Dentists are exposed to the highest risk of occupational respiratory and droplet infections by working face-to-face with patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of symptoms and modes of transmission of COVID-19, stress levels and clinical practice modifications of Turkish dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey (15 questions) was sent to Turkish dentists from May 5 to 12 May, 2020. The survey comprised questions about dentists’ demographic characteristics, their knowledge about COVID-19, stress levels and the measures taken in dental clinics against COVID-19. This study included a total of 1,095 Turkish dentists. The data were expressed as frequency with percentage values for overall variables. Dentists were most familiar with high fever among the symptoms of COVID-19 (99.4%) and 99.2% of them reported that COVID-19 was transmitted with eye, mouth and nasal mucosa contact on surfaces contaminated with the droplets of infected persons. While the stress levels of females were higher than males, the stress levels of dentists with more than 20 years of professional experience were found to be lower. Regarding the precautions to be taken as a preventive measure when working again, 86.6% of the dentists took precautions by increasing daily patient care intervals and only 38.4% of the dentists wore an N95 mask. During this pandemic, knowing the conditions about when the treatments can be applied and the precautions to be taken will shed light on dentistry staff. Current recommendations of national authorities about the coronavirus should be followed.

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of the pre-application of a dentin-bonding agent and the application of different lasers on the prevention of tooth discoloration caused by mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in the presence of blood. Sixty extracted human anterior teeth were selected, with root lengths standardized to 10 mm and root canals shaped using Gates-Glidden drills #3 to #5. The samples were divided into six groups (n = 10): Group 1 with no surface treatment and Groups 2 to 6 with Optibond universal adhesive and Neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), Erbium yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG), Erbium-chromium-yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er:Cr:YSGG), and diode laser applications, respectively. Root canals were filled with fresh human blood, and ProRoot MTA and a collagen barrier were then placed. Color changes were measured with a spectrophotometer at 0, 7, 30, 90, and 180 days post MTA placement. Color differences (∆E) were analyzed using a two-factor mixed-design ANOVA with the Sidak method (p = 0.05). All treatment groups exhibited discoloration above the acceptability threshold. Although all treatment approaches exhibited less color change compared to the control group (p < 0.05), there was no significant difference among them in terms of preventing color change (p > 0.05). It was determined that none of the methods could guarantee 100% prevention of discoloration caused by MTA–blood contact.

Aims: Radiopacity is a crucial property for a liner or base material, and these materials should provide an optimal contrast for detecting secondary caries in radiographic examinations. The purpose of this study was to assess the radiopacity characteristics of four calcium-silicate-based and two glass-ionomer-based materials used as a liner or base in direct or indirect vital pulp therapy. Methods: A total of 60 cylindrical-shaped and 1 mm thick specimens were prepared from a calcium-silicate (Biodentine, Septodont), a calcium-silicate (MTA, Angelus), a light-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal LC, Bisco), a dual-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal PT, Bisco), a glass hybrid glass-ionomer (Equia Forte HT, GC), and a resin-modified glass ionomer (Glass Liner, Wp Dental) material (n=10). Digital radiographic images of the specimens, a molar tooth section with 1 mm thickness, and an aluminum step wedge were obtained by a digital radiography system (Heliodent Plus, Dentsply Sirona) with 60 kV voltage, 7 mA current, and 0.25 seconds exposure time. The mean gray values (MGV) of digital images were determined using the ImageJ software program (National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (p Biodentine>Equia Forte HT>Theracal PT>Theracal LC>Glass Liner, respectively. All the tested liner or base materials exhibited significantly greater radiopacity values when compared to those of dentin (p<0.05). MTA has statistically significantly higher, Biodentine, Theracal PT, Theracal LC, and Glass Liner have statistically significantly lower radiopacity values than enamel (p<0.05). Conclusion: All the restorative materials tested exhibited higher radiopacity than dentin, with ThereCal LC and Glass Liner displaying lower radiopacity than enamel, ThereCal PT, Biodentine, and Equia showing equivalent radiopacity to enamel, and MTA demonstrating higher radiopacity than enamel.

Background: The aim of the study was to identify whether differences existed in the aesthetic perception of anatomical variations of the face and teeth among dental students, based on factors such as education level, gender, and the presence of a dentist in the family. Methods: The study was carried out with dental students using the Google Forms platform. A young female model was selected for the survey, with no aesthetic-compromising restorations or pathologies in her maxillary anterior teeth. Standard facial and smile reference photographs were digitally manipulated to alter specific aesthetic features using professional image-editing software (Adobe Photoshop v.20.0.0, Adobe Inc., San Jose, California, USA). Participants evaluated these photographs, focusing on components such as facial symmetry, gingival position, buccal corridor, and occlusal plane angulation. Preclinical and clinical students rated the original and manipulated images on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 representing the most aesthetically acceptable image and 1 representing the least pleasing one. Statistical analysis comprised Shapiro-Wilk test, Levene test, Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In the research, 493 students participated, including 240 clinical students; 312 were female, and 89 had a dentist in their family. The overall aesthetic perception score was high (82.63 ± 8.5). Clinical students demonstrated significantly better perceptions of midline diastema, occlusal plane inclination, clinical crown height, and dental modifications compared to preclinical students (p < 0.05). Female students scored higher in lower facial height perception than males (p = 0.014). The presence of a dentist in the family did not significantly influence aesthetic perception (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Clinical training positively impacted students’ ability to critically analyze aesthetics while maintaining function and naturalness. It can be suggested that, as the academic level increases in dental education, students’ aesthetic judgment skills also improve.