Retrospective study comparing the clinical outcomes of bar-clip and ball attachment implant-supported overdentures.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of implant-supported overdentures (ODs) with either bar-clip or ball attachments. The implant, prosthesis failure, and technical complications were the outcomes analyzed in this retrospective clinical study conducted in a specialty clinic. Seventy-five patients with 242 implants supported by 76 ODs (36 maxillary, 40 mandibular) were included in the study and followed up for 88.

Interaction of Polyelectrolytes with Salivary Pellicles on Hydroxyapatite Surfaces under Erosive Acidic Conditions.

The modification of acidic beverage formulations with food-approved, nonhazardous substances with antierosive properties has been identified as a key strategy for counteracting the prevalence of dental erosion, i.e., the acid-induced dissolution of hydroxyapatite (HA, the main mineral component of tooth surfaces).

Anti-adherence and bactericidal activity of sphingolipids against Streptococcus mutans.

This study evaluated the anti-biofilm activity of sphingosine, phytosphingosine (PHS), and sphinganine for: (i) anti-adherence activity on hydroxyapatite (HA) surfaces; and (ii) bactericidal activity on different Streptococcus mutans phenotypes (i.e. planktonic cells and cells from a disrupted biofilm).

Affinity states of biocides determine bioavailability and release rates in marine paints.

A challenge for the next generation marine antifouling (AF) paints is to deliver minimum amounts of biocides to the environment. The candidate AF compound medetomidine is here shown to be released at very low concentrations, ie ng ml(-1) day(-1). Moreover, the release rate of medetomidine differs substantially depending on the formulation of the paint, while inhibition of barnacle settlement is independent of release to the ambient water, ie the paint with the lowest release rate was the most effective in impeding barnacle colonisation.

Sphingoid bases inhibit acid-induced demineralization of hydroxyapatite.

Calcium hydroxyapatite (HAp), the main constituent of dental enamel, is inherently susceptible to the etching and dissolving action of acids, resulting in tooth decay such as dental caries and dental erosion. Since the prevalence of erosive wear is gradually increasing, there is urgent need for agents that protect the enamel against erosive attacks. In the present study we studied in vitro the anti-erosive effects of a number of sphingolipids and sphingoid bases, which form the backbone of sphingolipids.

Salivary pellicles.

The salivary pellicle is a thin acellular organic film that forms on any type of surface upon exposure to saliva. The role of the pellicle is manifold, and it plays an important role in the maintenance of oral health. Its functions include not only substratum protection and lubrication, but also remineralization and hydration.

Intraoral electrostimulator for xerostomia relief: a long-term, multicenter, open-label, uncontrolled, clinical trial.

Objective: A previous sham-controlled multinational study demonstrated the short-term efficacy and safety for xerostomia treatment of an intraoral device that delivers electrostimulation to the lingual nerve. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that those beneficial effects would be sustained over an 11-month period.

Study Design: The device was tested on a mixed sample of 94 patients with xerostomia in an open-label, uncontrolled, prospective multicenter trial.

In vitro characterization and osteoblast responses to nanostructured photocatalytic TiO2 coated surfaces.

The aims of the study were to characterize a nanostructured photoactive titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) coating and to compare the cellular response of human osteoblasts before and after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of the coating. A specific nanostructured TiO(2) powder (Degussa P-25), which consists of approximately 80% anatase and 20% rutile, was spin-coated onto commercially pure titanium discs, and was heat-treated thereafter. After topographical, chemical and photocatalytic property characterizations, human osteoblasts were cultured on the coated discs before and after UV irradiation.

Adsorption of HSA, IgG and laminin-1 on model hydroxyapatite surfaces--effects of surface characteristics.

Ellipsometry and mechanically assisted sodium dodecyl sulphate elution was utilized to study the adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA), human immunoglobulin G (IgG), and laminin-1, as well as competitive adsorption from a mixture of these proteins on spin-coated and sintered hydroxyapatite (HA) surfaces, respectively. The HA surfaces were characterized with respect to wettability and roughness by means of water contact angles and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Both surface types were hydrophilic, and the average roughness (Sa) and surface enlargement (Sdr) were lower for the sintered compared to the spin-coated HA surfaces.

Adsorption of HSA, IgG and laminin-1 on model titania surfaces--effects of glow discharge treatment on competitively adsorbed film composition.

This study investigated the effect of glow discharge treatment of titania surfaces on plasma protein adsorption, by means of ellipsometry and mechanically assisted SDS elution. The adsorption and film elution of three plasma proteins, viz. human serum albumin (HSA), human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and laminin-1, as well as competitive adsorption from a mixture of the three proteins, showed that the adsorbed amount of the individual proteins after 1 h increased in the order HSA View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Friction force spectroscopy as a tool to study the strength and structure of salivary films.

In this work, we employ atomic force microscopy based friction force spectroscopy to study the strength and structure of salivary films. Specifically, films formed on model hydrophobic (methylated silica) and hydrophilic (clean silica) substrata have been studied in water at pHs in the range 3.3-7.

Efficacy and safety of an intraoral electrostimulation device for xerostomia relief: a multicenter, randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intraoral electrostimulation device, consisting of stimulating electrodes, an electronic circuit, and a power source, in treating xerostomia. The device delivers electrostimulation through the oral mucosa to the lingual nerve in order to enhance the salivary reflex.

Methods: The device was tested on a sample of patients with xerostomia due to Sjögren's syndrome and other sicca conditions in a 2-stage prospective, randomized, multicenter trial.

A randomized prospective clinical evaluation of two desensitizing agents on cervical dentine sensitivity. A pilot study.

The aim of this prospective clinical pilot study was to evaluate the pain alleviation effectiveness of two desensitizing agents (VivaSens and Seal&Protect) on 30 patients suffering from cervical dentine sensitivity (CDS) over a six month period. Analysis of possible differences in pain alleviation effect between the agents and over time was performed. Further,the experienced pain was registered in a questionnaire regarding to what extent the treatment improved oral health/life quality among the patients.

Adsorption from saliva to silica and hydroxyapatite surfaces and elution of salivary films by SDS and delmopinol.

The adsorption of proteins from human whole saliva (HWS) onto silica and hydroxyapatite surfaces (HA) was followed by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and ellipsometry. The influence of different surface properties and adsorption media (water and PBS) on the adsorption from saliva was studied. The viscoelastic properties of the salivary films formed on the solid surfaces were estimated by the use of the Voigt-based viscoelastic film model.

Activity of lactoperoxidase when adsorbed on protein layers.

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is an enzyme, which is used as an antimicrobial agent in a number of applications, e.g., food technology.

Validation of mechanically-assisted sodium dodecyl-sulphate elution as a technique to remove pellicle protein components from human enamel.

The salivary film, denoted the pellicle, formed on oral surfaces is of great importance for oral health and comfort. The present study describes mechanically-assisted sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) elution of the in vivo pellicle formed on human enamel and visualisation of the desorbed pellicle proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). To verify this removal of the pellicle, a combined mechanical and surfactant procedure was additionally performed on an in vitro pellicle formed on human enamel, and the effectiveness was validated by mechanical removal in combination with HCl.

Studies on the exchange of early pellicle proteins by mucin and whole saliva.

Adsorption of small pellicle proteins statherin or proline-rich protein 1 (PRP1), respectively, and subsequent adsorption of human whole saliva (HWS) or salivary mucin MUC5B, respectively, was studied using ellipsometry and total internal reflectance fluorescence. Differences in elution (using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) solutions) between mixed and single protein films were also investigated. On both hydrophilic and hydrophobized surfaces HWS and MUC5B were found to adsorb to pre-adsorbed layers of statherin and PRP1, respectively.

Adsorption behavior of statherin and a statherin peptide onto hydroxyapatite and silica surfaces by in situ ellipsometry.

The salivary protein statherin is known to adsorb selectively onto hydroxyapatite (HA), which constitutes the main mineral of the tooth enamel. This adsorption is believed to be crucial for its function as an inhibitor of primary (spontaneous) and secondary (crystal growth) precipitation of calcium phosphate salts present in saliva. A fragment corresponding to the first 21 N-terminus amino acids of statherin (StN21) was previously found to reduce the rate of demineralization of HA.

The salivary mucin MUC5B and lactoperoxidase can be used for layer-by-layer film formation.

In situ ellipsometry was used to study layer-by-layer film formation on hydrophilic and hydrophobized silica surfaces by alternating sequential adsorption of human mucin MUC5B and cationic proteins lysozyme, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase or histatin 5, respectively. The stability of the multilayers was investigated by addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate solution (SDS). Atomic force microscopy was employed to investigate morphological structures on the surfaces during the layer-by-layer film build-up.

Salivary mucin MUC5B could be an important component of in vitro pellicles of human saliva: an in situ ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy study.

This paper describes a combined investigation of the salivary and MUC5B films structure and topography in conditions similar to those found in the oral cavity in terms of ionic strength, pH, and protein concentration. AFM and ellipsometry were successfully used to give a detailed picture of the film structure and topography both on hydrophilic and on hydrophobic substrata. Regardless of the substrata, the salivary film can be described as having a two sublayer structure in which an inner dense layer is decorated by large aggregates.

Human saliva forms a complex film structure on alumina surfaces.

Films formed from saliva on surfaces are important for the maintenance of oral health and integrity by protection against chemical and/or biological agents. The aim of the present study was to investigate adsorbed amounts, thickness, and structure of films formed from human whole saliva on alumina surfaces by means of in situ ellipsometry, neutron reflectivity, and atomic force microscopy. Alumina (Al2O3, synthetic sapphire) is a relevant and interesting substrate for saliva adsorption studies as it has an isoelectric point close to that of tooth enamel.

Adsorption behaviour and surfactant elution of cationic salivary proteins at solid/liquid interfaces, studied by in situ ellipsometry.

Adsorption of the cationic salivary proteins lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and histatin 5 to pure (hydrophilic) and methylated (hydrophobized) silica surfaces was investigated by in situ ellipsometry. Effects of concentration (/=lactoperoxidase>lysozyme>/=histatin 5.

Layer-by-layer assembly of mucin and chitosan--Influence of surface properties, concentration and type of mucin.

Bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) and chitosan were used to build layer-by-layer structures on solid substrates. The build-up was monitored using in situ ellipsometry to obtain time resolved values of the thickness and adsorbed amount. Additionally surface morphology during build-up was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Human palatal saliva: adsorption behaviour and the role of low-molecular weight proteins.

In situ ellipsometry was employed to study adsorption from human palatal saliva (HPalS) in terms of dependence on surface wettability and saliva concentration ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF