Background: The actual burden of dental caries prevalence varies with the caries assessment tool used. Therefore, the present study evaluated the caries diagnostic potentials of Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT); International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II and Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) indices in estimating the caries prevalence rate of first permanent molar (FPM) in Saudi male children aged 7–9 years. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 390 children by multistage stratified cluster sampling method in Al-Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia. The prevalence rates of FPM caries were determined by DMFT, ICDAS II and CAST indices at various diagnostic cut-off points. Intra- and inter-examiner reliability was determined. Results: The prevalence rates of FPM caries determined by DMFT (decayed), ICDAS II (codes 1–6) and CAST (codes 3–7) were 64.4% (61.6–67.2), 71.5% (69.2–73.2) and 71.0% (68.7–73.3), respectively. The prevalence rates of FPM caries determined by ICDAS II at various diagnostic cut-offs were as follows: ‘sound’ (code ‘0’), 28.5% (26.3–30.8); ‘enamel caries’ (codes 1–3), 57.2% (54.7–59.7) and ‘dentinal caries’ (codes 4–6), 14.3% (12.6–16.1). Similarly, the prevalence rates estimated by CAST at different diagnostic cut-off points were: ‘healthy’ (scores 0–2), 28.1% (25.9–30.4); ‘premorbid’ (score 3, enamel carious), 56.5% (54.0–59.0); ‘morbid’ (scores 4–5, cavitated carious dentin), 7.9% (6.6–9.3); ‘severe morbidity’ (scores 6–7, pulp exposure/fistula/abscess), 6.6% (5.4–8.1) and ‘mortality’ (score 8, lost), 0.8% (0.4–1.4). Conclusion: Enamel caries lesions were found in more than half of the FPMs investigated in the current study. CAST index is preferable because it detects the complete spectrum of caries. ICDAS II at codes 1–6 and CAST at codes 3–7 projected similar caries prevalence rates in FPMs.

Teeth and bones of calvarium are important structures from a forensic point of view, as they are extremely resilient to destruction or decomposition, even under temperature variations. Radiology is inevitably an important tool in forensic investigations. Maxillofacial radiology provides a considerable amount of information for the identification of remains and evidence in case of legal matters. The advent of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the arena of maxillofacial 3D imaging has contributed immensely to forensic science such as the age estimation through teeth, analysis of bite marks, determination of race and sex, etc. The advantages of accuracy in imaging the anatomy, digitized technology favoring easier comparison of records and storage of records for a longer period, cost reduction, dose reduction, and easier portability have made it an unavoidable adjunct in forensic investigations. The aim of this paper is to review and highlight the importance of CBCT in successful forensic identification and analysis. This review is written to address the various aspects of CBCT as a recently developed technology that may be very useful in some forensic contexts, based on searches for current studies in the literature using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, to identify studies published since inception to December 2021, with no language restriction. In conclusion, CBCT is an accessible 3D imaging technology with many applications, one of them being in forensic sciences.

Surgical crown lengthening has been proposed as a means of facilitating restorative procedures and preventing injuries in teeth with structurally inadequate clinical crown or exposing tooth structure in the presence of deep, subgingival pathologies which may hamper the access for proper restorative measures. Histological studies utilizing animal models have shown that postoperative crestal resorption allowed reestablishment of the biologic width. However, very little has been done in humans.Aims. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential changes in the periodontal tissues, particularly the biologic width, following surgical crown lengthening by two surgical procedures before and after crown placement.Methods and Material. Twenty (20) patients who needed surgical crown lengthening to gain retention necessary for prosthetic treatment and/or to access caries, tooth fracture, or previous prosthetic margins entered the study. The following parameters were obtained from line angles of treated teeth (teeth requiring surgical crown lengthening) and adjacent sites: Plaque and Gingival Indices (PI) & (GI), Position of Gingival Margin from reference Stent (PGMRS), Probing depth (PD), and Biologic Width (BW).Statistical Analysis Used. Student “t” Test.Results. Initial baseline values of biologic width were 2.55 mm (Gingivectomy procedure B1 Group) and 1.95 mm (Ostectomy procedure B2 Group) and after surgical procedure the values were 1.15 mm and 1.25 mm.Conclusions. Within the limitations of the study the biologic width, at treated sites, was re-established to its original vertical dimension by 3 months. Ostectomy with apically positioned flap can be considered as a more effective procedure than Gingivectomy for Surgical Crown Lengthening.

Background: Mandible is considered as one of the stronger bones of skull available for gender identification. Mandibular measurements can be used for the identification of gender either on dry mandible or through panoramic radiography or cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Aim: To determine the gender from mandibular measurement using CBCT. Materials and Methods: The Morphometric analysis was performed on 200 CBCT scans of the subjects using OnDemand 3D software (Seoul, Korea). Morphometry of mandibular is measured by estimation of the angles formed at different locations on mandible to predict the gender. Statistical analysis was performed; independent samples “t-” test was used to compare the mean values between males and females. Discriminant function analysis was used for gender prediction. Results: The subject's age ranged from 18 to 60 years with an equal number of males and females. The mean angle formed by the intersection of lines from the left and right gonion to menton in males was 129.9 ± 11.9 and it was 126.7 ± 12.6 in females. The mean linear distances from the right gonion to menton in both males and females were 86.8 ± 5.3 and 82.6 ± 6.2, respectively. The mean linear distances from the left gonion to menton were 49.5 ± 5.1 in males and 47.7 ± 3.9 in females. The mean linear distance from the right gonion to left gonion was 47.7 ± 4.4 in males and 46.6 ± 4.2 in females. The Box's M statistics was applied to verify the applicability of mandibular measurements in gender prediction. The values indicate that gender can be predicted using these four variables, which is statistically significant (P = 0.000). The overall prediction accuracy of this model was 67%, with 66.7% in males and 67.3% in females being correctly classified. Conclusion: The angle formed by the intersection of lines from the left and right gonion to menton (Gn-M0) helps provide anthropological data, which can be used in dental and medicolegal practices.

A high rate of nerve injury and related consequences are seen during implant placement in the posterior mandibular arch. An approach has been proposed to avoid nerve injury by dodging the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) while placing an implant. A prospective study with a total of 240 CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) images of patients with three dentate statuses, namely, edentulous (group I), partially edentulous (group II) and dentate (group III) were included in the study. The nerve path tracing was done on CBCT images with On-demand 3D software. The three dimensions, i.e., the linear distance from the outer buccal cortical plate to the inferior alveolar nerve (BCPN), linear distance from the outer lingual cortical plate to the inferior alveolar nerve (LCPN) and linear distance from the midpoint of the alveolar crest to the inferior alveolar nerve (ACN) were assessed. The data were presented and analyzed between variables using one-way ANOVA and independent t-test in SPSS version 21.LCPN of the right 1st premolar region (p < 0.05) was significantly different among the groups with edentulous subjects recorded with the minimum value (6.50 ± 1.20 mm). Females were found to have significantly (p < 0.05) less available bone (6.03 ± 1.46 mm) on the right side of the mandibular jaw compared to males in edentulous group of patients. On comparing age groups for partially edentulous subjects, LCPN of the right 1st premolar region had significantly (p < 0.05) less available bone (6.03 ± 0.38 mm) in subjects with age ≥54 years. The IAN follows a lingual course in the molar region and later flips to the buccal side in the premolar region. The LCPN dimension in the 1st and 2nd premolar region was found to be more than 6 mm irrespective of age, gender and side of the jaw. Thus, it can be considered as a suitable site for placing implants while bypassing the IAN with CBCT assessment remaining as the mainstay in the pre-surgical phase.

The paper proposes a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor utilizing MXene and a Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂) material layer, placed on the Ag metal-based conventional biosensor to detect disease in human teeth. The SPR biosensor works on the principle of attenuated total reflection. The transverse matrix method was utilized for the reflectivity calculation. The thickness of the Ag layer, MXene, and MoS₂ were taken as 45, 0.993, and 0.375 nm, respectively. Single-layer MoS₂ and two layers of MXene were taken, and the highest sensitivity of the sensor for the enamel, dentin, and cementum was obtained at 83.219 deg/RIU, 91.460 deg/RIU, and 104.744 deg/RIU. MoS₂ was used to enhance the biocompatibility of the analyte with the sensing layer. The aqueous solution had been considered as sensing medium.