Volume change after maxillary sinus floor elevation with apatite carbonate and octacalcium phosphate.

PURPOSE: Maxillary molars have low alveolar bone height diameter due to the presence of the maxillary sinus; thus, a sinus lift may be required in some cases. Changes in the volume of bone substitutes can affect the success of implant therapy. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the changes in the volume of two different bone substitutes-one based on carbonate apatite and the other on octacalcium phosphate-used in maxillary sinus floor elevation. METHODS: Nineteen patients and 20 sites requiring maxillary sinus floor elevation were included in the study. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine data for each patient obtained preoperatively and immediately and 6 months postoperatively were used to measure the volume of the bone grafting material using a three-dimensional image analysis software. The immediate postoperative volume of octacalcium phosphate was 95.3775 mm3 per piece of grafting material used. It was multiplied by the number of pieces used and converted to mL to determine the immediate postoperative volume. RESULTS: The mean resorption values of carbonate apatite and octacalcium phosphate were 12.7 ± 3.6% and 17.3 ± 3.9%, respectively. A significant difference in the amount of resorption of the two bone replacement materials was observed (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that both bone substitute materials tend to resorb. The two bone grafting materials that are currently medically approved in Japan have not been in the market for a long time, and their long-term prognosis has not yet been reported. Further clinical data are warranted.

Comparative Verification of the Accuracy of Implant Models Made of PLA, Resin, and Silicone.

Polylactic acid (PLA) has gained considerable attention as an alternative to petroleum-based materials due to environmental concerns. We fabricated implant models with fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers using PLA, and the accuracies of these PLA models were compared with those of plaster models made from silicone impressions and resin models made with digital light processing (DLP). A base model was obtained from an impact-training model. The scan body was mounted on the plaster, resin, and PLA models obtained from the base model, and the obtained information was converted to stereolithography (STL) data by the 3D scanner. The base model was then used as a reference, and its data were superimposed onto the STL data of each model using Geomagic control. The horizontal and vertical accuracies of PLA models, as calculated using the Tukey-Kramer method, were 97.2 ± 48.4 and 115.5 ± 15.1 µm, respectively, which suggests that the PLA model is the least accurate among the three models. In both cases, significant differences were found between PLA and gypsum and between the PLA and resin models. However, considering that the misfit of screw-retained implant frames should be ≤150 µm, PLA can be effectively used for fabricating implant models.

Accuracy of Dental Models Fabricated Using Recycled Poly-Lactic Acid.

Based on the hypothesis that the fabrication of dental models using fused deposition modeling and poly-lactic acid (PLA), followed by recycling and reusing, would reduce industrial waste, we aimed to compare the accuracies of virgin and recycled PLA models. The PLA models were recycled using a crusher and a filament-manufacturing machine. Virgin PLA was labeled R, and the first, second, and third recycles were labeled R1, R2, and R3, respectively. To determine the accuracies of the virgin and reused PLA models, identical provisional crowns were fitted, and marginal fits were obtained using micro-computed tomography. A marginal fit of 120 µm was deemed acceptable based on previous literature. The mesial, distal, buccal, and palatal centers were set at M, D, B, and P, respectively. The mean value of each measurement point was considered as the result. When comparing the accuracies of R and R1, R2, and R3, significant differences were noted between R and R3 at B, R and R2, R3 at P, and R and R3 at D (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed at M. This study demonstrates that PLA can be recycled only once owing to accuracy limitations.

Fit accuracy of resin crown on a dental model fabricated using fused deposition modeling 3D printing and a polylactic acid filament.

Purpose We considered the possibility of reducing industrial waste by fabricating and reusing dental models prepared using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer and polylactic acid (PLA) filaments. The purpose of this study was to verify the accuracy of models fabricated using FDM and PLA.Methods The same provisional crown was used to check the marginal fit on PLA models prepared using an intraoral scanner (IOS) and FDM, plaster models made with silicone impression material and plaster, and resin models prepared using an IOS and stereolithography apparatus (SLA) 3D printer. The marginal fit was measured using micro-computed tomography at four points on the tooth: the buccal center (B), palatal center (P), mesial center (M), and distal center (D) points.Results At point B, the marginal gaps were 118 ± 21.7, 62 ± 16.4, and 50 ± 26.5 µm for the PLA, resin, and plaster models, respectively, with a significant difference between the PLA model and the other two. However, the marginal gap at all other measurement points was not significantly different between the models (P > 0.05).Conclusions We compared the accuracy of the models fabricated using the FDM, SLA, and conventional methods. The combination of FDM and PLA filaments showed no significant differences from the other models, except at point B, indicating its usefulness. Therefore, FDM and PLA may become necessary materials for dental treatment in the future.

Validation of an implant stability measurement device using the percussion response: a clinical research study.

BACKGROUND: Several devices have been developed to measure implant-bone stability as an indicator of successful implant treatment; these include Osstell®, which measures the implant stability quotient (ISQ), and the more recent AnyCheck®, which relies on percussion for the implant stability test (IST). These devices make it possible to measure implant stability. However, no studies have compared the performance of AnyCheck® and Osstell® (i.e., IST and ISQ values) in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the correlation between primary and secondary implant stability using the Osstell® and AnyCheck® devices. METHODS: Ten patients (7 women; age [mean ± standard deviation]: 49.1 ± 13.3 years) with partially edentulous jaws who received a total of 15 implants were included. IST (AnyCheck®) and ISQ (Osstell®) values were measured immediately after implantation and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 weeks post-implantation. Each measurement was performed three times, and the average value was used as the result. The correlation between measurements obtained using the two devices was determined using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The IST values ranged from 79.1 ± 2.87 to 82.4 ± 2.65. The ISQ values ranged from 76.0 ± 2.8 to 80.2 ± 2.35. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was r = 0.64 immediately after implantation, r = 0.29 at 1 week, r = 0.68 at 2 weeks, r = 0.53 at 3 weeks, r = 0.68 at 4 weeks, and r = 0.56 at 6 weeks. A positive correlation was found in all cases, except at week 1 when the correlation was weak; the IST and ISQ values decreased the most during the first postoperative week and increased during the second week. The IST values were also slightly higher at all measurement points. CONCLUSION: The ability to assess implant stability without removing the abutment during healing is essential for determining the timing of loading without the risk of bone resorption. The results of this study suggest that AnyCheck® is useful for determining primary and secondary implant stability.

Comparison of digital and silicone impressions for single-tooth implants and two- and three-unit implants for a free-end edentulous saddle.

BACKGROUND: The use of intraoral scanners (IOS) has facilitated the use of digital workflows for the fabrication of implant-supported prostheses not only for single missing teeth, but also for multiple missing teeth. However, the clinical application of IOS and computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) in implant-supported prosthodontics remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of digital and silicone impressions for single-tooth implants for bounded edentulous spaces and two-unit and three-unit implant-supported fixed dental prostheses for free-end edentulous spaces. METHODS: This study enrolled 30 patients (n = 10 for each of the three groups) with an average age of 61.9 years. Conventional silicone-based and digital IOS-based impressions were made for all patients, and the implant superstructures were fabricated. We measured the scan-body misfit and compared the accuracy of the impressions for single-unit, two-unit, and three-unit implant prostheses with a bounded edentulous space by superimposing the standard triangulated language (STL) data obtained from IOS over the STL data of the plaster model used for final prosthesis fabrication. The scan bodies of the superimposed single-molar implant, two-unit implant prosthesis without teeth on the mesial side, two-unit implant prosthesis without teeth on the distal side, three-unit implant prosthesis without teeth on the mesial side, and three-unit implant prosthesis without teeth on the distal side were designated as A, B1, B2, C1, and C2, respectively. The misfit for each scan body was calculated and the accuracies were compared using the Tukey-Kramer method. RESULTS: The average scan-body misfit for conditions A, B1, B2, C1, and C2 was 40.5 ± 18.9, 45.4 ± 13.4, 56.5 ± 9.6, 50.7 ± 14.9, and 80.3 ± 12.4 µm, respectively. Significant differences were observed between the accuracies of A and B2, A and C2, and C1 and C2 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IOS and CAD/CAM can find clinical applications for implant-supported prostheses of up to three units for a bounded edentulous saddle. The use of IOS could render implant treatment easier, benefiting both the surgeons and patients. Prosthesis maladjustment may lead to peri-implantitis and prosthetic fracture. Therefore, further validation of the accuracy of IOS impressions is required in patients with multiple missing teeth in long-span implant prostheses.

Variations in vertical mucosal thickness at edentulous ridge according to site and gender measured by cone-beam computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: The vertical thickness of the peri-implant mucosa is associated with the amount of post treatment marginal bone loss. However, the variations in mucosal thickness at the different edentulous sites have been sparsely documented. The purpose of the study was to conduct a survey of the frequency distribution of variations in mucosal thickness at the different sites of the edentulous alveolar ridge and to compare them according to gender. Our study included 125 partially edentulous patients having a total of 296 implant sites. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were obtained by placing a diagnostic template with a radiopaque crown indicator on the ridge to determine the mucosal thickness at the crest of the alveolar ridge. RESULTS: The mucosal thickness was 3.0±1.3 mm in the maxilla, which was significantly greater than the mucosal thickness of 2.0±1.0 mm in the mandible (p<0.001). In both the maxilla and the mandible, the mucosa was the thickest in the anterior region, followed by the premolar and molar regions. Sites were further classified into two groups based on whether the mucosal thickness was greater than 2 mm. In the mandible, more than half of the sites showed a mucosal thickness of 2 mm or less. CONCLUSIONS: Although this study was a limited preoperative study, the vertical mucosal thickness at the edentulous ridge differed between the maxillary and mandibular regions. The majority of sites in the mandibular molar region had a mucosal thickness of less than 2 mm. Practitioners might be able to develop an optimal dental implant treatment plan for long-term biologic and esthetic stability by considering these factors.

Comparison of the performances of low-crystalline carbonate apatite and Bio-Oss in sinus augmentation using three-dimensional image analysis.

BACKGROUND: In locations where the alveolar bone height is low, such as at the maxillary molars, implant placement can be difficult, or even impossible, without procedures aimed at generating new bone, such as sinus lifts. Various types of bone graft materials are used after a sinus lift. In our study, a three-dimensional image analysis using a volume analyzer was performed to measure and compare the volume of demineralized bovine bone mineral (Bio-Oss®) and carbonate apatite (Cytrans®) after a sinus lift, as well as the amount of bone graft material resorption. Patient data were collected from cone-beam computed tomography images taken before, immediately following, and 6 months after the sinus lift. Using these images, both the volume and amount of resorption of each bone graft material were measured using a three-dimensional image analysis system. RESULTS: The amount of bone resorption in the Bio-Oss®-treated group was 25.2%, whereas that of the Cytrans®-treated group was 14.2%. A significant difference was found between the two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the volume of bone resorption was smaller in the Cytrans®-treated group than in the Bio-Oss®-treated group, suggesting that Cytrans® is more promising for successful implant treatments requiring a sinus lift.

Accuracy of guided surgery using the silicon impression and digital impression method for the mandibular free end: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Implant treatment using guided surgery is becoming widespread in clinical dental practice. Furthermore, the development of digital technology has enabled the use of intraoral scanners (IOSs) to fabricate surgical guide plates. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of guided surgery using the silicone impression method with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner and the digital impression method with IOS for one side of the mandibular free end. In addition, we compared the accuracy of tooth-supported vs tooth/mucosa-supported surgical guide plates. RESULTS: The accuracy of the tooth-supported surgical guide plate using the new IOS method instead of the method of obtaining impressions with conventional silicone resulted in better measurements of 3D deviation at the crest, 3D deviation at the apex, and angular deviation. In terms of the accuracy of the tooth/mucosa-supported surgical guide plate, there were no significant differences in all measurements. The surgical guide plate using an IOS and the tooth/mucosa-supported surgical guide plate may enable more accurate guided surgery. CONCLUSION: Tooth/mucosa-supported guided surgery involving preparation with an IOS may result in more accurate implant surgery.

Comparison of cerebral cortex activation induced by tactile stimulation between natural teeth and implants.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the cortical-level sensory differences between natural teeth with a periodontal membrane and dental implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure brain activity in the cerebral cortex of 12 patients who had both natural teeth and dental implants in the lower molar region. Painless vibratory tactile stimulation was performed on both the natural teeth and the dental implants. RESULTS: Activation was seen in the somatosensory cortex during stimulation of both natural teeth and dental implants. A comparison of cortical activation showed no significant differences between natural teeth and dental implants. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the possible existence of sensory input to the cerebral cortex via dental implants as well as natural teeth, and thus suggest that may not only the periodontal membrane be involved in the signaling pathway. The data from this experiment may help us for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying natural teeth and dental implants. Key words:fNIRS, natural teeth, implants, brain activity, somatosensory cortex.