Laser Hair Removal for Intraoral Flaps: A Review.

Importance: Laser hair removal is a noninvasive technique that has been used for patients with oropharyngolaryngeal hair growth related to surgical flap reconstruction after head and neck cancer resection. The purpose of this work was to perform a rapid review of the literature to determine the therapeutic relevance of laser hair removal and identify laser parameters. Observations: A total of 10 publications addressing depilation of the head and neck sphere were selected and analyzed. Conclusions and Relevance: Laser therapy appears to be a promising treatment for hair removal from flaps with few side effects. However, there is no scientific basis for a standardized protocol or determination of the superiority of laser hair removal over another treatment.

Utilization of a Cortical Xenogeneic Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration: A Retrospective Case Series.

Background: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a reliable technique used in vertical and horizontal bone defects. The posterior mandibular region is an area limited by anatomic constraints. The use of resorbable membranes with a cortical component could compensate for the lack of rigidity of resorbable membranes without the complications of non-resorbable membranes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mean bone gains of a xenogeneic cortical membrane in horizontal and vertical bone defects in comparison with other membranes in the literature. Methods: A porcine cortical membrane was used to perform 7 GBR in the posterior mandibular region of five patients. Preoperative (T0) and six months postoperative (T1) cone beam computed tomography were superimposed to measure the horizontal and vertical bone gain. Implants were positioned at all sites, six months after GBR. Complications and bone resorption around the implants were also documented. Results: The mean horizontal and vertical bone gains were 3.83 ± 1.41 mm and 4.17 ± 1.86 mm, respectively. The analysis of repeatability was 0.997. As many as 40% of patients experienced pain refractory to analgesics. No exposure or infectious phenomenon was observed. Conclusions: This xenogeneic cortical membrane seemed to provide interesting results in the regeneration of horizontal and vertical bone defects. Comparative and prospective studies are necessary to validate the effectiveness of this membrane.

Biomimetic Coatings in Implant Dentistry: A Quick Update.

Biomimetic dental implants are regarded as one of the recent clinical advancements in implant surface modification. Coatings with varying thicknesses and roughness may affect the dental implant surface's chemical inertness, cell adhesion, and antibacterial characteristics. Different surface coatings and mechanical surface changes have been studied to improve osseointegration and decrease peri-implantitis. The surface medication increases surface energy, leading to enhanced cell proliferation and growth factors, and, consequently, to a rise in the osseointegration process. This review provides a comprehensive update on the numerous biomimetic coatings used to improve the surface characteristics of dental implants and their applications in two main categories: coating to improve osseointegration, including the hydroxyapatite layer and nanocomposites, growth factors (BMPs, PDGF, FGF), and extracellular matrix (collagen, elastin, fibronectin, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronan, and other proteoglycans), and coatings for anti-bacterial performance, covering drug-coated dental implants (antibiotic, statin, and bisphosphonate), antimicrobial peptide coating (GL13K and human beta defensins), polysaccharide antibacterial coatings (natural chitosan and its coupling agents) and metal elements (silver, zinc, and copper).

Contribution of virtual reality in oral surgery: A literature review.

Oral cavity care is very much associated with perceptions of pain and anxiety. Oral health practitioners have many solutions in order to reduce patients' apprehension, and an alternative non-drug technique has increased: the use of virtual reality (VR). The aim of this review is to highlight the contribution of virtual reality headsets in reducing anxiety and pre- and post- operative pain in patients having oral surgery. PubMed and Cochrane Library have been searched for scientific articles with MESH words «virtual reality ¼, « oral surgery ¼, « anxiety ¼ and « pain ¼. 8 articles were identified and 6 met the inclusion criteria. Among the 6 articles analyzed, 4 were control trials and 2 were methodological descriptions. 2 clinical trials found statistically significant results on the outcome measures of pre-operative and post-operative anxiety and pain felt. The use of VR in oral surgery seems to have an impact in reducing anxiety and pre- and post- operative pain, but more studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness.