Stem cells can self-renew and produce different cell types, thus providing new strategies to regenerate missing tissues and treat diseases. In the field of dentistry, adult mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been identified in several oral and maxillofacial tissues, which suggests that the oral tissues are a rich source of stem cells, and oral stem and mucosal cells are expected to provide an ideal source for genetically reprogrammed cells such as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Furthermore, oral tissues are expected to be not only a source but also a therapeutic target for stem cells, as stem cell and tissue engineering therapies in dentistry continue to attract increasing clinical interest. Part I of this review outlines various types of intra- and extra-oral tissue-derived stem cells with regard to clinical availability and applications in dentistry. Additionally, appropriate sources of stem cells for regenerative dentistry are discussed with regard to differentiation capacity, accessibility and possible immunomodulatory properties.

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Purpose: To clarify whether there might be a gender difference in masticatory performance in dentate adults.
Methods: Thirty male subjects and thirty female subjects were asked to chew gummy jelly on their habitual chewing side for 10, 15 and 20 s and the amounts of glucose extraction were measured. The changes of both glucose extraction and standardized glucose extraction from 10 to 20 s were investigated differently for males and females. The amount of glucose extraction was compared between males and females for each chewing duration. In addition, in order to confirm a gender difference in occlusal force, the maximum occlusal force was compared between males and females.
Results: For both males and females, the amount of glucose extraction was lowest for 10-s chewing and increased significantly for 15-s and 20-s chewing. The mean standardized glucose extraction values increased in proportion with the duration of chewing. The standard deviations of the standardized glucose extraction were very small (below 0.02) for all chewing durations in both males and females. With regard to comparison of the glucose extraction between males and females, the amount of glucose extraction was significantly larger for males than for females for all chewing durations. The maximum occlusal force was significantly larger for males.
Conclusion: It was suggested that it might be important to take into consideration gender-related differences while analyzing masticatory performance in dentate adults.

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Purpose: Recently, there has been considerable interest in finding novel applications and functions for existing dental materials. We found that, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, titanium oxide spontaneously generates nanostructures very similar to the "nanotubes" created by TiO₂ sputtering. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of this surface to affect the cellular osteogenic differentiation response.
Methods: Titanium disks without and with a 'nanosheet' deposited on their surface were used as the control and test groups, respectively. Cell culture experiments were performed with SD rat bone marrow cells, which were seeded into microplate wells and cultured in media designed to induce osteogenic differentiation. We measured alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OCN) production, calcium deposition and Runx2 gene expression to assess the levels of differentiation.
Results: After 14 and 21 days, cellular ALP activity was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group. After 28 days, cells in the test group also showed significantly more calcium deposition and OCN production than those in the control group. There was significantly different expression of Runx2 mRNA in the test group compared to the control group after 3 days of culture.
Conclusion: In conclusion, these data suggest that titanium implants modified by the application of nanostructures promote osteogenic differentiation, and may improve the biointegration of these implants into the alveolar bone.

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Purpose: The interface between the transmucosal portion of endosseous implants surface and the connective tissue is characterized by fibroblast-rich barrier tissue, which is important for the long-term stability and maintenance of the implant. This study investigated the effect of cell adhesion on focal adhesion kinase (FAK) protein and on gene expression over a 72-h culture period. Fibroblast-like cells were cultured on anodized-hydrothermally treated commercially pure titanium with nanotopographic structure (SA-treated c.p.Ti) surfaces.
Methods: Murine fibroblast-like NIH/3T3 cells were cultured for 10–72 h on c.p.Ti, anodic oxide (AO) c.p.Ti, and SA-treated c.p.Ti disks. Cell morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cytoskeletal structure and FAK protein localization were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). FAK mRNA levels were analyzed using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.
Results: SEM and CLSM showed increased NIH/3T3 cell adhesion with time, and actin filaments oriented parallel with the filopodium-like extensions on all disks. Filopodium-like extensions were bound tightly to the nanotopographic structure surface of cultures on SA-treated c.p.Ti, and especially at 72 h. FAK protein was localized along cellular extensions on SA-treated c.p.Ti and the expression of FAK mRNA was significantly higher on these disks than on c.p.Ti and AO c.p.Ti after 72 h (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: NIH/3T3 fibroblast-like cells have the capacity to adhere to SA-treated c.p.Ti as a transmucosal portion of implant surface material and express focal adhesion molecules, which may play a key role in the maintenance of a mucosal tissue barrier.

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Purpose: This study investigated whether the tubular occluding effect of oxalate desensitizer (OX) during adhesive cementation improved bonding of a self-etch and two etch-and-rinse resin cements to dentin after 6 months.
Methods: A flat dentin surface was prepared on 120 extracted premolars, which were randomly divided into six groups of 20 teeth each according to the adhesive resin cement system used: ED primer II/Panavia F2.0, Excite DSC (Ex DSC)/Variolink II, and One-Step Plus (OS Plus)/Duolink, with or without OX (BisBlock) application. After cementation of an indirect composite rod, two subgroups (n = 10) were tested after 24 h and 6 months of water storage plus thermocycling, and shear bond strengths were recorded in MPa.
Results: Statistical tests showed that although oxalate had a borderline significant negative effect on initial bonding of ED primer II/Panavia F2.0, it significantly improved bonding durability (p < 0.05). OX severely compromised the initial bond strength of Ex DSC/Variolink II (p < 0.001) but had no effect on the reduction in bonding after aging. OX was compatible with OS Plus/Duolink and did not affect the loss of bonding strength after 6 months (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Combining an oxalate desensitizer with three types of resin cements had different effects on bond strength to dentin after aging, depending on the interaction of oxalate with the adhesive system associated to the resin cement.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the color difference of mouthguard in hardness, water sorption and thickness after forming EVA sheets. Six different colors of sheets were tested for each of three manufacturers.
Methods: The materials used in this study were mouthguard sheets made by three manufacturers. Each manufacturer supplied six colors: clear, white, yellow, blue, red, and black. Shore A hardness and water sorption were measured based on ISO 7619 and 1817, respectively. The thickness after formation was measured by using a measuring device. The differences in hardness, water sorption and thickness after formation were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. The correlation between the hardness and changes in thickness was analyzed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient.
Results: Shore A hardness was different depending upon various colored sheets and manufactures. There were differences in the water sorption depending upon some colored sheet among manufacturers. There was a significant difference in the thickness after formation was found to be dependent upon few colors of the sheets on one manufacturer's product on the anterior teeth and on three products on posterior teeth. A negative correlation between the hardness and the change of thickness was found in two products.
Conclusions: The present study suggests that the Shore A hardness and thickness after formation varied depending upon the colors of the EVA sheets and manufactures. A correlation between the hardness and change of thickness was observed in two manufactures that suggests that the hard sheets tend to reduce in thickness greater than that in softer ones.

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Purpose: Studying the effect of surface roughness and thermal cycling on titanium–ceramic bonding.
Methods: One hundred fourteen samples in the form of bar for the C.P. titanium and Ti–6Al–4V alloy were used. They were divided into two groups according to the type of bar. Each group was then subdivided according to the type of surface treatment to three subgroups, control, airborne-particle abrasion and silica coated. Each subgroup was subdivided into two classes according to the type of test (surface roughness and bond strength). Samples used for the bond strength test were veneered. These samples were subdivided into two subclasses according to thermal cycling; whether without thermal cycling or after 6000 thermal cycles.
Results: The surface roughness test results showed that silica coating recorded the highest surface roughness. Also C.P. titanium gave higher value of surface roughness than Ti–6Al–4V alloy. As regard the bond strength, the airborne-particle abrasion classes and the silica coated classes recorded bond strength values above the acceptable limit of 25 MPa determined in ISO 9693. As regard thermal cycling, the results showed that aging by thermal cycling decreased the metal–ceramic bond strength.
Conclusions: The airborne-particle abrasion and the silica coating are acceptable treatments for titanium–ceramic restorations. Increasing surface roughness of C.P. titanium and Ti–6Al–4V alloy not necessarily results in an increase in their bond strength to ceramics. Aging affects the metal–ceramic bond strength.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of a new gustatory test based on the progress of mastication by counting the number of chewing strokes required for recognizing tastes.
Methods: Thirty-nine subjects (20 males and 19 females, 25.3 ± 6.4 years old) without missing teeth were selected. Four types of newly designed test materials made from 15% gelatine were prepared, containing sucrose, sodium chloride, tartaric acid, or quinine hydrochloride. Five or six concentrations, representing weak to strong tastes, were prepared for each tastant. Subjects were instructed to chew the food, and the number of chewing strokes necessary to recognize the taste was counted.
Results: Female subjects recognized the sweet taste more accurately than male subjects (Friedman test: p < 0.05). For each tastant of the test materials, the average number of chewing strokes (recognition threshold) was approximately 10. The frequency of correct responses and the average number of chewing strokes tended to be higher and lower, respectively, as the concentration of the taste in the test material increased (Kruskal–Wallis test: sweet p < 0.01, salty p < 0.01, sour p < 0.01 and bitter p < 0.01).
Conclusions: Using the newly designed test materials, counting the number of chewing strokes necessary for recognizing the taste would be a useful index of a new gustatory test to investigate taste sensation.

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Purpose: To compare and to evaluate the stability of the retentive force of cobalt–chromium (Co–Cr) circumferential clasps (control) to those with an acetyl resin retentive arm.
Methods: Sixteen specimens with a couple of circumferential clasps were made using Co–Cr over a metal model providing 0.25 mm undercuts. Eight specimens were fabricated without the anterior retentive arm, which was made later using acetyl resin (Dental D). Insertion and removal simulation test was performed through 7250 cycles. The retentive force was recorded in Newtons (N) for periods corresponding to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. The data were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey test to compare periods and to Student's t test to compare groups (α = 0.05).
Results: Mean (SD) is presented for Co–Cr and resin groups, respectively: 8.09(3.05) and 2.79(1.57) in period 0; 10.48(4.25) and 3.32(1.92) in 1 year; 10.09(4.15) and 3.47(1.81) in 2 years; 9.87(4.30) and 3.46(1.87) in 3 years; 9.46(3.93) and 3.27(1.59) in 4 years; 9.63(3.79) and 3.41(1.59) in 5 years. There were significant differences for Co–Cr between periods of 0 and 1 (p < 0.001), 0 and 2 (p < 0.01) and 0 and 3 (p < 0.05). In the resin group, no significant differences were found between periods (p > 0.05). Comparisons between the groups showed statistical differences for all tested periods: 0 (p = 0.0012), 1 (p = 0.0013), 2 (p = 0.0019), 3 (p = 0.0031), 4 (p = 0.0027) and 5 years (p = 0.0014).
Conclusions: Acetyl resin retentive arms, even if only in the anterior clasps, can significantly reduce the retentive force, but this force remained stable after 5 years of simulated use.

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Tooth replacement in the maxillary anterior region is especially difficult when the loss includes significant amounts of the residual ridge and the soft tissue. Several techniques are available, such as dental implants or fixed partial denture, and bone and gingival grafts or gingival prostheses, respectively. This article showed a clinical case of an elderly who was treated with a collarless metal–ceramic fixed partial denture and acrylic removable gingival prosthesis to recover the esthetics in the maxillary anterior region. The association of a metal–ceramic fixed denture and gingival prosthesis was an excellent alternative in cases when surgical procedures are contraindicated.

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