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The aim of the study was to assess caries prevalence in connection with salivary caries–related findings in 349 14– to 16–year–old Hungarian adolescents living in two different cities. DMFT, DMFS means, stimulated salivary flow, buffer capacity, mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and candida counts in saliva were determined. The ratio of caries–free adolescents was 4.6% in the total population sample, DMFT mean values were 7.24±4.86, DMFS means 10.50±8.35. Mean secretion rate of stimulated saliva was 0.84±0.50; a low buffer capacity was found in 6.3% of the examined children. The ratio of carriers of mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and yeasts in saliva was 89.7, 73.9 and 47.7%, respectively. DMFT and DMFS values as well as mutans streptococci and candida counts were lower in the capital than in the other city. Statistically significant correlations were found between DMFT, DMFS mean values, and salivary microbiological counts.

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Knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of root canals is important for successful endodontic treatment. The objective of the present study was to determine the 3D root canal axis mathematically. Two views (mesiodistal and buccolingual) of digitized images were taken from extracted natural human teeth. Geometric reconstruction to standardize projection geometry was conducted on images. Because 90-degree turn-around image pairs are Monge images of a given root canal, these Monge images were positioned using photogrammetric methods. Each well-ordered axis pair of a given root canal was put into a common coordinate system resulting in 3D polynomial function of the actual root canal. On the basis of the results gained using 10 samples evaluated with the Friedman statistical test, this description seems to be reproducible. The 3D representation of the root canal may help the clinicians in choosing the optimal instruments and shaping techniques. The root canal axis that is described by the 3D function forms a basis for determination of curvature values and torsion values in each of the axis points. Evaluating these values may also yield a new type of classification.

The aim of the study was to establish a preventive program with the combined use of amine fluoride toothpaste and gel in groups of adolescents living in different locations in Hungary. Caries and oral hygiene examinations were performed at the beginning of the study and repeated after 1 and 2 years. The adolescents were divided into 3 groups: 1 control and 2 test groups. The control group continued its usual oral care habits. One of the test groups received Elmex toothpaste for unsupervised home use daily and Elmex gel for use once a week, and the other test group received Elmex toothpaste and only placebo gel. The combined use of amine fluoride-containing toothpaste and gel provided a significant reduction in DMFS mean values (38% including white spot lesions, 34% not including white spot lesions, p < 0.05) and in visible plaque index values (18%, p < 0.05) compared to the control group.