The aim of this article is to discuss the infection control measures with focus on those related to prosthodontic work. The risk of transmission of several infectious microorganisms during dental procedures and the increased awareness and knowledge of infectious diseases have led to an increased attention to the importance of infection control. Prosthodontists and dental personnel are exposed directly or indirectly to a significant risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections. High standards of occupational safety and dental infection control must be applied by dental personnel for the safety of patients and dental healthcare workers. All reusable items (critical and semicritical instruments) that come in contact with the patient's saliva, blood, or mucous membranes must be heat-sterilized. Proper disinfectants should be used to disinfect nonsterilizable instruments (e.g., wax knifes, dental shade plastic mixing spatula, guides, fox bite plane, articulators, and facebows). In prosthodontics, items potentially contaminated with patient's blood and saliva are transported between dental clinics and dental laboratories. Such fluids may contain microorganisms with high potential for transmission of several diseases. Therefore, sterilization and disinfection of all items used during prosthodontic work should be part of infection control protocol in dental care setting. In prosthodontic practice, a strict infection prevention plan should be implemented to minimalize the risk of infectious diseases transmission among prosthodontists, dental office, dental laboratory personnel, and patients.

The aim of this study is to investigate the combined effect of a digital manufacturing technique (subtractive vs. additive), preparation taper (10° vs. 20° TOC), and finish line (chamfer vs. shoulder) on the marginal adaptation of temporary crowns following cementation with a compatible temporary cement. Four mandibular first molar typodont teeth were prepared for full coverage crowns with standard 4 mm preparation height as follows: 10° TOC with the chamfer finish line, 10° TOC with the shoulder finish line, 20° TOC with the chamfer finish line and 20° TOC with the shoulder finish line. Each of the four preparation designs were subdivided into two subgroups to receive CAD/CAM milled and 3D-printed crowns (n = 10). A total of 80 temporary crowns (40 CAD/CAM milled and 40 3D-printed) were cemented to their respective die using clear temporary recement in the standard cementation technique. The samples were examined under a stereomicroscope at ×100 magnification following calibration. Linear measurements were performed at seven equidistant points on each axial surface and five equidistant points on each proximal surface. One-way ANOVA analysis and Tukey HSD (Honestly Significance Difference) were performed. The best marginal fit was seen in group 8, while the poorest fit was noted in group 2. Shoulder finish lines and 10° TOC resulted in higher marginal gaps, especially in CAD/CAM milled group. The selection of 3D-printed crowns may provide a better marginal fit within the range of clinical acceptability. Marginal gaps were within clinical acceptability (50 and 120 µm) in all groups except group 2.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three oral hygiene tools, a regular toothbrush, an electronic toothbrush, and mouthwash, on the color stability of three different computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufactured (CAM) ceramic blocks. Feldspathic ceramic (Vita Triluxe Forte), hybrid resin ceramic (Vita Enamic), and lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max CAD) were used in this study. A CAD/CAM system and 81 (27 of each material) samples of ceramic blocks were used. All samples were immersed in black coffee for 15 days, and the coffee was changed twice per day. Using a spectrophotometer probe, samples on a grey background were scanned, and physical properties like surface hardness and depth were measured using interferometry and a 3D non-contact surface metrology. After 30 days of application of oral hygiene tools, instruments were used to measure various physical, mechanical, and optical properties. Vita Triluxe had the highest average color variation values (ΔE₀₀) after 15 and 30 days of immersion in coffee in both regular and electronic toothbrushes. Moreover, IPS e.max CAD had the least ΔE₀₀ values with no significant differences among the groups. The surface roughness (Ra) of the Vita Enamic ceramic increased when using a regular toothbrush, and the surface height (Rz) for the Vita Enamic ceramic increased when an electronic toothbrush was used. IPS e.max CAD had the greatest modules of elasticity forces, and Vita Triluxe Forte had the lowest when used with a regular toothbrush. The ΔE₀₀ values of the tested materials were minimally increased or decreased after 30 days of cleaning, and all were clinically acceptable. Ra and Rz were the highest for Vita Enamic in comparison to the other groups. The highest percentage in IPS e.max CAD was associated with a type 1 fracture, whereas type 3 was predominantly observed with Vita Enamic, and type 2 in the Vita Triluxe group without significant differences.

Background: This study aimed to assess the performance of preclinical dental male and female students in performing maxillary anterior all-ceramic preparations using a validated analytic rubric system. Methods: An analytical rubric for the assessment of maxillary anterior ceramic preparations was used in a preclinical phase study with two evaluators. The grading was based on a 4-point scale for all steps for crown preparation, and the total score was calculated out of 40 points. Differences in rubric parameter scores between male and female students were analyzed via an independent t test. Other tests, such as the kappa test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, were used to measure the associations among grade point average (GPA), evaluators, and gender participants, with p < 0.050 considered a cutoff point for statistical significance. Results: The study revealed that students of both genders demonstrated high performance, with females scoring a mean of 37.70 ± 1.61 (SD) and males scoring a mean of 36.50 ± 2.36 (SD). A significant difference in the average overall score was recorded by both evaluators (p = 0.034). The highest value was for intact gingival margins and surrounding tissues (3.89 ± 0.31 males, 3.92 ± 0.28 females), and the lowest value was for axial wall reduction (3.50 ± 0.36 males, 3.62 ± 0.42 females). Among the different parameters, only the finish line form parameter was significantly different (p = 0.011), as found by evaluator 1. Inter-rater reliability analysis revealed varying levels of agreement between the evaluators. Strong positive correlations were found between several rubric parameters, but students’ GPA had a weak, nonsignificant correlation with their preclinical performance (p = 0.495). Conclusion: The analytic rubric revealed minor gender differences in preclinical performance, with female students performing slightly better. The rubric demonstrated varying inter-rater reliability and positive correlations across parameters. However, GPA showed limited correlation with preclinical performance.