Effects of bone type and occlusal loading pattern on bone remodeling in implant-supported single crown: A finite element study.

PURPOSE: To assess the influence of bone types and loading patterns on the remodeling process over 12 months according to the variations in stress, strain, strain energy density (SED), and density allocation in the bone of implant-supported single crown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A three-dimensional finite element of a single crown implant was modeled in five different bone types (D1-D4, and grafted bone). A 200 N load was applied on an implant crown with three occlusal loading patterns (nonfunctional contact, functional contact at center, and at 2-mm offset loading). During the first 12 months after implant placement, the SED was employed as a mechanical stimulus to simulate cortical and cancellous bone remodeling. RESULTS: Functional contact at 2-mm offset loading led to a higher bone remodeling rate and stress compared to functional contact at center and nonfunctional contact. Under 2-mm offset loading, the greatest remodeling rate after 12 months was achieved with D3 and D4, D2, grafted, and D1 cortical bone with an average peri-implant density of 1.95, 1.77, 1.56, and 1.50 g/cm3 , respectively. Meanwhile, the highest von Mises stresses were found in D4 (22.2 MPa) and D3 (21.9 MPa) bones. CONCLUSIONS: A greater stress concentration and remodeling rate were found when an off-axial load was applied on an implant placed in low bone density. Although the fastest remodeling processes resulting in increased bone density and strength were found in D3 and D4 bone types with greater off-axial loading that may provide greater bone engagement, it could increase stress concentrations that are susceptible to inducing implant failure.

Effect of different surface treatments of human occlusal sclerotic dentin on micro-tensile bond strength to resin composite core material.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the micro-tensile bond strength (µTBS) of composite bonded to human occlusal sclerotic dentin following different surface treatments to determine the sclerotic dentin morphology. Human molars without (normal dentin; group 1) or with occlusal wear (sclerotic dentin; groups 2-5) were divided and subjected to different surface treatments, including the normal protocol for the Contax self-etch bonding system (group 1 and 2); doubled etch-prime time (group 3); pre-conditioning with 37% phosphoric acid before normal protocol (group 4); or pre-conditioning with 37% phosphoric acid before doubling the self-etching time (group 5). All teeth were restored with composite (Luxacore Z dual), sectioned into stick specimens and stored for 24 h in water before specimens were subjected to the µTBS test (n = 50 per group). The µTBS of normal dentin was not statistically significantly different from that of the sclerotic dentin groups, except for the doubled etch-prime time group which showed lower µTBS. Sclerotic dentin pre-treated with phosphoric acid resulted in less sclerotic casts and wider dentinal tubules, while doubled etch-prime time did not alter the morphology, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. In conclusion, the use of 37% phosphoric acid before applying self-etch bonding resulted in more tubule openings and a significantly higher µTBS when compared with the doubled etch-prime time group.

Clinical and histological evaluations of alveolar ridge augmentation using a novel bi-layered porous polyethylene barrier membrane.

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is an effective alveolar ridge reconstruction technique used before or at implant placement. The combination of various barrier membranes and bone substitutes has been employed. This study aimed to perform a preliminarily evaluation of the safety and performance of a new nonabsorbable bi-layered porous polyethylene (PPE) membrane, in combination with a freeze-dried cortical bone allograft in posterior mandibular ridge augmentation. Fifteen adults who had combined posterior mandibular defects were included for ridge augmentation via GBR using PPE membrane and allograft before implant placement. The keratinized mucosa width (KW), ridge width (RW), ridge height (RH), distance from measurement matrix to bone (DMB), and horizontal alveolar width at 14.0 mm apical to the occlusal plane (HAW) were clinically measured at 15 intended implant sites before and after the augmentation. Fifteen biopsy specimens were harvested at the implant sites for histological analysis. All the subjects completed the whole study. The KW and RH showed minor gains by 0.2 ± 1.4 mm and 0.9 ± 2.3 mm respectively; however, no statistically significant differences were found between, before, and after the augmentation (P > 0.05). In contrast, the RW and HAW significantly increased by 4.8 ± 1.6 mm and 2.3 ± 1.7 mm, respectively, (P ≤ 0.001), while DMB significantly decreased by 1.0 ± 0.8 mm after treatment (P < 0.001). Histological analysis revealed that allograft underwent active bone remodeling. The PPE membrane was adequately safe and efficient to use with allograft in GBR for the reconstruction of combined ridge defects. Although some complications were observed, these were manageable and subsequently lead to successful implant placement for all the subjects. However, further randomized controlled trials are still needed to confirm these findings.

Effects of experimental pain on jaw muscle activity during goal-directed jaw movements in humans.

To study the effects of masseter muscle pain on jaw muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity during goal-directed tasks. Mandibular movement was tracked and EMG activity was recorded from bilateral masseter, and right posterior temporalis, anterior digastric, and inferior head of lateral pterygoid muscles in 22 asymptomatic subjects at postural jaw position, and during three tasks: (a) protrusion, (b) contralateral (left), (c) open jaw movement. Tasks were performed during three conditions: control (no infusion), test 1 [continuous infusion into right masseter of 4.5% hypertonic saline to achieve 30-60 mm pain intensity on 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS)], and test 2 (isotonic saline infusion; in 16 subjects only); the sequence of hypertonic and isotonic saline was randomized. The average EMG root-mean-square values at 0.5 mm increments of mid-incisor-point displacement were analysed using linear mixed effects model statistics (significance: P < 0.05). Right masseter hypertonic saline infusion resulted in significantly (P < 0.0005) more pain (mean +/- SD VAS 47.3 +/- 14.3 mm) than isotonic infusion (12.2 +/- 17.3 mm). Although there was evidence of inter-subject variation, the principal EMG findings were that the significant effects of hypertonic saline-induced pain on EMG activity varied with the task in which the muscle participated irrespective of whether the muscle was an agonist or an antagonist in the tasks. The direction of the hypertonic saline-induced pain effect on EMG activity (i.e., whether the hypertonic saline-induced EMG activity was less than or greater than control EMG activity) could change with the magnitude of jaw displacement. Hypertonic saline infusion had no significant effect on postural EMG activity in any of the recorded jaw muscles. The data suggest that under constrained goal-directed tasks, the pattern of pain-induced changes in jaw muscle EMG activity is not clear cut, but can vary with the task performed, jaw displacement magnitude, and the subject being studied.

Experimental jaw-muscle pain has a differential effect on different jaw movement tasks.

AIMS: To determine the effects of experimental jaw-muscle pain on jaw movements. METHODS: Mandibular mid-incisor point was tracked in 22 asymptomatic subjects during standardized (at 2.2 mm/s) protrusion, contralateral excursion, and open jaw movements, as well as free, right-sided chewing and chewing standardized for timing (900 ms/cycle). Tonic infusion of 4.5% hypertonic saline into the right masseter muscle maintained pain intensity between 30 and 60 mm on a 100-mm visual analog scale. Subjects performed tasks in 3 sessions on the same experimental day: control condition (baseline trials), test condition 1 (during hypertonic or 0.9% isotonic saline infusion), and test condition 2 (during isotonic or hypertonic saline infusion). RESULTS: In comparison with control, there were no significant effects of hypertonic saline infusion on amplitude or velocity for protrusion or contralateral jaw movements or on velocity for jaw opening. Jaw-opening amplitude was significantly smaller in comparison with control during hypertonic, but not isotonic, saline infusion. During free but not standardized chewing, subjects chewed faster and exhibited larger amplitude gapes during hypertonic and isotonic infusion in comparison with control. Therefore, it was unlikely that pain had an effect on the kinematic parameters of jaw movement during free chewing. Qualitatively, individual subject data revealed considerable variability in the effects of hypertonic saline on movement parameters, which suggests that the effect of pain on jaw movement may not be uniform between individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that the effect of pain on jaw movement may vary with the task performed.

The human lateral pterygoid muscle.

One of the jaw muscles particularly implicated in temporomandibular disorders (TMD), a common form of non-dental chronic orofacial pain, is the human lateral pterygoid muscle. The precise role of this muscle in TMD is unclear as is the nature of the interaction between pain and motor function particularly involving this muscle. This research group has adopted a two-stage approach to studying the effects of pain on motor function. The first is to study normal orofacial motor function through recordings of jaw movement and electromyographic (EMG) activity from a number of jaw muscles (including recordings from the lateral pterygoid muscle; verification of electrode location achieved through computer tomography imaging) during a number of standardised jaw movements. These studies have defined the detailed functional properties of, in particular, the lateral pterygoid muscle, whose physiology and function is not well understood. In summary, the data are consistent with the hypothesis previously proposed that the lateral pterygoid should be regarded as a system of fibres that acts as one muscle, with varying amounts of evenly graded activity throughout its entire range, and with the distribution of activity within the muscle being determined by the biomechanical demands of the task. Our second approach has been to study the effects of experimental masseter muscle pain on the detailed functional properties (e.g., root-mean-square EMG activity) of the jaw muscles, especially the lateral pterygoid muscle. Preliminary data from these pain studies point towards significant effects of human experimental muscle pain on jaw muscle activity and jaw movement.

A method for studying jaw muscle activity during standardized jaw movements under experimental jaw muscle pain.

This paper describes a method for studying superficial and deep jaw muscle activity during standardized jaw movements under experimental jaw muscle pain. In 22 healthy adults, pain was elicited in the right masseter muscle via tonic infusion of 4.5% hypertonic saline and which resulted in scores of 30-60 mm on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. Subjects performed tasks in five sessions in a repeated measures design, i.e., control 1, test 1 (during hypertonic or isotonic saline infusion), control 2 (without infusion), test 2 (during isotonic or hypertonic saline infusion), control 3 (without infusion). During each session, subjects performed maximal clenching and standardized jaw tasks, i.e., protrusion, lateral excursion, open/close, chewing. Mandibular movement was recorded with a 6-degree-of-freedom tracking system simultaneously with electromyographic (EMG) activity from the inferior head of the lateral pterygoid muscle with fine-wire electrodes (verified by computer tomography), and from posterior temporalis, the submandibular muscle group and bilateral masseter muscles with surface electrodes. EMG root mean square values were calculated at each 0.5 mm increment of mandibular incisor movement for all tasks under each experimental session. This establishes an experimental model for testing the effects of pain on jaw muscle activity where the jaw motor system is required to perform goal-directed tasks, and therefore should extend our understanding of the effects of pain on the jaw motor system.

Short-term fluoride and cations release from polyacid-modified composites in a distilled water, and an acidic lactate buffer.

Fluoride and various cations release from three commercial compomers (Dyract, Dyract AP and Compoglass-F) and a resin-modified glass ionomer (Fuji-II LC) as a control were measured up to 7 days in distilled water and 0.01M lactate buffer solution with pH 4.1. The surface morphological change before and after the release experiment was observed with a scanning electron microscopy. Fluoride, aluminum and strontium ions were released from Dyract, Dyract AP and Fuji-II LC much more in the lactate buffer than in the distilled water. With compoglass-F containing barium instead of strontium, barium was released in the same way. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that fluoride release from Dyract and Dyract AP was derived mainly from SrF(2) contained in Dyract and Dyract AP. However, fluoride release from Compoglass-F was derived from glassy phase though it contained much fluoride as YbF(3). Cumulative release amount of each species versus square root of time plot showed good linearity, indicating that the dissolution was controlled by the diffusion mechanism. The surface characteristics of disks for each material, which were immersed in the lactate buffer, were quite different from the surface before and after immersion in deionized water, especially with Dyract. After immersion in the lactate buffer, many voids which were left after dissolution of the filler particle, were seen obviously on the surface of Dyract.