Oral Health-related Quality of Life Among Denture Stomatitis Patients with Implant Overdenture Treated with Photodynamic Therapy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the impact of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among denture stomatitis patients with implant overdenture prostheses (IODs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients were recruited from a specialist dental practice according to selection criteria. The Candida spp. were identified and confirmed by the microbiological culture technique. Candida counts were estimated as colony-forming units (CFU/ml) at baseline, 15, 30, and 60 days. PDT was carried out twice a week with 72 h intervals for a period of 4 weeks. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. It included the demographic details of the patients, including age, gender, education, marital and socioeconomic status (SES), oral habits, and smoking status. In addition, the Oral Health Impact Profile-EDENT (OHIP-EDENT) scale was added to assess the OHRQoL of all patients before and after PDT treatment. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the t-test and the Shapiro-Wilk test; statistical signifcance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: At baseline, the overall mean Candida CFU/ml were quite high in the implant overdenture (IODs) samples, 37.12 ± 15.8, as compared to palatal mucosa samples with 5.1 ± 2.3. After PDT treatment, a statistically significant reduction was noted in the mean Candida CFU/ml on both surfaces at all follow-up visits. It was observed that all domains of OHIP-EDENT except for physical disability and handicap showed statistically significant improvement in mean scores after PDT treatment. FL, P1, P2, D2, and D3 had statistically significant mean score improvements of 2.2, 3.1, 2.2, 1.4, and 0.7, respectively. Furthermore, after PDT treatment, the total OHIP-EDENT score showed a statistically significant improvement of 11.6. CONCLUSION: PDT treatment has a positive impact on the OHRQoL for patients with denture stomatitis. It can be used as an effective treatment option for the treatment of denture stomatitis in IOD patients.

Vertical Marginal Discrepancy of a Monolithic Zirconia Crown with Different Cement Spaces.

The long-term clinical success of indirect restorations highly depends on their marginal integrity. The cement space is an element that might affect the marginal integrity, but it can be altered during the configuring of the computer-assisted designing/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) restoration. However, there is controversy in the literature regarding the effect of the cement space on the precision of zirconia crown marginal adaptation. The aim of this study was to measure the vertical marginal discrepancies between different cement thickness settings for CAD-CAM monolithic zirconia restorations. Material and Methods. An artificial mandibular right molar tooth mounted on a typodont was prepared for a zirconia crown using the standard method. The study sample consisted of 30 zirconia crowns (Zenostar Zr Translucent Zirconia, Weiland Dental, Germany) milled using an (iMes-iCore) milling machine. Each group of 10 crowns was designed with 30-50 and 70 µm spacer thicknesses. The vertical marginal adaptation at the center of the four different planes (mesial, distal, buccal, and palatal) was measured under a microscope at 40x magnification. A one-way analysis of variance test was used for statistical analysis. Results. The mean of Group 30 was 27.45; of Group 50 was 22.22; and of Group 70 was 22.90. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p ≥ 0.5). Conclusions. The increase in the cement space up to 70 µm did not influence the vertical marginal adaptation of the monolithic zirconia crowns.

Influence of abutment material on the shade of dental implant restorations in the esthetic zone: a single case report.

High esthetic demand and expectation challenges the rehabilitation of the esthetic zone with dental implants. Most implant system manufacturers offer customized and prefabricated ceramic, specifically zirconia or alumina abutments, as an alternative to titanium or gold alloy abutments, with the aid of computer-aided designing/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. A 45-year-old male patient was referred to the prosthodontics clinic for the restoration of maxillary central incisors with all ceramic dental implants. After healing, both implants were restored with all-ceramic crowns but different customized abutment materials for the purpose of comparison. The all-ceramic crown was cemented on a customized zirconia abutment at the implant site # 11 and on a customized gold alloy abutment at implant site # 21. The treating dentist as well as two prosthodontists performed a meticulous clinical examination to compare the ceramic crowns side by side and agreed that the outcome was esthetically satisfactory. The patient was satisfied with the esthetics and functional outcome of the final restorations, as was the prosthodontist.

Clinical performance of one-piece zirconia dental implants: A systematic review.

The aim of the present review was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic performance of one-piece zirconia implants (O-PZI). This review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines that addressed the following focused question: What is the overall clinical and radiographic performance of O-PZI? The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register databases were searched. Six clinical studies were included. For studies evaluating O-PZI compared with one-piece titanium implants, zirconia implants showed higher crestal bone loss (CBL) in both the studies. However, one study demonstrated a high failure rate compared to titanium dental implants, while one study demonstrated comparable survival rates between zirconia and titanium dental implants. For studies evaluating O-PZI for the restoration of single crown and fixed dental prostheses, O-PZI showed comparable bone loss and survival rates for single crowns and fixed dental prostheses. Two studies were included that compared O-PZI with two-piece zirconia (T-PZI). One study showed a higher CBL and low survival rate for O-PZI compared to T-PZI, whereas the other study demonstrated comparable CBL and survival rates between O-PZI and T-PZI. It is still debatable whether O-PZI demonstrate better clinical performance when compared with titanium implants or two-piece design.

Evaluation of the Effect of Glow Discharge Plasma Surface Treatment on Bonding Cements to Zirconia.

BACKGROUND: The major difference in the chemical composition of Y-TZP ceramics, as compared with conventional porcelain, led researchers to develop alternative solutions for achieving durable and long term bonding with the zirconia surface. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to evaluate the effects of glow discharge treatment on the bonding between cement and zirconia. METHODS: The zirconia rings and rods were prepared with the Zirconia Y-TZP powder and TZ-3YSB-E (Tosoh-Zirconia) through auto-mix to investigate the glow discharge and thermo-cycling. An orientation Teflon mold was used to centralize each rod into the zirconia ring, and aided as a cementation jig during the cementation procedure. RESULTS: Cohesive failure (2/3 or more of luting agent remained on the zirconia surface) has been majorly observed with RelyX Ultimate, while adhesion failure (less than 1/3 of the luting agent remained on the zirconia surface) has been primarily observed in Ketac-Cem. Mixed failure was observed among the three specimen including Rely X Unicem 2, Multilink Auto-mix and Ceramir. CONCLUSION: The glow discharge surface treatment procedure had a major impact on bond strength to zirconia.

Effects of using Antifungal Gel on Retentive Bond Strength of Two Forms of Denture Adhesives: An in vitro Study.

AIM: The purpose of this in vitro study is to compare the bond strength to denture acrylics efficacy of miconazole gel against two denture adhesives with improved retentive properties (zinc-free PoliGrip cream and Snug denture soft cushion). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight heat-cured acrylic samples were prepared measuring 0.7 cm × 1.4 cm flat tested surface. The two well-adapted tested surfaces were matched and fixed to Universal Testing Machine clamp. Vertical separating load was applied at a rate of 1 mm/min to yield the maximum load before denture adhesive failure occurs. These measurements were used to express the retention bond strength when improved denture adhesive material was applied alone in comparison with micon-azole nitrate gel. Results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical analysis at p-value of < 0.05. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean tensile strength when the antifungal gel was opposed by the zinc-free PoliGrip cream. However, such a significant difference was not evident when the Snug denture cushion was opposed by the miconazole gel. CONCLUSION: The addition of antifungal gel to denture adhesives reduces retentive bond strength of denture adhesives to denture acrylics. However, if an antifungal gel has to be used, then a denture adhesive cushion soft plastic liner may provide a better retentive option than denture adhesive cream. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The incorporation of an antifungal agent into denture adhesives is required in many denture patients to suppress fugal growth and eliminate the undesirable health effects associated with such infections.

Use of Magnifying Loupes among Dental Professionals.

AIM: The study aims to determine the perspective of dental professionals towards magnifying loupes and the selection criteria used while purchasing them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this regard, a close-ended questionnaire was structured and distributed among 111 dental professionals. The questionnaire was designed to obtain information regarding the usage of magnifying loupes in dental practices and procedures, limiting factors, and selection criteria for purchasing. The results obtained from this study were statistically analyzed with the help of SPSS. RESULTS: The findings illustrated that most respondents considered the use of magnifying loupes beneficial in dental practices. Also, 20.7% of them preferred "Through-the-Lens" magnifying loupes over "Flip-up" ones. Furthermore, many of the respondents considered that price, magnification, and resolution are the main factors in terms of selection criteria. CONCLUSION: Although, there is an immense growth seen in the usage of magnifying loupes in dentistry; still there is a need to increase the awareness of the dental professionals regarding the positive outcomes of magnification aids in dentistry. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study will help enlightening clinicians regarding the selection criteria while purchasing magnifying loupes for dental practices.