Currently, the whole world is under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, and dentists are at high risk. The aim of this study was to investigate what kind of precautions Turkish dentists take in dental clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study population consisted of dentists in Turkey. An online questionnaire (23 questions–57 items) was sent to a sample of Turkish dentists from March 16 to March 20, 2020. The questionnaire comprised a series of questions about dentists’ demographic characteristics, their concerns, and the measures taken in dental clinics against COVID-19. This study included a total of 1,958 Turkish dentists. A total of 1,274 (65.1%) were general dentists, and 684 (34.9%) were specialists. Five hundred twenty-two (26.7%) dentists attended an informational meeting on COVID-19. Of these dentists, 69.8% were aware of COVID-19 according to their self-assessed knowledge scores. More than 90% of the dentists were concerned about themselves and their families. Only 12% of the dentists wore an N95 mask. Although Turkish dentists took some precautionary measures, they did not take enough precautions to protect themselves, the dental staff, and other patients from COVID-19. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased, the measures taken slightly increased in dental clinics as well. Dentists are strongly recommended to take maximum precautions in the clinical setting. The guidelines about the COVID-19 pandemic should be sent to all dentists by the regional and national dental associations.

Background: Radiotherapy, applied to the head and neck region, can cause radiation side effects such as reduction of saliva and radiation caries. The aim of this study was to perform an in vitro assessment of the effects of radiation therapy on the morphological, mechanical, and chemical properties of primary and permanent teeth.Methods: One hundred four extracted human teeth (52 impacted wisdom teeth, 52 primary molar teeth) were used. The teeth were divided into two parts in the mesiodistal direction. Of the 98 teeth, the vestibular sections were used for the vickers analysis and lingual sections were used for the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. The teeth in the experimental group were fixed to wax models. Each model had an equal number of teeth (n = 7). The doses were applied to the teeth for 6 weeks; 5 week days and 2Gy daily. After the radiotherapy was conducted weekly, a wax model was taken from radiation reception. Along with the elemental contents (Na, K, Mg, P, and Ca) of the teeth, enamel and dentin microhardness was evaluated, and SEM analyzes were performed on 6 teeth.Results: Radiation caused a decrease in microhardness of enamel and dentin (p < 0.05). In the elemental analysis by ICP-OES, it was observed that there were decreases in all elements after 60Gy compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In the experimental groups, amorphous structures were encountered in SEM images.Conclusions: Radiation has negative effects on the teeth structure and additional studies are needed in this regard. This study indicates that radiotherapy patients are at a higher risk for dental caries.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the remineralization efficiency of Sensodyne Promine containing Sodium flouride (NaF), GC Tooth Mousse containing CPP-ACP, and Agarta herbal toothpaste on initial caries and erosion using micro-computed tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Methods: Forty-five third-molar teeth for micro-CT were divided into three main groups after initial scans (T₁) were completed. Artificial caries lesions were created with the demineralization cycle (group 1, n = 15) and artificial erosion lesions were created with orange juice (group 2, n = 15) and Cola (group 3, n = 15), and second scans (T₂) were performed. The groups were divided into three subgroups within themselves. Sensodyne Promine toothpaste (subgroup 1a, 2a, 3a), GC Tooth Mousse topical cream (subgroup 1b, 2b, 3b), and Agarta herbal toothpaste (subgroup 1c, 2c, 3c) were applied using soft-tipped brushes for 2 min, twice per day for 15 days, and then a third scan (T₃) was performed. Mineral density, surface area, and lesion volume and depth were calculated using micro-CT. Changes in the surface morphology of the teeth were examined using SEM in 13 samples representing each group, subgroup, and healthy enamel. In the analysis of the data obtained from the scans performed at three different times (T₁, T₂, T₃), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the post-hoc Tukey test, repeated measures ANOVA with the post-hoc Bonferroni test, and paired sample t-test analyses were used. Results: All three agents caused a statistically significant increase in mineral density, and a decrease in surface area and lesion volume and depth (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in remineralization efficiency (p > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between the groups regarding the mineral density of the tissue that increased after remineralization (NaF > CPP-ACP > He; p < 0.05). Conclusion: The remineralization efficacy of herbal toothpaste as an alternative to NaF and CPP-ACP was found to be successful.

Background: The choice of the restorative resin material to be used in pediatric dentistry is of a great importance due to the cytotoxic effects caused by residual monomers. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the amount of residual monomer released over time from different resin-based restorative materials, which are widely used in pediatric dentistry, by using high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC–PDA). Methods: The compomers in all colors (Twinky Star and Glasiositte A₂), two composites with different hybrid properties (Arabesk-GrandioSO), and RMGIC (Ionolux) samples with 2 × 5 mm diameters were prepared. The samples were polymerized with an LED light unit (CELALUX 2, VOCO, Cuxhaven, Germany) and then finishing-polishing procedures were applied. A total of 156 samples were obtained, 13 samples in each of the 12 groups. The amount of residual monomer (BIS-GMA; HEMA, TEGDMA, UDMA) (µg/mL) released into the 75% ethanol solution was determined at different times, (1st hour, 1st, 7th, 14th, and 21st day) by using HPLC–PDA. Results: The residual monomer release continued on day 21 and BIS-GMA was the most released monomer in all groups. HEMA release showed a maximum increase in all the materials at day 7. The highest amount of residual monomer was detected in the gold-colored compomer. HEMA and BIS-GMA release from RMGIC was less than others in all time frames. Conclusions: The color and composition of resin-based restorative materials affect the amount of residual monomer. Pediatric dentists should prefer gold-colored compomers less than others as a restorative material, especially in deep cavities. More studies are needed about the subject.