Decision Tree for Vertical Ridge Augmentation.

Vertical ridge augmentation (VRA) procedures before or during dental implant placement are technically challenging and often encounter procedure-related complications. To minimize complications and promote success, a literature search was conducted to validate procedures used for VRA. A decision tree based on the amount of additional ridge height needed (< 4, 4 to 6, or > 6 mm) was then developed to improve the procedure-selection process.

Flap Designs for Flap Advancement During Implant Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedures allow ridge augmentation before or at time of implant placement. GBR outcomes rely on primary passive tension-free wound closure, which may be achieved by a variety of flap designs and surgical procedures. A comprehensive literature review of flap design and management is provided, including material types, incision design, reflection, releasing, and suturing techniques.

The Role of Occlusion in Implant Therapy: A Comprehensive Updated Review.

Purpose: Occlusal overload may cause implant biomechanical failures, marginal bone loss, or even complete loss of osseointegration. Thus, it is important for clinicians to understand the role of occlusion in implant long-term stability. This systematic review updates the understanding of occlusion on dental implants, the impact on the surrounding peri-implant tissues, and the effects of occlusal overload on implants.

Tissue engineering for bone regeneration and osseointegration in the oral cavity.

Objective: The focus of this review is to summarize recent advances on regenerative technologies (scaffolding matrices, cell/gene therapy and biologic drug delivery) to promote reconstruction of tooth and dental implant-associated bone defects.

Methods: An overview of scaffolds developed for application in bone regeneration is presented with an emphasis on identifying the primary criteria required for optimized scaffold design for the purpose of regenerating physiologically functional osseous tissues. Growth factors and other biologics with clinical potential for osteogenesis are examined, with a comprehensive assessment of pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Risks and benefits of connecting an implant and natural tooth.

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to review the current literature on the topic of tooth-implant supported fixed partial dentures (FPD) to determine risks and benefits for treatment planning considerations and weighing potential complications.

Materials And Methods: A PubMed search (April-August 2013) was performed using the keywords "tooth-implant fixed partial denture" and "tooth-implant bridge" in addition to manual searches of bibliographies of full text articles and related reviews from the electronic search.

Results: A total of 21 relevant articles were selected for inclusion in the topic of tooth-implant supported FPD.