Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R N Weller

Publications and source records attributed to R N Weller.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Treatment considerations in dens invaginatus.

Dens invaginatus has numerous and complex forms. Nonsurgical and surgical root canal therapy was performed on a permanent maxillary lateral incisor with this condition. Satisfactory radiographic healing was evident at the 2-yr recall appointment. Suggestions are made for future treatment of cases of this type.

Adolescent↗

Stereomicroscopic evaluation of canal shape following hand, sonic, and ultrasonic instrumentation.

This study evaluated the root canal shape after using sonic, ultrasonic, and hand instrumentation on the mesial canals of extracted human mandibular first and second molars. One-hundred and five mesial roots were randomly divided into six experimental groups and one untreated control group of 15 roots each. The following instrumentation techniques were evaluated in the experimental groups: hand instrumentation with K-Flex files, sonic instrumentation with the Endostar 5, sonic instrumentation with the Sonic Air MM 3000, and ultrasonic instrumentation with the Cavi-Endo unit. Each technique was directly compared with each other. The mesial roots were instrumented alternating the techniques between the buccal and lingual canals in each group so that a direct comparison could be made. All canals were instrumented to a size corresponding to a #30 K-Flex file 1 mm from the anatomical apex. The roots were then sectioned perpendicular to the long axis so the apical and middle thirds could be evaluated with the stereomicroscope for canal shape. The control group was sectioned and examined without instrumentation. A significantly more regular shape was obtained at both levels with hand instrumentation than was obtained with either sonic or ultrasonic techniques. The comparisons between the sonic and ultrasonic techniques showed significantly better shapes were obtained with the Sonic Air MM 3000 instrument.

Dental Pulp Cavity↗

Leakage in vitro with high-temperature thermoplasticized gutta-percha, high copper amalgam, and warm gutta-percha when used as retrofilling materials.

An in vitro dye leakage study was performed to compare the sealing ability of high-temperature thermoplasticized gutta-percha, high copper amalgam, and warm gutta-percha when used as retrofilling materials. Forty-five extracted anterior teeth were obturated with gutta-percha, the apical 3 mm of the roots were resected, and 2-mm-deep retrograde preparations were prepared. The roots were then randomly placed into three groups and retrofilled with one of the experimental materials. After 72 h in India ink, the teeth were cleared and evaluated for leakage using a stereomicroscope. No leakage was evident in the three teeth used as negative controls. Complete leakage was noted in the three positive control teeth. Statistical analysis of the results showed that high-temperature thermoplasticized gutta-percha had significantly less leakage than did high copper amalgam.

Copper↗

Comparison of direct digital and conventional radiography for the detection of proximal surface caries in the mixed dentition.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of direct digital radiography and traditional dental radiography for the detection of proximal surface dental caries in the mixed dentition. METHODS: 15 quadrants of extracted teeth, arranged from the primary canine to permanent first molar, were imaged using direct digital (Schick Technologies, Long Island City, NY, USA) and conventional films (D-speed and E-speed Plus; Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY, USA). Five pediatric dentists viewed the images and scored the 270 proximal surfaces for presence of caries on a 5 point scale and extent of caries on a 4 point scale. The teeth were sectioned and viewed microscopically to determine the gold standard. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the viewer's performance for detecting proximal caries using the 3 different image receptor types. RESULTS: Experienced examiners were significantly more accurate in diagnosis of proximal surface caries using either D-speed or E-speed Plus films than they were using the direct digital receptor. The mean areas under the ROC curve (Az) for the viewers were 0.7595 for D-speed film, 0.7557 for E-speed Plus film, and 0.5928 for the direct digital receptor. The results also indicated that selected viewers' accuracy increased when viewing the direct digital images a second time. CONCLUSION: CCD based direct digital radiography was not as accurate as conventional film images for the purpose of diagnosing proximal surface caries in the mixed dentition. However, the results imply that with increased experience, direct digital images may be as accurate as conventional film based images for diagnosis.

Analysis of Variance↗