TREATMENT OUTCOME OF SHORT DENTAL IMPLANTS.

BACKGROUND: Bone resorption following tooth loss and proximity of the alveolar crest to vital structures such as the maxillary sinus and the inferior dental canal can be a limitation to tooth replacement with an implant. The placement of short dental implants may reduce the need for bone augmentation as bone augmentation increases the cost of providing dental implant treatment. AIM: To assess the treatment outcome and survival rate of short implants used for single and multiple teeth replacement after one year of loading and restoration. METHODOLOGY: This study included 26 patients aged 21 to 70 years with a mean of 47.24 SD ± 14.51 years that received 55 short dental implants (Bicon system, Boston, USA) for single and multiple teeth replacement at the Restorative Dentistry Clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between 2012 and 2016. Demographic data such as age, sex, location of implant, length of implant, placement technique and type of restoration (crown or bridge) were obtained from the patients' hospital records. Patients were recalled three months, six months and one year after implant placement and restoration to assess clinically for implant mobility, pain, suppuration, gingival recession and inflammation around the implant retained restorations. Marginal bone loss and peri-implant radiolucency were evaluated using periapical radiograph. RESULTS: Survival rate of short implants placed in this study was 96.4%. None of the surviving implants showed a marginal bone loss greater than 1.5mm one year after placement. None of the surviving and functional implant restoration demonstrated mobility, suppuration or peri-implant radiolucency during the review period. The 8mm implants demonstrated a statistically significantly higher survival rate compared with the 6mm implants (p=0.039). A significantly higher percentage of failure was recorded among the implants placed in the lower premolar region (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that the use of short implants is a viable option in teeth replacement especially when the alveolar bone height is less than 10mm.

Histopathologic effect of Persea americana aqueous leaves extract on the liver and kidney of weaner rabbits (California Species) / Efecto histopatológico del extracto acuoso de las hojas de Persea americana sobre el hígado y riñón de conejos destetados (Especie California)

Persea americana (avocado) is widely grown in parts of Southeastern Nigeria and used as a medicinal plant in the treatment of several ailments by alternative medical practitioners but very little research has been carried out on its pharmacotoxicity. This study therefore intends to study the histopathologic effect(s) of Persea americana aqueous leaf extract on the liver and kidneys of rabbits. Fresh leaves of Persea americana were processed using the Soxhlet extraction to obtain the aqueous extract. Three (3) groups of weaner rabbits namely the control, the recommended dose and the high dose groups were given water, 75mg/kg/ and 150mg/kg per day of the extract respectively for 28 days. The animals were sacrificed, the liver and kidney were harvested, fixed in 10 percent buffered formol saline, processed into paraffin wax, sectioned at 5µm and stained by the Haematoxylin and Eosin method and Perl's Prussain Blue method. Slightly better weight gain by the experimental groups suggests that the extract enhances appetite. Histopathology of the liver and kidney of the recommended and high dosage groups were not different from the control group suggesting that the plant extract is beneficial except for the observed loose stool, suggesting increased bowel emptying. This however did not affect weight gain.

La Persea americana (aguacate o palta) crece ampliamente en algunas partes del sudeste de Nigeria y se utiliza como planta medicinal en el tratamiento de varias dolencias por profesionales de la medicina alternativa, pero muy poca investigación se ha llevado a cabo en relación a su toxicidad farmacológica. Este estudio tiene el objetivo de estudiar el efecto histopatológico del extracto acuoso de hojas de Persea americana sobre el hígado y riñones de conejos. Hojas frescas de Persea americana fueron procesadas mediante extracción con Soxhlet para obtener el extracto acuoso. Tres grupos de conejos destetados denominados control, dosis recomendada y dosis alta se les dio agua con 75mg/kg/día y 150mg/kg/día del extracto respectivamente durante 28 días. Los animales fueron sacrificados. Los hígados y riñones fueron recolectados y fijados al 10 por ciento en formol tamponado y luego procesados en parafina. Se tiñeron cortes de 5 um por los métodos de Hematoxilina-Eosina y de Perl (azul de Prusia). Un aumento ligeramente mayor de peso en los grupos experimentales sugiere que el extracto aumenta el apetito de los animales. La histopatología del hígado y riñón en los grupos dosis recomendada y dosis alta no fueron diferentes al grupo control, sugiriendo que el extracto de la planta es beneficioso, excepto por el informe de heces acuosas.

Pattern of endodontic treatment in children in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for endodontic treatment in patients aged 16 years and below seen at the Paedodontic clinic of the Department of Child Dental Health of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. METHODS: Dental records of patients aged 16 years and below treated for various dental problems at the Paedodontic clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 2006 and December 2007 were reviewed to select cases that received endodontic treatment. The survey was conducted to determine the frequency of endodontic treatment for each tooth in the maxilla and mandible, the reasons for endodontic treatment and type of endodontic treatment performed in each tooth. Data on age, sex, endodontically treated teeth, reasons for endodontic treatment and date of treatment was retrieved from the patients' dental records. RESULTS: A total of 2376 patients were seen during the period of survey, out of which 260 (11%) patients received endodontic treatment of three hundred teeth comprising 194 mandibular teeth and 106 maxillary teeth. The primary lower second molar (26%) was the most frequently endodontically treated tooth followed by the permanent lower first molar (22%). All the primary and permanent molars were endodontically treated due to caries while 62.5% and 60% of permanent and primary central incisors respectively were endodontically treated due to caries. The other infrequent reasons for endodontic treatment were trauma (5.3%) and failed root canal treatment (1.3%). CONCLUSION: The primary lower second molar was the most frequently (26%) treated endodontically and the major reason (93.3%) for endodontic treatment was caries. Only 5.3% of the endodontically treated teeth were due to trauma.

Pattern of endodontic treatment in children in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for endodontic treatment in patients aged 16 years and below seen at the Paedodontic clinic of the Department of Child Dental Health of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.Methods: Dental records of patients aged 16 years and below treated for various dental problems at the Paedodontic clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 2006 and December 2007 were reviewed to select cases that received endodontic treatment. The survey was conducted to determine the frequency of endodontic treatment for each tooth in the maxilla and mandible; the reasons for endodontic treatment and type of endodontic treatment performed in each tooth. Data on age; sex; endodontically treated teeth; reasons for endodontic treatment and date of treatment was retrieved from the patients' dental records. Results: A total of 2;376 patients were seen during the period of survey; out of which 260 (11) patients received endodontic treatment of three hundred teeth comprising 194 mandibular teeth and 106 maxillary teeth. The primary lower second molar (26) was the most frequently endodontically treated tooth followed by the permanent lower first molar (22). All the primary and permanent molars were endodontically treated due to caries while 62.5and 60of permanent and primary central incisors respectively were endodontically treated due to caries. The other infrequent reasons for endodontic treatment were trauma (5.3) and failed root canal treatment (1.3). Conclusion: The primary lower second molar was the most frequently (26) treated endodontically and the major reason (93.3) for endodontic treatment was caries. Only 5.3of the endodontically treated teeth were due to trauma

Prevalence of ocular injury and the use of protective eye wear among the dental personnel in a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of ocular injury and the frequency of use of protective eye wear among the dental personnel of Lagos University teaching hospital. METHODOLOGY: A structured questionnaire was distributed to dental personnel of Lagos University Teaching Hospital working in the dental clinic and laboratory within a period of one month (November 2006). RESULTS: Ninety questionnaires out of 105 questionnaires were returned filled giving a response rate of 90.5%. 36.7% of the dental personnel are regular wearers of protective eye wear. 28.9% of males and 42.3% of females are regular wearers. Among the dental personnel the dental therapists showed the highest frequency of regular eye protection (100%) while the technologists showed the lowest frequency of regular eye protection (20%). There was significant difference in the prevalence of ocular injury among the dental personnel with the technologist having the highest prevalence of 40% and the dental students having the lowest prevalence of 15.4% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The frequency of using protective eye wear among the dental personnel of Lagos University Teaching hospital was low. The use of protective eye wear should be emphasized for all dental personnel and patients to prevent the occurrence of ocular injuries in the clinic and laboratory.

Dental students' knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated final year dental students' knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), lesions associated with HIV, potential transmission routes of HIV, and their perception of the teaching received on cross-infection precautions, virology, sterilization practice and procedure, barrier dentistry and recognition of blood-borne virus risk group. METHODOLOGY: Structured questionnaires on knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus were filled by final year dental students of University of Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 35 out of 37 questionnaires were returned filled giving a response rate of 94.6%. RESULTS: Most of the students rated the teaching they received on cross-infection precautions, sterilization practice and procedure, as adequate. More than a quarter (28.5%) of the students rated the teaching they received on virology and recognition of blood-borne virus risk group to be less than adequate. Most of the students were able to recognize the association of oral Kaposi sarcoma, oral candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, and salivary gland enlargement with HIV infection. There was a much lower level of knowledge of oral melanotic hyperpigmentation and idiopathic thrombocytopaenic pupura. Their knowledge of HIV and its potential transmission routes were adequate. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that final year dental students of the University of Lagos in southwestern region of Nigeria had adequate knowledge of routes of transmission of HIV in clinical practice. However, there is need for improvement in teaching of the students on virology and recognition of blood-borne virus risk group.

Conditionally immortalized neural progenitor cell lines integrate and differentiate after grafting to the adult rat striatum. A combined autoradiographic and electron microscopic study.

Neural progenitor cell lines, generated by conditional immortalization from the embryonic CNS, have previously been shown to survive and integrate after transplantation to the adult brain. The present study was designed to investigate the in vivo differentiation and morphological features of grafted neural progenitors using combined autoradiography and transmission electron microscopy of two temperature-sensitive neural progenitor cell lines, HiB5 and ST14A, labeled with 3H-thymidine prior to grafting. Two weeks after transplantation to the striatum the cells were found dispersed over an area extending about 1.5 mm from the injection site. Labeled cells located within the myelinated fiber bundles of the internal capsule were closely associated with myelinated axons and presented profiles similar to oligodendrocytes, while most of the grafted cells in the grey matter had morphological features of astroglia. Some labeled cells occurred also in close association with small blood vessels, morphologically resembling host pericytes. The results show that the immortalized neural progenitors can differentiate into mature glial cells, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and pericytes, after implantation into the adult striatum. The ability of the cells to become fully integrated with the resident glial population suggests that they will be highly useful as vehicles for intracerebral transgene expression in ex vivo gene transfer.