Dentists practicing in Nigeria exhibited knowledge gaps concerning DH and its diagnosis and management.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of additional canals in maxillary first permanent molar in an adult population in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study done using both in vivo and in vitro techniques. A total of 156 teeth were used; 50 for the in vivo and 106 for the in vitro study. Dental loupes and gentle troughing of the pulpal floor was done, to look for additional canal in the in vivo study, while the teeth in vitro study were sectioned at three levels after impregnation with a dye and magnifying glass was used to look for additional canals. Results: In the in vivo aspect of the study a total of 50 patients were treated, of this number 17 (34.0%) had additional canals, these were all found in the mesiobuccal roots. In the in vitro phase of the study 106 teeth were examined, sectioning at the cementoenamel junction revealed that 6 (5.7%) and 2 (1.9%) of the mesiobuccal and palatal roots had additional canals. Sectioning at the furcation and middle of the mesiobuccal, distobuccal and palatal roots revealed that 76 (71.1%) and 80 (75.5%) of the mesiobuccal roots respectively had additional canals. Conclusion: It can be concluded, from the clinical, as well as the laboratory aspect of this study that the incidence of additional canals in the maxillary first permanent molar, in this environment, is much higher than what was previously reported, and when these additional canals are present, they are usually found in the mesiobuccal root.

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Background: The search for a material that will meet the present-day demands for good aesthetics and functionality has continued to generate interest in dental material sciences. Resinous materials, especially composite resins have no doubt been employed in meeting some of these demands. These restorations like the natural teeth are often exposed to the effect of toothbrushing and other oral hygiene practices. Objective: The study aimed to assess the effects of toothbrushing on the clinical performance of Resin-based Composites in posterior teeth. Method: This was a prospective study carried out in the conservative clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Following ethical approval, thirty-five patients who had at least three posterior teeth caries and met the inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. The 35 patients then received three restorations each of Organically modified ceramics (ORMOCER), Nanohybrid, and micro-hybrid Results: Thirty-five participants were recruited for this study. Of the 35 participants, 29 (82.9%) were females while 6 (17.1%) were males, giving a female-to-male ratio of 4:1. Each participant had 3 cavities which were restored with each of the test materials, giving a total of 105 restorations. There was a statistically significant finding with those who brushed using the horizontal technique as well as with those who brushed for a longer duration. Conclusion: The present study showed that oral hygiene habits especially tooth brushing have effects on the clinical performance of Resin-based Composites, though the effects vary depending on the aspect of toothbrushing. Keywords: Effects, Oral hygiene, Clinical Performance, Posterior restorations