Assessment of reproducibility and influence of different dental specialties on functional implant prosthodontic score: A prospective clinical study analyzing single-unit implant crowns.

AIM: Implant therapy in partially edentulous patients has become the most adapted and predictable treatment modality. The success rate of implants has been measured in terms of esthetic, biological, and technical factors such as radiographic bone loss, prosthetic complications, and stability. Despite the existence of several indices for the esthetic assessment of implant crowns, a need for functional evaluation of the implant crown with an objective and reproducible score has arisen. The study aims to validate the reproducibility of the functional implant prosthodontic score (FIPS) and the influence exerted by different dental specialties while evaluating posterior single-unit implant crowns. STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN: This was a prospective clinical study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with cement-retained single-implant crowns in the posterior region of the jaws were included. Eight examiners, two prosthodontists, two periodontists, two oral surgeons, and two orthodontists evaluated 15 photographs of single-unit implant crowns during the 1-year follow-up examination. The examiners assessed the photographs for FIPS, which includes five parameters for objectively evaluating the single-unit implant crowns. Assessments were performed twice at a gap of 4 weeks. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Pearson's correlation with a 95% confidence interval was calculated for the intra-examiner and the Kruskal-Wallis test for inter-examiner reproducibility. RESULTS: The mean total FIPS scores for all included examiners were 7.133 for time T1 and 7.074 for time T2, showing a strong Pearson correlation coefficient for intra-examiner reproducibility. No significant difference was analyzed among different specialties with statistically significant values of the Kruskal-Wallis test. CONCLUSION: Intra- and inter-examiner analysis showed very consistent results during the reproducibility assessment of FIPS. The results validated the use of FIPS as a long-term predictive functional evaluation tool for the single-implant crowns in posterior sites irrespective of the effect of different dental specialties. It could be used for risk estimation and prognosis for long-term survival and performance of implant crowns.

Assessment of Clinical and Radiological Outcome of Implant with Two Different Connections Con iguration: A Controlled Trial.

Objective: The objective of the study is to compare two different implant designs having different neck configuration and neck interfaces. Materials and Methods: Fifty subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups, each containing 25 subjects. In Group I, conical connection (CC) (Nobel Biocare) with back-tapered collar dental implant and in Group II, external-hexagon (EH) (Nobel Biocare) with flat-to-flat implant-abutment interface dental implant was used. Radiographic marginal bone crest level and marginal bone loss (MBL) were compared. Results: A significant less MBL was seen in Group I compared to Group II recorded at different intervals of time (P < 0.05). Conclusion: CC implants with back-tapered collar exhibited less MBL as compared to EH implants with flat-to-flat implant-abutment interface.

Fractal Dimension as a Tool for Assessment of Dental Implant Stability-A Scoping Review.

A lot of modalities for assessing implant stability are available for clinicians, but they fail to assess trabecular changes as they are solely dependent on the operator's skills. The use of Fractal Dimension (FD) has evolved to be used as a measure for trabecular changes depicting implant stability before and after implant placement. The objective of this systematic review was to qualitatively analyse the available scientific literature describing the use of FD as a tool to measure implant stability on the basis of trabecular changes. An electronic search in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus was carried out using relevant keywords, such as: fractal dimension; fractal analysis; dental implants; implant stability; osseointegration, etc. Studies reporting the use of FD as a tool to measure implant stability were included and subjected to qualitative analysis using ROBINS-I and Cochrane risk of bias assessment criteria. Fourteen studies were included in this review. Results showed that FD was found to be used solely as a measure of implant stability in seven studies, out of which six studies showed an increment in FD values. The majority of studies concluded with a statistical correlation between FD and respective other assessment methods used. FD may not serve as a sole indicator of implant stability; however, it can be used as an adjunct to conventional methods along with additional fractal factors.

Methodological Quality Assessment of Systematic Reviews on Autologous Platelet Concentrates for the Treatment of Periodontal Defects.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs) on the effectiveness of autologous platelet concentrates as an adjunct to regenerative procedures for the treatment of periodontal defects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After a literature screening, eligible SRs were qualitatively assessed using 2 validated instruments: A Measurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews checklist and Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire. The characteristics and findings of SRs were also reported. RESULTS: Ten SRs fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. With A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews tool, SRs displayed a generally satisfying quality. Six SRs satisfied ≥8 items of 11 (high-quality score), and 4 were classified of medium quality (score 4-7). Using Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire instrument, more than half SRs (N = 6) satisfied ≥7 items of 9, resulting to be of high quality; 3 were classified as medium quality (4-6 criteria met); and only 1 of low quality (3 items satisfied). A significant correlation between the results of the 2 questionnaires was found (Spearman's r = 0.915, P = .0005). CONCLUSIONS: SRs considered had an overall high methodological quality. However, some areas were not systematically addressed, like a thorough research strategy or publication bias assessment. Standard guidelines for designing, performing, and reporting SRs should always be followed. The use of platelet concentrates as an adjunct to periodontal surgery procedures may have beneficial effects for the treatment of periodontal defects.