Objectives. To review composition, actions, and clinical applications of Aloe vera plant in dentistry and to establish its effectiveness as an invaluable adjunct in the treatment of dental diseases. Method. A manual and electronic literature (MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar) search was performed up to July 2013 for in vitro and in vivo studies and research presenting clinical, microbiological, immunological, and patient-centered data to validate the efficacy of Aloe vera gel in dentistry. A total of 38 titles, abstracts, and full-text studies were selected and reviewed. Aloe vera has various medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor which accelerates wound healing and helps in treating various lesions in oral cavity. Benefits associated with Aloe vera have been attributed to the polysaccharides contained in the gel of the leaves. Conclusion. The pharmacological attributes of Aloe vera have been revalidated in modern sciences through various in vivo and in vitro studies. The herb has immense potential as a dental therapeutic. Even though Aloe vera is a promising herb with various clinical applications in medicine and dentistry, more clinical research needs to be undertaken especially to validate and explain the action of acemannan hydrogel in accelerating the healing of aphthous ulcers and to validate the efficacy of Aloe gel on plaque and gingivitis, so that it can be established in the field of dentistry.

In restorative dentistry, there has been a growing shift towards using nanoparticles dispersed in the polymer matrix to improve properties of dental restorative materials. A new nano zirconia–silica–hydroxyapatite (nanoZrO₂–SiO₂–HA) was synthesized by one-pot synthesis and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and dot mapping. The effect of addition of nanoZrO₂–SiO₂–HA to the conventional GIC (cGIC) on the compressive strength, flexural strength and surface roughness was also evaluated. The characterization studies confirmed that all particles were in the nanoscale range with spherical zirconia and silica particles embedded in the voids between rod-shaped HA crystallites. The nano particles were evenly and homogenously dispersed throughout the sample with high density patterns visible for zirconia, calcium and phosphorus. The incorporation of 5% nanoZrO₂–SiO₂–HA has resulted in considerable improvement in the compressive and flexural strengths of cGIC. The GIC 5% nanoZrO₂–SiO₂–HA exhibited an increase in compressive (144.12 ± 13.88 MPa) and flexural strength (18.12 ± 2.33 MPa) over cGIC which was statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). It also demonstrated surface roughness profile (0.15 ± 0.029 μm) similar to that of cGIC (0.15 ± 0.019 μm). Therefore, the nanoZrO₂–SiO₂– HA can be a promising filler for GIC to be used as restorative dental material in high stress bearing areas

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adding a nano zirconia-silica-hydroxyapatite (nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA) composite synthesized using a one-pot sol-gel technique to a conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC), which was then characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Following the characterization studies, further investigations were carried out after the addition of nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA to cGIC (GIC nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA) at various percentages (~5% to 9%) to compare their fracture toughness, color stability, and sorption- solubility in relation to cGIC (Fuji IX). The XRD diffractogram indicated the presence of peaks for ZrO₂, SiO₂, and HA. The fracture toughness of GIC 5%nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA was statistically higher than that of other percentages of GIC nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA and cGIC. The highest values recorded were fracture toughness ( ), leading to an increase of ∼57%, as compared to cGIC. Overall, the color change () values for GIC 5% nano Zr-Si-HA group were lower than those of cGIC over a one-month period and were between slight and perceptible. In addition, GIC 5%nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA recorded lower sorption values ( ) as compared to cGIC ( ) and higher solubility ( ) as compared to cGIC ( ). The addition of nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA to cGIC significantly enhanced its physicomechanical properties. Based on the results of our study, GIC nanoZrO₂-SiO₂-HA has the potential to be suggested as a restorative dental material with diverse applications ranging from cavity restoration, core build-up, and as a luting material.

Aim: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of hypodontia and to ascertain the need of interdisciplinary treatment for ensuing esthetic and functional problems in a target population of Al-Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: Using a dental administration software tool, a total of 1267 patients who presented to the outpatient clinics of the Orthodontic and Prosthodontic Departments between March 2015 and January 2016 were identified. Of those, 694 were females and 573 were males. All permanent teeth were investigated, except third molars. Results: The prevalence of hypodontia was 6.1%. The difference between genders was not statistically significant (P = 0.597) although female hypodontia prevalence was higher than males (6.6% and 5.5%, respectively). The majority of patients had one or two missing teeth. There were no significant differences between right and left sides for any particular tooth. The most commonly missing teeth were mandibular second premolar (40.1%), followed by the maxillary lateral incisor (20.4%) and then the maxillary second premolars (12.6%). Conclusions: The prevalence of hypodontia in Al-Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia, was within the average values portrayed in the majority of the published literature. The majority of affected individuals had one or two missing teeth. None of the patients examined had more than four missing teeth. There were no significant differences in the distribution of hypodontia between the affected jaws according to gender. Although less prevalent, considerable cases of bilateral missing teeth were found in the present study which necessitates the need for urgent interdisciplinary intervention and management.

Glass ionomer cements (GIC) were first introduced to dentistry in the late 1960s and since have proven to be useful in various areas of dental science, particularly restorative dentistry. As an aqueous polyelectrolyte system, GICs are known for their relative ease of use, chemical bond to the tooth, fluoride release and recharge, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and acceptable esthetic quality. However, clinical usage of GICs is still limited due to their relatively inferior mechanical properties and sensitivity to initial desiccation and moisture. Years of extensive research on enhancing the chemistry of the basic glasses have yielded improved formulations with enhanced mechanical properties and reduced moisture sensitivity. A comprehensive review of the available literature has revealed that not all modifications in glass powder have resulted in the desirable strengthening of GICs. There is a shift of focus toward studies on nanoscale particles and bioactive glass. Recent research has proven that incorporation of nanoceramics such as hydroxyapatite (HA), fluorapatite, silica, and zirconia (ZrO₂) have resulted in improved mechanical properties of GICs due to their ability to release fluoride, high surface area, and better particle size distribution. More work should thus, be undertaken to optimize techniques for enhancing the physicomechanical properties of GICs by incorporation of nanophases of ZrO₂, HA, and metallic nanofillers.