = 0.074) and between the Er,Cr:YSGG and bur cavities ( p  = 0.648). In the cavities prepared by the Er,Cr:YSGG laser and bur, the failure mode of the TotalFill RRM was predominantly mixed, then adhesive and cohesive. In the Er:YAG laser–prepared cavities, the most common failure mode was adhesive, followed by mixed type and no cohesive failure. The bond strength of the TotalFill RRM to dentin was highest in the group of retrograde cavities prepared by the Er:YAG laser.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the microtensile bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesive to human dentin surface modified with air abrasion and sonic technique and to assess the morphological characteristics of the pretreated dentin surface. The occlusal enamel was removed to obtain a flat dentin surface for thirty-six human molar teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 12 per group), according to the pretreatment of the dentin: (1) control group, (2) air abrasion group, and (3) sonic preparation group. Microtensile bond strength test was performed on a universal testing machine. Two specimens from each experimental group were subjected to SEM examination. There was no statistically significant difference in bond strength between the three experimental groups (P > 0.05). Mean microtensile bond strength (MPa) values were 35.3 ± 12.8 for control group, 35.8 ± 13.5 for air abrasion group, and 37.7 ± 12.0 for sonic preparation group. The use of air abrasion and sonic preparation with one-step self-etch adhesive does not appear to enhance or impair microtensile bond strength in dentin.

The purpose of this study was to test the microhardness and compressive strength of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) modified by the addition of short glass fibers (SGFs) and shredded polyglycolic acid (PGA) sutures. Encapsulated MTA (MM-MTA, MicroMega, Besançon, France), modified using either SGF or shredded PGA sutures, was used for the experiment. Four experimental groups (n = 120) were as follows: control group (MTA) (n = 30), MM MTA + 5%SGF (n = 30), MM MTA + 10%SGF (n = 30), and MM MTA + 1%PGA (n = 30). For the modified materials, MM MTA powder was removed from the capsule by 1%, 5% and 10% of weight and 1% PGA, 5%, or 10% SGF were added, respectively. The microhardness of the samples (n = 20 per group) was measured using a Vickers microhardness testing machine, while compressive strength (n = 10 per group) was measured according to ISO 9917-1:2007. The highest microhardness value was measured for MTA + 10%SGF (14.73 ± 3.09) with a statistically significant difference in comparison to the other three groups (p < 0.05). Statistically significant higher compressive strength was measured in the groups with the addition of 5% and 10% SGF compared to MM MTA (p = 0.047 for both comparisons). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups (p = 0.784) regarding the compressive modulus. The addition of SGF significantly increased both the microhardness and compressive strength of MM MTA.

Objective To evaluate the 5-year clinical performance of a glass hybrid restorative system and a nano-hybrid resin composite in moderate to large two-surface class II cavities. Materials and methods This study was carried out by dental schools in Zagreb, Croatia; Izmir, Turkey; Belgrade, Serbia; and Milan, Italy. A total of 180 patients requiring two class-II two-surface restorations in the molars of the same jaw were recruited. The teeth were randomly restored with either a nano-hybrid resin composite (Tetric EvoCeram, Ivoclar Vivadent) or a glass-hybrid material (EQUIA Forte, GC). During the 5-year follow-up, two calibrated evaluators at each centre scored the restorations annually using the FDI-2 scoring system. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using non-parametric matched pair tests ( p < 0.05). Results There were no statistically significant differences between the overall survival and success rates of the two types of restorations (p>0.05). The success rates (FDI-2 scores 1–3) for EQUIA Forte were 81.9% (average annual failure rate: 3.9%) and 90.7% for Tetric EvoCeram (average annual failure rate: 1.9%). The survival rates (FDI-2 scores 1–4) for EQUIA Forte and Tetric EvoCeram were 94.5% and 94.4%, respectively, with an average annual failure rate of 1.1%. Conclusions In terms of success and survival rates, both the glass-hybrid restorative system and the nano-hybrid resin composite have been shown to perform satisfactorily. Clinical relevance The results of this study indicate that EQUIA Forte can be one of the therapeutic options for moderate to large two-surface class II restorations of posterior teeth.

This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of SWEEPS in the removal of epoxy-resin-based and calcium-silicate-containing endodontic sealer combined with single-cone and carrier-based obturation techniques through a micro-CT analysis. Seventy-six single-rooted extracted human teeth with single root canal were instrumented with Reciproc instruments. Specimens were randomly divided into four groups (n = 19) according to the root canal filling material and obturation technique: (1) AH Plus sealer + Reciproc gutta-percha, (2) TotalFill BC sealer + TotalFill BC Points, (3) AH Plus sealer + Guttafusion obturator, and (4) MTA Fillapex + Guttafusion obturator. All specimens were re-treated one week later using Reciproc instruments. Following re-treatment, root canals were additionally irrigated using the Auto SWEEPS modality. The differences in the root canal filling remnants were analyzed by micro-CT scanning of each tooth after root canal obturation, after re-treatment, and after additional SWEEPS treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using an analysis of variance (p < 0.05). The additional treatment with SWEEPS significantly reduced the volume of the root canal filling materials in all experimental groups compared to the removal of root canal filling using only reciprocating instruments (p < 0.05). However, the root canal filling was not removed completely from any of the samples. SWEEPS can be used to enhance the removal of both epoxy-resin-based and calcium-silicate-containing sealers, in combination with single-cone and carrier-based obturation techniques.

Blue diode lasers are alternative curing devices for dental composites. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of blue diode laser polymerization on shear bond strength of bulk fill composites to human dentin and temperature rise during two types of polymerization. Composite cylinders of SDR Plus(SDR) and Ever X Flow(EX) were bonded to dentin slabs using Adhese Universal and curing devices blue diode laser (449 nm, 1.6 W) and Power Cure LED. For each material and curing device there were two polymerization approaches: 1)conventional: separate curing of adhesive; 2)co-curing: simultaneous adhesive and composite curing. Polymerization modes for each material in conventional and co-curing(c) approach were: blue laser 2000 mW/cm2 for 5 s (L5 and L5c); blue laser 1000 mW/cm2 for 10 s (L10 and L10c); Power Cure 2000 mW/cm2 for 5 s (LED5 and LED5c); Power Cure 1000 mW/cm2 for 10 s (LED10 and LED10c). Temeperature was measured using thermal vision camera. For SDR, the highest bond strength was 24.3 MPa in L10c, and the lowest 9.2 MPa in LED5c. EX exhibited the highest bond strength(21.3 MPa) in LED5, and the lowest in L5(7.7 MPa). The highest temperature rise for SDR was in L10 and L5 (7.3 and 7.2 °C), and the lowest in LED5(0.8 °C). For EX, the highest temperature rise was in L5 (13.0 °C), and the lowest in LED5 (0.7 °C). Temperature rise was higher during blue laser polymerization, especially at high intensity and with conventional curing. Preferable blue laser curing mode is co-curing at 1000mW/cm2 for 10 s.

The aim of this research was to investigate the compressive strength (CS), breaking strength (BS), and compressive modulus (CM) of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) modified with TiO2 nano particles, marine-derived hydroxyapatite (md-HAp) microparticles (<45 µm), and a combination of TiO2 NP and md-HAp particles. The materials used in the study were conventional GIC Fuji IX GP Extra (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), TiO2 powder P25 (Degussa, Essen, Germany), and HAp synthesized from cuttlefish bone and ground in a mortar to obtain md-HAp powder. md-HAp was characterized using FTIR and SEM analysis. There were four groups of GIC samples: (i) Fuji IX control group, (ii) powder modified with 3 wt% TiO2, (iii) powder modified with 3 wt% HAp, and (iv) powder modified with 1.5 wt% TiO2 + 1.5 wt% HAp. Measurements were performed in a universal testing machine, and CS, BS, and CM were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. CS, BS, and CM differed significantly between the Fuji IX control group and all experimental groups while differences between the experimental groups were not statistically significant. The addition of TiO2 NP, md-HAp micro-sized particles, and a combination of TiO2 and md-HAp reduced the CS, BS, and CM of conventional GICs when mixed at the powder/liquid (p/l) ratio recommended by the manufacturer.