Esthetic rehabilitation of labial tooth defects caused by caries of the anterior teeth using a composite resin injection technique with veneer-shaped 3D printing indices.

PATIENTS: An 18-year-old woman sought treatment for caries of the anterior teeth after completing orthodontic treatment. Direct composite resin restoration was chosen because the patient preferred a minimally invasive and cost-effective treatment whenever possible. Based on diagnostic wax-up, veneer-shaped indices for composite resin injection were designed to replicate and restore tooth defects rapidly and accurately. The overall esthetic result was excellent after a 1-year of follow-up. DISCUSSION: Direct freehand composite resin restorations are clinically challenging. The recently proposed 3D printing index for the composite resin injection technique is helpful for direct restoration but is challenging to remove. The veneer-shaped indices avoid the formation of an undercut in the direction of removing the index, making them easy to remove after finishing the restorations. CONCLUSIONS: Using veneer-shaped indices for composite resin injection enables rapid esthetic rehabilitation of labial tooth defects caused by caries. This approach reduces chairside time and operational difficulty while allowing for easy index removal after completing the restorations.

Advances in ceramics for tooth repair: From bench to chairside.

OBJECTIVES: To give a comprehensive review of advancement in dental ceramics, fabrication methods, and the challenges associated with clinical application. DATA, SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Researches on chemical composition, biomechanical behaviors, optical properties, bonding strategies and fabrication methods were included. The search of articles was independently conducted by two authors in the PubMed, Scopus, Medline and Web of Science. CONCLUSIONS: Dental ceramics have shown significant advancements in terms of esthetics and function. However, improving fracture toughness without compromising optical properties remains a challenge. Repairing fractured zirconia or glass-matrix ceramic prostheses with the same material is difficult due to the sintering process. Developing innovative bonding techniques that provide strong and long-lasting bonding strength between ceramics and tooth structures poses a recurring obstacle. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the emergence of dental ceramics and fabrication techniques, certain limitations such as susceptibility to brittleness and fracture still exist. Therefore, the current review provided valuable information around the advanced dental ceramics in tooth repair. The laboratory test data and the clinical outcome are also presented in details, aiming to guide clinicians in making informed decisions regarding ceramic restorations.

Effect of abutment type and creep behavior on the mechanical properties of implant restorations in the anterior region: A finite element analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the effect of abutment variation and creep on dental implant restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three finite element analysis (FEA) models of implant restorations were created, which were restored by conventional one-piece abutment (CA), hybrid abutment crown (HAC), and multi-unit abutment (MUA). The contacts were considered intimate (no friction), except for implant/abutment, abutment/screw, and abutment/screw/crown (HAC) attachments. The related mechanical parameters were used to improve the authenticity of the study. Instantaneous loads and constant loads (100 s) of 130 N were applied at a 30° angle to the palatal portion of the crown. Results were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated using the equivalent von Mises stress, micro-gap distance of the implant-abutment interface (IAI), preload changes, and safety index. RESULTS: The stress state of each component differed depending on the restoration type, from CA and HAC to MUA. Implants and screws were the structures that suffered the most stress under instantaneous loads. Each metal structure exhibited a substantial decrease in stress during a constant loading period. The screws of the MUA abutment showed more preload loss (62.1 N) after constant loads for 100 s. MUA base produced less micro-gap (0.72 µm) at the IAI when it was compared with the CA group (0.93 µm) and HAC group (3.29 µm). CONCLUSIONS: The abutment type influences the mechanical properties and performance of implant restorations. The creep effect decreases the maximum stress level and increases the safety factors of each structure, indicating that stress-related mechanical complications may not occur more easily.

Effects of background color and restoration depth on color adjustment potential of a new single-shade resin composite versus multi-shade resin composites.

The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effects of background color and restoration depth on color adjustment potential of a new single-shade resin composite versus multi-shade resin composites. Two multi-shade resin composites (Spectrum TPH3 and Clearfil AP-X) marked A2 shade and a new single-shade resin composite (Charisma Diamond One) were tested. Four base shades (A1, A2, A3, and A3.5) of the same resin composite (Filtek Z250) were selected as different background colors. Dual specimens with 1-, 2-, and 3-mm restoration depth and single specimens of all materials were fabricated. CIE color coordinates were measured using a spectrophotometer, then color differences (∆E00) and translucency parameter (TP00) were calculated using the CIEDE2000 formula. Independent observers performed visual scoring. CAP-I and CAP-V values were calculated according to ΔE00 and visual scoring. The results revealed that CAP-I and CAP-V were significantly affected by resin composite type, background color, and restoration depth. CAP-I and CAP-V decreased as restoration depth increased at the same background color for all materials. Charisma Diamond One had the highest CAP-I and CAP-V values at all background colors and restoration depths, with the highest TP00 value. These findings demonstrated that color adjustment potential was dependent on resin composite type, background color, and restoration depth, so shade selection is indispensable for multi-shade resin composites. Charisma Diamond One exhibited the highest color adjustment potential and the most pronounced color shifting, contributing to simplifying the process of shade selection and improving the efficiency of clinical work.

Rational Designs of Biomaterials for Combating Oral Biofilm Infections.

Oral biofilms, which are also known as dental plaque, are the culprit of a wide range of oral diseases and systemic diseases, thus contributing to serious health risks. The manner of how to achieve good control of oral biofilms has been an increasing public concern. Novel antimicrobial biomaterials with highly controllable fabrication and functionalization have been proven to be promising candidates. However, previous reviews have generally emphasized the physicochemical properties, action mode, and application effectiveness of those biomaterials, whereas insufficient attention has been given to the design rationales tailored to different infection types and application scenarios. To offer guidance for better diversification and functionalization of anti-oral-biofilm biomaterials, this review details the up-to-date design rationales in three aspects: the core strategies in combating oral biofilm, as well as the biomaterials with advanced antibiofilm capacity and multiple functions based on the improvement or combination of the abovementioned antimicrobial strategies. Thereafter, insights on the existing challenges and future improvement of biomaterial-assisted oral biofilm treatments are proposed, hoping to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the subsequent design and application of antibiofilm biomaterials.