Laser Doppler flowmetry is a non-invasive electrooptical technique which allows the semi-quantitative recording of pulpal blood flow. This study aimed to determine the reliability (measured as the sensitivity and specificity) of laser Doppler flowmetry as a method of assessing the vitality of traumatised anterior teeth, and to compare it with standard pulpal diagnostic tests. Recordings of pulpal blood flow were taken from 67 non-vital anterior teeth (55 patients), where the pulpal status was confirmed by pulpectomy. For comparison, recordings were also taken from 84 vital anterior teeth (84 patients). Analysis of the recordings allowed diagnostic criteria to be developed which gave the technique a sensitivity and specificity of 1.0 for this sample. None of the other standard pulpal diagnostic methods tested was as reliable. This was usually due to low sensitivities, which ranged between 0.92 for sensibility testing with ethyl chloride down to 0.36 for periapical radiolucency and 0.16 for a history of pain. Laser Doppler flowmetry was found to be a reliable method of assessing the pulpal status of traumatised anterior teeth, although it is technique-sensitive and time-consuming to use.

An investigation has been carried out into the nature of the black pigment in black extrinsic tooth stain. The results suggest that the black material is a ferric salt, probably ferric sulfide, formed by the reaction between hydrogen sulfide produced by bacterial action and iron in the saliva or gingival exudate.

This study investigated the weights of irrigant extruded apically through extracted primary molar teeth. The aim was to compare the weight of canal irrigant (isotonic sodium chloride solution) extruded through the root canal using either a syringe fitted with a 27-gauge needle or an endosonic unit. Root canals were divided randomly into five groups of 15 discrete canals. The area of each apical foramen was recorded prior to the use of the irrigant. For each irrigation technique the maximum depth of penetration of the needle tip/file was either 2-3 mm or 6-7 mm from the apical foramen. In four groups the crowns of the teeth were in a mandibular position, in the fifth group the teeth were inverted to simulate maxillary teeth. The results showed that irrigant was extruded using both methods. There was significantly less extrusion of irrigant when the endosonic unit was used (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant relationship between foramen area and amount of extruded irrigant (P>0.05). There was no significant extrusion of irrigant in teeth with closed apices when either of the two methods was used (P>0.05).

Gingival debris were collected from two groups of children, one group having black extrinsic tooth stain, and the other being a control group with no apparent coloured staining of the teeth. The material from the former group had a significantly higher content of calcium and phosphate than the latter but no significant difference in either carbohydrate or protein could be shown. The calcium and phosphate content of the debris from the black-staining group was significantly lower than that of samples of dental calculus. The increased calcium and phosphate content of the gingival debris from individuals with extrinsic black tooth stain is thought to largely account for the reduced incidence of caries.

Previous studies have shown that the caries detector dyes, basic fuchsin and acid red, lack specificity. Accordingly, their clinical use can lead to the unnecessary removal of sound tissue. In the present study, the specificity of three further dyes, Carbolan Green, Coomassie Blue and Lissamine Blue was studied. Carious dentine was removed in vitro by means of rotary instruments until the cavities were deemed caries free by conventional clinical criteria. Experimental dyes were applied to the cavity floors, all of which became stained. Stained dentine was removed from half the cavity by means of a burr, the other half remaining as a control. Further stain was then applied and the procedure repeated until no further reduction of the staining of the cavity floor could be achieved. Light microscopy of ground sections of experimental teeth showed that sound tissue had been removed unnecessarily from the experimental half of the cavity due to the lack of specificity of these dyes. This lack of specificity of staining was similar to basic fuchsin and acid red. Only Carbolan Green showed possible differential staining between control and experimental sites, but this was not caries specific. If a clinically useful dye is to be developed, it would need to specifically stain either bacteria in infected dentine and/or the carious degradation products of dentine matrix.