Bone defect is still a major problem in dentistry. Solving this problem, tissue engineering becomes one of the promising methods for bone regeneration. One of main component of tissue engineering is scaffolds. Hydroxyapatite (HA) and natural polymer are widely used for scaffolds in bone tissue engineering due to similarity to the natural bone. In this study, the author prepared the scaffolds from bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA), gelatin (GEL) and chitosan (K). The prepared scaffolds were analyzed by using FTIR and SEM-EDX. In addition, its swelling and degradation rate are also included in this analysis. The results are (1) FTIR reveals the compositions of the scaffolds, and it consists of BHA, GEL, and K; (2) SEM-EDX reveals the elements of the scaffolds, and it consists of carbon (C), oxygen (O), natrium (Na), magnesium (Mg), phosphor (P), and calcium (Ca); (3) the scaffolds' swelling rate is good due to its hydrophilic composition; (4) and the degradation rate is low within three days. The four results show that the BHA-GEL-K scaffolds could be one of biomaterial candidate for bone tissue engineering.

Background: The applicability of dental age estimation has been expanded to meet a variety of medico-legal needs, law enforcement, and disaster victim identification. The objective of this study is to examine the applicability of the Willems method for Indonesian children. Material and method: A total of 110 panoramic radiographs of the patients (6–14 years old) who met the inclusion criteria were obtained from the Department of Forensic Odontology and Department of Radiology, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia. Estimated dental age (EDA) was assessed using the Willems method by two blinded examiners. The statistical analysis was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results and discussion: The mean of the chronological age (CA) in this study is 11.30 ± 1.43 years (boys) and 11.65 ± 1.55 years (girls). The overall mean difference between CA and EDA for boys and girls is − 0.08 ± 0.76 and − 0.31 ± 0.97, respectively. This study showed that the mean age difference in girls was more significant than in boys. The growth spurt timing between boys and girls might cause a difference in dental maturation, whereas the onset of the pubertal growth spurt in girls is about 2 years earlier than in boys. In general, girls start and finish their dental development earlier than boys end. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the dental age estimation methods proposed by Willems can be considered as an applicable method for the children population in Surabaya, both boys and girls. However, a detailed study may be required while applying this approach to the 11–14-year-old girl population in Surabaya, as a substantial underestimation was observed in this community.

Background: Maintaining proper oral hygiene has an influence on oral health. Religious obedience may influence individual behavior. According to Islamic religious guidance, as recommended by an Islamic role model, it is obligated to maintain oral health and the recommended tool to use is miswak. Purpose: To describe miswak users’ behavior based on the theory of planned behavior. Subjects and methods: The population of this study was the students of As-Salafi Al-Fitrah Islamic Boarding School who used miswak regularly and were healthy physically and mentally. One hundred and nine samples were chosen randomly and asked to complete a semi-open and a closed-ended questionnaire. Results: Perceived behavioral control had the most dominant influence toward improving intention with β=0.211 and p0.05, and β=0.164 and p<0.0001, respectively. Meanwhile, perceived behavioral control showed direct correlation toward action in model parameter with β=0.445 and p<0.0001. Conclusion: Perceived behavioral control is the most dominant predisposing factor in increasing intention and attitude of miswak use.

Background: Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder that causes structural, functional anomalies, and intellectual disability. The common oral hygiene problems found in DS children are gingivitis, periodontal problems, pain, infection, and problems with the masticatory system. This study explored the relationship between parents' oral hygiene knowledge and oral hygiene of children with DS. Method: This was an observational analytical study. To assess parents' oral hygiene knowledge, a questionnaire consisting of 25 questions was distributed to 100 parents whose DS children in POTADS (Down Syndrome Parents Association) Surabaya. To assess the DS children's oral hygiene, dental exams were performed to calculate the individual Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) scores by dividing the sum of the individual debris and calculus scores by six (the number of teeth examined). The data were analysed using regression analysis. Results: There was a significant and strong inverse relationship between parents’ oral hygiene knowledge and DS children’s oral hygiene. Parents’ oral hygiene knowledge affected DS children’s oral hygiene. The results of the regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in parents' knowledge caused a reduction in the OHI-S score to 7.377. Conclusion: A significant inverse relationship between parents’ oral hygiene knowledge and DS children’s oral hygiene was observed in this study. Further studies could be conducted to determine other variables that my influence both parents’ oral hygiene knowledge and DS children’s oral hygiene.

Background: Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder responsible for mental and development retardation. DS occurs when a person has an extra chromosome (47 instead of 46), the third copy of the Trisomy 21 chromosome. This causes structural and functional anomalies in the human body and some degree of intellectual disability. Children with DS have poor oral hygiene as they are unable to understand and are unaware of its importance. Oral hygiene problems commonly found in children with DS are gingivitis, periodontal problems, pain, infection, and problems with the masticatory system. This study explored the relationship between parents' knowledge and maintenance of the oral hygiene of children with DS through the OHI-S (Oral Hygiene Index Simplified) Index Score. Method: This study was conducted by distributing 25 questions via Google Form to 100 subjects that belong to POTADS (Down Syndrome Parents Association. The participants were children diagnosed with Down Syndrome and their parents. Questionnaires were used to assess parents' knowledge about their child's oral hygiene. To assess the children’s oral hygiene, dental exams were performed with the OHI-S on six tooth surfaces. To calculate the OHI-S score for each individual, the debris and calculus scores from the 6 surfaces of the teeth were totalled and divided by six. Results: The relationship between parents' knowledge and the maintenance of oral hygiene of children with DS was found by conducting a linear regression analysis and hypothetical test. The equation of Y = 77.734 + (-7.377) X was achieved through linear regression analysis, and indicated that a 1% increase in parents' knowledge caused a reduction in OHI-S score to 7.377. The hypothetical test showed that parents' knowledge affected their children's OHI-S score significantly. Conclusion: There was a significant contradictive relationship between parents' knowledge and the maintenance of oral hygiene of children with DS.

Dental pulp cells (DPCs) are promising candidates for use as transplantable cells in regenerative medicine. However, ex vivo expansion of these cells typically requires culture media containing fetal bovine serum, which may cause infection and immunological reaction following transplantation. In addition, the proliferation and differentiation of DPCs markedly depend upon serum batches. Therefore, the present study examined whether DPCs could be expanded under serum-free conditions. DPCs obtained from four donors were identified to proliferate actively in the serum-free medium, STK2, when compared with those cells in control medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% serum). The high proliferative potential with STK2 was maintained through multiple successive culture passages. DNA microarray analyses demonstrated that the gene expression profile of DPCs grown in STK2 was similar to that of cells grown in the control medium; however, a number of genes related to cell proliferation, including placental growth factor and inhibin-E, were upregulated in the STK2 cultures. Following induction of osteogenesis, DPCs grown in STK2 induced alkaline phosphatase activity and calcification at higher levels compared with the control medium cultures, indicating maintenance of differentiation potential in STK2. This serum-free culture system with DPCs may have applications in further experimental studies and as a clinical strategy in regenerative medicine.