Background: Calcium sodium phosphor-silicate material, a type of bio-glass was originally developed as an implant material to regenerate bone and recently adapted for use in oral care products (NovaMin Technology Inc.). Novamin is used for many dental problems like hypersensitivity, gingivitis, bleeding, non-carious lesions, carious lesions, whitening and is currently emerging as one of the treatment modality for the remineralization of the tooth. Since the prescription of these novel materials to the patients are based on cost effectiveness, efficacy and effectiveness, a clinician should make decision based on best available evidence. Hence, the objective of this review is to find out the current evidence available on the use of Novamin as an agent for remineralization. Materials and methods: Relevant articles were searched and screened from several databases including PubMed, Cochrane review, Science Direct and trip which were published till 1988 to July 2017; The articles relevant to the objective of this review were included (RCT's) and articles out of interest of this review were excluded. The primary outcome for the chosen studies is the remineralization capacity of Novamin. Data extraction is done independently and jointly by 3 authors using data collection forms. Studies obtained were evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration tools for accessing risk bias. The assessment of the quality of the evidence and the bias risk was obtained using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and evaluation System. Results: The articles from the database obtained for further review was N = 1. According to the study reviewed, the baseline comparisons using decalcification index obtained between Novamin study group (ReNew) and the control group (Crest) yield a P-value of 0.97 whereas after a 3 months interval follow up the value is 0.0403 suggesting there was a trend towards improvement in white spot lesions in the control group and at 6 months' time point the p-value is 0.81 concluding that there are no significant difference of remineralization process obtained by using traditional toothpaste and Novamin. Conclusion: Review shows that Novamin has significantly less clinical evidence to prove its effectiveness as a remineralization agent in treating both carious and non-carious lesion. Hence, better designed clinical trials should be carried out in the future before definitive recommendations can be made.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of erosive tooth wear affecting both adults and children; designing optimum protocols of management in a noninvasive manner is gaining precedence. Aim: Comparative evaluation of topically applied calcium phosphate-based agents casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and beta tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on the surface of eroded dentin. Materials and Methods: Dentin blocks from human third molars in four groups were subjected to the surface treatment: (G1) sound dentin (G2) demineralized dentin (G3) CPP-ACP (G4) β-TCP. All the samples except control (G1) were immersed in an acidic solution incubated at 37°C for 96 h. The samples in G3 and G4 were topically treated with CPP-ACP and β-TCP for 4 min twice daily for 14 days; followed by pH-cycling for 21 days. Surface hardness testing and surface morphology were observed using the scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software with Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc test. Results: Dentin treated with both CPP-ACP (37.25) and β-TCP (32.05) recorded significantly higher VHN than demineralized (G2-23.51) but lower compared to sound control (G1-57.06). Conclusion: The topical application of CPP-ACP and β-TCP agents shows definite potential in promoting the hardening of demineralized dentin surface.

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BACKGROUND The unique nature of human teeth has always been a special aid in personal identification throughout history. [1] Forensic odontology is a branch of dentistry that deals with the application of dental knowledge to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by the investigative agencies in a criminal justice system .[2] Dental tissues are the strongest tissues in the human body and therefore their characteristics remain unchanged even in extreme environment and can survive long periods in conditions like burial under soil, fire and exposure to any biological agents in the environment. [3] Therefore, the importance of teeth in forensics is profoundly increasing. Endodontics in particular plays a pivotal role in forensic investigation by providing adequate knowledge of root canal anatomy, periapical radiographs, dental restorations, which favour comparison and personal identification of a deceased person. [1] We wanted to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of the role of endodontics in forensic odontology among postgraduate students enrolled in the specialty of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics. METHODS A standardized web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in a group of post graduate students n=306 (endodontists) in which 20 questions related to the role of endodontics in forensic odontology were included. The responses were recorded, and the data was analyzed using statistical analysis. Based on the responses obtained, data was analysed, and the frequencies and percentages were calculated. RESULTS The results of the present survey revealed that 6% of total participants had good awareness (>16 Qs), 62% of total participants showed moderate awareness (10-16 Qs) and 32% of total participants had poor awareness (<10 Qs). CONCLUSIONS This survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness on practical usefulness of endodontics in forensic odontology. By considering the present expansion in field of forensic odontology, endodontists should be knowledgeable of the role and importance of their specialization in personal identification.

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