Twelve-month evaluation of the atraumatic restorative treatment approach for class Ⅲ restorations:An interventional study

BACKGROUND Atraumatic restorative treatment(ART)may be appropriate for populations without accessibility and affordability.More data are required regarding the success rate of ART in anterior teeth.AIM To evaluate the clinical performance of restoring class III cavities in anterior teeth of permanent dentition using the ART approach.METHODS A longitudinal interventional field study was carried out at two rural primary health centers,Tumkur district,India.A total of 54 teeth in 39 patients were evaluated for the survival rate of class III restorations in permanent anterior teeth using the ART approach in children and adult populations.Evaluation of ART restoration was carried out using Frencken J criteria,the mean procedure time,patient acceptance and reported pain severity during the ART approach were evaluated using a visual analog scale.Calculation of the cost of ART was also performed.RESULTS The mean time taken to perform the ART procedure was 14.79±5.8 min with the majority of patients reporting only mild pain.At 6 mo follow-up,72.2%remained in a good state,but this reduced to 27%at 12 mo.The cumulative survival rate of the restorations was 94.4%at 6 mo and 80.9%at 12 mo follow-up.Estimation of the direct cost for a single class III restoration was 186.50 INR(2.64 USD).CONCLUSION ART may be a good comprehensive option for basic oral health care for underserved or inaccessible populations,and preventive care for patients.

China's Oral Care System in Transition:Lessons to be Learned from Germany

Aim The objective of this discussion paper is to investigate whether the experience gained through the German paradigm shift in dental care can be of benefit in China＇s deliberations on the introduction of universal dental care for its people. Methodology A comparison of representative oral health outcome data from China and Germany, two countries at different stages in their development, is presented here in order to analyse whether the findings meet expected outcome and confirm the presumption that more developed countries perform better. Results The epidemiological comparison reveals surprising findings concerning the severity of dental diseases and, in particular, missing teeth per person in adults and rates of total edentulousness in seniors. In all of these areas German adults and seniors show significantly inferior outcomes compared with the Chinese population. The mainreason for these striking discrepancies, as it turned out, is the decisive role played by the treatment philosophies and strategies of German dentists. Conelusion and recommendations If dentists take a less interventionist approach, checking as well as treating dental diseases with preventive and strictly tooth-preserving methods, dental treatment results in oral health. Under these condi- tions it can be assumed that modem dentistry is generally good for the teeth. These findings are important for developing countries that are seeking to integrate dental care into their health care system. On the basis of long-term experience from highly industrialized Western countries and especially from Germany we will attempt to put forward proposals for creating an effective and efficient dental care system in China.

Investigation on the eco-toxicity of lake sediments with the addition of drinking water treatment residuals

Drinking water treatment residuals（WTRs） have a potential to realize eutrophication control objectives by reducing the internal phosphorus（P） load of lake sediments. Information regarding the ecological risk of dewatered WTR reuse in aquatic environments is generally lacking, however. In this study, we analyzed the eco-toxicity of leachates from sediments with or without dewatered WTRs toward algae Chlorella vulgaris via algal growth inhibition testing with algal cell density, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde content, antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase activity, and subcellular structure indices. The results suggested that leachates from sediments unanimously inhibited algal growth, with or without the addition of different WTR doses（10% or 50% of the sediment in dry weight） at different p H values（8–9）, as well as from sediments treated for different durations（10 or 180 days）. The inhibition was primarily the result of P deficiency in the leachates owing to WTR P adsorption, however, our results suggest that the dewatered WTRs were considered as a favorable potential material for internal P loading control in lake restoration projects, as it shows acceptably low risk toward aquatic plants.