The peri-implant mucosa color: A systematic appraisal of methods for its assessment and clinical significance.

BACKGROUND: Peri-implant mucosa color (PMC) seems to be one of the main parameters affecting the esthetic outcome of implant therapy. However, more emphasis should be given to its assessment and reporting. PURPOSE: To describe the available evidence on methods to assess and report the color of the peri-implant mucosa (PMC) and the respective clinical relevance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive electronic and manual search was performed to identify clinical studies reporting on PMC. RESULTS: A total of 121 studies were included. PMC was evaluated at the time of the follow-up visit (chairside) in 45.5% studies. PMC assessment was performed qualitatively, by comparing PMC with adjacent and/or contralateral gingiva (78.6%) or quantitatively, using spectrophotometry (20.7%) or a software on clinical photographs (0.8%). The most performed method to assess PMC was through esthetic indices (76.9%), either at the time of the follow-up visit (chairside) or at later time point using photographs. Quantitative reporting of PMC included averages of points from esthetic indices or color differences to natural gingiva expressed with the CIELAB color system. PMC assessment allowed describing color discrepancies compared to natural gingiva, evaluating color changes over time, and comparing the outcomes of different treatment modalities. PMC assessment through spectrophotometry was additionally utilized to assess the role of mucosal thickness (MT) on PMC. CONCLUSIONS: Various methods for PMC assessment and reporting were described, including visual assessment, mainly through esthetic indices, and spectrophotometry. PMC evaluation has allowed to demonstrate the factors affecting the color of the peri-implant soft tissue, such as the type of abutment/restoration, MT, and soft tissue augmentation.

Surgical Template Fabrication Using Cost-Effective 3D Printers.

PURPOSE: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of surgical templates fabricated using three different 3D printing technologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten identical surgical templates were printed using four 3D printers (two of an identical make and model). Each of the surgical templates was scanned by a reference scanner and then imported into the inspection software. Inspection software utilized a best-fit alignment to automatically calculate the 3D variation at all points. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups (χ2[2] = 12.880, P = .0016). Mean 3D deviation was also significantly different between the two printers of an identical make and model (χ2[1] = 8.251, P = .0041). CONCLUSION: All of the tested printers had a high level of accuracy in the fabrication of surgical templates, which would justify the trial of cost-effective printers for clinical fabrication of surgical implant templates.

The Relationship Between Dental Students' Assessment Ability and Preclinical and Academic Performance in Operative Dentistry.

Self-assessment is a critical skill for health care professionals. Because these professionals must be lifelong, self-directed learners and self-regulating practitioners, the ability to self-assess is essential for them. The aims of this study were to measure how dental students self-assessed and peer-assessed their performance in preclinical operative procedures and to evaluate any relationship between their assessment ability and preclinical skills or academic performance. The study was conducted from 2015 to 2016. Third-year students at Harvard School of Dental Medicine self-assessed their work on four preclinical practical exams: Class II amalgam preparation, Class II amalgam restoration, Class III composite preparation, and Class III composite restoration. Three faculty members graded the same preparations and restorations. The difference between the students' self-assessment and the mean faculty assessment was calculated as the student-faculty (S-F) gap. An absolute S-F gap was also calculated with absolute values of differences. A total of 71 students completed these practical exams: 36 in the Class of 2016 and 35 in the Class of 2017. All 71 self-assessments for each of the four practical exams were collected for a response rate of 100%. The results showed that the mean S-F gap ranged from 2% to 8%, and the absolute S-F gap ranged from 7% to 12%. Preclinical performance was correlated with self-assessment accuracy. Low-performing students significantly overestimated their self-assessments compared to the rest of the class. High-performing students had more accurate self-assessments and tended to underestimate themselves. Overall, these results showed that the students had room for improving the accuracy of their self-assessments.

Implementation of a new advanced graduate education program in oral implantology.

The academic program for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine's Advanced Graduate Program in Oral Implantology is based on scientific evidence applied to educational quality, translational research, patient care, and service. The objective of the program is to enable highly motivated individuals with proven scholarship and excellence in patient care to achieve academic leadership in the clinical and scientific fields of implant dentistry and tissue regeneration. A detailed curriculum describing the academic program, as well as a business plan (which included a management plan describing the organizational structure, financial implications, and market forces) and implementation and communication plans, were developed before moving forward. With careful academic and business planning, the result was a vibrant implant program, in which all placements and restorations of implants are coordinated with regard to practice management. The program is integrated into the existing clinical care model and has been financially self-sustaining from its inception. Six students have participated in the last two years. On average, each student performed seventy-nine procedures on twenty-nine patients, generating over $46,000 in production. The curriculum includes didactics, hands-on clinical learning, and research activities. Research is a critical component as well. The results demonstrate that the time taken to develop a detailed curriculum and business plan for a new academic program, which anticipated and resolved potential barriers to success, was instrumental in the successful implementation of an oral implantology residency program.