Objectives: To evaluate a new method for assessing the radio-opacity of endodontic sealers and to compare radio-opacity values with a well-established standard method. Methods: The sealers evaluated in this study were AH Plus ® (Dentsply DeTrey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany), Endo CPM Sealer (EGEO SRL, Buenos Aires, Argentina) and MTA Fillapex ® (Angelus Dental Products Industry S/A, Londrina, Parana, Brazil). Two methods were used to evaluate radio-opacity: (D) standard discs and (S) a tissue simulator. For (D), ten standard discs were prepared for each sealer and were radiographed using Digora ® phosphor storage plates (Soredex; Orion Corporation, Helsinki, Finland), alongside an aluminium stepwedge. For (S), polyethylene tubes filled with sealer (n 5 10 for each) were radiographed inside the simulator as described. The digital images were analysed using Adobe Photoshop ® software v. 10.0 (Adobe Systems, San Jose, CA). To compare the radio-opacity among the sealers, the data were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey's test, and to compare methods, they were analysed by the Mann-Whitney U test. To compare the data obtained from dentin and sealers in method (S), Student's paired t-test was used (50.05). Results: In both methods, the sealers showed significant differences, according to the following decreasing order: AH Plus, MTA Fillapex and Endo CPM. In (D), MTA Fillapex and Endo CPM showed less radio-opacity than aluminium. For all of the materials, the radio-opacity was higher in (S) than in (D). Compared with dentin, all of the materials were more radio-opaque. Conclusions: The comparison of the two assessment methods for sealer radio-opacity testing validated the use of a tissue simulator block. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (2015Radiology ( ) 44, 20140422. doi: 10.1259 Cite this article as: Malka VB, Hochscheidt GL, Larentis NL, Grecca FS, Fontanella VRC, Kopper PMP. A new in vitro method to evaluate radio-opacity of endodontic sealers. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2015; 44: 20140422.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the most common drugs prescribed by dentists and the indicators related to rational drug use. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in which 189 interviews were carried out from August 2015 to June 2016 with patients who received drug prescriptions at specialized dental care centers in a city in southern Brazil. A specific data sheet was used, with questions regarding: age and gender of the patient, dental specialty in which the care occurred, and prescription drugs and their respective dosage regimen. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test (p <0.05). From the total of interviews, it was observed that 92.1% of patients received written medication prescriptions. Of these prescriptions, 38.5% had some type of antibiotic for systemic use. Acetaminophen was the most prescribed drug (33.4%), followed by amoxicillin (19.7%). The mean number of medications per prescription was 1.75, and 17.4% of the prescriptions did not indicate the dosage regimen. Our findings indicate a high incidence of prescribed antibiotics and non-compliance with regulatory agency guidance in prescriptions at the centers evaluated.

O objetivo desse estudo foi analisar o perfil de cirurgiões-dentistas prescritores, os fatores que influenciam as prescrições e os medicamentos mais frequentemente prescritos, em Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas. Foi realizado um estudo transversal, onde os cirurgiões-dentistas atuantes em centros de especialidades responderam a um questionário estruturado, de forma anônima. O questionário foi composto por dados demográficos, níveis de formação profissional, fontes de conhecimentos e de informações sobre o assunto, frequência de prescrição e indicação dos medicamentos mais prescritos. Aceitaram participar do estudo, 34 profissionais (73,9%). Os artigos científicos, a participação em eventos científicos e o contato com outros profissionais, representam a principal fonte de informação relatada pelos prescritores. O paracetamol (60,4%) foi o medicamento mais prescrito para dores leves e o ibuprofeno (71,4%) para controle de dores intensas. A amoxicilina (55,2%) foi o antimicrobiano mais prescrito pelos cirurgiões-dentistas. A média geral de acertos, associada aos dados categorizados, foi de 68%. Foram encontradas correlações positivas entre o tempo de formação e o conceito sobre uso racional de medicamentos. Enquanto que, para o conhecimento sobre profilaxia antimicrobiana foi identificada uma correlação negativa. Não houve diferença estatística entre as médias de acertos de profissionais formados em instituições públicas e privadas, bem como para os níveis de formação profissional. A formação acadêmica e continuada do prescritor é determinante para a prescrição racional de medicamentos em Odontologia.