Pre-etching vs. grinding in promotion of adhesion to intact enamel using self-etch adhesives. (17/21)

This study was aimed to determine the effectiveness of grinding and pre-etching in promotion of adhesion to human intact enamel using the self-etch adhesive (SEA) Adper Easy Bond (3M ESPE). Etch-and-rinse adhesive Adper Single Bond (3M ESPE) served as control. Composite cylinders (AP-X Kuraray) were built and after 24 h micro-shear bond strengths (MSBS) were measured. Bonding interfaces were evaluated under scanning electron microscope (SEM). For evaluation of average roughness (Ra) and morphological analysis, treated enamel surfaces were observed under SEM and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) with 3D surface profiling. Highest bond strengths were obtained by pre-etching and grinding showed a less significant role. Phosphoric acid (PA) etching compare to grinding created significantly rougher surface (Ra: 0.72 and 0.43 microm respectively). Therefore, this study recommends pre-etching the intact enamel prior to application of the adhesive instead of grinding.  (+info)

Comparative evaluation of marginal integrity of glass ionomer and resin based fissure sealants using invasive and non-invasive techniques: an in vitro study. (18/21)

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Dental primer and adhesive containing a new antibacterial quaternary ammonium monomer dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate. (19/21)

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E4D compare software: an alternative to faculty grading in dental education. (20/21)

The traditional method of evaluating student tooth preparations in preclinical courses has relied on the judgment of experienced clinicians primarily utilizing visual inspection. At times, certain aids such as reduction matrices or reduction instruments of known dimension are used to assist the evaluator in determining the grade. Despite the skill and experience of the evaluator, there is still a significant element of uncertainty and inconsistency in these methods. Students may perceive this inconsistency as a form of subjective, arbitrary, and empirical evaluation, which often results in students' focusing more on the grade than the actual learning or developing skills necessary to accomplish the preparation properly. Perceptions of favoritism, discrimination, and unfairness (whether verbalized or not) may interfere with the learning process. This study reports the use of a new experimental scanning and evaluation software program (E4D Compare) that can consistently and reliably scan a student's tooth preparation and compare it to a known (faculty-determined) standardized preparation. An actual numerical evaluation is generated by the E4D Compare software, thereby making subjective judgments by the faculty unnecessary. In this study, the computer-generated result was found to be more precise than the hand-graded method.  (+info)

Framework for e-learning assessment in dental education: a global model for the future. (21/21)

The framework presented in this article demonstrates strategies for a global approach to e-curricula in dental education by considering a collection of outcome assessment tools. By combining the outcomes for overall assessment, a global model for a pilot project that applies e-assessment tools to virtual learning environments (VLE), including haptics, is presented. Assessment strategies from two projects, HapTEL (Haptics in Technology Enhanced Learning) and UDENTE (Universal Dental E-learning), act as case-user studies that have helped develop the proposed global framework. They incorporate additional assessment tools and include evaluations from questionnaires and stakeholders' focus groups. These measure each of the factors affecting the classical teaching/learning theory framework as defined by Entwistle in a standardized manner. A mathematical combinatorial approach is proposed to join these results together as a global assessment. With the use of haptic-based simulation learning, exercises for tooth preparation assessing enamel and dentine were compared to plastic teeth in manikins. Equivalence for student performance for haptic versus traditional preparation methods was established, thus establishing the validity of the haptic solution for performing these exercises. Further data collected from HapTEL are still being analyzed, and pilots are being conducted to validate the proposed test measures. Initial results have been encouraging, but clearly the need persists to develop additional e-assessment methods for new learning domains.  (+info)