Aims: This study aimed to assess the relationship between upper and lower incisors and soft tissue facial profile. Materials and methods: The sample included forty eight Iraqi adults (22 men, 26 women) with Class I normal occlusion. Seven soft tissue parameters and six skeletal and incisal parameters were measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs. The data were analyzed using independent sample t test and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: sexual dimorphism was reported only for soft tissue convexity angle and interlabial angle. The results also showed correlation between incisor parameters and soft tissue parameters. Lower incisor inclination showed negative correlation with soft tissue profile angle for male and total samples. While both upper and lower incisors positions showed positive correlation with upper lip/NP angle and soft tissue pogonion/NP distance. Positive correlation was noticed between interincisal angle and soft tissue profile convexity angle for the total sample. Conclusions: upper and lower incisors are correlated to the overlying soft tissue structures. This correlation was mostly significant for the upper lip vermilion, upper lip base and tip of the nose.

Aims:To put a bases for the prediction of the circumference of artificial anterior teeth depending on the palatal dimensions Materials and methods: The study sample consists of 30 female and 32 male with class I occlusion aged 19-24 years .The dimensions of the palatal vault and the circumferences of upper anterior teeth were recorded with digital venire caliper and analyzed with SPSS program (version 11). Results: significant correlation was found between the dimension of the palatal vault and the circumference of upper anterior teeth. Conclusions: the angle of circumferences of upper anterior teeth of narrow short and deep palate will be more tapered than those one in the wide, long and shallow palate. Keyword: Circumferences of upper anterior teeth ,palatal dimensions.Ahmad ZM.

Aims: Assessment of Candida albicans adherence to flexible denture base material (Valplast) and conventional heat polymerized acrylic resin in the presence and absence of saliva. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 square specimens (10 mm x10 mm x3mm) were constructed from Valplast and acrylic denture base materials according to manufacturers' instructions and kept without finishing or polishing. C. albicans was isolated from patients with denture stomatitis. Fourteen specimens (7 of each material) were not coated with human saliva (control), deposited in yeast suspension (10 7 ) yeast cells/ml, incubated for 1hr at room temperature and washed with phosphate buffer saline and then stained with crystal violet. The remaining 14 specimens (7 of each material) were coated with saliva and treated as previously described. Adherent yeast cells in 84 fields of view (0.25mm 2 /field) of materials were enumerated. The results were expressed as yeast cells/mm 2 of material. Results: In comparison between the two denture base materials, Candida adherence to acrylic resin (170 yeast cells/mm 2 ) is greater than Valplast (126 yeast cells/mm 2 ). Both saliva uncoated and coated acrylic samples have higher means of Candida adherence (208, 132 cells/mm 2 ) than saliva uncoated and coated Valplast samples (175, 77 cells/mm 2 ) respectively. High significant reduction in yeast counts was seen in both materials after saliva coating. Conclusions: Great reductions in yeast counts were determined in Valplast material specially in saliva coated specimens when compared with acrylic resin. Key Words: Candida albicans adherence, flexible denture base material, Valplast Ahmad ZM, Mustafa EA, Jawad IA. Adherence of Candida albicans to Flexible Denture Base Material. Al-Rafidain Dent J. 2012;12(2): 229-235.

Aims:The aims of this study are to compare the dimensional changes of record base from heat and cold cured acrylic resin, with the latter cured by two techniques, and to study the regions vulnerable to dimensional changes. Materials and Methods: The adaptation of the record base on edentulous maxillary casts were tested by sectioning the record base-stone casts sets transversely and measuring the gaps with travelling microscope. The gaps represent the crest of the ridge, midline, and the deepest points of buccal sulcus. Results: Record base made from cold cured acrylic resin showed significantly higher dimensional changes than that from heat curd acrylic resin. There were no significant difference between the bench-curd and thermopress curing for cold cured acrylic resin. No significant differences found between the ridge crest and midline , but both show significantly less dimensional changes than the buccal vestibules. Conclusions: Curing cold cured acrylic resin by thermopress machine would not improve dimensional stability. And to improve the dimensional stability, the denture base that is made from heat cured acrylic resin may be used as a record base.

Aims: To determine the level and angulation of the occlusal plane of the artificial dental arch by measuring the level and angulation of the occlusal plane of completely dentulous subjects and to find the relation of these measurements to some of the vertical facial and intra oral dimensions. Materials and Methods: The sample of the study consisted from 54 completely dentulous adult subjects (24 female and 30 male) with class 1 normal occlusion aged 19-24 years. Dental casts were taken for each subject, the level and angulation of the occlusal plane, vertical facial, and intra oral dimensions were measured using digital vernier caliper and protractor. The data were analyzed with statistical package for social science program. Results: Sexual differences were found in the intra and extraoral measurements. Most of the measurements dealing with the occlusal plane level and angulation were correlated with each other and with facial measurements. Conclusions: The level and angulation of the occlusal plane of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches as measured on the dental casts are higher in maxilla than in mandible and the intra and extraoral vertical facial measurements are greater in male than female.