Face-bow transfer in prosthodontics: a systematic review of the literature.

An extensive search for randomised controlled clinical trials was accomplished to compare dental prostheses and occlusal splints constructed with or without face-bow transfer, and question whether face-bow transfer may present better clinical results than simpler approaches. Studies were identified by searching electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on the Health Science, and Brazilian Bibliography of Dentistry). The keywords 'dental articulator', 'semi-adjustable articulator', 'face-bow', 'jaw relation record' and 'occlusal splint therapy' were used. The minimum inclusion requirements were (i) randomised controlled trials with patients of any age, (ii) comparison between dental prostheses or occlusal splints constructed with or without face-bow transfer and (iii) assessment of clinician's time, number of occlusal contacts, patient satisfaction or masticatory function. The search resulted in the identification of 8779 articles. Subsequently, 8763 articles were excluded on the basis of title and abstract. By the end of the search phase, eight randomised controlled trials were considered eligible. Current scientific evidence suggests that face-bow transfer is not imperative to achieve better clinical results in prosthodontics. Randomised clinical trials suggest that simpler approaches for the construction of complete dentures and occlusal splints may present acceptable results, while no clinical study has investigated its use in fixed and removable partial dentures.

Preheating impact on the degree of conversion and water sorption/solubility of selected single-bottle adhesive systems.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the degree of conversion (DC) and the water sorption/solubility of preheated single-bottle adhesive systems. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Five adhesive systems were tested: Adper Easy One and Adper Single Bond 2 (3M ESPE), Excite and Tetric N-Bond (Ivoclar/Vivadent), and XP Bond (Dentsply/Caulk). After storage for two hours at 25°C or 60°C, 50 samples (n=5) were prepared for all adhesive systems and stored dry in lightproof containers at 37°C for 24 hours. Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the DC, and water sorption/solubility was measured by means of mass loss and gain after water storage. The data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test (p<0.05). RESULTS: Preheated adhesive systems showed statistically significantly higher DC than those kept at 25°C. Except for XP Bond, preheated adhesive systems presented statistically significantly lower water sorption/solubility means. CONCLUSIONS: Preheating improved the DC for all tested adhesive systems. Also, it promoted a decrease of water sorption/solubility, except for the XP Bond adhesive system.