Background: Fixed orthodontic appliances impede the maintenance of oral hygiene and result in plaque accumulation leads to enamel demineralization caused by acids produced by bacteria. Studies on plaque control strategies in orthodontic populations are limited. This might be caused by difficulties in the quantitative evaluation of dental plaque because the teeth have various levels of bracket coverage, and different tooth sizes and malocclusions, making the traditional categorical indices complex. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of different hygiene protocols on plaque quantity on bands with different attachments. Materials and method: Twenty patients had four bands within the orthodontic appliance. Then randomly divided into four groups of hygiene regimens where group A used chlorhexidine dentifrice, group B used fluoridated dentifrice, group C used chlorhexidine mouthwash along with chlorhexidine dentifrice and group D used chlorhexidine mouthwash in addition to the fluoride dentifrice. Bands were removed four weeks after the appliance been in place, cut out carefully into 2 pieces from the center of the mesial and distal contact areas, biochemical test (clinprocario L-pop) was applied then 80 digital photographs were obtained. Four areas of interest were estimated which are mesially and distally to each attachment (2 mm) in width each. Percentage of plaque in these areas was calculated and statistically analyzed. Results: Side difference revealed that the plaque accumulated on the right sided bands more than the left, however the difference was not significant. It was also found that the lower bands had insignificantly higher amount of plaque than the upper ones. Conclusions: The four groups of oral hygiene regimens have no significant different effects on the plaque amount. Moreover, the oral hygiene maintenance is more difficult in the right side than the left side but the difference was not significant. The lower arch accumulated insignificantly more plaque than the upper. Also, difference in attachments has no influence on plaque amount.
The consumption of dried bananas has increased because they contain essential nutrients. In order to preserve bananas for a longer period, a drying process is carried out, which makes them a light snack that does not spoil quickly. On the other hand, machine learning algorithms can be used to predict the sweetness of dried bananas. The article aimed to study the effect of different drying times (6, 8, and 10 hours) using an air dryer on some physical and chemical characteristics of bananas, including CIE-L*a*b, water content, carbohydrates, and sweetness. Also predicting the sweetness of dried bananas based on the CIE-L*a*b ratios using machine learn- ing algorithms RF, SVM, LDA, KNN, and CART. The results showed that increasing the drying
... Show MoreIntroduction: Surgical removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth is one of the most commonly performed proce- dures in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the operative and post-operative outcomes of 2 flap designs (limited vs. extended 2-sided flap) in surgical extractions of lower third molars (M3) regarding fully impacted teeth. Material and methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled split-mouth trial was designed, and included 27 patients with bilateral (symmetrically positioned) impacted M3. Limited 2-sided flap was performed on one side (group 1) and extended 2-sided flap on the other side (group 2). The effect of flap design on intra-operative (visibility, accessibility, and duration of surgery) a
... Show MoreFor aspirin estimated, a molecularly imprinted polymer MIP-ASP electrodes were generated by electro-polymerization process, the electrodes were prepared by combining the template (aspirin) with (vinyl acetate (VA), 1-vinylimidizole (VIZ) as a functional monomer and N, N-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAA) as crosslinkers using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as an initiator. The efficiency of the membrane electrodes was analyzed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Four electrodes were synthesized using two different plasticizers, di-butyl sebacate (DBS), di-octyl phthalate (DOP) in PVC matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to describe the generated MIP, studying the electrodes properties, the slope, detection limit, and life
... Show MoreBackground: The evaluation of the chronological age is a practical method in crime investigation field that assists in identifying individuals to treat them as underage or adult. This study aimed to assess the stages of third molars mineralization in relation to chronological age of Iraqi individuals, determine the gender differences and arches (maxillary/mandibular) differences.
Materials and Methods: A total of 300 orthopantomograms of orthodontic patients were collected according to specific criteria and evaluated visually. The developmental stages of maxillary and mandibular third molars were determined according to Demirjian method. T
... Show MoreBackground: The miswak is a teeth cleaning twig made from a twig of the Salvadora persica tree (known as arak in Arabic).A traditional alternative to the modern toothbrush, it has a long, well-documented history and is reputed for its medicinal benefits. It also features prominently in Islamic hygienical jurisprudence. Materials and methods: Twenty maxillary first premolars were treated with the selected solutions which included siwak water extract (5%, 10%) and sodium fluoride 0.05% for 2minutes once daily for 20 days interval, deionized water was used as control negative. Then the concentration of the dissolved calcium ion in the etching solution of 2N HCL was measured. Results: The least amount of the dissolved calcium ion was registere
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