Dental restorations need to reproduce the aspect of the natural teeth of the patient, and must be non-toxic, biocompatible, and have good mechanical properties so that they can last for longer. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of bacterial adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on four different dental material surfaces, i.e., two glass–ionomer cements (Fuji conventional and Fuji hybrid) and two ceramic composites (Micro hybrid composite and Nano hybrid composite). To understand the bacterial adhesion on these four different dental materials, various surface properties were measured: roughness, contact angle, CIE color parameters and zeta potential. We found that the greatest adhesion extent was obtained for the Nano hybrid composite surface. The pronounced adhesion is the interplay between the relatively high roughness and hydrophilicity of the Nano hybrid composite surface. Color changes upon immersing ceramic composites in red wine and black tea proved that both beverages adhered to them. Black tea adhered more intensively than wine, and showed a higher inhibitory effect on the growth of Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus.

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of dental trauma in a public dental clinic in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 2019 to 2024. Methods: This research was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional study. The data were analysed and compared between injured primary and permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth. Results: The review of the dental records revealed 73 patients (49 boys and 24 girls) with TDIs, involving 55 primary and 64 permanent teeth. Most of the patients (27 patients, 36.98%) were aged 7–9 years. The main cause of TDI was falls in both dentitions (81.81% of injured primary teeth and 73.43% of injured permanent teeth). The time of arrival after a TDI for assistance in the dental clinic for most cases was after 24 h in both dentitions, 45.45% of injured primary teeth and 48.43% of permanent teeth. For both dentitions, enamel fractures were the most common injury of hard dental tissues and the pulp, and the necrosis of the maxillary central incisor was the most common complication. Conclusions: It is very important to improve trauma management and increase public knowledge on the way parents seek proper treatment for the TDIs of their children, and in due time.

The purpose of the study was to analyze caries experience in primary and permanent dentition in children up to 15 years of age located in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods: The research was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional study. Analyzes and comparisons of caries indices were performed using groups formed according to their gender (male—M and female—F) and age, i.e., the first group-children in early childhood, ≤5 years; the second group, middle childhood 6–8 years; the third group, preadolescents 9–11 years old; fourth group, adolescents 12–15 years old. Results: Overall prevalence of caries in primary dentition was 89.1%, while in permanent dentition, it was 60.7%. The overall mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth— dmft in male participants was 5.4, while in female participants, it was 5.1. By contrast, a higher overall mean DMFT was established in the female participants (2.7 vs. 3.0). Conclusions: We can see a high prevalence in all of the examined groups. In primary dentition, males examined during the course of the study had a higher overall mean dmft and the mean number of untreated decayed primary teeth, whereas females up to age 15 examined during the course of the study had more DMF teeth.

Objective. The causes of internal posteruptive discoloration of teeth are bleeding, necroses, infections, and endodontic filling materials. The aim of this study was to establish the results of bleaching endodontically treated teeth using walking bleach, in-office, and combined techniques, using 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide, as well as the effect of etiological factors, and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment on the success of bleaching. Materials and Methods. The research involved 30 endodontically treated teeth in healthy patients. Retroalveolar X-rays were taken to check the quality of root canal obturation. Endodontic treatment and obturation were carried out on the discolored non-vital teeth without any previous endodontic treatment. Before bleaching, two millimeters of the filling were removed from the root canal and the very entry into the canal was protected with glass ionomer cement. The teeth were divided into three groups, depending on the bleaching technique: walking bleach technique (10 patients), in-office technique (10 patients), and combined technique (10 patients). The teeth were bleached with 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide. The bleaching procedure was repeated in all the patients three times. The color of all teeth was determined based on the Vita Classic guide before and after bleaching. The Χ² square and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to identify differences in teeth bleaching results. Results. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was established between bleaching success and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the bleaching success and etiological factors, bleaching techniques, or bleaching agents. Conclusions. The effectiveness of non-vital tooth bleaching is affected by the time elapsed after endodontic treatment.

Dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. It was difficult to find a balance between dental care, especially preventive and other non-urgent dental procedures, and prevention of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental treatment in children in the Dental Clinic of the University of Banja Luka, and to compare it before and during the first and second years of the pandemic. All dental records of paediatric patients who attended the Dental Clinic (for the period March 2019 to March 2022) were analysed. The data on selected dental treatment procedures were divided into three groups per year and compared. The results during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in single treatments compared to the year before, while in the second year there was an increase in some interventions such as oral hygiene training and patient motivation, deciduous tooth extraction, and glass ionomer filling. Although the number of dental treatments in the clinic in the second year nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, preventive and restorative interventions are the most appropriate strategy to improve the oral health of children after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the oral health habits, dietary practices, and knowledge regarding cariogenic diet among University Dental students. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among students attending the integrated undergraduate and graduate Dental Medicine (DM) program. Data analysis was performed by stratifying students according to the year of study. In total, 114 questionnaires were collected. Three questionnaires were subsequently excluded, resulting in a final sample size of 111 students for analysis. Results: Over 75% of students from the 2nd (83.3%) to 6th (91.3%) year used a combination of a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, whereas 50% of 1st-year students reported using fluoride-free toothpaste (p < 0.05). The majority of senior students (34.8–100%) correctly identified xylitol and sorbitol as non-cariogenic (p < 0.05). However, a notable knowledge gap persisted in the final year, with over 30% of sixth-year students failing to identify them. Furthermore, over 60.0% of third-year and 90.0% of fifth-year students recognized the protective dental effects of hard cheese, cranberry, and green tea (p < 0.05). Regarding cariogenic potential, 45.8% of first-year and 57.1% of second-year students were unable to identify the most cariogenic saccharide (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study reveals an improvement in oral health habits and knowledge, particularly regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste and the identification of cariogenic saccharides. However, significant knowledge gaps persist across all years, most notably the high prevalence of fluoride-free toothpaste use among first-year students and the inability of a substantial portion of senior students to identify non-cariogenic sugar substitutes and protective foods.