Fabrication of a Feeding Obturator for Infants.

Large clefts in the lip and palate are common congenital anomalies. If the cleft palate is large enough, conventional feeding techniques may not provide proper nutrition for the infant. Feeding obturators will aid in the ability of the infant to attain suction and help the infant to feed adequately. It is necessary for the infant to have sustained weight gain prior to surgery to correct the cleft lip and/or palate. Fabrication of an infant feeding obturator is a simple technique using materials found in every dental office. An impression is made using modeling plastic impression compound. This impression is relined using irreversible hydrocolloid, and the resulting cast is used to enable a vacuum-formed obturator to be fabricated. The vacuum-formed obturator is smoothed and adjusted in the infant's mouth to ensure closure of the palate but allows pace posteriorly to allow normal breathing. The resulting obturator is well retained in the infant's mouth, allowing feeding.

Self-regeneration of the mandible following hemimandibulectomy for ameloblastoma: a case report and review of literature.

Resection of the mandible with immediate or delayed graft reconstruction is widely used in the treatment of ameloblastoma involving a large portion of the mandible. The purpose of reconstruction is mainly to restore the esthetic appearance and mandibular function of the patient. Spontaneous regeneration of the mandible after resection is rarely encountered. This article reports a rare case of spontaneous regeneration of the mandible after hemimandibulectomy for ameloblastoma in a 16-year-old male patient. We discuss the theories pertaining to the mechanism and source of the new bone formation in this case and review the English literature.

Assessment of the primary stability of dental implants in artificial bone using resonance frequency and percussion analyses.

PURPOSE: There is no quantitative gold standard instrumentation to assess the quality of implant osseointegration. The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the response of two devices (one based on resonance frequency analysis, the Osstell device, and another that analyzes the percussion energy response, the Periometer) to assess the primary stability of implants embedded in artificial bone models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standard implants were placed into polyurethane blocks of varying densities, and the two mechanical devices were challenged to test the specimen block series. Both analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to examine the output from each device over each series of specimen blocks as well as to directly compare outputs between the two devices. RESULTS: The stability of the implants increased with the foam density for solid block specimens. Linear regression analysis showed significant correlation between the two instruments for testing with monolithic blocks ( r2 = 0.984). Both devices also indicated that a hybrid block with the greatest density at the top provided the best implant stability versus a hybrid block with relatively low density at the top of the block. However, resonance frequency analysis readings seemed to be more dependent on the density of the top layer of the hybrid blocks. CONCLUSION: Osstell and Periometer readings were in good agreement for monolithic blocks, and they were reasonably consistent when blocks of hybrid density were tested.