Ultrasound analysis of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles in edentulous patients rehabilitated with full-arch fixed implant-supported prostheses.

OBJECTIVES: Total tooth loss is common in the aging population resulting in insufficient chewing function with subsequent weakening of the masticatory muscles. The study aims to evaluate the changes in thicknesses of the masseter and anterior temporal muscle in edentulous patients following the reconstruction of implant-supported fixed prostheses and compare them with the dentate individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective, single-center, controlled clinical trial. A total of 60 participants were included in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups; Group I (Test Group): 30 edentulous patients who received implant-supported fixed prostheses, Group II (Control Group): 30 dentate individuals of an age and sex-matched group. Ultrasonography was used to measure the cross-sectional thickness of the left and right musculus masseter and anterior temporalis immediately after the cementation of the prosthetic rehabilitation (T1), on the 1st (T2) and 6th (T3) months after rehabilitation and at a single time point in the control group. RESULTS: The results showed that there were significant comparison differences in muscle thickness at the baseline measurements between groups while at the end of the 6th month, these differences were not significant. The muscle thicknesses of both the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles increased significantly at T2 and T3 compared to T1 in the test group. The asymmetry index between the left and right muscles in the test group and the asymmetry differences between groups also decreased significantly at the end of the 6th month. CONCLUSION: The implant-supported fixed prostheses significantly increase the thicknesses of the masseter and anterior temporal muscle together with a decrease in the asymmetry between the left and right muscles. At six months, implant-treated patients showed similar muscle thicknesses compared to dentate individuals. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings suggest that implant-supported fixed prostheses can improve the masticatory function and facial symmetry of edentulous patients.

Evaluation of the thickness of masticatory muscles in patients with chronic periodontitis by ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVES: Periodontitis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases. It causes changes in the biting abilities of individuals. However, periodontal treatment has positive effects on masticatory function. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of periodontitis and periodontal treatment on masticatory abilities by measuring masseter and temporal muscle thicknesses with ultrasonography before and after periodontal treatment in chronic periodontitis patients. METHODS: The patients included in the study were determined by clinical and radiological examination. The thickness of the masseter and temporal muscles of the patients were measured by ultrasonography. Periodontal measurements and treatments of the patients were completed by a single physician. IBM SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) statistical program was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the values of periodontal measurements before and after treatment (p<0.05). In the ultrasonography measurements of the thickness of masseter and anterior temporal muscles, a statistically significant increase was observed in both rest and contraction values at all time intervals (p<0.05). Muscle thicknesses of male patients were higher than female patients. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontitis negatively affects the masticatory performance of individuals. Chronic periodontitis patients should be referred for periodontal treatment without wasting time.

The effect of mindfulness meditation on dental anxiety during implant surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Dental implant surgery is almost always associated with patient anxiety. Anxiety during dental surgical procedures triggers an increase in sympathetic activity. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is often associated with high levels of relaxation in the form of increased parasympathetic tone and decreased sympathetic activity. However, the effect of MM on dental anxiety is not clear. The current study aimed to show the effects of a MM as a sedative technique during dental implant surgery by examining the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), bispectral index (BIS), cortisol levels (CL), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR) and saturation (SpO2) parameters. HR, SBP, DBP, SpO2, BIS score and CLs were compared at the baseline, immediately before-, during-, and immediately after surgery between the test and control groups. We found that the MM resulted in significant decrease in BIS together with positive effects on hemodynamic parameters (decrease of HR, SBP, DBP and increase of SpO2), psychological findings (improvement on STAI-S scores) and biochemical outcomes (decreased CL). In conclusion, the results demonstrate that MM appeared to be a reliable strategy for managing stress during dental implant operation with benefits in psychological, physiological and biochemical outcomes.

The impact of local and systemic penicillin on antimicrobial properties and growth factor release in platelet-rich fibrin: In vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the impact of local and systemic administration of penicillin on the antimicrobial properties and growth factors of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) under in vitro conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 12 volunteers. Four tubes of venous blood were collected before systemic antibiotic administration. Two tubes were centrifuged at 2700 RPM for 12 min to obtain PRF, while 0.2 ml of penicillin was locally added into other two tubes. After systemic administration, blood samples were again collected and subjected to centrifugation. The release of growth factors (IGF-1, PDGF, FGF-2, and TGFß-1) was determined using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and an antibiotic sensitivity test was performed for S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. RESULTS: Results showed that local antibiotic addition before PRF centrifugation had a significant antimicrobial effect without affecting growth factor releases. There was no statistically significant difference in antimicrobial properties between PRF prepared with systemic antibiotic administration and PRF prepared without antibiotics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study suggests that incorporating localized antibiotics into PRF results in strong antimicrobial effects without compromise of growth factor release. However, the combination of PRF with systemic antibiotics did not significantly enhance its antimicrobial properties compared to PRF prepared without antibiotics. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Local addition of penicillin into PRF provides strong antimicrobial properties which may help reduce dependence on systemic antibiotic regimens, mitigating antibiotic resistance and minimizing associated side effects.

Evaluation of the Effect of Surgical Experience Level on the Success of the Coronally Advanced Flap (CAF) Technique.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of experience level on the clinical and esthetic results of coronally advanced flap (CAF) surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A postgraduate student's first 40 CAF operations in the periodontology residency program were followed. The Miller Class I gingival recessions were divided into four chronologic groups (n: 10 in each). Clinical and esthetic evaluations were performed at baseline and after 6 months. The results of chronologic intervals were statistically compared. RESULTS: While the overall mean root coverage (RC) percentage was 73.6% and the complete RC was 60%, the mean RC percentages of the groups, respectively, were 45%, 55%, 86%, and 95%, showing that the mean and complete RC percentage increased as the experience level increased (P < .05). Similarly, as the experience level increased, closure of the gingival recession depth and width and esthetic scores increased, while the surgical time decreased significantly (P < .05). Complications were observed in three patients during the first interval and in two patients during the second interval, while no complications were observed in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that experience level can significantly affect the clinical and esthetic outcomes, operative time, and complication rates of CAF surgery. All education programs should determine how many of each surgical procedure residents must perform before they are considered experienced or expert surgeons who can work independently and predictably achieve safe, acceptable outcomes.

Pre-operative, chair-side Zn-containing surgical stents affect morbidity and wound healing after free gingival graft harvesting: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a pre-operatively, chair-side made, zinc-containing surgical stent (ZN) and suturing of a gelatin-based hemostatic agent (HA) on palatal wound healing and patient morbidity after free gingival graft surgery (FGG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients requiring FGG were randomly divided into two groups to receive either a ZN or a sterile HA sutured on the surgical area. Patients were evaluated at 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 28th, and 56th days following surgery. Overall surgical time, donor site surgical time, postoperative pain (PP), delayed bleeding (DB), changes in dietary habits (DH), burning sensation (BS), completion of re-epithelialization (CE), and patients' discomfort (PD) were evaluated. RESULTS: Donor site surgical time, PP, DB, DH, BS were statistically significantly lower in the ZN group together with faster completion of re-epithelialization compared to the HA group. CONCLUSION: Pre-operatively, chair-side made, zinc-containing surgical stents provided significant benefits for wound healing parameters and patients' postoperative morbidity after FGG harvesting. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results show that using Zn-containing palatal stent after free gingival graft surgery significantly reduces pain and patient morbidity during the postoperative period.

The Evaluation of Different Osteotomy Drilling Speed Protocols on Cortical Bone Temperature, Implant Stability and Bone Healing: An Experimental Study in an Animal Model.

The aim of this study was to measure the effect of drilling speed on heat generation in the cortical bone, on primary and secondary implant stability of implants and on early and late bone healing with micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT). Sixty implants were placed in the iliac crest of 6 sheep in order to form 5 different drilling protocols: 50 rpm without saline cooling, and 400, 800, 1200, and 2000 rpm with saline cooling. Simultaneous cortical bone temperature and primary stability at the time of placement; secondary stability and the ratio between relative bone and tissue volume (BV/TV) in 2D and 3D in micro-CT analysis were evaluated after 4 and 8 weeks. The 50-rpm group had the highest cortical bone temperature and the longest operation duration with the highest primary stability. Slightly higher values of secondary stability (T2) and subsequent 2D and 3D BV/TV values were found in 1200 rpm with irrigation at 8 weeks. All groups had sufficient ISQ values at 8 weeks for loading although the micro-CT analysis showed varying percentages of bone tissue around implants. The influence of drill speed for implant osteotomy and its irrigation is minimal when it comes to changes in temperature of the cortical bone, primary and secondary implant stability, and BV/TV.

The effects of connective tissue graft position on clinical and aesthetical outcomes of gingival recession treatment: a controlled randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This randomized controlled clinical trial with 1-year follow-up compared the clinical and aesthetic results of coronally advanced flap (CAF) + connective tissue graft (CTG) positioned apical to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) (CAF + CTG-ACEJ) with CAF + CTG positioned on the CEJ (CAF + CTG-CEJ) for treating isolated gingival recession defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with recession type 1 (RT 1) with a depth ≥ 3, gingival recessions were enrolled. Nineteen patients were randomly assigned to the CAF + CTG-ACEJ group or CAF + CTG-CEJ group. Clinical and aesthetical evaluations were made at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: While the 6 months results showed that both surgical techniques were similar for clinical outcomes, the results achieved at the 6th month were more stable in the CAF + CTG-ACEJ group at the 12th month with significantly better recession depth, mean, and complete root coverage values and aesthetical results. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated gingival recession defects can be clinically successfully treated by both CAF + CTG-ACEJ and CAF + CTG-CEJ techniques. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Limited studies have compared the clinical and aesthetical effects of positioning CTG apical to the CEJ for the treatment of gingival recessions. This randomized clinical study showed that CAF + CTG-ACEJ technique can provide additional benefit for the treatment. The described technique is effective in obtaining better long-term CRC stability and aesthetics.

Clinical evaluation of injectable platelet-rich fibrin with connective tissue graft for the treatment of deep gingival recession defects: A controlled randomized clinical trial.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether the combined connective tissue graft (CTG) with injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) with coronally advanced flap (CAF) improved root coverage of deep Miller Class I or II gingival recessions compared with CTG alone with CAF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients with Miller class I and II gingival recessions were enrolled. Thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to the test group (CAF+CTG+i-PRF [700 rpm for 3 min]) or control group (CAF+CTG). Clinical evaluations were made at 6 months. RESULTS: At 6 months, complete root coverage was obtained at 88% of the sites treated with CAF+CTG+i-PRF and 80% of the sites treated with CAF+CTG. Difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. At 6 months, the recession depth (RD) reduction and increase in keratinized tissue height (KTH) of the test sites were significantly better compared with the control sites. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, the addition of i-PRF to the CAF+CTG treatment showed further development in terms of increasing the KTH and decreasing RD. However, this single trial is not sufficient to advocate the true clinical effect of i-PRF on recession treatment with CAF+CTG and additional trials are needed.

Effects of Platelet-Rich Fibrin on Palatal Wound Healing After Free Gingival Graft Harvesting: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on palatal wound healing after free gingival graft (FGG) harvesting. A total of 125 patients were randomized after FGG: PRF with butyl-cyanoacrylate (BC) adhesive (PRF group; n = 42), BC adhesive alone (BC group; n = 42), and sterile wet gauze compression (WG group; n = 41). Bleeding, pain, epithelialization, feeding habits, and sensation scores were recorded for different time points. Statistically significant differences were found for all parameters in favor of the PRF group (P = .0001). PRF may provide significant benefits for wound healing parameters and patients' postoperative course after palatal graft harvesting.

The effect of a streptococci containing probiotic in periodontal therapy: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the adjunctive effects of a Streptococcus oralis KJ3, Streptococcus uberis KJ2 and Streptococcus rattus JH145 containing probiotic tablet after scaling and root planing (SRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight periodontitis patients were included in this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. After root planing, patients used either a placebo or a probiotic tablet twice a day for 12 weeks. The pocket probing depth (primary outcome measure), bleeding on probing and relative attachment levels were measured at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks. At baseline, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks, microbiological sampling was performed and plaque and gingival indices were recorded. RESULTS: The primary and secondary outcome measures were significantly (p < 0.05) improved at the 12- and the 24-week evaluation in both groups. However, no significant inter-group differences could be detected at any time point, except from the % of sites with plaque that were significantly lower in the probiotic group than in the control group at the 24-week evaluation. In addition, at the 12-week time point, the salivary Prevotella intermedia counts were significantly lower in the probiotic group. CONCLUSIONS: No differences were detected when comparing the adjunctive use of a placebo or the investigated streptococci containing probiotic tablet after SRP. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02403960.