Two-Year Follow-up Comparison of Three Surgical Techniques for Implant Placement in Posterior Maxilla with Limited Alveolar Bone Height.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to compare three surgical techniques (bicortical fixation, unicortical fixation, and indirect sinus elevation) for implant placement in the posterior maxilla with limited alveolar bone height. This 2-year follow-up assessment on the implants of a previously published prospective clinical trial compared (1) restoration/implant stability among the three surgical groups, (2) intrasinus bone formation between the bicortical fixation and indirect sinus elevation groups, and (3) implant and prosthetic complications reported among the three groups.

Materials And Methods: For the original prospective study, 38 patients were recruited, exhibiting 7 to 11 mm of alveolar bone coronal to the sinus floor as confirmed by preoperative CBCT, and 45 implants were placed using three randomly assigned surgical techniques.

Technique to Maintain the Correct Spatial Orientation of the Maxillary Diagnostic Cast to that of the Master Cast in a Full-Mouth Rehabilitation Case.

A common challenge in full-mouth rehabilitation is preserving the correct spatial orientation of the maxillary diagnostic, diagnostic wax-up and master casts within the dental articulator. Any malposition of the maxillary master cast will immediately invalidate the articulator settings that were programmed from the pantographic or axiographic tracing. This will subsequently affect the occlusal morphology of the restorations.

Postmortem evaluation of mandibular implant-supported fixed complete denture after 30 years of service.

A postmortem evaluation of a 5-implant-supported mandibular fixed complete denture that had successfully opposed a maxillary conventional complete denture for 30 years was undertaken. Before embalming, radiographs, implant stability measurements, push-in failure load tests, and histomorphometric analyses were performed on the implants and the mandible. Evaluation of this cadaver suggests that an edentulous mandible restored with an implant-supported fixed prosthesis can function successfully for over 30 years with few complications.

Digital versus conventional impressions for full-coverage restorations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The primary objective of this systematic review was to investigate the survival of full-coverage restorations fabricated by using digital impressions (DIs) versus that of those fabricated by using conventional impressions. The authors also compared secondary outcomes of marginal and internal fit and occlusal and interproximal contacts.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: The authors conducted a systematic literature search in multiple databases to identify clinical trials with no restrictions by publication type, date, or language.

Should Lecture Recordings Be Mandated in Dental Schools? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Lecture Recordings Should Be Mandatory in U.S. Dental Schools and Viewpoint 2: Lecture Recordings Should Not Be Mandatory in U.S. Dental Schools.

Transcription or recording of lectures has been in use for many years, and with the availability of high-fidelity recording, the practice is now ubiquitous in higher education. Since technology has permeated education and today's tech-savvy students have expectations for on-demand learning, dental schools are motivated to record lectures, albeit with positive and negative implications. This Point/Counterpoint article addresses the question of whether lecture recording should be mandatory in U.

Comparison of Initial Implant Stability of Implants Placed Using Bicortical Fixation, Indirect Sinus Elevation, and Unicortical Fixation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if self-threading dental implants placed using stopper drills to bicortically engage both the alveolar crest and sinus floor (bicortical fixation) achieved primary and/or secondary stability comparable to that of short implants only engaging alveolar crest cortical bone (unicortical fixation) or implants engaging both the crest and sinus floor but via greenstick fracture and grafting (indirect sinus elevation).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-eight patients exhibiting 7 to 11 mm of bone coronal to the sinus floor as confirmed by preoperative CBCT were recruited. Forty-five implants were randomly assigned to one of the placement techniques.

The effects of image acquisition control of digital X-ray system on radiodensity quantification.

Objectives: Aluminum step wedge (ASW) equivalent radiodensity (eRD) has been used to quantify restorative material's radiodensity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of image acquisition control (IAC) of a digital X-ray system on the radiodensity quantification under different exposure time settings.

Materials And Methods: Three 1-mm thick restorative material samples with various opacities were prepared.

Comparison of push-in versus pull-out tests on bone-implant interfaces of rabbit tibia dental implant healing model.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether push-in and pull-out tests measure mechanical properties of the bone-implant interface differently, and which test is more sensitive to changes over the healing period.

Materials And Methods: Two identical self-threading dental implants (3.3×8.

Ex vivo mechanical properties of dental implant bone cement used to rescue initially unstable dental implants: a rabbit study.

Purpose: Dental implant bone cement (DIBC) was developed to rescue unstable implants at the time of placement. The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical properties of bone-cement-implant interfaces of cemented implants that were unstable initially and bone-implant interfaces of self-threaded implants placed in rabbit femurs after various healing periods. Interfaces and failure modes were also characterized using histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Prevalence of sinus augmentation associated with maxillary posterior implants.

Pneumatization of the maxillary sinus limits the quantity of alveolar bone available for implant placement and may result in a lack of primary stability and difficulty in achieving osseointegration. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze a group of patients who had implants placed in the posterior maxilla, calculate the prevalence of sinus augmentation, and identify factors related to sinus augmentation. With institutional review board approval, dental records from a population of patients who had implants placed in the maxillary posterior region between January 2000 and December 2004 were used to create a database.

Retrospective cohort study of the predictors of implant failure in the posterior maxilla.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze a cohort of patients who had implants placed in the posterior maxilla and assess and identify the predictors of implant failure.

Materials And Methods: With institutional review board approval, dental records from a population of patients who had maxillary posterior implants placed were used to create a database. Independent variables were divided into continuous (age of the patient at stage-one implant surgery [S1], time between extraction and S1, time between extraction and sinus augmentation, time between sinus augmentation and S1, time between S1 and stage-two implant surgery [S2], and the time between S2 and restoration of the implant) and categorical (gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] status, current smoking status, implant position, implant proximity, residual crestal bone height, implant length and diameter, and sinus augmentation technique and materials).

Effect of surgical guide design and surgeon's experience on the accuracy of implant placement.

Implant position is a key determinant of esthetic and functional success. Achieving the goal of ideal implant position may be affected by case selection, prosthodontically driven treatment planning, site preparation, surgeon's experience and use of a surgical guide. The combined effect of surgical guide design, surgeon's experience, and size of the edentulous area on the accuracy of implant placement was evaluated in a simulated clinical setting.

Expression of TGF-beta1, osteonectin, and BMP-4 in mandibular distraction osteogenesis with compression stimulation: reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction study and biomechanical test.

Purpose: This study compared the levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), osteonectin, and bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) expression in regenerated bone in a rabbit mandible that had undergone conventional distraction osteogenesis (DO) with those in regenerated bone from a modified DO technique with compression stimulation.

Materials And Methods: A total of 42 rabbits were used in this reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction study. In the control group, distraction was performed at 1 mm/day for 8 days.

Potential damage to bone-implant interface when measuring initial implant stability.

Background: An electronically controlled mechanical tapping device (MTD) to measure implant stability has been studied extensively for its ability to measure initial stability at the time of surgical placement and predict an implant's survival prognosis, with few reported complications.

Methods: Initial stability data, measured repeatedly with a resonance frequency analysis device and the MTD, for seven of 28 implants placed in jawbones of four fresh human cadavers and the histologic images of bone-implant interfaces are presented as evidence for potential damage to the bone-implant interface using these techniques.

Results: A progressive increase in mobility from stable (-1) to less stable (4) and eventually to visibly mobile (999) was observed after three measurements with the MTD.

Correlations between physical properties of jawbone and dental implant initial stability.

Statement Of Problem: There is confusion in the literature about how physical properties of bone vary between maxillary and mandibular regions and which physical properties affect initial implant stability.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine correlations between physical properties of bone and initial implant stability, and to determine how physical properties and initial stability vary among regions of jawbone.

Material And Methods: Four pairs of edentulous maxillae and mandibles were retrieved from fresh human cadavers.

Accuracy of friction-style and spring-style mechanical torque limiting devices for dental implants.

Statement Of Problem: Accurate delivery of torque to implant prosthetic screws is critical to generate ideal preload in the screw joint and offer protection against screw loosening. Mechanical torque limiting devices (MTLDs) are available in 2 different styles that have not been compared for accuracy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of friction-style and spring-style MTLDs in delivering target torque values.

Initial stability measurement of dental implants placed in different anatomical regions of fresh human cadaver jawbone.

Statement Of Problem: Initial implant stability has been used as an indicator for future osseointegration and whether an immediate/early loading protocol should be applied. However, differences in initial stability in relation to anatomical regions of jawbone have not been studied extensively because of the risks involved with stability measurements.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether initial implant stability varies with anatomical regions of the jawbone.

Current ceramic materials and systems with clinical recommendations: a systematic review.

Statement Of Problem: Developments in ceramic core materials such as lithium disilicate, aluminum oxide, and zirconium oxide have allowed more widespread application of all-ceramic restorations over the past 10 years. With a plethora of ceramic materials and systems currently available for use, an overview of the scientific literature on the efficacy of this treatment therapy is indicated.

Purpose: This article reviews the current literature covering all-ceramic materials and systems, with respect to survival, material properties, marginal and internal fit, cementation and bonding, and color and esthetics, and provides clinical recommendations for their use.

Bone regeneration in mandibular distraction osteogenesis combined with compression stimulation.

Purpose: This study compared modified distraction osteogenesis (DO) protocol with conventional DO protocol on healing bone formation. Computer simulation was performed to understand the mechanical environment of modified DO protocol, which applies compression during the consolidation period.

Materials And Methods: Fifty rats were used in this study.