Does the Laser-Microtextured Short Implant Collar Design Reduce Marginal Bone Loss in Comparison with a Machined Collar?

Purpose. To compare marginal bone loss between subgingivally placed short-collar implants with machined collars and those with machined and laser-microtextured collars. Materials and Methods. The investigators used a retrospective study design and included patients who needed missing posterior teeth replaced with implants. Short-collar implants with identical geometries were divided into two groups: an M group, machined collar; and an L group, machined and laser-microtextured collar. Implants were evaluated according to marginal bone loss, implant success, and probing depth (PD) at 3 years of follow-up. Results. Sixty-two patients received 103 implants (56 in the M group and 47 in the L group). The cumulative survival rate was 100%. All implants showed clinically acceptable marginal bone loss, although bone resorption was lower in the L group (0.49 mm) than in the M group (1.38 mm) at 3 years (p < 0.01). A significantly shallower PD was found for the implants in the L group during follow-up (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Our results suggest predictable outcomes with regard to bone loss for both groups; however, bone resorption was less in the L group than in the M group before and after loading. The laser-microtextured collar implant may provide a shallower PD than the machined collar implant.

Three-Dimensional Assessment of Volumetric Changes in Sinuses Augmented with Two Different Bone Substitutes.

Introduction. The bone volume of the posterior maxilla may not be appropriate for implant placement, due to factors such as pneumatized maxillary sinus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage of graft volume reduction following sinus floor elevation (SFE), with either slow resorbable bone substitute only or a composite of slow and fast resorbable bone substitutes, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods. In this retrospective study, CBCT scans of SFE procedures were evaluated to determine the volume of grafted sinus with either deproteinized bovine bone (DBB) or a 2 : 1 mixture of biphasic calcium sulfate (CS) and DBB, as a composite. The volumetric changes of sinus augmentations were measured 2 weeks (V-I) and 6 months (V-II) after operation. Results. Thirty-three patients were included in this study. The average percentage volume reduction was 9.39 ± 3.01% and 17.65 ± 4.15% for DBB and composite grafts, respectively. A significant graft volume reduction was observed between V-I and V-II for both groups (p < 0.01). The DBB group exhibited significantly less volume reduction than the composite group (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Augmented sinus volume may change before implant placement. DBB offers greater volume stability during healing than composite grafts.

Clinical evaluation of the stability of implants placed at different supracrestal levels.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability during healing and before loading of implants placed at two different supracrestal levels according to their collar texture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who received posterior implants with the same macro design. Implants with a machined collar were placed 0.3 mm above the crestal bone (M group), while those with a laser-microtextured collar were placed 1 mm above the crestal bone (L group). All implants healed in a single stage with healing abutments. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) values were determined using resonance frequency analysis immediately after implant placement during surgery and after 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery. Other evaluated factors for stability included the implant diameter and length and the site of placement (maxilla or mandible). RESULTS: In total, 103 implants (47 L, 56 M) were evaluated. The median ISQ values at baseline and 1 week after placement were significantly higher for the M group than for the L group (p=0.006 and p=0.031, respectively). There were no differences at the subsequent observation points. The ISQ value was higher for wide-diameter than regular diameter (p=0.001) and mandibular implants than maxillary implants (p=0.001 at 0-8. weeks; p=0.012 at 12 weeks) at all observation points. When diameter data were neglected, the implant length did not influence the ISQ value at all observation points. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that submerging implant more inside bone may only influence primary stability. Moreover, the implant diameter and site of placement influence primary and secondary stability before loading, whereas the implant length does not when its diameter is not accounted for.

Effects of Nd:YAG laser irradiation for minimizing edema and pain after sinus lift surgery: randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser used for low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pain, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and swelling after sinus lift procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten healthy patients, requiring bilateral direct sinus lift surgery, were included in this prospective, randomized study. The treatment sides were randomly assigned to LLLT or control groups. The experimental side received 8 J/cm(2) of energy density, a wavelength of 1064 nm, for 60 sec, and 0.5 W laser immediately after surgery. Swelling, pain perception, and OHRQoL were evaluated at different time intervals. The data were analyzed by the one way ANOVA. RESULTS: Evaluations of postoperative pain, OHRQoL, and swelling were made. We observed that the swelling and the OHRQoL in the Nd:YAG group were significantly improved when compared with the control group on the 3rd day after surgery (p<0.05). The pain levels after surgery was almost the same for both groups, without statistically significant differences (p>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups with regard to any of the parameters evaluated on the 7th day. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser was effective in improving OHRQoL and reducing swelling after sinus lift surgery. Within the limitations of this study, we concluded that the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser has beneficial effects on swelling and OHRQoL, making it suitable for LLLT.