All techniques produced comparable results in terms of percentage of filling and void distribution.

Objectives To evaluate the fracture resistance and marginal quality of maxillary molars restored using lithium disilicate glass‐ceramic (LDG) occlusal veneers with two preparation designs. Methods Sixteen extracted maxillary molars were assigned to two groups (n = 8). In group 1 (G1), the teeth received a preparation for a conservative full‐coverage occlusal veneer restoration with a 90° rounded shoulder margin. In group 2 (G2), the teeth underwent a 1‐mm cusp reduction with a marginal chamfer. LDG restorations (IPS e.max CAD) were obtained with the Cerec 3 CAD/CAM system and luted with Variolink II cement. After thermomechanical aging (1 250 000 cycles), the specimens were loaded to fracture. A semiquantitative marginal seal evaluation was performed observing resin replicas of the specimens at the scanning electron microscope. Cement thickness was assessed at the stereomicroscope on sectioned specimens. Collected data were statistically analyzed by parametric and nonparametric tests. Results The maximum load to fracture was 2395.01 ± 150.96 N in G1 and 2408.39 ± 112.66 N in G2. Most of the observed specimens exhibited restorable fractures and continuous margins. Cement thickness was 132 ± 38 μm in G1 and 150 ± 41 μm in G2. No differences between the groups emerged. Conclusion This study demonstrated similar satisfactory performance of the two considered preparations designs for occlusal veneer with LDG. Clinical Significance A new minimally invasive occlusal veneer preparation with marginal chamfer exhibited promising fracture resistance and marginal adaptation that were comparable to those of a standard conservative preparation for the restoration of molars with CAD/CAM lithium disilicate occlusal veneers.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the difference in cyclic fatigue resistance between OneCurve (OC) and OneShape (OS) endodontic single-file NiTi systems in a severely curved artificial canal. After sample size calculation (α = 0.01; β = 0.20; σ = 20.0; δ = 20.0), 25 OC and 25 OS files were used. An artificial canal with 60° angle and 5-mm radius of curvature was milled in a stainless-steel block reproducing the size and taper of the files used. The test device was electrically heated to maintain the environmental temperature at 37 °C. All files were rotated until fracture; the time to failure was recorded and the number of cycles to fracture (NCF) calculated. The length of the fractured fragments was measured too. Fractographic examination and cross-sectional area calculation were performed by scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM). Data were statistically analyzed using an independent sample t test. The significance level was set at 0.01. Statistical analysis showed that OC files exhibited significantly greater cyclic fatigue resistance than OS (p < 0.001), with 721 ± 89 NCF and 301 ± 38 NCF, respectively. No significant difference was found in the length of the fractured fragments (p > 0.01). SEM fractographic analysis confirmed that all the scanned samples separated due to cyclic fatigue. Within the limitations of the present study, OC endodontic instruments resisted to cyclic fatigue better than OS. The improved mechanical resistance of OC could be related to new NiTi alloy used for their manufacturing.

This systematic review was carried out to assess the clinical effectiveness of nanofilled and nanohybrid composites used for direct restorations in comparison with microhybrid composites. The guidelines for the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses were followed. A search of articles published from July 1996 to February 2017 was performed in PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, and the Cochrane Library. The present review selected only randomized controlled trials comparing the clinical performance of a nanofilled or nanohybrid composite for direct restorations with that of a microhybrid composite. The research found 201 studies. Twenty-one articles fulfilled the criteria of the present review. However, the included studies were characterized by great methodological diversities. As a general trend, nanofilled and nanohybrid composites were found to be capable of clinical performance, marginal quality, and resistance to wear similar to that of traditional composites without showing improved surface characteristics. The risk of bias of included studies was judged unclear or high. The clinical performance of nanofilled/nanohybrid composites was found to be comparable to that of traditional composites in the posterior area. The data concerning anterior and cervical restorations were insufficient. With regard to the esthetic properties, there is a compelling need for studies on anterior teeth in which the operators are kept unaware of the restorative material. Nanofilled/nanohybrid composites seem to be a valid alternative to traditional microhybrid composites, and at the moment, there is low-level evidence attesting a lack of their superiority.

The present study evaluated the quality of single-cone root canal fillings with bioceramic (BC) sealer using three different techniques by means of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The canals of 30 extracted single-rooted permanent teeth were shaped with R40 Reciproc blue files and filled with the single-cone technique (SCT). BioRoot RCS BC sealer was placed inside the canals with one of the following master cones: R40 cone to working length (RWL, n = 10); R40 cone trimmed 1 mm short of working length (RWL-1, n = 10); non-standardized gutta-percha cone to working length (NSWL, n = 10). A quantitative and qualitative micro-CT analysis assessed the filling quality and internal/external voids formation. Collected data underwent statistical analysis by multivariate one-way analysis of variance (α = 0.05). In all groups, the voids were minimal and prevalently external. The NSWL and RWL-1 groups had increased sealer ratios in the whole canal and the apical canal portion, respectively. The lowest amounts of voids were found in the RWL group; the void volumes were slightly greater in the RWL-1 mm and NSWL groups, especially at the apical level. Two alternative SCTs showed satisfactory filling ability, uniform distribution of the BC sealer, and a minimally increased voids formation compared to the standard SCT with dedicated cone. The two tested alternative SCTs could take advantage of the beneficial characteristics of the BC sealer, which evenly filled the endodontic space, ideally sealing both the major and the accessory communications with the periodontium.