Water plays an important role in the setting reaction and cement structure of glass ionomer cement. Both hydration and dehydration compromises the integrity of the material. Antonucci (1988) and Mithra (1989) developed resin modified glass ionomer cements (RMGIC). These were developed to overcome the problems of low initial mechanical strength and moisture sensitivity associated with conventional glass ionomer cements while preserving their clinical advantages. Investigations oil these materials have shown that addition of resin has not significantly reduced the susceptibility of glass ionomer materials to hydration and dehydration problems. Surface protection soon after the restoration is placed in the oral cavity preserved the water balance in the system and also filled small surface voids and defects preserving the restoration color by reducing the uptake of stains. This study was to spectrophotometrically evaluate the best surface protectant for RMGIC among Nail varnish, Fuji varnish, Fuji coat LC and Helio bond.

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The aim of the study was to evaluate the shear bond strengths of composite to dentin using strong, intermediary strong & mild 'self-etch' dentin adhesives and also identify the most probable chemistry & mechanism involved in the action of self-etching systems. The adhesives tested were AdheSE (1voclasr), i Bond (H. Kulzer). Xeno III (Dentsplv). Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray) and Prompt-L-Pop (3M). Fifty freshly extracted non­carious, unrestored human premolars were taken & the occlusal surfaces of all teeth were ground to expose a flat surface of dentin. After polishing the dentin surface. each tooth was mounted in acrylic resin blocks of uniform dimension. The bonding area on the dentin surface was delineated by a circular outline into which the adhesives were applied following manufacturers directions. Cylinders of resin composite (Z-100) were built on the bonded dentin surfaces in two increments. Following storage in distilled water at 37"C for 24 hours, the specimens were tested for shear bond strength using an Instron Universla Testing Machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5mm / min. The results suggest that 'intermediary strong' selfetch systems demonstrated superior bond strength values compared to the rest. 'Mild' adhesives exhibited values, which were higher than 'strong' but lower compared to 'intermediary strong' systems. The 'strong' self-etch, bonding agents demonstrated the lowest bond strength values compared to all test groups.

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In this age of high technology, Phytotherapeutics influence the daily life of million of people around the world. More often, it had been largely ignored; some of these practices have found places in today's medical & dental knowledge. Identification & isolation of "Digoxin" from Digitalis lanata, "Reserpine"from Rauwalfa serpentina, "Vincrystin "and "Vinblastin "from Catharanthus rosea," Gutta percha "from Palaquiam species. "Eugenol "from Svgygium aromaticum are some of the examples. Recently there have been trends of regaining faith & increasing awareness on natural products. In Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, variety of dental materials & medicaments are being used originated from plants. This paper tries to trace out the natural roots of different dental materials & medicaments used in our specialty which will not only help us to know the accurate source of such ingredient but also help us to explore the possibilities of developing indigenous & economic dental materials & medicaments.

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Presence of supernumerary teeth especially in the anterior region is known to severely compromise esthetics. A natural looking and esthetically pleasing dentition is the wish of most patients. One of the stumbling blocks for this wish is the most commonly occurring super numerary tooth, the "MESIODENS". This article describes a systematic and sequential approach in the esthetic management of mesiodens.

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The term "statistics" has always been associated with studies relating to facts and figures and has been defined as a discipline concerned with the treatment of numerical data. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of statistics in collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of comparative data, as any research outcome depends to a large extent on the analysis of the comparative values obtained. This paper outlines the steps involved in a statistical study, namely­ selection of sample size, selection of type of test to be employed and analysis of results in a simplified manner

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Direct pulp capping remains an elusive dilemma in pulp therapy. The advent of new materials and the characterization of the role of bacteria in healing response have opened new avenues in direct pulp capping. In this study, four premolars indicated for orthodontic extraction were selected for pulp cupping. One group Bras capped with calcium hydroxide [DYCAL] and other group with dentin bonding agent [Prompt - L - Pop]. The teeth were extracted after one week and two weeks respectively and sectioned and observed _. for histological response. Results showed that though both the groups showed odontoblastic activity and evidence of reparative dentin formation, The calcium hydroxide group showed better response. Mild inflammation was seen in both the groups. The results suggest that dentin bonding agents can be used as alternative direct pulp capping agents. However, further research is necessary.

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