Evaluation of extra-narrow diameter implants in the oral rehabilitation of young patients after oral trauma: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Oral trauma is a common event in young patients and can lead to tooth loss, especially after avulsion of a tooth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival, esthetic outcomes, ridge preservation, and patient satisfaction of extra-narrow diameter implants (NDIs) as a temporary rehabilitation treatment for young patients who had lost permanent maxillary incisors after an avulsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised a prospective clinical and experimental study on a case series of 13 patients (age: 10-14 years) with a history of avulsion of one or more maxillary incisors. The patients received 19 mini-drive locks implants (Intralock) with acrylic resin crowns, divided into two evaluation arms: immediate implant placement (n = 10) and delayed implant placement (n = 9). The cases were followed up every 3 months with an initial tomography (T0) before implant placement and after 1 year (T1). The clinical stability of the implant in the bone and the retention of the provisional implant crown were evaluated, and the esthetic index was calculated at each follow-up. Intragroup and intergroup differences in alveolar ridge height and thickness were compared at T0 and T1, and a questionnaire was administered to assess the patient's perception of the treatment. RESULTS: The implant survival rate after 1 year was 78.9%. Alveolar ridge height and thickness increased in all cases at T1 (p < .05). Patients who received immediate implants had greater initial and final alveolar ridge thickness. The esthetic index progressively increased over the investigated time period (p = .001). Only one female patient presented with crown infraocclusion after 1 year. The patients' esthetic perceptions of their smiles significantly improved after treatment (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Extra-NDI had good survival rates, were effective at maintaining alveolar bone, and promoted aesthetic recovery and patient satisfaction with treatment during the period studied.

Dental care in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome: two case reports.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a prothrombotic autoimmune disease that may be classified as primary or secondary. Treatment consists of oral anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and/or immunosuppressant drugs. This report describes the dental treatment of 2 women with APS and multiple dental concerns, including periodontal disease, caries, and missing teeth. The invasive dental procedures were performed in an outpatient setting with hematologic monitoring and use of local hemostatic measures. Neither interruption of anticoagulant medications nor administration of blood products was necessary. All of the procedures were performed without complications. To date, no recommendations for the dental care of patients with APS have been established, demonstrating a need to investigate the risks for bleeding and infection, among other concerns, during dental treatment of these patients.

Surgical and prosthetic considerations to rehabilitate an ocular defect using extraoral implants: a clinical report.

This clinical report shows the use of extraoral implants to rehabilitate an ocular defect, focusing the surgical and prosthetic procedures. Using local anesthesia and a surgical template obtained from the diagnostic wax ocular pattern, two cylinder dental implants were strategically placed in the lateral aspect of the right infraorbital region. Four months later, an acrylic framework including two spherical magnets was made using plastic UCLA abutments. After casting laboratory steps, a customized silicon prosthetic appliance was fabricated from the diagnostic wax ocular pattern and attached to the Co-Cr framework, observing its profile and seating aspects. The patient was satisfied with the treatment result, due to the retention, esthetics, and adhesive-free method to anchor his ocular prostheses.

The role of polymerization cycle and post-pressing time on tooth movement in complete dentures.

This study analyzed the influence of polymerization cycle and post-pressing time on tooth movement in complete dentures. Forty maxillary complete dentures were fabricated and randomly assigned to 8 groups (n = 5); the polymerization cycle (conventional long cycle in water bath, fast cycle in boiling water, and by microwave energy) and the post-pressing time (immediate and 6 hours) were varied. Metal reference pins were placed on the incisal border of the central incisors (RI and LI), on the buccal cusp of the first premolars (RP and LP), and on the mesiobuccal cusp of the second molars (RM and LM). Two transverse and 2 anteroposterior distances were measured with a linear optical microscope (Olympus Optical Co., Tokyo, Japan) with an accuracy of .0005 mm, before and after processing the complete dentures. The data collected were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey Test at a significance level of 5%. When Clássico, a conventional heat-polymerizable acrylic resin, was polymerized by microwave energy, tooth movement was statistically significant for 2 distances, with the highest value being observed for the 6-hour post-pressing time. Onda-Cryl microwave acrylic resin processed by microwave energy presented the lowest tooth movement for 2 distances, considering the 6-hour post-pressing time. QC-20 acrylic resin presented no statistically significant change considering both post-pressing times in each distance evaluated. Tooth movement showed an asymmetric behavior, so the mastering of the processing method is essential to the precise execution of all laboratory steps, irrespective of the polymerization cycle and post-pressing time used.