Assessment of a novel electrochemically deposited smart bioactive trabecular coating (SBTC®): a randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: A randomized controlled clinical trial of dental implants was conducted to compare the clinical properties of a novel electrochemically deposited calcium phosphate coating to those of a common marketed surface treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty implants of the same brand and type were placed in 20 fully edentulous participants requiring mandibular implantation. The two study groups were defined by the surface treatment of the implants. 20 implants in the control group were coated via a commercial electrochemical surface treatment that forms a mixture of brushite and hydroxyapatite, while the remaining 20 in the test group were coated with a novel electrochemical Smart Bioactive Trabecular Coating (SBTC®). A split-mouth design was employed, with each participants receiving one control implant in one mandibular side and a test implant in the other. To mitigate potential operator-handedness bias, control and test implants were randomly assigned to mandibular sides. All cases underwent digital planning, implant placement with a static surgical guide, and participants received locator-anchored full-arch dentures. The primary outcome was implant stability (measured using Osstell ISQ) assessed at insertion, loading, and then 3 months, 9 months, and 2 years post-insertion. The secondary outcome was bone level change (in millimeters) over the 2-year observation period. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQL) was monitored using the OHIP-14 questionnaire. Complications and adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Successful osseointegration and implant stability were achieved in all cases, allowing loading. ISQ values steadily increased throughout the observation period. While no significant differences were observed between the SBTC® and control coatings, the test group exhibited a higher ISQ gain. Bone resorption was somewhat lower in the SBTC® but not significantly so. Patients' OHRQL significantly improved after denture delivery and remained stable throughout the follow-up. No complications or adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study results, we conclude that the new surface treatment is a safe alternative to the widely used control surface, demonstrating similar osseointegrative properties and time-dependent bone level changes. Further research may explore the broader implications of these findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered on clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier ID: NCT06034171.

Distribution of Edentulism by the Macro Determinants of Health in 204 Countries and Territories: An Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a comprehensive description of edentulism estimates by the macro determinants of health in 2000, 2010 and 2019 worldwide. METHODS: This ecological study analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) to describe the incidence rate, prevalence rate and years lived with disability (YLDs) rate due to edentulism by macro determinants of health (governance, macroeconomic policy, social policy, public policies, societal values), for 204 countries and territories. The estimates were reported as rates (cases/100,000 people), for people of both sexes aged 55 years or older. RESULTS: Countries belonging to the least privileged categories of the macro determinants showed the lowest prevalence rate, incidence rate, and YLD rate due to edentulism for all exposures. Countries with low government expenditure on health showed the lowest prevalence rate of edentulism in 2000 (18,972.1; 95 %CI 15,960.0 - 21,984.3) and 2010 (16,646.8; 95 %CI: 14,218.3-19,075.4) than those with high government expenditure on health in 2000 (25,196.6; 95 %CI: 23,226.9 - 27,166.2) and 2010 (21,014.7; 95 %CI: 19,317.9 - 22,711.5). Countries with low SDI showed the lowest YLDs in 2000 (321.0, 95 %CI: 260.1- 381.9), 2010 (332.0; 95 %CI: 267.7-396.3), and 2019 (331.6; 95 %CI: 266.6-396.5). CONCLUSION: The findings point to persistent inequalities in the distribution of edentulism between countries worldwide. The most privileged countries, with higher economic development, better governance, and better social and public policies, have shown higher rates of edentulism. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This model must be reconsidered by advancing toward upstream and midstream strategies, beyond its conventional downstream clinical interventions.

Novel "All in 4-4-4" Hybrid Prosthesis: Bridging the Affordability Gap.

A strong body of scientific evidence indicates that a four dental implant-supported prosthesis is well suited for a full-arch rehabilitation. Yet, countless edentulous patients who could benefit from this established concept are left untreated because of high costs. This article describes a novel workflow that enables the fabrication of a metal-resin fixed hybrid prosthesis supported on four implants, with a variable cost for parts and material of around $400 and a (laboratory) production time of approximately 4 hours. This approach allows for the possibility of delivering a final or long-term provisional restoration on the day of implant placement. Because of the relatively low cost and the feasibility of in-house production, this workflow can potentially allow more patients to access high-quality full-arch implant care.

Use of ultrasound imaging for assessment of the periodontium: A systematic review.

The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding diagnostic applications of ultrasound imaging for evaluation of the periodontium in humans. The search was conducted on Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and PubMed up to April 3, 2023. The studies included were exclusively human studies that assessed the periodontium with ultrasound (US) imaging (b-mode). Outcomes measured included alveolar bone level, alveolar bone thickness, gingival thickness, and blood flow quantification. References were imported to Covidence. Two reviewers conducted phases 1 and 2. The JBI risk assessment tool for cross-sectional studies was used. Extracted data included the transducer and measurements used and the study's outcomes. The search yielded 4892 studies after removing duplicates. From these, 25 studies were included and selected for extraction. Included studies retrieved outcomes from US examinations of the periodontal tissues. From the selected studies, 15 used US on natural teeth, 4 used US on implants, 2 used US on edentulous ridges, and 4 used color flow/power in US to evaluate the blood flow. The results of the present systematic review suggest that US might be a feasible and valuable diagnostic tool for the periodontium, with the potential to complement shortfalls of current radiographic technologies.

Accuracy and safety of a haptic operated and machine vision controlled collaborative robot for dental implant placement: A translational study.

OBJECTIVES: Multiple generations of medical robots have revolutionized surgery. Their application to dental implants is still in its infancy. Co-operating robots (cobots) have great potential to improve the accuracy of implant placement, overcoming the limitations of static and dynamic navigation. This study reports the accuracy of robot-assisted dental implant placement in a preclinical model and further applies the robotic system in a clinical case series. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In model analyses, the use of a lock-on structure at robot arm-handpiece was tested in resin arch models. In a clinical case series, patients with single missing teeth or edentulous arch were included. Robot-assisted implant placement was performed. Surgery time was recorded. Implant platform deviation, apex deviation, and angular deviation were measured. Factors influencing implant accuracy were analyzed. RESULTS: The in vitro results showed that with a lock-on structure, the mean (SD) of platform deviation, apex deviation, and angular deviation were 0.37 (0.14) mm, 0.44 (0.17) mm, and 0.75 (0.29)°, respectively. Twenty-one patients (28 implants) were included in the clinical case series, 2 with arches and 19 with single missing teeth. The median surgery time for single missing teeth was 23 (IQ range 20-25) min. The surgery time for the two edentulous arches was 47 and 70 min. The mean (SD) of platform deviation, apex deviation, and angular deviation was 0.54 (0.17) mm, 0.54 (0.11) mm, and 0.79 (0.22)° for single missing teeth and for 0.53 (0.17) mm, 0.58 (0.17) mm, and 0.77 (0.26)° for an edentulous arch. Implants placed in the mandible had significantly larger apex deviation than those in the maxilla. CONCLUSION: Cobot-assisted dental implant placement showed excellent positional accuracy and safety in both the in vitro study and the clinical case series. More technological development and clinical research are needed to support the introduction of robotic surgery in oral implantology. Trial registered in ChiCTR2100050885.

Accuracy assessment of dynamic navigation during implant placement: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies in the last 10 years.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of dynamic computer-aided implant surgery (dCAIS) and compare it with static computer-aided implant surgery (sCAIS) and freehand implant placement (FH) in partially or fully edentulous patients. DATA: Studies that analyzed the accuracy of dynamic computer-assisted implant surgery in partially or fully edentulous patients. SOURCES: This meta-analysis included studies published in English and Mandarin Chinese from January 2013 to February 2023 from MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure). STUDY SELECTION: Only clinical studies were included. Accuracy was the primary outcome. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 2,025 implants were analyzed. Meta-regression was conducted to compare the six different navigation systems. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) assessment was adopted as a collective grading of the evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic navigation is a clinically reliable method for implant placement. Significantly lower angular deviation was observed for dCAIS compared to both sCAIS and FH, while significantly lower global platform and apex deviations were displayed between dCAIS and FH. Overall, dynamic navigation allowed for higher accuracy compared to both sCAIS and FH in a clinical setting; however, additional large sample RCT studies should be conducted, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) reported. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This systematic review analyzed the accuracy of dynamic computer-assisted implant surgery in partially or fully edentulous patients compared with static navigation. The results demonstrated that dynamic navigation could decrease implant placement angular deviations.

Long-term trends in the burden of edentulism in China over three decades: A Joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2019.

Background: To investigate secular trends in edentulism incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) rates in Chinese men and women from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The annual percentage change and average annual percentage change were calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis. The age-period-cohort (APC) analysis estimated the independent age, period, and cohort effects. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the crude incidence, prevalence, and YLDs of edentulism in the Chinese population increased year by year, while the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and YLDs decreased, and the latter was higher in women than in men. The APC analysis showed that the age effect increased in men and women from age 20 to 74 and decreased thereafter. The risk of tooth loss increased with age. However, the relationship was not linear. The temporal effect showed a gradual increase; the risk of missing teeth gradually increased with the changing modern living environment. The cohort effect showed a single decreasing trend, with the early birth cohort having a higher risk of tooth loss than the later birth cohort population. The age, period, and cohort effects were consistent for both sexes. Conclusion: Although the standardized incidence, prevalence, and YLD rate and cohort effect of dentition loss in China are declining, they are still causing a severe burden to China due to the continued aging of the population and the rising period effect. Despite the decreasing trends of the standardized incidence and prevalence of dentition loss and the rate of YLDs, China should develop more effective oral disease prevention and control strategies to reduce the increasing burden of edentulism in the older adult, especially in older women.

[Assessment of the reproducibility of occlusal morphology for digital full crown designed by mandibular trajectory data].

PURPOSE: To metrically assess the reproducibility of mandibular trajectory data and mean frame parameter in guiding the design of occlusal morphology of prosthesis. METHODS: Fifteen subjects with complete dentition were selected, including 6 females and 9 males, with an average age of 22-30 years old. The mandibular trajectory data and mean frame parameter were used to guide the design of occlusal morphology of the prosthesis in the CAD system, then the occlusal morphology was compared to the original natural teeth. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 25.0 software package. RESULTS: The general deviation of occlusal morphology between the prosthesis guided by mandibular trajectory data and mean frame parameter with the natural teeth was as follows: mean positive distance was (269.9±63.1) µm, (318.7±51.3) µm; mean negative distance was (-175.8±78.2) µm, (-253.7±65.6) µm; root mean square (RMS) was (267.1±84.9) µm and (304.1±82.2) µm. The vertical distance on mesial buccal cusp was (197.6±86.2) µm and (288.0±79.6) µm，distal buccal cusp was (176.3±85.3) µm and (297.7±63.2) µm, mesial lingual cusp was (171.6±62.4) µm and (246.4±62.8) µm, distal lingual cusp was (166.2±64.6) µm and (232.5±70.7) µm, central fossa was (104.9±42.2) µm and (219.1±69.1) µm. RMS, mean(-) and vertical differences of central fossa and distal buccal cusp were significantly different(P＜0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The occlusal morphology of the prosthesis designed under the guidance of mandibular trajectory data and mean frame parameter both have significant differences with natural occlusion, but the deviation guided by mandibular trajectory data is lower.

Patients' preferences in dental care: A discrete-choice experiment and an analysis of willingness-to-pay.

INTRODUCTION: Dental diseases are a major problem worldwide. Costs are a burden on healthcare systems and patients. Missed treatments can have health and financial consequences. Compared to other health services, dental treatments are only covered in parts by statutory health insurance (SHI). Using the example of dental crowns for a cost-intensive treatment, our study aims to investigate whether (1) certain treatment attributes determine patients' treatment choice, and (2) out-of-pocket payments represent a barrier to access dental care. METHODS: We conducted a discrete-choice-experiment by mailing questionnaires to 10,752 people in Germany. In presented scenarios the participants could choose between treatment options (A, B, or none) composed of treatment attribute levels (e.g., color of teeth) for posterior (PT) and anterior teeth (AT). Considering interaction effects, we used a D-efficient fractional factorial design. Choice analysis was performed using different models. Furthermore, we analyzed willingness-to-pay (WTP), preference of choosing no and SHI standard care treatment, and influence of socioeconomic characteristics on individual WTP. RESULTS: Out of n = 762 returned questionnaires (response rate of r = 7.1), n = 380 were included in the analysis. Most of the participants are in age group "50 to 59 years" (n = 103, 27.1%) and female (n = 249, 65.5%). The participants' benefit allocations varied across treatment attributes. Aesthetics and durability of dental crowns play most important roles in decision-making. WTP regarding natural color teeth is higher than standard SHI out-of-pocket payment. Estimations for AT dominate. For both tooth areas, "no treatment" was a frequent choice (PT: 25.7%, AT: 37.2%). Especially for AT, treatment beyond SHI standard care was often chosen (49.8%, PT: 31.3%). Age, gender, and incentive measures (bonus booklet) influenced WTP per participant. CONCLUSION: This study provides important insights into patient preferences for dental crown treatment in Germany. For our participants, aesthetic for AT and PT as well as out-of-pocket payments for PT play an important role in decision-making. Overall, they are willing to pay more than the current out-of-pockt payments for what they consider to be better crown treatments. Findings may be valuable for policy makers in developing measures that better match patient preferences.

Masticatory performance in oral function assessment: Alternative methods.

BACKGROUND: Masticatory function declines with age or disease, implicating a poor chewing efficiency and an often-unconscious change for a less healthy, yet easy to chew diet. Timely screening of masticatory function may foster an early-onset diagnosis and potential treatment. The aim of this study was to compare alternative diagnostic tools for masticatory function to a Jelly-scan test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 70 years and older who were hospitalised for rehabilitation were recruited for this study. A total of four different tests for masticatory function were administered. The Japanese Society of Gerodontology glucose extraction test (Jelly-scan) was used as reference to compare a colour-changing gum test (Gum1-colour) as well as a mixing ability test with a visual (Gum2-visual) and opto-electronical (Gum2-digital) analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to establish the discriminative value, kappa-values were used to estimate individual agreements and correlations were verified using Spearman's tests. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients (Men n = 23, Women n = 38) aged 82.4 ± 6.8 years participated in the experiments. The average number of natural teeth was 16.5 ± 10.5, 34.4% of the participants wore removable dentures. For all tests, the sum of sensitivity and specificity was >150%. All test correlated with Jelly-scan (absolute Rho >0.5). With Jelly-scan 51 participants (83.6%) were diagnosed with "masticatory hypofunction". After reducing the cut-off value of the test from 100 mg/dL to 65 mg/dL, only 33 participants (54%) fulfilled the diagnosis. This post-hoc analysis increased the sensitivity of the Gum2-tests and the agreement to kappa >0.5 for all three tests. CONCLUSION: All three tests can be considered useful screening alternatives. In its original version, Jelly-scan may tend to over-diagnose masticatory hypofunction, hence a novel cut-off with better agreement between tests is suggested.

A Prospective Clinical Assessment of BioHorizons Tissue-Level Implants.

This investigation was designed to evaluate crestal bone stability and soft tissue maintenance to Laser-Lok tapered tissue-level implants. Twelve patients presenting with an edentulous site adequate for the placement of two implants were recruited from four dental offices (2 to 4 patients per office). Each patient received two Laser-Lok tissue-level implants placed with a 3-mm interimplant distance according to a surgical stent. The implants were placed so that the Laser-Lok zone sat at the junction between hard and soft tissues. A total of 24 implants were placed, and all achieved satisfactory crestal bone stability and soft tissue maintenance 1 year after receiving the final prosthetic restoration.

Assessment of masticatory function in older individuals with bimaxillary implant-supported fixed prostheses or with a natural dentition: A case-control study.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: A clinical assessment of the masticatory performance of edentulous people treated with bimaxillary implant-supported fixed prostheses is lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this case-control study was to compare the masticatory performance of edentulous people treated with bimaxillary implant-supported fixed prostheses to that of those with a natural dentition by using a simplified comminution test with hard viscoelastic test food and a mixing ability test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six participants were recruited and divided into 2 equal groups (n=18) based on their dental status. The experimental group (7 women, mean ±standard deviation age=69.8 ±7.5 years) had bimaxillary implant-supported fixed prostheses, and the control group (9 women, mean ±standard deviation age=68.3 ±5.6 years) had a natural dentition. A hard viscoelastic food comminution test and a mixing ability test with 2-colored chewing gum were performed in both groups. The number and total area of the particles during the comminution test and the variance of hue during the mixing ability test were measured. The data were analyzed with the parametric (paired t test) and nonparametric (Mann-Whitney U) tests to assess differences between the groups (α=.05). RESULTS: The experimental group exhibited significantly fewer pieces in the food comminution test than the control group (P=.001). The experimental group also showed significantly higher variance of hue values than the control group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with bimaxillary implant-supported prostheses had reduced masticatory performance in comparison to those with a natural dentition, despite having been provided with satisfactory and well-functioning prostheses.

Assessment of quality of life in total edentulous patients rehabilitated with implants and fixed prosthesis

Aim: Tooth loss is very prevalent in Brazil, reflecting high demand for dental services, especially those related to oral rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the quality of life in total edentulous patients rehabilitated with implants and fixed prosthesis. Methods: Thirty-two patients were evaluated before and after rehabilitation with dental implants and fixed prosthesis using the OHIP-14 questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) after 6 months follow-up. Results:OHIP-14 revealed a significant improvement after treatment in all seven parameters and in the global score (P < 0.001). VAS presented positive results related to patient satisfaction regarding oral rehabilitation, except for the hygiene of the fixed dentures. Conclusion: At the end of this study, OHIP-14 scores decreased by 50% in most of the questions raised, and VAS presented positive results, except for hygiene of the fixed dentures, presenting an improvement in the quality of life of total edentulous patients after rehabilitation with implants and fixed prosthesis

Digital assessment of the accuracy of implant impression techniques in free end saddle partially edentulous patients. A controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This in vivo study aims to assess the accuracy of the digital intraoral implant impression technique, the conventional closed-tray impression technique, and open-tray impression techniques in a standardized method of data segmentation along with the best-fit algorithm to overcome the inconsistency of results of previous studies regarding implant impression techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen implants were placed in eight patients. Each patient has undergone four impression techniques: direct intraoral scanning of the stock abutment, intraoral scanning using a scan body, conventional closed tray impression technique, and the conventional open tray impression technique. The conventional impressions were poured into stone casts with analogues and stock abutments and scanned using a desktop scanner. In intraoral scanning of the scan body, computer-aided design software was used for the replacement of the scan body with a custom-made abutment that is identical to the stock abutment, allowing comparison with the other impression techniques. The deviation in implant position between the groups was measured using special 3D inspection and metrology software. Statistical comparisons were carried out between the studied groups using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. RESULTS: The total deviation between groups was compared to the reference group represented by the intraoral scanning of the abutment. The total deviation was statistically significantly different (P = 0.000) among the different studied groups. The mean deviation was recorded as 21.45 ± 3.3 µm, 40.04 ± 4.1 µm, and 47.79 ± 4.6 µm for the intraoral scanning of the scan body, the conventional closed, and open tray, respectively. CONCLUSION: For implant impressions in partially edentulous patients, intraoral oral scanning using a scan body significantly improves scanning and overall accuracy. Regarding conventional impressions, the closed-tray impression techniques showed more accuracy than conventional open-tray impressions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intraoral digital implant impression using scan body offers more accuracy than conventional implant impression techniques for recording posterior implant position in free-end saddle partially edentulous patients.

Preserving natural teeth versus extracting them: a willingness to pay analysis.

BACKGROUND: Maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for a health benefit is related to perceived value. The goal of this study was to find out how much Iranian healthy people would be willing to pay to keep their natural teeth instead of having them pulled. This was done separately for the anterior and posterior teeth. METHODS: The highest value was posed as an open-ended question in this cross-sectional analysis conducted in 2021. Four distinct scenarios for treating a tooth with a poor prognosis for natural tooth preservation versus extraction were offered. WTP for the preferred treatment option was asked for painful and painless anterior and posterior teeth separately. A two-stage hurdle approach was employed to determine factors influencing the WTP for a hopeless case. The level of significance was fixed at 0.05. RESULTS: Out of 795 individuals, 355 (44.7%) were male and 209 (26.3%) had poor self-stated dental health. Over 65% of those interviewed said they wanted to keep their teeth. The mean WTP was highest for dental preservation up to 94 USD and the lowest was for extraction without replacement 19 USD. The WTP for anterior tooth therapy was greater than the WTP for posterior dental care, regardless of treatment type or tooth discomfort. Participants with higher education, jobs, income-to-expenditure matching, older age, preference for the treatment in a private office, and female gender (except for WTP for a painful posterior tooth) were more likely to have a WTP of at least 1 USD. CONCLUSION: The average WTP for treatment of teeth with a poor prognosis was lower than the average fee charged in dental facilities, and more than 65% of participants preferred to keep their teeth. Regardless of the treatment option or whether it was painful or not, WTP for anterior teeth treatment was higher than for posterior teeth. Generally, we found that sociodemographic factors influenced WTP decision-making the most. This study has practical implications for public oral health policymakers and insurance organizations.

Lingual foramina of the anterior mandible in edentulous patients: CBCT analysis and surgical risk assessment.

OBJECTIVE: The mandible has various unnamed accessory foramina, and surgery is often performed in the symphyseal area. The aim of this study was to analyze the anatomical characteristics of mandibular lingual foramina with the objective of preventing clinical complications during implant surgery on an edentulous mandible. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 100 cone beam computed tomography scans of completely edentulous patients were included in this study. For each canal, nine measurements were recorded in millimeters: seven length or height measurements and two diameter measurements. The placement of a standard implant was simulated and whether the implant passed through the canal was noted. The results were analyzed by t-test and chi-squared at a significance level of 0.05. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between variables. RESULTS: We identified 309 foramina: 236 medial lingual foramina and 73 lateral lingual foramina. We found no significant relationship between the number of foramina and the age of the individuals, or between diameter and the age or gender of the individuals. The mandibular canal was injured in 32.7 % of implant placement simulations. CONCLUSION: The risk of injury to neurovascular bundles is increased in edentulous patients due to vertical bone resorption.

Assessment of thickness of roof of the glenoid fossa in dentate, edentulous, and partially edentulous subjects using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) - a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Studies have inferred a direct association between Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and the integrity of the structures associated with it such as the Glenoid fossa thereby necessitating the requirement to measure the thickness of this oft ignored entity. This study was carried out to assess the thickness of the glenoid fossa roof in dentulous, edentulous, and partially edentulous subjects using archival Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. METHOD: Analysis of CBCT data of 120 joints from 60 adult subjects without signs and symptoms of TMD was carried out. The scans were grouped based on the dental status as dentulous, edentulous, and partially edentulous and additionally into two sets as those below and above 40 years of age. The distance between the superior and inferior cortices of the glenoid fossa was measured indicating the thickness of the roof of the glenoid fossa in the coronal and sagittal planes, by three independent observers. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test were used to compare the association between the mean thickness of the glenoid fossa and the dentition status. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: There was no significant association between the mean thickness of the glenoid fossa and the dentition of the study participants of all three groups, when assessed by the three observers, except the mean thickness on the right side in the sagittal section as measured by one observer. A thicker fossa was observed in edentulous subjects when compared to dentulous participants, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: The thickness of the roof of the glenoid fossa demonstrated no association with the dental status of the study participants and no age or sex related differences were noted.

Interarch space assessment in edentulous patients rehabilitated with complete removable dentures using open-access software.

BACKGROUND: The interarch space is defined as the vertical space between the edentulous ridge and the occlusal or incisal aspect of the opposing arch. Measuring the interarch space in a patient requiring an implant-supported fixed prosthesis is crucial for determining the prostheses to be used in each clinical situation. Depending on the measurements and other factors, such as the need for lip support or pink esthetics issues, decisions about the most convenient type of implant-supported prosthesis can be taken. Analogic workflow to measure the interarch space can represent a time-consuming and expensive procedure that may lead to inaccuracies. OBJECTIVE: To describe a step-by-step protocol to measure the upper and lower interarch space with open-access software, starting from the digital scan of the patient's complete dentures obtained with an intraoral scanner. METHODS: An extraoral scan (using an intraoral scanner) of the existing complete removable prosthesis is required to assess the interarch space for making an implant-supported prosthesis treatment planning. If the existing complete denture does not fulfill the required functional and esthetic parameters, a complete interim denture, a wax trial denture, or a printed denture prototype should be previously fabricated. The antagonist arch and the intermaxillary record scan also need to be obtained. Finally, all STL files are imported into an open-access software for measuring the interarch space. RESULTS: Open-source software can be used to measure the upper and lower interarch space from existing complete dentures following the step-by-step protocol outlined in this paper. CONCLUSION: Interarch space of edentulous patients rehabilitated with complete dentures can be measured with a 360 degrees scanning of the existing complete denture and open-access software by applying the protocol outlined in this paper. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The clinician can assess and digitally measure the interarch space of edentulous patients requiring an implant-supported fixed prosthesis using an open access software.

Nutritional Assessment of Denture Wearers Using Matched Electronic Dental-Health Record Data.

PURPOSE: To assess the nutritional profile of denture wearers through a retrospective cohort study using nutritional biomarkers from matched electronic dental and health record (EDR-EHR) data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The case group (denture wearers) included matched EDR-EHR data of patients who received removable partial, complete, and implant-supported prosthodontic treatments between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018, study time. The control (nondenture wearers) group did not have recorded denture treatments and included patient records within 1 year of the denture index date (first date of case patients' receiving complete or partial denture) of the matching cases. The qualified patients' EDR were matched with their EHR based on the availability of laboratory reports within 2 years of receiving the dentures (index date). Nutritional biomarkers were selected from laboratory reports for complete blood count, comprehensive and basic metabolic profile, lipid, and thyroid panels. Summary statistics were performed, and general linear mixed effect models were used to evaluate the rate of change over time (slope) of nutritional biomarkers before and after the index date. Likelihood ratio tests were performed to determine the differences between dentures and controls. RESULTS: The final cohort included 10,481 matched EDR-EHR data with 3,519 denture wearers and 6,962 controls that contained laboratory results within the study time. The denture wearers' mean age was 57 ±10 years and the control group was 56 ±10 years with 55% females in both groups. Pre-post analysis among denture wearers revealed decreased serum albumin (p = 0.002), calcium (p = 0.039), creatinine (p < 0.001) during the post-index time. Hemoglobin (Hb) was higher pre-index, and was decreasing during the time period but did not change post-index (p < 0.001). Among denture wearers, completely edentulous patients had a significant decrease in serum albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), but increased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In partially edentulous patients, total cholesterol decreased (p = 0.018) and TSH (p = 0.004), BUN (p < 0.001) increased post-index. Patients edentulous in either upper or lower arch had decreased BUN and eGFR during post-index. Compared to controls, denture wearers showed decreased serum albumin and protein (p = 0.008), serum calcium (p = 0.001), and controls showed increased Hb (p = 0.035) during post-index. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate nutritional biomarker variations among denture wearers suggesting a risk for undernutrition and the potential of using selected nutritional biomarkers to monitor nutritional profile.

3D assessment of facial contours of patients wearing either complete denture or implant-supported fixed dentures.

Background: Total edentulousness leads to soft tissue changes causing esthetic problems. Being aware of the significant effects of different treatment approaches on facial soft tissue can help to obtain more satisfying esthetic results. Aim: The current study's objective was to evaluate three-dimensional facial soft tissue changes in edentulous patients rehabilitated with a complete denture (CD) and implant-supported fixed partial denture (FPD). Material and Methods: Fourteen edentulous patients, mean age of 47.6 years (42-63), were assessed before prosthetic treatments (T0), after CD (T1), and after FPD (T2). 3dMDface System (3dMD LLC) obtained the images and transferred them to 3dMD Vultus software (3dMD Vultus software Version 2.3.0.2). Nine linear, five angular, and one topographical measurement were performed for facial soft tissue analysis. For statistical analysis of facial soft tissue, ANOVA was used with a level of significance set at 5% (p <.05). Results: Significant differences were observed in lower lip height (Sto-Sl) and nasolabial angle (Prn Sn Ls) with CD. There is no significant difference with the implant-supported fixed partial dentures in these measurements when compared with pretreatment. Significant differences were observed in the lower lip angle (Chr Li Chl) with the implant-supported fixed partial dentures. There is no significant difference with CD in this measurement when compared with pretreatment. According to the paired comparisons, a significant difference was observed in philtrum height (Ls-Sn) between the treatment approaches. Conclusion: CD and implant-supported fixed partial dentures, both treatment approaches, cause facial soft tissue changes, which may help to improve the facial esthetic. The effects of these treatment methods on facial soft tissues are not significantly different, except the philtrum height.