The advantages of fibre posts over stainless steel posts have been demonstrated in numerous studies. For clinical success, various factors need to be taken into account in post-retained restorations. A review was made of literature on fibre posts published from 2000 to February 2011, identified through searches of the PubMed/Medline databases. The position of the tooth in the arch, ferrule size, proximal contact, periodontal support and restoration type are survival prediction factors that should be considered when performing post-endodontic restoration. Since fibre posts present good biomechanical behaviour as a result of their elastic modulus, which is similar to that of dentine, treatment failure occurs through decementation rather than because of root fracture, as occurs with metal posts. The shape of the post and, consequently, the thickness of the luting, can modify the retention capacity. Consequently, more anatomically-shaped posts have been developed, as have new techniques to reduce the volume of the dentine/cement interface: lateral condensation, surface remodelling or custom designs. Different aspects of the preparation process can be modified to assist in improving fibre post retention, but further investigation, mainly clinical, is needed to acquire a better understanding of how different factors influence the long-term clinical behaviour of the posts. Key words:Fiber post, post shape, post adaptation, post retention, endodontics.

Pulse oximetry (PO) can be used as a technique to assess vascularization. Although it is commonly used in the field of medicine, it still has limited use in dentistry. The aim of this study is to evaluate, by means of a systematic review, if pulse oximetry is a viable and effective system to determine pulp vitality and assess the clinical criteria for its use. A literature search was performed in Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Clinical studies using pulse oximetry as a tool to determine pulp vitality in permanent teeth were eligible. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed following the Quality Assessment for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) guidelines. A total of 24 articles were included in the review. The subjective test most compared to PO was the cold test. PO has shown a good sensibility and specificity, and it has been used in different clinical situations. Pulse oximetry has a high potential as a tool for the diagnosis of pulp vitality. However, the absence of a specific pulse oximeter for a dental practice, among other limitations, added to the lack of evidence on how different systemic and oral pathologies may affect the pulp’s oxygen saturation levels, which hinders its clinical use.

Several techniques have been proposed for root canal filling. New rotary files, with non-standardized taper, are appearing, so, points adapted to the taper of the last instrument used to prepare the canal can help in the obturation process. The aim of this study is to assess the sealing ability of different root canal filling techniques. Root canals from 30 teeth were shaped with Mtwo and divided in three groups; A, standard lateral condensation with size 35 and 20 gutta-percha points; B, standard lateral condensation and injected gutta-percha; C, single gutta-percha point (standardized 35 Mtwo), continuous wave technique and injected gutta-percha. Root surfaces were covered with nail varnish, except for the apical 2 mm, and submerged in a NO3Ag2 solution; apical stain penetration was measured in mm. Data were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test with a 90% confidence interval. A and B groups showed stain leakage in the 90% of the cases, whereas it was of 80% for group C. Stain leakage intervals were 1-5 mm for groups A and B and 1-3 mm for group C. There were no statistically significant differences between the three studied groups (p>.05). All the analyzed root canal filling techniques showed some apical stain leakage, without significant differences among them. Gutta-percha filling, microleakage, single cone, injected gutta-percha, warm gutta-percha.

Keratin-producing odontogenic cysts (KPOCs) are a group of cystic lesions that are often aggressive, with high rates of recurrence and multifocality. KPOCs included orthokeratinised odontogenic cyst (OOC) and parakeratotic odontogenic cysts, which are now considered true tumours denominated keratocystic odontogenic tumours (KCOTs). GLUT1 is a protein transporter that is involved in the active uptake of glucose across cell membranes and that is overexpressed in tumours in close correlation with the proliferation rate and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging results. A series of 58 keratin-producing odontogenic cysts was evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically in terms of GLUT1 expression. Different data were correlated using the beta regression model in relation to histological type and immunohistochemical expression of GLUT1, which was quantified using two different morphological methods. KPOC cases comprised 12 OOCs and 46 KCOTs, the latter corresponding to 6 syndromic and 40 sporadic KCOTs. GLUT1 expression was very low in OOC cases compared with KCOT cases, with statistical significant differences when quantification was considered. Different GLUT1 localisation patterns were revealed by immunostaining, with the parabasal cells showing higher reactivity in KCOTs. However, among KCOTs cases, GLUT1 expression was unable to establish differences between syndromic and sporadic cases. GLUT1 expression differentiated between OOC and KCOT cases, with significantly higher expression in KCOTs, but did not differentiate between syndromic and sporadic KCOT cases. However, given the structural characteristics of KCOTs, we hypothesised that PET imaging methodology is probably not a useful diagnostic tool for KCOTs. Further studies of GLUT1 expression and PET examination in KCOT series are needed to confirm this last hypothesis.

The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in orthokeratinized odontogenic cysts (OOCs) has rarely been studied. The objective is to describe the clinicopathological findings in a series of OOCs from a Spanish population that were investigated in relation to the possible presence of HPV. A clinicopathological retrospective analysis followed by a molecular analysis of 28 high- and low-risk HPV genotypes was performed in OOC samples of patients seen during the last 15-years in a Spanish tertiary care center. Of 115 odontogenic cysts with keratinization, 16 cases of OOCs were confirmed and evaluated. OOCs occurred predominantly in the mandible of males (mean age 36.06 ± 13.16 years). Swelling of the jaw followed by pain were the most common clinical symptoms, and 56.5% of the OOC cases were associated with an unerupted tooth. After a mean post-cystectomy follow-up of 3.8 years, only one recurrent case was observed, resulting in a verrucous cystic lesion that was considered premalignant after immunohistological examination. DNA extraction was successful from 14 of the 16 OOC cases. None of the primary OCCs or the single recurrent OOC were positive for HPV in the molecular analysis. OOCs show a very limited potential for recurrence. Our results suggest that neither high- or low-risk HPV subtypes are likely to play a role in the etiology or neoplastic transformation of OOC, at least in the Spanish population.

To investigate immunohistochemically the expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), which has been identified as a signaling receptor with frequent reactivity in ameloblastomas (AB), in a series of keratin-producing odontogenic cysts (KPOCs). Immunohistochemical expression of NCAM, using a monoclonal antibody, was determined in a series of 58 KPOCs comprising 12 orthokeratinized odontogenic cysts (OOCs) and 46 keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs), corresponding to 40 non-syndromic KCOT (NS-KCOTs) and 6 syndromic KCOT (S-KCOTs), associated with nevic basocellular syndrome (NBCS). NCAM expression was negative in all OOCs, but 36.45% of KCOTs exhibited focal and heterogeneous expression at the basal cell level, as well as in basal budding areas and the basal cells of daughter cysts. The latter two locations were especially applicable to S-KCOTs, with focal NCAM reactivity occurring in 66.66% of cases. Aberrant NCAM expression, in KCOTs but especially in S-KCOTs, together with its immunomorphological location, suggests that this adhesion molecule and signaling receptor plays a role in the pathogenesis of KCOTs, with a probable impact on lesional recurrence.