Background and Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of enamel matrix protein, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and bone graft on new bone formation beyond the skeletal system by creating calvarial bone defects in rats. The effects were assessed using histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. Materials and Methods: In this study, calvarial bone defects were created in male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 500–550 g. The animals were randomly divided into seven groups: Control (n = 13), Emdogain (EMD, n = 13), Emdogain + Bone Graft (EMD + BG, n = 13), Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF, n = 13), PRF + Bone Graft (PRF + BG, n = 13), Bone Graft (BG, n = 13), and PRF + Emdogain + Bone Graft (PRF + EMD + BG, n = 13). An additional group of 36 rats was used for PRF preparation. Titanium domes were placed on the calvarial bone defects, and the animals were sacrificed after three months. Bone samples were evaluated histopathologically for new bone formation, numbers of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, angiogenesis, and fibrosis. Immunohistochemical analysis of bone formation was performed using OPG and RANKL staining kits. Data were analyzed statistically. Results: The PRF group showed a significantly higher level of moderate new bone formation compared with the PRF + BG, EMD + BG, and PRF + EMD + BG groups (p ≤ 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the groups in terms of fibrosis or angiogenesis (p > 0.05). Similarly, OPG and RANKL levels, as well as the OPG/RANKL ratio, did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, the combined use of Emdogain, PRF, and bone graft appears to have beneficial effects on enhancing bone formation in calvarial defects.

The aim of this study is to histopathologically examine the effect of intermittent fasting, which has been followed with interest by researchers recently, on the healing of bone defects created in rat tibias. Sixteen Sprague–Dawley rats were included in this experimental study. For this purpose, the rats were divided into two groups: a defect control group (n = 8) and a defect + fasting group (n = 8). In the defect groups, a 4 mm diameter and depth defect was created in the corticocancellous bone of the metaphyseal tibia. Intermittent fasting was applied to the fasting groups three days a week for eight weeks. All animals were sacrificed at the end of the process, and the tibias were decalcified and examined histopathologically, with new bone formation and callus were assessed. Data were analyzed statistically. Student’s t–test was used for statistical analysis. The mean longitudinal defect size value for the control group was 1675.43, while that of the fasting group was 1594.29. The mean vertical defect size value for the control group was 576.86, while that of the fasting group was 528. And the mean callus size value for the control group was 145, while that of the fasting group was 154.14. Both bone formation and callus values were numerically higher in the fasting group compared to the control group. However, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Based on the limited results of this study, although intermittent fasting may have a potential biological effect in supporting bone healing, no statistically significant difference was found in this study.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge levels of specialist/PhD dentists about local anesthetic agents, application techniques, and complications related to local anesthesia. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to specialized/PhD dentists employed in 8 different departments of dentistry. The survey consisted of 25 questions about knowledge of local anesthesia. Knowledge level was determined based on the number of correct answers. In the statistical evaluation, descriptive statistics for continuous variables were reported as mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, and maximum values. Categorical variables were expressed as frequency and percentage. For continuous variables, the data was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. For independent group comparisons involving more than two groups, the Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis test was employed. In subgroup comparisons, the Bonferroni-adjusted Mann-Whitney U test was utilized. For comparisons between two independent groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05. Results: This study involved 200 participants, comprising 35.5% males and 64.5% females, with an average age of 35.91 years. Participants were categorized based on their years of service, with the majority having 5-10 years of experience. A significant portion (60.5%) had received specialized training, and 87.0% were employed in the public sector. Knowledge levels regarding local anesthesia varied among different dental specialties, with oral and maxillofacial surgery showing the highest proficiency. While no significant differences in knowledge were found based on gender, years of experience, or educational degree, a notable distinction emerged among those with PhDs or specializations, particularly favoring oral and maxillofacial surgery. Conversely, prosthodontics specialists exhibited lower knowledge levels compared to several other fields. Conclusion: Dentists' knowledge of local anesthesia varies across specialty/PhD fields, with oral and maxillofacial surgeons having the highest scores and Prosthodontists having the lowest, highlighting the need for continuous training.

The aim of this study was to compare the healing performance of non-vascularized bone allografts harvested from the mandible and the iliac crest in an experimental rat tibial fracture model. The rats selected as subjects were divided into four groups: the jaw allogeneic bone (n = 7), the iliac allogeneic bone (n = 7), the fracture control group (n = 7), and the donor group (n = 4). The donor rats were first sacrificed, and 5 mm thick and 5 mm wide block grafts were obtained from the corticocancellous bone portion of the mandible and iliac bones, both right and left. These grafts were securely fixed with Kirshner wires between two bone fragments obtained by cutting the corticocancellous bone portion of the rats’ right tibias with a disc under serum irrigation. In the control fracture group, a fracture was created only in the tibia and securely fixed with Kirshner wires. After an eight week healing period, all rats were sacrificed, and their bone tissues were collected for analysis. Healing at the fracture line was assessed by the percentage of new bone formation for each sample. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests. The percentage of new bone formation in the mandibular allogeneic transplantation group was higher than in the control and iliac crest groups (P < 0,05). New bone formation in the iliac crest allotransplantation group was lower than in the control group (P < 0,05). Non-vascularized allografts of mandibular origin showed higher new bone formation in the experimental rat tibial fracture model. These findings suggest that the donor site may play a significant role in determining the biological behavior and regenerative capacity of bone allografts.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of strontium renelate, a known bisphosphonate-like agent with effects on bone tissue, on bone fracture and defect healing using histological methods. For this purpose, a fracture study was conducted using 28 rats, each consisting of healthy controls (n = 7), fracture controls, and treatment groups, receiving strontium dose 1 (450 mg/kg three times per week), and strontium dose 2 (900 mg/kg three times per week). After a six-week fracture healing period, tibia bones were subjected to histological analysis for new bone formation. Data were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests. New bone formation was significantly lower in the fracture groups compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). An increase in new bone formation ratios was observed in the strontium ranelate-administered groups compared to the fractured controls (P< 0,05). New bone formation was significantly higher in the high-dose strontium ranelate group compared to the low-dose strontium ranelate group (P < 0,05). When histological evaluations and numerical analyses were evaluated together, it was concluded that systemic strontium ranelate administration significantly accelerated new bone formation and maturation processes during fracture healing, depending on the dose used (450 and 900 mg/kg).

Giriş: Diş hekimliği klinik/polikliniklerinde; biyolojik tıbbi atıklar ile genel atıklar ortaya çıkar. Bu atıkların ayrıştırılması ve uygun bertaraf veya geri dönüşüm birimlerine gönderilmesi için hekimlerin iyi derecede atık bilgisine sahip olmaları gereklidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, diş klinik/polikliniklerde çene cerrahisi ve periodontoloji uzman/doktoralı diş hekimlerinin ve asistanlarının atık bilgi düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve karşılaştırılmasıdır. Materyal ve Metot: Çalışma; üniversite veya özel ağız ve diş sağlığı merkezi/hastanesi kliniklerinde çalışan periodontoloji ve çene cerrahisi uzman/doktoralı diş hekimleri ile bu eğitimlerine devam eden asistanlara yönelik yapılan çevrimiçi bir anket platformu aracılığıyla toplanan veriler ile yapılmıştır. Çalışmada dört grup kullanılmış ve anketler her grupta ilk 20’şer kişi olmak üzere 80 kişiye doldurtulmuştur. Değerlendirmelerde istatistik anlamlılık düzeyi %5 olarak alınmış ve hesaplamalar için SPSS (ver:21) istatistik paket programından yararlanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan bireylerin; cinsiyet, çalışma süresi, eğitim derecesi ve unvanlarına göre atık bilgi düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesinde anlamlı farklılık bulunmamıştır. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, uzman/doktoralı diş hekimleri ya da bu eğitimleri alan diş hekimlerinin atık bilgi düzeylerinin en üst seviyede olması beklenir. Bu sebeple hangi branş olursa olsun tüm diş hekimleri zaman zaman atıklar konusunda bilgilerini güncellemelidir.