Immediate Postextraction Single-Tooth Implants and Provisional Crowns in the Esthetic Area: 2-year Results of a Cohort Prospective Multicenter Study- Patient-Centered Outcomes.

Purpose: A prospective cohort multicenter study was undertaken to identify risk factors for implant survival, complications, and patient-centered outcomes following single-tooth immediate implant placement and loading in esthetic areas.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive immediate implants placed in incisors, canines, and premolar sites were included. Variables recorded as possible risk factors included smoking habit, systemic conditions or therapies, previous assumption of bisphosphonates, inability to take amoxicillin, untreated periodontitis, thin periodontium, parafunctional habits, suppuration, bone dehiscences, and buccal bone fracture during implant insertion.

Self-assessed neurological disturbances after surgical removal of impacted lower third molar: a pragmatic prospective study on 423 surgical extractions in 247 consecutive patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the combined role of current radiographic risk indicators and patient age in predicting lower lip sensitivity disturbances after surgical removal of impacted lower third molars. The question was which combinations indicate low or high risk.

Materials And Methods: A prospective study was implemented involving 247 consecutive outpatients who underwent 423 surgical extractions.

Commentary: A Translational Medicine Approach to Tooth Transplantation.

The autogenous tooth transplantation approach to replace missing teeth has been in use for a long time. Different surgical techniques have been developed to improve prognosis and longevity of transplanted teeth with complete root formation. Many factors reportedly affected short- and long-term success of the procedure: complications such as ankylosis and root resorption up to the tooth exfoliation have occurred frequently.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Longevity Protocol for Assessing the Risk of Implant Failure.

Background: A new, computerized diagnostic tool, called the Longevity Protocol, was recently developed to predict implant failure. The present retrospective analysis was undertaken to assess the prognostic validity of this protocol.

Materials And Methods: A selected group of patients who had been treated with implants over the past 10 years at six dental clinics and experienced implant failure were included in the analysis.

A technique for fabricating a definitive immediate implant-supported prosthesis for the edentulous mandible.

A technique for fabricating a definitive immediate fixed implant-supported prosthesis to rehabilitate the edentulous mandible is described. Temporary abutments were used first as impression copings, later modified to achieve parallelism, and finally incorporated in the definitive framework. The metal framework was fabricated with holes for the abutments and connected to the abutments with composite resin cement intraorally to obtain passive fit.

Expansion of maxillary arches with crossbite: a systematic review of RCTs in the last 12 years.

The aim of this study was to review recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) dealing with the effectiveness of various modalities of orthopaedic/orthodontic expansion of maxillary arches with crossbite and the associated 6 month post retention stability. The study selection criteria included RCTs involving subjects with maxillary deficiency with crossbite, with no limits of age. The authors searched the following electronic databases from 1999 to January 2011: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, LILACS, and WEB of SCIENCE.

Radiographic interpretation agreement in implant dentistry.

Purpose: The aim of this survey is to assess the different radiographic interpretations of simulated dental implant cases among a group of specialists in oral surgery.

Material And Methods: A total of 76 active members of the Italian Society of Oral Surgery and Implantology were recruited for the study. The participants in the study were requested to assign scores to radiographic images of 12 simulated cases of dental implants: a baseline and follow-up image for cases with different bone loss (0, 1 or 5 mm), implant length (8 or 12 mm) and years of follow-up (1 or 5 years).

Randomized clinical trials in orthodontics: reality, dream, or nightmare?

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the highest level in the hierarchy of evidence for treatment effectiveness. However, RCTs have also been criticized for various shortcomings. The purpose of this article was to review the most common criticisms against RCTs and answer them based on the principles of scientific inquiry, so that orthodontists can build their evidence-based practice on the best scientific research.

Aesthetic perception after root coverage procedure.

Aim: To investigate the aesthetic perception of the clinical outcomes of a simulated root coverage procedure in three different groups: patients, dentists, and periodontists.

Material And Methods: 100 patients, 107 general dentists affiliated with the Dental Association of Prato, Italy, and 81 active members of the Italian Society of Periodontology were recruited for this study. The following variables: age, gender, level of education, place of residence, and years of practice (only for dentists and periodontists) were recorded by means of a questionnaire administered to each subject within the three different groups.

Randomized clinical trials in implant therapy: relationships among methodological, statistical, clinical, paratextual features and number of citations.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships among reported methodological, statistical, clinical and paratextual variables of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in implant therapy, and their influence on subsequent research.

Materials And Methods: The material consisted of the RCTs in implant therapy published through the end of the year 2000. Methodological, statistical, clinical and paratextual features of the articles were assessed and recorded.

Factors associated with the duration of forced eruption of impacted maxillary canines: a retrospective study.

Introduction: More information is needed to better predict the duration, cost, success rate, and incidence of complications when treating impacted maxillary canines. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect the number of visits required to complete the canine forced eruption phase.

Methods: Data from diagnostic and treatment notes and radiographs of 87 consecutive adult and adolescent patients were analyzed by stepwise regression analysis.

Coronally advanced flap: the post-surgical position of the gingival margin is an important factor for achieving complete root coverage.

Background: An assessment of the factors affecting the clinical outcome of root coverage procedures may be useful in clinical decision making. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the post-surgical location of gingival margin relative to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) can influence the recession reduction (RecRed) and complete root coverage (CRC) following coronally advanced flap procedure (CAF).

Methods: Sixty patients, aged between 22 and 57 years, 15 males and 45 females, each showing maxillary buccal recessions (> or =2 mm) identified as Miller's Class I were consecutively enrolled.

Evidence-based mucogingival therapy. Part 2: Ordinary and individual patient data meta-analyses of surgical treatment of recession using complete root coverage as the outcome variable.

Background: The literature (1970-2000) on the outcome of surgical root coverage has been revised and summarized in a companion paper. The overall conclusion was that the various procedures are effective, but it was not possible to determine which procedure was best indicated in different clinical conditions. In this study, meta-analysis techniques were used to seek evidence for guiding clinical decisions when planning root coverage surgery.

Evidence-based mucogingival therapy. Part 1: A critical review of the literature on root coverage procedures.

Background: Systematic reviews of the literature are an increasingly important tool for providing evidence-based guidance to the practitioner. This review article and a companion paper deal with the surgical coverage of exposed root surfaces, but their aim is to promote a more up-to-date way of writing and publishing scientific articles in this field. This article presents the published data about surgical root coverage in table form and its aim is to identify updated minimum standards for data presentation.