Three root canal filling materials, viz. calcium hydroxide-based cement (Apexit ® , resin-based cement (AH-plus ® ) and glass-ionomer based material (Ketac Endo ® ) were tested for their influence on several functions of peritoneal macrophages from Balb/c mice. Macrophage functions were evaluated by the adherence, phagocytic, candidacidal and Nitro blue tetrazolium-dye assays. Ketac-Endo ® enhanced all macrophage functions in the first 2 d (p ≤ 0.05), when compared to the positive control, but this effect had changed after 7 and 14 d, causing inhibition of these functions. Other materials suppressed substrate adherence capacity and phagocytosis, while significantly stimulating macrophage microbicidal activity (p ≤ 0.05) in a timedependent manner.

The calcium hydroxide-based filling material Apexit, which is often used in endodontic practice, was evaluated for its antibacterial and antifungal effects against microorganisms isolated from oral cavity (Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas putida, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans). Two different quantitative techniques were employed -the direct-contact test was used to examine the efficacy of freshly mixed material while the broth-survival test was employed to check the antimicrobial properties of 5-d-old material. Apexit inhibited Gram-negative bacteria more effectively than Gram-positive ones but had none or a very weak inhibitory effect on C. albicans.

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in human periapical lesions. Subjects and methods. Samples were obtained from three groups of teeth: symptomatic teeth, asymptomatic lesions, and uninflamed periradicular tissues as a control. Results. TNF-alpha levels were significantly increased in symptomatic lesions compared to control. Group with asymptomatic lesions had significantly higher concentrations compared to control. There were no significant differences in TNF-alpha levels between symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions. In group with symptomatic lesions, IL-6 levels were significantly higher than in group with asymptomatic lesions. The IL-6 levels in symptomatic group also showed significantly higher concentration in comparison with control group. In asymptomatic group, the IL-6 level had significantly higher concentrations compared to control. Conclusion. These results indicate that symptomatic lesions represent an immunologically active stage of disease, and asymptomatic lesions are the point from which the process advances toward healing.

A new method, applied for the first time in this research, was used for measurement of tooth extraction forces. The research has been done in a group of 50 examinees to whom the tooth extraction has been done with lower premolar forceps - forceps "13" and in the control group of 54 examinees in whom the tooth extraction has been done with upper incisive forceps - forceps "1". The measurement instrument registered the extraction forces values in both types of forceps. There was no difference in any parameters in these two groups except in used pressure. While using the forceps "13", a significantly lower tooth extraction force was measured than the force measured while using the forceps "1" (p < 0.001). This means that in clinical work we can already apply noticeably less force using the lower premolar forceps for the extraction of the upper incisors (in the moments of rotation up to 70%). These results are meaningful, because they lead to b...

Eagleov sindrom ili sindrom stiloidnog nastavka predstavlja skup simptoma koji nastaju kao posljedica produljenog stiloidnog nastavaka ili kalcifikacije stiloidnog ligamenta. Sindrom je prvi opisao američki otorinolaringolog Watt W. Eagle 1937. godine, po kojem sindrom i nosi naziv. Stiloidni nastavak je koštani izdanak donjeg dijela sljepoočne kosti, normalne dužine od 20-30 mm. Stiloidni nastavak iznad 30 mm definira se kao produljeni. Zajedno sa stiloidnim ligamentom i malim rogom jezične kosti čini stilohioidni sustav. Postoji nekoliko teorija kojima se objašnjava uzrok produljenja i/ili kalcifikacije stiloidnog sustava, međutim, točna etiologija je još uvijek nepoznata. Eagleov sindrom se može manifestirati nizom simptoma koji nastaju kao posljedica pritiska produljenog nastavka na okolne strukture. Nespecifični bolovi vrata ili bolovi koji se pojačavaju okretanjem glave, osjećaj stranog tijela u farinksu, otežano gutanje, perzistentna grlobolja koja se širi prema uhu iste stra...