BDS INSIGHTS

Dental pulp testing is a useful and essential diagnostic aid in endodontics.Pulp sensibility tests include thermal and electric tests, which extrapolate pulp health from sensory response. Traditional electronic pulp testers work by passing a current into the tooth and measuring how much current is required to cause a sensation. Unfortunately, the diagnosis is often made on a tooth that has or is near a metal tooth filling, which can change the path of the current in unpredictable ways. Clinically, this has led to false-positive readings. University of Oxford researchers have designed a magnetic analog of this device that aims to alleviate this issue.                                         Dental pulp tests are investigations that provide valuable diagnostic and treatment planning info...

The "tooth patch" is a hard-wearing and ultra-flexible material made from hydroxyapatite, the main mineral in tooth enamel, that could also mean an end to sensitive teeth.   A tooth patch, an ultra thin biocompatible film made from hydroxyapatitte, is pictured on September 6, 2012. Scientists in Japan have created a microscopically thin film that can coat individual teeth to prevent decay or to make them appear whiter, the chief researcher said. The "tooth patch" is a hard-wearing and ultra-flexible material made from hydroxyapatite, the main mineral in tooth enamel, that could also mean an end to sensitive teeth. "This is the world's first flexible a...

New York June 8, 2005—Baby and wisdom teeth, along with jawbone and periodontal ligament, are non-controversial sources of stem cells that could be "banked" for future health needs, according to a National Institutes of Health researcher who spoke today at the American Dental Association's national media conference. Harvested from the pulp layer inside the teeth, jawbone and periodontal ligament, these stem cells may one day correct periodontal defects and cleft palate, and may help restore nerve cells lost in diseases such as Parkinson's, according to Pamela Gehron Robey, Ph.D., Chief, Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. Stem cells have the potential to save injured teeth and grow jawbone. Regenerating an entire tooth is on the horizon, and years from now, Dr. Robey said stem cells from teeth and jawbo- ne might be...

  CONGENITAL EPULIS OF THE NEWBORN Epulis is a rare tumor of the newborn, also known as granular cell tumor of the newborn or Neumann's tumor. This tumor arises from the mucosa of the gingiva, most commonly from the anterior part of the maxillary alveolar ridge, and is typically seen as a mass protruding out of the newborn child's mouth, which may interfere with respiration or feeding. Epulis is seen only in the newborn and is a different entity from other granular cell tumors. The tumor has a marked female preponderance of 8:1. The recommended treatment is prompt surgical resection. Recurrences of the tumor and damage to future dentition have not been reported, suggesting that radical excision is not warranted. A newborn female with such a mass is described. The tumor was resected using a carbon dioxide laser; the postoperative course ...

Ameloblastoma, a relatively common epithelial odontogenic tumor includes several histopathologic subtypes like follicular, plexiform, acanthomatous and desmoplastic variants. Hybrid desmoplastic ameloblastoma (DA) composed of typical desmoplastic ameloblastoma along with areas of follicular/plexiform ameloblastoma is an extremely rare variant of ameloblastoma.        Desmoplastic ameloblastoma (DA) was first described in detail by Eversole et al in 1984 and is defined as “a variant of ameloblastoma with specific clinical, imaging and histological                    features” in the recent WHO classification of odontogenic tumors. Thus, it often occurs in the anterior region of jaws, presents with unique radiographic appearance resembling fibrosseous lesions and show distinct histopathology characterized by extensive stromal collagenisation or desmoplasia surroun...