"All on short" prosthetic-implant supported rehabilitations.

OBJECTIVES: Short implants are increasing their popularity among clinicians who want to fulfill the constant demanding of fixed prosthetic solutions in edentulous jaws. The aim of this report was to propose a new possibility to project and realize an occlusal guided implant cross-arch prosthesis supported by ultra-short implants, describing it presented an edentulous mandible case report. METHODS: A 61-year-old, Caucasian, female patient who attended the dental clinic of the University of L'Aquila presented with edentulous posterior inferior jaw and periodontitis and periimplantitis processes in the anterior mandible. The remaining tooth and the affected implant were removed. Six 4-mm-long implants were placed to support a cross-arch metal-resin prosthesis. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up clinical and radiological assessment showed a good osseointegration of the fixtures and the patient was satisfied with the prosthesis solution. CONCLUSION: The method, even if it requires further validation, seems to be a valid aid in solving lower edentulous clinical cases, and appears less complex and with more indications of other proposals presented in the current clinical literature. Our case report differs from the current technique All-on-Four, which uses four implants in the mandible to support over-denture prosthesis, assuring a very promising clinical result.

Aesthetic rehabilitation in a young patient using a minimally invasive approach. A multidisciplinary case report.

BACKGROUND: Optimal integration and long-term stability of oral rehabilitations require correct diagnostic approach, appropriate pre-prosthetic treatments and accurate therapeutic protocols. Technology provides devices to optimise therapeutic results, according to biologic constraints and aesthetic parameters. CASE REPORT: The present report describes a multidisciplinary management in a young patient affected by lateral incisor agenesis, including pre-prosthetic orthodontic treatment and restorative and implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation. Minimally invasive clinical procedures with veneer restorations and flapless implant placement, followed by immediate prosthesis delivery, are carried out. Tridimensional diagnostic data and dedicated software were used for treatment planning, allowing to achieve optimal results.

[Use of Electronic Spin Resonance in the study of dental enamel caries. Preliminary results]. / Impiego della Risonanza di Spin Elettronico (EPR) nello studio della carie dello smalto dentario. Risultati preliminari.

BACKGROUND: By means of the Electron Spin Resonance technique (EPR) it is possible to detect carbonate-related paramagnetic centers in human tooth enamel. Several arguments indicate that the radicals formed after X-ray irradiation (CO2- and CO3(3-)) are ascribed to carbonate which is the most important constituent of hydroxyapatite. There is experimental evidence that the distribution of the orientation of these centers is related to microcrystal alignment in dental enamel, which might be responsible for caries susceptibility. The results reported in the literature, however, should be interpreted very carefully. METHODS: In our own preliminary research we studied twenty-seven samples of dental enamel taken from the buccal face of upper molars. Fifteen were carious and the other ones were sound. We used the R-parameter and the S-parameter to convert our experimental results into numerical values. The R-parameters, as introduced by Cevc et al. (1976-1980) is the ratio of the amplitude for the high field and the low component of the EPR signal. The S-parameter is the ratio of the amplitude of the A2 component and the low one. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the R and S-value of carious and sound dental enamel samples. The degree of microcrystal alignment in enamel of clinically sound upper molar from their buccal site is very high. However, this result is not sufficient to evaluate the caries susceptibility or the caries resistance of tooth enamel. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, we can conclude that it is not sufficient to ascribe the caries susceptibility to the R-value, because other factors (such as etiological factors and the structure of the teeth) should be considered.