The application of calcium coacervates (CCs) may hold promise for dental hard tissue remineralization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the infiltration of artificial enamel lesions with a CC and its single components including polyacrylic acid (PAA) compared to that of the self-assembling peptide P₁₁-4 in a pH-cycling (pHC) model. Enamel specimens were prepared from bovine incisors, partly varnished, and stored in demineralizing solution (DS; pH 4.95; 17 d) to create two enamel lesions per sample. The specimens were randomly allocated to six groups (n = 15). While one lesion per specimen served as the no-treatment control (NTC), another lesion (treatment, T) was etched (H₃PO₄, 5 s), air-dried and subsequently infiltrated for 10 min with either a CC (10 mg/mL PAA, 50 mM CaCl₂ (Ca) and 1 M K₂HPO₄ (PO₄)) (groups CC and CC + DS) or its components PAA, Ca or PO₄. As a commercial control, the self-assembling peptide P₁₁-4 (Curodont^TM Repair, Credentis, Switzerland) was tested. The specimens were cut perpendicularly to the lesions, with half serving as the baseline (BL) while the other half was exposed to either a demineralization solution for 20 d (pH 4.95; group CC + DS) or pHC for 28 d (pH 4.95, 3 h; pH 7, 21 h; all five of the other groups). The difference in integrated mineral loss between the lesions at BL and after the DS or pHC, respectively, was analyzed using transversal microradiography (ΔΔZ = ΔZ_pHC − ΔZ_baseline). Compared to the NTC, the mineral gain in the T group was significantly higher in the CC + DS, CC and PAA (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon). In all of the other groups, no significant differences between treated and untreated lesions were detected (p > 0.05). Infiltration with the CC and PAA resulted in a consistent mineral gain throughout the lesion body. The CC as well as its component PAA alone promoted the remineralization of artificial caries lesions in the tested pHC model. Infiltration with PAA further resulted in mineral gain in deeper areas of the lesion body.

Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of intraoral 3D scans for assessing the oral health of older patients living in nursing homes. Materials and Methods: One examiner recorded missing teeth, restorations, caries lesions and oral hygiene (Geriatric‐Debris‐Index Simplified [GDI‐S] ≥ 1.9) in nursing home residents using visual‐tactile diagnostics (reference test) and afterwards obtained intraoral scans with an intraoral scanner (TRIOS 4, 3Shape). Two other independent investigators and the clinical examiner assessed only the scans to delineate the same diagnostic outcomes. For these outcomes, we assessed accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and the Area‐under‐the‐Receiver‐Operating‐Characteristics Curve (AUROC). Kappa values ( κ ) were calculated to evaluate inter‐examiner and intra‐examiner reliability after re‐examination by all examiners after a minimum interval of 3 weeks. Results: Forty‐three partially dentate patients (65–95 years of age) in need of care living in four nursing homes with a total of 486 teeth (mean [SD]: 11 [9] teeth per patient) were examined. Scans were perfectly accurate for detecting missing teeth (AUROC [sensitivity/specificity]: 1 [1/1]) and showed high accuracy for detecting restorations (0.96 [0.93/0.98]), too. Accuracy was lower to detect caries (0.77 [0.58/0.97]) and insufficient for oral hygiene (0.76 [0.54/0.99]). Agreement between examiners was perfect for missing teeth ( κ : 1), very good for the detection of restorations (0.94), and good for caries or insufficient oral hygiene (0.73 and 0.72, respectively). Conclusions: Scans were suitable for basic diagnostic evaluations but showed considerable shortcomings in detecting caries and poor oral hygiene. Assessing scans was relatively reliable. Clinical Relevance: Using scans may allow telemedical assessments of nursing home residents, but users should be aware of the differential accuracy for different diagnostic targets.

This study aimed to assess the impact of moisture control on the risk of caries progression to root restorations (CAR) made of resin composite (RC) or glass ionomer cements (GIC) under conditions of absolute or inadequate moisture control in an in vitro model. In each of the sixty caries-free human maxillary premolars, standardized mesial and distal cavities were prepared 5 mm apical to the cemento-enamel junction. The specimens were randomly allocated to the experimental groups RC-Z250 (Scotchbond Universal SE & Z250, 3M, Seefeld, Germany), GIC-DF (DeltaFil, DMG, Hamburg, Germany), GIC-EF (Equia Forte, GC, Tokyo, Japan), and GIC-KF (Ketac Fil, 3M, Seefeld, Germany) (n = 15). In each group, restorations were placed either simulating conditions of absolute (Control) or inadequate (Test) moisture control. After water storage for 100d (37°C, 100% humidity), specimens were subjected to thermocycling (10.000 thermal cycles; 5–55°C), and a continuous-culture Lactobacillus rhamnosus biofilm model for 10d. The integrated mineral loss ΔZ was measured along the tooth-restoration interface (dentin wall lesion; DWL) and the outer surface of the root dentin (dentin surface lesion; DSL) using transverse microradiography. Only group RC-Z250 exhibited significant differences in mineral losses ΔZ between Control and Test lesions in DSLs (ΔZ _ctrl : 704; 517/1329 vol%×µm; ΔZ _test : 1629; 1460/1996 vol%×µm; p < 0.05, Wilcoxon) whereas no significant Control-Test difference was observed for DWLs in RC-Z250 or for DSLs and DWLs in the tested GIC groups. In DSLs, the RC-Z250 Controls demonstrated significantly less mineral loss compared to all GIC groups, while the mineral loss adjacent to the Test-restorations did not differ significantly from that of the other groups (p < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn-Bonferroni). The differences in mineral loss (ΔΔZ = ΔZ _test − ΔZ _ctrl ) across all groups were not significant (Kruskal-Wallis; p > 0.05). Direct comparison of moisture-associated differences in mineral loss did not reveal significant differences among restorative materials. Under ideal moisture-control conditions, RC-Z250 showed lower mineral loss in DSLs than the investigated GICs, but this finding should be interpreted cautiously due to the simplified model.

Objectives: Vestibular enamel defects, including WSL, MIH, or fluorosis, can impair esthetics and patient well‐being, making accurate diagnosis essential for selecting appropriate treatment strategies. However, distinguishing these based solely on clinical images—an increasingly common scenario in digital communication—can be challenging. This pilot study aimed to assess dentists' diagnosis accuracy and confidence in assessing clinical images of vestibular enamel defects, and how the diagnosis influenced treatment choices. Materials and Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was distributed primarily to dentists from Europe and South America. It included demographic questions and 10 clinical images (two showing WSL, three fluorosis, four MIH, and one MIH/enamel hypoplasia combined). Reference diagnoses were established based on consensus among three specialists. Participants were asked to diagnose each image, select their preferred treatment options, and rate their diagnostic and therapeutic confidence using a 5‐point Likert scale. Results: A total of 168 dentists completed the survey. Overall, diagnostic accuracy was 52%, with the highest for fluorosis (66%) and the lowest for the mixed case (33%). Most participants correctly diagnosed 3–8 of 10 cases. Conservative treatment options were chosen primarily, with resin infiltration selected in 70% of responses regardless of diagnosis. Diagnostic confidence was reported in 72% of cases. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of vestibular enamel defects based on clinical images was limited, and overconfidence was frequent. Dentists preferred conservative treatment strategies, though their choices were influenced by diagnostic accuracy.