Biomedical subjects

Richard S Callan

Publications and source records attributed to Richard S Callan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Injury reports in a dental school: a two-year overview.

As teaching institutions, it is vital for dental schools to collect data on accidental injuries to identify potential problems, improve the quality of care of patients, and educate future practitioners about risk management. Our data reveal important trends concerning such injuries. These data were compiled over a two-year period (2001-03) from accident reports at one dental school. We categorized the accidents as follows: source (instrument causing the injury), recipient of injury, time of day, location within the dental school where the injury occurred, and body part injured. The population examined in this study consisted of predoctoral and postdoctoral dental students, staff, faculty, and patients of the dental school. The majority of injuries occurred in the predoctoral clinic toward the middle to the end of the scheduled clinic periods. The instrument most likely involved was a needle, and the body part most commonly injured was a finger. The collection and analysis of injury data may be used to identify trends that will aid in the prediction and prevention of these injuries and, at a national level, serve as a benchmark that other dental schools can employ to assess their relative frequency of injury.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2005

LED curing lights--what's new?

Technological changes to blue light-emitting diode (LED) light-curing units have taken place at an accelerated rate. The lighting industry, however, has not yet improved output levels of blue chip design used in dental LED units as quickly. In fact, the same 5 watt source has been offered since 1992. The next step in technology advancement is the use of conventional, contemporary chips with improved output levels. These levels may arise from supplying greater electrical power to the chip, and must be accompanied by designs that will reduce internal chip heat to avoid permanent damage. A new LED light design uses periodic level shifting (PLS) to intermittently increase chip output levels over those of baseline. In doing so, maximal output from the chip can be achieved, but not at the risk of destroying the source. This article describes the current state of LED light units, discusses the strategy of chip design and limitations, and presents a description of an LED recently introduced that uses PLS technology.

Dental Equipment↗

PubMed2004

Safety and efficacy of a nightguard bleaching agent containing sodium fluoride and potassium nitrate.

OBJECTIVES: Transient sensitivity during bleaching is generally reported to affect 67% of patients. While most people tolerate this sensitivity, some find it impossible to continue treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of an experimental, low-sensitivity bleaching agent. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Twenty-two participants bleached for a minimum of 6 hours per night over a 2-week period. The bleaching agent used, Experimental Product E, is a 10% carbamide peroxide gel containing potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride. Evaluations were performed at baseline and 1,2,13, and 26 weeks. Color change was measured using a value-ordered Vita classic shade guide and a colorimeter. Sensitivity of the teeth, gingiva, tongue, and/or throat was measured daily using a patient log. RESULTS: The median color change after 2 weeks was eight tabs. Approximately 36% reported sensitivity during the active whitening phase of the study. As a group, participants reported sensitivity during 13.7% of the total days spent whitening. CONCLUSION: Experimental Product E was shown to be safe. Participants experienced minor sensitivity during the active bleaching phase only. Experimental Product E was shown to be an effective bleaching agent for the subjects tested in this study.

Adult↗