Animal Models for Investigating Osseointegration: An Overview of Implant Research over the Last Three Decades.

Dental implants and bone augmentation are among dentistry's most prevalent surgical treatments; hence, many dental implant surfaces and bone grafts have been researched to improve bone response. Such new materials were radiologically, histologically, and histomorphometrically evaluated on animals before being used on humans. As a result, several studies used animals to evaluate novel implant technologies, biocompatibility, surgical techniques, and osseointegration strategies, as preclinical research on animal models is essential to evaluate bioactive principles (on cells, compounds, and implants) that can act through multiple mechanisms and to predict animal behavior, which is difficult to predict from in vitro studies alone. In this study, we critically reviewed all research on different animal models investigating the osseointegration degree of new implant surfaces, reporting different species used in the osseointegration research over the last 30 years. Moreover, this is the first study to summarize reviews on the main animal models used in the translational research of osseointegration, including the advantages and limitations of each model and determining the ideal location for investigating osseointegration in small and large animal models. Overall, each model has advantages and disadvantages; hence, animal selection should be based on the cost of acquisition, animal care, acceptability to society, availability, tolerance to captivity, and housing convenience. Among small animal models, rabbits are an ideal model for biological observations around implants, and it is worth noting that osseointegration was discovered in the rabbit model and successfully applied to humans.

An animal study on the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma as a direct pulp capping agent.

Direct pulp capping (DPC) is a conservative approach for preserving tooth vitality without requiring more invasive procedures by enhancing pulp healing and mineralized tissue barrier formation. We investigated the effectiveness of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) vs. Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) as a DPC agent. Forty-two teeth from three mongrel dogs were divided into two equal groups. After three months, the animals were sacrificed to evaluate teeth radiographically using cone-beam computerized tomography, histopathologically, and real-time PCR for dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE), and nestin (NES) mRNA expression. Radiographically, hard tissue formation was evident in both groups without significant differences (p = 0.440). Histopathologic findings confirmed the dentin bridge formation in both groups; however, such mineralized tissues were homogenous without cellular inclusions in the PRP group, while was osteodentin type in the MTA group. There was no significant difference in dentin bridge thickness between the PRP-capped and MTA-capped teeth (p = 0.732). The PRP group had significantly higher DSPP, MEPE, and NES mRNA gene expression than the MTA group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PRP enables mineralized tissue formation following DPC similar to MTA, and could generate better cellular dentinogenic responses and restore dentin with homogenous architecture than MTA, making PRP a promising alternative DPC agent.

Knowledge and attitudes toward evidence-based cariology and restorative dentistry among Egyptian dental practitioners: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: This is the first study to assess Egyptian dental practitioners' knowledge about conservative caries management approaches and investigate whether this knowledge transfers into clinical practice and the barriers to translating research into evidence-based practice. METHODS: A sample of dental practitioners was surveyed using an online questionnaire. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to collect data from February to June 2022. We included graduated dentists from Egyptian universities who practiced in Egypt. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and the associations between variables were checked using Kruskal Wallis and Chi-Square tests. RESULTS: This study included 396 participants from throughout Egypt. There were significant correlations between specialty and participants' knowledge and behaviors toward evidence-based caries management (p = 0.002) and between specialization and tools used to detect carious lesions (p < 0.001). Most participants (59.1%) used G.V Black's classification, and (80.8%) removed caries based on the feature of dentin hardness and color, whereas (67%) removed caries until hard dentine remained. The participants' primary hurdle to staying up-to-date was their belief that the newly gained information would not be clinically applicable due to a lack of equipment or working in low-economic areas. Patient-related barriers were the major obstacles for participants in implementing evidence-based practice. CONCLUSION: Egyptian dentists did not fully embrace minimal invasive approaches for caries management, and practitioners' experiences continue to shape decision-making. It emphasizes the imperative to practically educate dentists using effective knowledge translation dissemination to promote evidence adoption in daily practice and advocate value-based dental care to address the economic crisis's impact on Egypt's healthcare.

Current Status of Peri-Implant Diseases: A Clinical Review for Evidence-Based Decision Making.

BACKGROUND: the prevalence of peri-implant diseases is constantly growing, particularly with the increasing use of dental implants. As such, achieving healthy peri-implant tissues has become a key challenge in implant dentistry since it considers the optimal success paradigm. This narrative review aims to highlight the current concepts regarding the disease and summarize the available evidence on treatment approaches clarifying their indications for usage following the World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases (2017). METHODS: we reviewed the recent literature and conducted a narrative synthesis of the available evidence on peri-implant diseases. RESULTS: scientific evidence on case definitions, epidemiology, risk factors, microbiological profile, prevention, and treatment approaches for peri-implant diseases were summarized and reported. CONCLUSIONS: although there are numerous protocols for managing peri-implant diseases, they are diverse and nonstandardized, with no consensus on the most effective, leading to treatment confusion.

EFFICACY OF HEMOSTATIC AGENTS IN ENDODONTIC SURGERY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND NETWORK META-ANALYSIS.

OBJECTIVE: Adequate hemostasis is a critical step in endodontic surgery. It facilitates the procedure and affects the success and prognosis of the operation. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to systematically assess the efficacy of hemostatic agents in endodontic surgery and to identify the most effective ones. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, and EBSCOhost databases were searched up to December 2020. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of different hemostatic measures in endodontic surgery, and their risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's randomized trial tool (RoB 2.0). Frequentist network meta-analysis was conducted, with Odds Ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) as effect estimates using the "netmeta" package in R. The quality of evidence was assessed using the CINeMA approach. RESULTS: Six RCTs involving 353 patients (mean age 48.12 y) were included. NMA revealed that aluminum chloride achieved higher hemostatic efficacy than epinephrine (OR = 2.55, 95% CI [1.41, 4.64]), while there was non-significant difference when compared with PTFE strips + epinephrine (OR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.35, 2.90]), electrocauterization (OR = 2.67, 95% CI [0.84, 8.46]), or ferric sulfate (OR = 8.65, 95% CI [0.31, 240.92]). Of all hemostatic agents, aluminum chloride ranked first in control bleeding during endodontic surgery (P-score = 0.84), followed by PTFE strips + epinephrine (P-score = 0.80), electrocauterization (P-score = 0.34), epinephrine (P-score = 0.34), ferric sulfate (P-score = 0.18). The quality of evidence was very low. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the limited data, aluminum chloride provides better hemostasis than epinephrine, while there was no significant difference between the remaining hemostatic agents used in endodontic surgery, which could help clinicians choose the hemostatic agent that achieves adequate hemostasis. achieve adequate hemostasis. Given insufficient evidence, future RCTs addressing this evidence gap are required.

Oral manifestations of COVID-19 patients: An online survey of the Egyptian population.

OBJECTIVES: This pilot survey aims to study the oral manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection and report the prevalence of oral signs and symptoms in COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 15 to June 10, 2020, we used an online questionnaire containing the oral manifestations that are expected to be associated with the COVID-19 infection. Adults in our survey who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 positive were confirmed with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and isolated in various hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. RESULTS: This pilot study included 58 (53.4% males and 46.6% females) COVID-19 patients ages 18-46 years, and 13 (22.4%) were healthcare workers. Our results showed that 67.2% of the patients had at least one manifestation related to the oral cavity and salivary glands, and 32.8% (n = 19) did not have any symptoms associated with the oral cavity. The highest prevalence symptoms were dry mouth 39.7% (n = 23), gustatory dysfunction as 34.5% (n = 20) loss of salt sensation, 29.3% (n = 17) loss of sweet sensation, and 25.9% (n = 15) altered food taste, while the least prevalent symptoms were tongue redness 8.8% (n = 5), and gingival bleeding 7% (n = 4). The most frequently associated symptoms were loss of salt and sweetness, as reported by 27.6% of the participants. However, there was no significant association between the incidence of oral symptoms and demographic data (age, gender, or job) of the patients (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on limited data, COVID-19 significantly impacts the oral cavity and salivary glands, as salivary gland-related symptoms and taste disorders are highly prevalent in COVID-19 patients.

Scientific Trends in Clinical Research on Zirconia Dental Implants: A Bibliometric Review.

BACKGROUND: The clinical use of zirconia implants has been shown to increase steadily due to their biological, aesthetic, and physical properties; therefore, this bibliometric study aimed to review the clinical research and co-authors in the field of zirconia dental implant rehabilitation. METHODS: We searched Scopus and Web of Science databases using a comprehensive search strategy to 5 October 2020, and independently paired reviewers who screened studies, and collected data with inclusion criteria restricted to clinical research only (either prospective or retrospective). Data on article title, co-authors, number of citations received, journal details, publication year, country and institution involved, funding, study design, marginal bone loss, survival rate, failure, follow-up, and the author's bibliometric data were collected and evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 29 clinical studies were published between 2008 and 2020 as 41.4% were prospective cohort studies and 48.3% originated from Germany. Most of the included studies had been published in Clinical Oral Implant Research (n = 12), and the most productive institution was the Medical Center of University of Freiburg. The author with the largest number of clinical studies on zirconia implants was Kohal R.J. (n = 10), followed by Spies B.C. (n = 8). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that zirconia implants have been more prominent in the last ten years, which is a valuable option for oral rehabilitation with marginal bone loss and survival rate comparable to titanium dental implants.

Chlorhexidine to improve the survival of ART restorations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to systematically assess the efficacy of chlorhexidine (CHX) as a cavity pre-treatment or restoration mix-in on the survival of ART restorations. DATA: We included randomized controlled trials that assessed the effect of cavity pretreatment with CHX or the restoration mix-in of CHX on the survival of ART restorations (test group) versus a similar restorative approach without CHX. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's randomized trial quality assessment Tool (RoB 2.0). Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted, with mean Odds Ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (OR, 95 % CI) as effect estimates. The certainty of the evidence was assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. SOURCES: Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Central were searched. Eligible studies were in- or excluded and data extracted for included studies by two reviewers independently. STUDY SELECTION: Four studies with 261 patients (mean age 3.8-14.6 years) and 467 ART restorations were included. All studies showed some concerns about the risk of bias. Three studies involving a total of 167 restorations in the CHX group and 188 restorations in the control group, followed up for one year, were submitted to meta-analysis. There were no significant differences between CHX vs. control (OR = 0.79, 95 % CI [0.26, 2.40], P = 0.68, I2 = 3%, P = 0.35). The strength of the evidence was estimated as low. CONCLUSIONS: Based on very limited data, CHX pre-treatment or restoration mix-in did not have any significant benefit for survival of ART restorations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: There is a lack of evidence regarding the influence of chlorhexidine on the survival of ART restorations. Our results revealed that there was no significant difference in the survival of ART restorations when CHX was used as a cavity pre-treatment or mix-in.

A Novel Technique to Increase the Thickness of TiO2 of Dental Implants by Nd: DPSS Q-sw Laser Treatment.

High bone-implant contact is a crucial factor in the achievement of osseointegration and long time clinical success of dental implants. Micro, nano, microtopography, and oxide layer of dental implants influence tissue response. The lasers were used for achieving an implant surface with homogeneous micro texturing and uncontaminated surface. The present study aimed to characterize the implant surfaces treated by Nd: DPSS Q-sw Laser treatment compared to machined implants. A total of 10 machined implants and 10 lasered surface implants were evaluated in this study. The implant surfaces were evaluated by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), and metallography to characterize and measure the thickness of the oxide layer on the implant titanium surface. The machined surfaces showed a non-homogeneous oxide layer ranging between 20 and 30 nm. The lasered implant surfaces showed a homogeneous oxide layer ranging between 400 nm and 460 nm in the area of the laser holes, while outside the layer, thickness ranged between 200 nm and 400 nm without microcracks or evidence of damage. Another exciting result after this laser treatment is a topographically controlled, repeatable, homogeneous, and clean surface. This technique can obtain the implant surface without leaving residues of foreign substances on it. The study results indicate that the use of Nd: DPSS Q-sw laser produces a predictable and reproducible treatment able to improve the titanium oxide layer on the dental implant surface.