Objectives: In this study, natural substances were introduced as primary dental pulp caps for use in pulp therapy, and the antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of these substances were investigated. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the antimicrobial properties of calciumenriched mixture (CEM) cement, propolis, and propolis individually combined with the extracts of several medicinal plants were investigated against Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Then, the cytotoxicity of each substance or mixture against pulp stem cells extracted from 30 primary healthy teeth was evaluated at 4 concentrations. Data were gathered via observation, and optical density values were obtained using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test and recorded. SPSS software version 23 was used to analyze the data. Data were evaluated using 2-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test. Results: Regarding antimicrobial properties, thyme alone and thyme + propolis had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa bacteria. For E. faecalis, thyme + propolis had the lowest MIC, followed by thyme alone. At 24 and 72 hours, thyme + propolis, CEM cement, and propolis had the greatest bioviability in the primary dental pulp stem cells, and lavender + propolis had the lowest bioviability. Conclusions Of the studied materials, thyme + propolis showed the best results in the measures of practical performance as a dental pulp cap.

OBJECTIVES: One way to prevent deaths due to rabies is the timely utilization of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Therefore, in addition to an understanding of the epidemiological distribution of animal bites, it is necessary to explore the factors leading to delays in PEP initiation. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran in 2011, and included 7097 cases of animal bites recorded at the Rabies Treatment Center of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences using the census method. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with delays in PEP. RESULTS: Among the patients studied, 5387 (75.9%) were males. The prevalence of animal bites in Fars province was 154.4 per 100 000 people. Dogs were the most frequent source of exposure (67.1%), and the most common bitten part of the body was the hands (45.5%). A delay in the initiation of PEP was found among 6.8% of the studied subjects. This delay was more likely in housewives (odds ratio [OR], 4.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.12 to 10.23) and less likely in people with deep wounds (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Although all animal bite victims received complete PEP, in some cases, there were delays. Further, the type of animal involved, the depth of the bite, and the patient’s occupation were the major factors associated with a delay in the initiation of PEP for rabies prevention.
Animals* ; Censuses ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dogs ; Epidemiology* ; Hand ; Humans ; Iran ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupations ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis* ; Prevalence ; Rabies* ; Vaccination ; Wounds and Injuries