Introduction: Calcium aluminate a-aluminate (CAA) and wollastonite calcium α-aluminate (WOLCA) are new cements with sufficient biocompatibility and sealing ability. Radiopacity of these cements have not been evaluated. The aim of the present study was to determine the minimum amounts of two types of radiopacifiers necessary to incorporate into these two cements in order to achieve the necessary radiopacity in comparison with Pro-root MTA and Portland cement.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, bismuth oxide and barium sulfate, with concentrations of 10% and 20%, were added to CAA and WOLCA as radiopacifiers and the radiopacity results were compared with that of Pro-root MTA as gold standard. Sixty Teflon ring specimens, measuring 10 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness, were prepared according to ISO standard of 6876, 2001. The specimens were divided into 12 groups of 5 and placed onto PSP cassette plates. The specimens were radiographed under exposure conditions of 63 kVp, 8 mA and 0.6 seconds. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA at a significance level of 0.95.Results: The materials exhibited radiopacity (in mm of aluminum) in the following descending order: Pro-root MTA, 0.8 gr of CAA+0.2 gr of bismuth oxide, 0.8 gr of WOLCA+0.2 gr of bismuth oxide, 0.9 gr of WOLCA+0.1 gr of bismuth oxide (p value<0.001).Conclusion: For appropriate radiopacity based on international standards, combination of 0.8 gr of CAA+0.2 gr of bismuth oxide, 0.8 gr of WOLCA+0.2 gr of bismuth oxide and 0.9 gr of WOLCA+ 0.1 gr of bismuth oxide are recommended.

Dentists always prioritize the preservation of the dental pulp. Nowadays, minimally invasive endodontic techniques such as Vital Pulp Therapy (VPT) are considered due to their affordability and remarkable success compared to conventional treatments such as Root Canal Treatment (RCT). VPT aims at preserving healthy portions of the exposed pulp while removing the inflamed parts with biocompatible materials to seal the pulp. The present case report aimed to describe a successful VPT of a right mandibular permanent first molar with reversible pulpitis using Calcium Enriched Mixture (CEM) cement in an 18-year-old female patient. As pulp exposure happened regarding extensive caries removal, 2 mm of the inflamed pulp was removed and replaced with CEM cement. CEM was covered with Resin-modified glass ionomers (RMGI) and the tooth was restored with amalgam. Regular follow-ups were performed at 3 and 6 months and 1, 2, and 4 years after treatment. Conclusion: The tooth was clinically and radiographically functional without signs and symptoms of infection or inflammation. The result of this case suggests that pinpoint pulp exposure during deep caries excavation can be successfully treated with VPT using CEM cement.

Introduction: Root mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a type of MTA that has been introduced in the Iranian market. There have been few studies on this substance. This study compared the push-out bond strength of Root MTA and CEM cement, which were both Iranian products. Materials & Methods: This in vitro study was performed on 20 extracted maxillary incisors. Samples were divided in two groups. The canals of the first group were filled with Root MTA and the second group by CEM cement. In order to investigate the push-out bond strength, the device applied a force in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sample so that the desired materials would fail. Each sample was classified into one of three types of failureincluding adhesive (failure in the material and dentin interface), cohesive (failure in the material itself) or a combination of both. Results: There was no significant difference between the mean pressure on teeth for the two groups (P>0. 05). There was no significant difference between the frequencies of different types of failure between the two groups (P>0. 05). Cohesive failure in the CEM group was twice as high as in the MTA group (P>0. 05). Conclusion: There was not any significant difference between the push-out bond strength of CEM cement and Root MTA cement. These findings demonstrated that Root MTA material showed a satisfactory result in the bond strength test compared to CEM material, and could be used as an alternative to CEM cement.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a life threatening disease. One of the important etiologies of osteoporosis is low calcium intake from daily dietary intakes, making calcium salt administration in pharmacological form or as a food additive highly recommendable as a protective mechanism againt this disease, especially in women. Calcium acetate is a water soluble agent whereas calcium carbonate (which is routinely used in pharmacological forms of calcium salts) is not easily dissolved in water; hence we decided to compare the bioavailability of calcium carbonate to that of calcium acetate.Material and methods: During a clinical trial study, 20 normal female volunteers with the appropriate inclusion criteria were enrolled. On the day of study, fasting urine specimens were collected from all subjects, and 2 hours after a meal, a solution of calcium carbonate was administered to all participants and then, again, urine specimens were collected after 4 hours. After a 10 day washout period, this test was repeated with calcium acetate. The results were analyzed with paired t test.Results: The mean increase in urine calcium was 38.55 ± 6.1 mg and 36.33 ± 6.14 mg after administration of calcium carbonate or calcium acetate respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between calcium absorption from calcium carbonate and calcium acetate.Conclusion: Regarding the beneficial effects of calcium acetate as a soluble salt, in comparison with calcium carbonate and based on the results of this study indicating the similarity in calcium absorption from these two salts, calcium acetate can be administered as an appropriate substance for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Indeed it can be used in enriching the liquid comestibles.