The aim is to investigate the prevalence of dental anxiety and its association with pain and other related factors in adult patients with irreversible pulpitis. One hundred and thirty patients with irreversible pulpitis were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to fill out an information table and a battery of questionnaires to assess their level of dental anxiety, pain at their first and most recent dental experience, and pain intensity before/during the present endodontic treatment. The level of anxiety that participants displayed during the present treatment was also evaluated by the dentists using an anxiety rating scale. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, and Spearman correlation tests. 83.1% of participants suffered from moderate or high dental anxiety, and 16.2% met criteria for specific phobia. Subjects who had higher MDAS scores were more likely to postpone their dental visits (P < 0.05). Subjects who had bad experiences at their most recent dental visit were more anxious (P < 0.05). Pain at the most recent dental visit (P < 0.01) or before the present dental visit (P < 0.05) was important factor correlating with dental anxiety among participants. Notably, 36.2% of participants displayed moderate or severe anxiety during this present visit for endodontic treatment based on dentist’s judgement. A high percentage of people with irreversible pulpitis suffer from dental anxiety. Pain at the most recent dental visit and during endodontic treatment have strongly positive association with dental anxiety. Effective pain control in endodontics is beneficial to manage the anxiety.

Objective. To evaluate root canal morphology of permanent mandibular incisor teeth in a Chinese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and methods. CBCT images of Chinese patients were collected and 1553 permanent mandibular incisors in the images were included. The following observations on the included teeth were to determine the number of roots, root morphology and canal configuration. The root canal configurations were classified. The effect of gender on the incidence of the second canal was investigated. Results. Of permanent mandibular incisors, 86.8% had a single root with single canal. Mandibular lateral incisors (17.5%) had a higher incidence of a second canal compared with mandibular central incisors (8.9%) (p = 0.000). A slightly higher percentage of incidence of a second canal was found in males (14.6%) than in females (11.9%) (p = 0.129). Conclusions. Permanent mandibular incisors with two canals had a relatively low incidence in this Chinese population. The incidence of a second canal did not differ between males and females. CBCT is a valuable aid during root canal treatment.

This study investigated the safety of a novel cell-labeling technology with mKATE and Renilla reniformis luciferase (mKATE-renLUC) and assessed the efficacy on tracking implanted human placental stromal cells (PSC) in an erectile dysfunction (ED) animal model. Human PSC were labeled with mKATE-renLUC using a lentivirus. Cell viability, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, surface marker expression and differentiation potential of the labeled PSC were evaluated and compared with non-labeled PSC. The paracrine profile of labeled cells was examined using an angiogenesis protein array. The brightness and duration of labeled cells with different densities were evaluated. An ED rat model was established and labeled PSC were injected into cavernosal tissue of the penis. The migration and distribution of transplanted PSC were monitored using an IVIS imaging system in real time. Implanted PSC were identified in isolated tissues via detection of mKATE fluorescence. The cell viability, morphology, proliferation, migration, surface marker expression and differentiation potential of mKATE-renLUC-labeled PSC were similar to those of non-labeled cells in vitro (no statistical difference p>0.05). Similar expressions of trophic factors were found between labeled and non-labeled PSC. The migration and distribution of PSC expressing renLUC were tracked in vivo using IVIS imaging system. mKATE-positive PSC were detected in penile, kidney, prostate and hepatic tissues using histological methods. This labeling technology provides a safe and effective cell-tracking approach with a brighter fluorophore and codon-optimized luciferase.